Bernard Bresslaw had already appeared in Hammer's 'The Men of Sherwood Forest' in 1954, and only lost the role of Frankenstein's monster to Christopher Lee because his agent asked for more money. Ironically his best known horror role was in the Carry On spoof 'Carry On Screaming' (1966)' and it was in comedy that he was making his name in TV's 'The Army Game' when Hammer invited him back to star in their big screen version, 'I Only Arsked' in 1958; which was sufficiently successful to spawn this sequel of sorts in which he became the first actor to play Jekyll & Hyde for Hammer.

Reversing Hammer's 'straight' version, 'The Two Faces of Jekyll' (1960),he sprouts facial hair in the form of a rakish moustache as part of the transformation; and like Jerry Lewis's 'Buddy Love' in 'The Nutty Professor' (1963) also acquires a slick new wardrobe in which he wows the girls and develops an amoral new persona.

So far, so good, and under veteran director Lance Comfort's assured tutelage the first two thirds is enhanced by vivid black & white photography by Michael Reed and an almost expressionist rooftop set by Bernard Robinson. But it's at this point it rather loses its way and begins to fizzle out; although it lingered strikingly in the memory when I originally saw it aged about 10 over half a century ago; and Jean Muir makes an appealingly elfin little beat chick.

Despite her name Miss Muir's not the fashion designer, although the rather patrician vowels she's inclined to occasionally slip into would better accompany one of the latter's creations than the fetchingly boyish short hair and slacks she wears for much of the film.

Bernard Bresslaw is the clumsy and backwards member of the once proud family of Jeckle. While working on a pick-me-up, he samples the concoction and turns into..... yep, you guessed it, Teddy Hyde.

It's Hammer's humorous take on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, and has such talented comic performers as Jon Pertwee and Maudie Edwards in support. The trouble is that Bresslaw is more to be pitied than laughed at as he turns unconsciously into a dangerous man of action who steals the crown jewels without realizing it as he better self. I found myself more interested in Joe Loss's orchestra and the issue of where they had had found a contrabass saxophone and someone to play it, than the story, or the lack of funny shenanigans.

Thanks to the excellent UK TV station Talking Pictures TV, some of us are now getting the option to re-evaluate the formerly 'lost' Hammer Films comedy THE UGLY DUCKLING, which was broadcast for the first time in October 2018. It's the first of three Hammer adaptations of the Robert Louis Stevenson novella DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE, and the only one that's an out-and-out comedy. A simpering Bernard Bresslaw - who still has the annoying character he had in I ONLY ARSKED! - plays the mild-mannered and clumsy protagonist, who takes a magic potion and turns into the slick spiv Teddy Hyde. He becomes involved in a low-level crime plot and has to be rescued by some crucial allies including his brother, as played by Jon Pertwee. This is very much a typical British comedy of the era, lighthearted and dated when it comes to the humour, but nonetheless providing a fun snapshot of British cinema in the late 1950s. The production values are strong and the supporting cast impressive, with Michael Ripper, Harold Goodwin, David Lodge, Richard Wattis and Reginald Beckwith all enjoyable in their own way.