| This page is similar in name or subject to other pages.
See also Edward Hyde for a complete list of references to clarify differences between these closely named or closely related articles. |
| Edwina Hyde | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Edwina Hyde | |
| Aliases: | Sister Hyde |
| Franchise: | Jekyll and Hyde |
| Notability: | Main character |
| Gender: | Female |
| Location: | London, England |
| Known relatives: | Henry Jekyll [1] |
| Status: | Deceased |
| Introduction: | Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) |
| Actor: | Martine Beswick |
Edwina Hyde, better known as "Sister Hyde", was the central antagonist from the 1971 British horror film Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde. The character was loosely based on that of Edward Hyde, the alter ego of protagonist Henry Jekyll from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. She was played by actress Martine Beswick.
Biography[]
Doctor Henry Jekyll sought to find a cure for all existing diseases, thus granting everlasting life to all. A central ingredient required in his work were female hormones, which he cultivated from fresh cadavers supplied to him through his assistants Burke and Hare. Through the course of his experiments, he accidentally transformed himself both physically and behaviorally into a woman. To maintain secrecy, he fashioned the alias Edwina Hyde and projected the idea that she was the widowed sister to Henry Jekyll. Edwina's personality was more depraved and sociopathic than Henry's and her connection to him soon became one of lust.
During the periods when she would revert to her Henry Jekyll state, he found that his serum required a continued supply of female hormones to maintain its effect. As Burke and Hare were attacked by a lynch mob, Jekyll had to resort to more drastic measures - taking human lives. Jekyll's moral values could not abide such an act, but as the Sister Hyde persona began to exert greater control over him, he discovered to his horror that she took great delight in killing. She even murdered Jekyll's close acquaintance, Professor Robertson after the latter had attempted to question Edwina about the murders.
As the two personalities continued to struggle for dominance, Jekyll barely managed to thwart Hyde's attempt to kill his lover, Susan Spencer. Desperate to stabilize his condition, he committed another act of murder, but was interrupted by the police who made the connection between Jekyll's actions and the recent murders. As Jekyll tried to escape by climbing along the outside of a building, he transformed into Sister Hyde, who, lacking his strength, fell to the ground, dying as a twisted amalgamation of both male and female genders. [2]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Edwina Hyde was created by director Roy Ward Baker and writer/producer Brian Clemens based on concepts originally developed by Robert Louis Stevenson.
- Edwina Hyde is actually the second iteration of the Hyde character featured in a "Hammer Horror" film. The first was the atypical Edward Hyde from 1960's The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll who was played by Paul Massie.
- Archival footage of Edwina Hyde was featured in the "Home Counties Horror" episode of A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss.
- Famous "Bond Girl" Caroline Munro was originally approached to play the role of Sister Hyde, but she turned it down because the part required some nudity. The role then went to Martine Beswick, another luminary of the James Bond film franchise.
- Actress Martine Beswick was a guest speaker on the Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde DVD audio commentary.
See also[]
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Alter ego.
- ↑ Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971)
 This article relates to characters featured in and pertaining to Hammer Film Productions. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Hammer Horror characters category. |
 This article relates to characters featured in and pertaining to the Doctor Jekyll & Mister Hyde franchise. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Jekyll and Hyde characters category. |