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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913) is a silent horror short film directed by Herbert Brenon, produced by IMP (later Universal Pictures), and adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. ​ King Baggot stars in the dual role of the respected Dr. Henry Jekyll, a dedicated physician and scientist engaged to Alice, and the twisted Mr. Edward Hyde. Plot Setup Dr. Jekyll prioritizes his charity patients and controversial research over social plans, like attending the opera with his fiancée. His colleagues, including Dr. Lanyon and lawyer Utterson, mock his theories on separating human good from evil. That night, Jekyll tests a transformative potion in his lab, unleashing a dark, hunched alter ego named Mr. Hyde. ​ Key Characters Dr. Henry Jekyll (King Baggot): A pious, hardworking doctor obsessed with unlocking the dual nature of man. Mr. Edward Hyde: A grotesque, violent figure who emerges from Jekyll, terrorizing taverns and streets. Alice (Jane Gail): Jekyll's loving fiancée, concerned for his well-being. ​ Supporting cast: Includes Dr. Lanyon (Howard Crampton), Utterson (William Sorrel), and Alice's father (Matt B. Snyder). ​ Style and Production This 26-minute black-and-white silent film features dramatic transformations via early special effects and makeup. ​ It blends gothic horror with moral themes on human duality, marking an early milestone in the genre from pre-Universal era.

Frankenstein (1910) is the first known film adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel, a 16-minute silent short produced by Edison Studios and directed by J. Searle Dawley. ​ Plot Summary Young student Victor Frankenstein leaves home for college, where he becomes obsessed with conquering life and death. He animates a creature using chemicals in a cauldron, but it emerges as a hideous, deformed monster that terrifies him. ​ ​ Frightened, Frankenstein flees as the monster pursues him home. After falling ill, he recovers under his fiancée's care, but the creature reappears on their wedding night, jealous and violent, before fading away—revealed as a manifestation of Frankenstein's inner evil, dispelled by love. Production Notes The film's iconic creation scene used reverse-motion photography of a model melting to simulate the monster forming from boiling chemicals. It starred Augustus Phillips as Frankenstein, Charles Ogle as the monster, and Mary Fuller as the fiancée.

A Christmas Carol (1910) is a short silent drama adapting Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella about the miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his supernatural Christmas Eve transformation. Produced by Edison Studios and directed by J. Searle Dawley, the approximately 10–13 minute film condenses the familiar story into a series of key scenes using silent-era visuals and intertitles. ​ On Christmas Eve, Scrooge refuses charity, rebuffs his cheerful nephew Fred, and treats his clerk Bob Cratchit harshly before returning home alone. There he is visited by the ghost of his dead partner Jacob Marley, who warns that Scrooge’s soul is in danger if he does not change. A single “Spirit of Christmas” then guides Scrooge through visions of his happier past, the hardship and warmth of Christmas in the present, and the grim future that awaits if he remains selfish and cruel. Shaken by these visions, Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning overjoyed, embraces generosity, and goes personally to the Cratchit home—along with his nephew—to share food, kindness, and newfound Christmas spirit.