Beat the Devil (film)

Last updated

Beat the Devil
Beat-the-devil-movie-poster-1953, 2.jpg
1953 film poster
Directed by John Huston
Screenplay byJohn Huston
Truman Capote
Based on Beat the Devil
by James Helvick
Produced byJohn Huston
Starring
Cinematography Oswald Morris
Edited by Ralph Kemplen
Music by Franco Mannino
Production
companies
Distributed by British Lion Films
(United Kingdom)
United Artists
(United States)
Release dates
  • 24 November 1953 (1953-11-24)(London)
  • March 12, 1954 (1954-03-12)(New York City)
Running time
94 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Great Britain
  • Italy [1] [2]
LanguageEnglish
Box office£115,926 (UK) [3]
$1.1 million [4]

Beat the Devil is a 1953 adventure comedy film directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, and Gina Lollobrigida, in her American debut, and featuring Robert Morley, Peter Lorre and Bernard Lee. [5] Huston and Truman Capote wrote the screenplay, loosely based upon the 1951 novel of the same name by British journalist Claud Cockburn writing under the pseudonym James Helvick. Huston made the film as a sort of loose parody of the 1941 film The Maltese Falcon , which Huston directed and in which Bogart and Lorre appeared. Capote said, "John [Huston] and I decided to kid the story, to treat it as a parody. Instead of another Maltese Falcon, we turned it into a... [spoof] on this type of film." [6]

Contents

The script, written on a day-to-day basis as the film was shot, [7] concerns the adventures of a motley crew of swindlers and ne'er-do-wells trying to claim land rich in uranium deposits in Kenya as they wait in a small Italian port to travel aboard a tramp steamer en route to Mombasa. [8]

Plot

Billy Dannreuther is a formerly wealthy American who has fallen on hard times. He is reluctantly working with four crooks: Peterson, Julius O'Hara, Major Jack Ross, and Ravello, who are trying to acquire uranium-rich land in British East Africa. Billy suspects that Major Ross murdered a British Colonial officer who threatened to expose their plan. While waiting in Italy for passage to Africa, Billy and his wife Maria meet a British couple, Harry and Gwendolen Chelm, who plan to travel on the same ship. Harry seems a very proper and traditional Englishman, while Gwendolen is flighty and a compulsive fantasist. Billy and Gwendolen have an affair, while Maria flirts with Harry. Peterson becomes suspicious that the Chelms may be attempting to acquire the uranium themselves. Though this is untrue, it seems confirmed by Gwendolen, who lies about her husband and exaggerates his importance.

Sea-sick Harry and Gwendolen on board

Billy and Peterson decide to take a plane instead, but their car runs over a cliff when they are pushing it after a breakdown and the pair are wrongly reported to have been killed. In order to replace Peterson's lost capital, Ravello approaches Harry Chelm and explains their scheme. Just then, to everyone's surprise, Billy and Peterson return to the hotel unharmed, just as the purser announces that the ship is at last ready to sail. On board, Harry reveals that he knows about Peterson's scheme and intends to inform the authorities. Peterson orders Major Ross to kill Harry, but Billy thwarts the murder attempt. Disbelieving Harry's outraged accusations, however, the ship's drunken captain has Harry locked in the brig.

The ship's engine malfunctions and the passengers are told to escape by lifeboat. When Billy goes to rescue Harry, he finds that he has freed himself and left the ship, intending to swim ashore. Having abandoned ship, the passengers land on an African beach, where they are arrested by Arab soldiers. They are interrogated by Ahmed, an Arab official who suspects that they may be spies or revolutionaries. Billy creates a distraction by fleeing the room, and befriends Ahmed when he is recaptured by talking to him about Rita Hayworth, whom he pretends to have known. Billy then persuades him to send the party back to Italy by sailing boat.

After the party land, they are questioned by a Scotland Yard detective who is investigating the murder of the Colonial officer. Just as he seems taken in by Peterson's smooth talk, Gwendolen reveals Peterson's scheme, his involvement in the murder, and his attempt to kill Harry. The detective promptly arrests Peterson, O'Hara, Ross, and Ravello. As the four crooks are led away in handcuffs, Gwendolen receives a telegram from British East Africa saying that Harry has acquired the land where Peterson and the others were aiming to enrich themselves; he is now extremely wealthy and willing to forgive Gwendolen. Billy laughs happily, saying, "This is the end, the end!"

