94 Years Ago Today, The First Horror Movie To Win An Oscar Was Released (& Barely Any Have Won Since)

The horror genre is one of the most consistent presences in Hollywood and has been a staple of popular culture for generations. For every great horror movie franchise, there are many spooky standalone titles, and the genre is packed with movies to appeal to almost everyone. Horror movies have also formed an important part in the history of the film industry, with the genre taking an early hold on the collective imagination of the moviegoing public. For all its popularity, the horror genre isn’t known for winning major awards, particularly when it comes to events as prestigious as the Oscars. However, that hasn’t always been the case.

1931 saw the release of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 story, which introduced the characters. A critical and commercial success, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a big deal upon its release 94 years ago, and was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Adaptation Writing (now known as Best Adapted Screenplay), Best Cinematography, and Best Actor for Fredric March’s performance in the title roles. It won the latter, making it one of the few horror movies to have won an Oscar. It has been almost a full century since, and the feat has still only been replicated a few times.

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Still Stands Out Among Modern Horror

In more than nine decades since Fredric March won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as the iconic horror movie monster in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the horror genre has not been as ever-present at the Academy Awards as it has been on our screens. Only 18 horror movies have won Oscars, and most of those have come in the technical categories, with the lofty praise of the Academy usually confined to awards involving costumes, makeup, and editing. Considering the Oscars have become an increasingly significant measure of cinematic success, that statistic is a little, well, frightening.

What sets the 1931 movie apart from the rest of the genre is largely its originality. At the time of its release, it was an early pioneer of the monster movie, and its focus on the human condition of its titular monster was a key part of its appeal. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been a beloved story since it was first written, and adapting it onto the big screen proved a success due to the delicate care taken to flesh out its characters as much as possible.

It’s also worth considering that, at the time, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was groundbreaking. It may not seem particularly remarkable by today’s standards, but more than 90 years ago, it was an incredibly impressive movie. The decades since have seen many great horror movies, but the first to win an Oscar will always remain one of the genre’s most noteworthy titles.

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