Friz Freleng's Strange Case of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"

I'm a huge, and I mean huge fan and enthusiast of the Looney Tunes cartoons. I've watched the shorts religiously for close to 35 years, I have the various DVDs--hell, I've even created some DVDs. There was always something magical about the Looney Tunes. Whether it's the wackiness, the dialogue, the storylines, or Mel Blanc's iconic voicework, one thing's for sure: there's nothing like the Looney Tunes.

I plan on doing a number of stories about the Looney Tunes, and I may as well start with something that's fascinated me for quite a bit: Looney Tunes' homage to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. First, an introduction:

This man, this legend, this icon, is Isadore "Friz" Freleng. We cartoon fans and enthusiasts know that we have Friz Freleng to thank for a lot of contributions, including the Pink Panther shorts that were distributed from 1964 until 1980. Of course, Looney Tunes was Friz's greatest claim to fame. Regarding Friz, his contributions to Looney Tunes include making over Speedy Gonzales, creating Sylvester and Tweety (as well as Granny), and giving us Yosemite Sam (who is said to be based on Friz himself).

I tend to notice a lot of things regarding Looney Tunes' "Big 3" directors--Friz, Chuck Jones, and Robert McKimson, and when it came to Friz, he had a bit of a thing for the macabre. Friz gave us Satan's Waitin' in 1954, and Devil's Feud Cake in 1963; two shorts which featured a character actually ending up in...well...the other place. Part of that macabre feeling also included three shorts that homaged Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and they are as follows:

Dr. Jerkyl's Hide (1954)

The first of the shorts was Dr. Jerkyl's Hide, which came out on May 8, 1954. This was the second and final short to feature the obscure canine duo of Spike and Chester, with Sylvester being featured as well. Though this is a near bit-by-bit copycat of Spike and Chester's first short, Tree for Two, there are a few differences. For one, the setting was England. Secondly, the canines were given Cockney accents, and thirdly, Spike's name was changed to the more British-sounding Alfie.

The short sees the canines chase Sylvester to the lab of Dr. Jekyll, where Sylvester finds the "Hyde potion," which he mistakes for soda pop (it did fizz, after all). So Sylvester downs the whole thing, and he instantly transforms into a huge monster, which is followed by two instances where Sylvester thrashes Alfie easily. However, Chester encounters Sylvester when he's himself, allowing Chester to take him down easily. A scared Alfie is forced to go back inside and face Sylvester, who runs out in fear, leading to Alfie pretending that he's thrashing Sylvester to fool Chester. Unfortunately, Alfie's no match for a Hyde-juiced fly.

Hyde and Hare (1955)

Just over a year later, Friz Freleng decided to put a certain "wascally wabbit" into the Jekyll & Hyde fray with Hyde and Hare. The short saw Bugs Bunny waiting for his usual carrot-feeding customer, and when he does, Bugs decides to allow his friend to adopt him. "You know, it's fitting that you call me 'doc.' I happen to be a doctor," the genial man says, and it's true. He is a doctor: Dr. Jekyll.

As Bugs makes himself at home, the good doctor walks past what he calls his "failing": the Hyde potion. He promises that he won't weaken, but he succumbs, not before voicing his shame. Jekyll drinks the potion, becomes Hyde, and it's followed by the homicidal monster pursuing Bugs with an axe. After Hyde reverts back to Jekyll, Bugs warns his owner about Hyde, while unaware that they're one in the same. This is the formula that takes over the rest of the cartoon, with the result seeing Bugs set to leave, but Jekyll promises to get rid of the potion. After seeing the glass is empty, Jekyll asked Bugs if he drank it. Bugs leaves, angry over the questioning, but as the short's end reveals, he definitely had a taste.

Hyde and Go Tweet (1960)

Five years later, Hyde and Go Tweet was released, with Sylvester and Tweety as the centerpieces. This was the third of Friz Freleng's Jekyll and Hyde shorts, and the second to feature Sylvester, who is shown sleeping outside Jekyll's lab--and is oblivious to Jekyll drinking the potion and becoming the monstrous Hyde. What Sylvester isn't oblivious to is Tweety, and the chase is on, and later sees Tweety hide inside the Hyde Formula. As a result, we see Tweety take on a monstrous form, and during Sylvester's search, he is encountered by the evil Tweety Hyde, who continuously laughs maniacally while ominously uttering his one line of dialogue: "You bad ol' puddy tat."

What follows is Tweety continuously switching forms, with Sylvester chasing normal Tweety, only to be scared off by the canary's monstrous form--while Sylvester is unaware that they are one in the same. In a twist, the events involving Tweety Hyde are revealed to be part of Sylvester's nightmare, though it had a hell of an effect on him, as when he does see Tweety, the cat runs off in fear. This cartoon was one of the 11 classic shorts compiled in the 1988 Looney Tunes film, Daffy Duck's Quackbusters.

Other Appearances

Friz Freleng's Dr. Jekyll incarnation actually made a brief appearance in "Brain Meets Brawn," a Pinky and the Brain segment that aired as part of an episode of Animaniacs in 1994. The brief appearance did lead to The Brain's plan to use the Hyde potion as part of his latest world domination scheme. As for the world of Looney Tunes, an episode of The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, titled "London Broiled," saw Dr. Jekyll work as a waiter at a bar, though he used his spare time to create said potion. A drop lands on Tweety, and for the first time in 35 years, Tweety Hyde returns. The episode was a truly amazing tribute to Friz, who passed away just a few months prior to the series premiere in 1995.

I do love the "Jekyll and Hyde" Looney Tunes shorts, and out of the three that came out, I consider Hyde and Go Tweet to be the best one. It's absolutely amazing that a cartoon director was not only fascinated by the horror element, he put that element into a few of the classic shorts. Friz Freleng delivered big time with these cartoons; they are a small, but epic part of his immense cartoon legacy.