Cast

Production

During the filming of Beat the Devil, Humphrey Bogart lost several of his teeth in a car accident. Peter Sellers, then not known internationally but with a talent for imitating voices, was hired to dub some of Bogart's lines while Bogart was adjusting to the loss of his teeth and unable to speak clearly. [10]

Much of the film was shot at Ravello, above Italy's Amalfi Coast. [11] The central piazza in front of the cathedral and various cafes around it are shown. Some scenes were also shot in nearby Atrani, including – briefly – the pool area of the Hotel Convento Luna.

Stephen Sondheim worked as a clapper boy on the film. [12]

Release and reception

Film still image of Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida and Humphrey Bogart Beatthedevil01.jpg
Film still image of Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida and Humphrey Bogart

Following previews, four minutes were cut from the film and it was re-edited with a voice-over narration by Bogart and a flashback structure. [13]

In a review coinciding with the film's release to 68 New York metropolitan area cinemas, The New York Times called it a "pointedly roguish and conversational spoof, generally missing the book's bite, bounce and decidedly snug construction." [14]

Humphrey Bogart reportedly disliked the film, possibly because he lost a good deal of his own money financing it. Roger Ebert, who included the film in his "Great Movies" list, observed that the film has been characterized as the first camp film. Beat the Devil has been in the public domain for many years, its copyright having never been renewed. [15]

2016 restoration

In August 2016, an uncut version of Beat the Devil premiered at The Reel Thing Technical Symposium. The 4K restoration was done by Sony Pictures in collaboration with The Film Foundation and overseen by Grover Crisp. [16] [2] Five major differences between the two versions of the film were reported by Gary Teetzel for the website DVD Savant. [17] Four minutes were restored, as compared to the original version, bringing the total running length of the film to 93 or 94 minutes. [1] [16] Unlike the original version, this restoration is copyrighted by Sony subsidiary Columbia Pictures.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humphrey Bogart</span> American actor (1899–1957)

Humphrey DeForest Bogart, colloquially nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart as the greatest male star of classic American cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Huston</span> American filmmaker (1906–1987)

John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and the BAFTA Fellowship in 1980.

<i>Casablanca</i> (film) 1942 American romance film

Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. Filmed and set during World War II, it focuses on an American expatriate (Bogart) who must choose between his love for a woman (Bergman) and helping her husband (Henreid), a Czechoslovak resistance leader, escape from the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Germans. The screenplay is based on Everybody Comes to Rick's, an unproduced stage play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The supporting cast features Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Dooley Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Lorre</span> Hungarian and American actor (1904–1964)

Peter Lorre was a Hungarian and American actor, active first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before moving to Germany where he worked first on the stage, then in film in Berlin in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Lorre caused an international sensation in the Weimar Republic–era film M (1931), directed by Fritz Lang, in which he portrayed a serial killer who preys on little girls. Known for his timidly devious characters, his appearance, and his accented voice, Lorre was frequently caricaturized during and after his lifetime and the cultural legacy of his persona remains in media today.

<i>The Caine Mutiny</i> (1954 film) 1954 war drama film by Edward Dmytryk

The Caine Mutiny is a 1954 American military trial film directed by Edward Dmytryk, produced by Stanley Kramer, and starring Humphrey Bogart, José Ferrer, Van Johnson, Robert Francis, and Fred MacMurray. It is based on Herman Wouk's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1951 novel of the same name. Set in the Pacific theatre of World War II, the film depicts the events on board a U.S. Navy destroyer-minesweeper and the subsequent court-martial of its executive officer for mutiny.

<i>The African Queen</i> (film) 1951 film by John Huston

The African Queen is a 1951 adventure film adapted from the 1935 novel of the same name by C. S. Forester. The film was directed by John Huston and produced by Sam Spiegel and John Woolf. The screenplay was adapted by James Agee, John Huston, John Collier and Peter Viertel. It was photographed in Technicolor by Jack Cardiff and has a music score by Allan Gray. The film stars Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn with Robert Morley, Peter Bull, Walter Gotell, Richard Marner and Theodore Bikel.

The year of 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.

The year 1941 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Citizen Kane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Bacall</span> American actress (1924–2014)

Betty Joan Perske, professionally known as Lauren Bacall, was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute. She received an Academy Honorary Award in 2009 in recognition of her contribution to the Golden Age of motion pictures. She was known for her alluring, sultry presence and her distinctive, husky voice. Bacall was one of the last surviving major stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gina Lollobrigida</span> Italian actress (1927–2023)

Luigia "Gina" LollobrigidaOMRI was an Italian actress, model, and photojournalist. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. Dubbed "the most beautiful woman in the world", at the time of her death she was among the last surviving high-profile international actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

