Horror is a consistently popular genre in Hollywood and has been a part of our culture for decades. While many successful horror franchises exist, there are also plenty of one-off scary movies, meaning there’s something for almost every viewer. Horror films have played a significant role in film history, capturing the public’s imagination from the early days of cinema. Despite its popularity, horror rarely wins major awards, like those at the Oscars, although this hasn’t always been true.
The film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came out in 1931, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s original 1886 story. It was a hit with both critics and audiences, and received three Academy Award nominations: Best Writing Adaptation (now Best Adapted Screenplay), Best Cinematography, and Best Actor for Fredric March, who played both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. March won the Best Actor award, making the film one of the few horror movies to ever win an Oscar. Nearly a century later, this accomplishment remains rare.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Still Stands Out Among Modern Horror
It’s been over ninety years since Fredric March won an Oscar for playing the classic monster in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and despite horror’s popularity with audiences, the genre hasn’t been well-represented at the Academy Awards. Only 18 horror films have ever won Oscars, and those wins are usually for technical achievements like costumes, makeup, or editing. Given how important the Oscars are considered when judging a movie’s success, this lack of recognition is a bit unsettling.
The 1931 film stands out because of how original it was for its time. It was one of the first monster movies, and audiences were drawn to the way it explored the humanity of the monster himself. Because the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was already popular, bringing it to the screen worked well, especially because the filmmakers took the time to develop the characters fully.
It’s important to remember that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a truly innovative film when it was first released. While it might not stand out as much today, it was incredibly impressive over 90 years ago. Many fantastic horror movies have followed, but this film holds a special place in the genre’s history as the first to win an Academy Award.
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2025-12-24 18:43