Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)

‘Dr Jekyll’ combines gothic horror, aristocratic romance and madcap Freudian psychodrama into a dizzying, exhilirating brew.

While some of the dialogue and acting may now seem arch, this remains a standout take on the classic novel, visually inventive and often surprisingly strong given the era in which it was made.

It’s a lurid potboiler which is notable for some superb camera work (a long POV tracking shot at the beginning of the film for example), some innovative early special effects and some of the most deranged overacting you are ever likely to see.

Mamoulian's vision of Dr Jekyll's hidden life in the foggy Victorian underworld is fascinating.

Powerful performances from March and Hopkins and richly atmospheric cinematography help make for a memorable journey down Stevenson’s “strange and terrible road.”

The 1931 version of the Robert Louis Stevenson novella, directed by the great Rouben Mamoulian, is still the best version there is, far more frightening than the glossy MGM version Victor Fleming made a decade or so later.

It's taken from a novel Stevenson feverishly wrote over a period of six-days while snorting cocaine, and is well-served in this film by Mamoulian's excesses.