Two-faced Killer: A Modern Thriller

From the collection of

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia
The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.

Two-faced Killer: A Modern Thriller


Amateur award-winning dramatic thriller influenced by 1940s Universal Horror movies and made by husband and wife team John and Dede Wright.

A horror thriller with a plot twist, Two-faced Killer, was shot on 9.5mm film by non-professional filmmakers, husband and wife John and Dede Wright. A Jekyll and Hyde tale, it was the winning entry in the Pathescope Drama Competition in 1951. With clear influences from the Universal horror movies of the 1940s, the film employs special effects makeup, trick photography, and quick cutting to elicit the psychopathy of the lead character.

A truly collaborative affair from the Wright family; Dede Wright provides the story, husband John directs and plays Jekyll, and John's father Alfred Wright plays Hyde. John Wright was a keen amateur filmmaker. He was a founder member of the Westcliff Cine Club, he wrote for “Movie Maker” magazine and was one of the organisers of the “Ten Best” amateur filmmaking competition.


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