In 1941, powerhouse movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was set to produce a lavish new film version of Robert Louis Stevenson's iconic 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. MGM was known for its star-studded extravaganzas and this horror film was going to be no different. Producer Victor Saville was coming off of critical and commercial hits like The Mortal Storm (1940) and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) and the film's director, Victor Fleming, had just directed two massive Oscar-winning hits: The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gone with the Wind (1939), the latter of which netted him the Academy Award for Best Director.
The duo had put together a cast of Oscar-winners and up-and-comers. The titular Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde was to be played by Spencer Tracy, who years earlier had made history as the first male actor to win consecutive Oscars, winning for his performances in Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938). Although originally cast as Jekyll's sweetheart Beatrix, Ingrid Bergman begged Fleming to let her play the grittier role of music hall barmaid Ivy Peterson, switching roles with Lana Turner. With a cast like this, MGM was set for a massive hit.