<i>The Petrified Forest</i> 1936 film by Archie Mayo

The Petrified Forest is a 1936 American crime drama film directed by Archie Mayo and based on Robert E. Sherwood's 1934 drama of the same name. The motion picture stars Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. The screenplay was written by Delmer Daves and Charles Kenyon, and adaptations were later performed on radio and television. The film is set in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayo Methot</span> American actress (1904–1951)

Mayo Jane Methot was an American film and stage actress. She appeared in over 30 films, as well as in various Broadway productions, and attracted significant media attention for her tempestuous marriage to actor Humphrey Bogart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravello</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Ravello is a comune (municipality) situated above the Amalfi Coast, in the province of Salerno, Campania, with approximately 2,500 inhabitants. Its scenic location makes it a popular tourist destination, and earned it a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisha Cook Jr.</span> American actor (1903–1995)

Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. was an American character actor famed for his work in film noir. According to Bill Georgaris of They Shoot Pictures, Don't They, Cook appeared in 21 films noir, more than any other actor or actress. He played cheerful, brainy collegiates until he was cast against type as the bug-eyed baby-faced psychopathic killer Wilmer Cook in the 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon. He went on to play deceptively mild-mannered villains. Cook's acting career spanned more than 60 years, with roles in productions including The Big Sleep, Shane, The Killing, House on Haunted Hill and Rosemary's Baby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barton MacLane</span> Actor, playwright, screenwriter (1902–1969)

Barton MacLane was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, including his role as General Martin Peterson on the 1960s NBC television comedy series I Dream of Jeannie, with Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman.

<i>The Maltese Falcon</i> (1941 film) 1941 film by John Huston

The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 American film noir in which a San Francisco private detective deals with three unscrupulous adventurers, all seeking a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette. Written and directed by John Huston in his directorial debut, the film was based on the 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett and is a remake of the 1931 film of the same name. It stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade, Mary Astor as his femme fatale client, and as villains Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet.

<i>Passage to Marseille</i> 1944 film by Michael Curtiz

Passage to Marseille, also known as Message to Marseille, is a 1944 American war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt from the novel Sans Patrie by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. The music score was by Max Steiner and the cinematography was by James Wong Howe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villa Cimbrone</span> Historic villa in Ravello, Italy


Villa Cimbrone is a historic villa in Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast of southern Italy. Dating from at least the 11th century, it is famous for its scenic belvedere, the Terrazza dell'Infinito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivor Barnard</span> English actor (1887–1953)

Ivor Barnard was an English stage, radio and film actor. He was an original member of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, where he was a notable Shylock and Caliban. He was the original Water Rat in the first London production of A. A. Milne's "Toad of Toad Hall". In 1929 he appeared on stage as Blanquet, in "Bird in Hand" at the Morosco Theatre in New York, after a successful run in London's West End. The part had been specially written for him by John Drinkwater.

Eric Gray was a stills photographer whose work was featured in Picture Post. His career was mainly in the British film industry and it was based on two Anthony Asquith pictures, Shooting Stars and A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929), that his reputation began to emerge. During this period stills were normally etched with his signature written in an art deco style.

References

  1. 1 2 "Beat the Devil — The Cinematheque". The Cinematheque. 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017. Beat the Devil USA/Great Britain/Italy 1954. Dir: John Huston. 93 min. DCP
  2. 1 2 "BEAT THE DEVIL — Il Cinema Ritrovato". Il Cinema Ritrovato. Retrieved 26 May 2017. Restored in 4K by Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with The Film Foundation with the support of RT Features and the Franco-American Cultural Fund, from the 35mm original camera negative and a 35mm fine grain master positive. Audio restoration by Deluxe Media Audio Services. Image restoration by L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory.
  3. Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p501
  4. "1954 Box Office Champs". Variety Weekly. 5 January 1955. p. 59. - figures are rentals in the US and Canada
  5. "Beat the Devil (1953)". MRQE. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  6. Gehring, Wes D. (1999) Parody as Film Genre: "Never Give a Saga an Even Break" Greenwood. p.12. ISBN   9780313261862
  7. Clayton, Jack, quoted in Plimpton, p. 127
  8. "Beat the Devil (1953)". Rotten tomatoes. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  9. McCarty, Clifford (1965). BOGEY - The Films of Humphrey Bogart. New York, N.Y.: Cadillac Publishing Co, Inc. p. 171.
  10. "10 Things You Might Not Know About Peter Sellers". Mental Floss. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  11. "Beat the Devil film locations". Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  12. Sondheim, Finishing the Hat, pg. 271.
  13. "Film Forum - BEAT THE DEVIL". Film Forum [New York City]. 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  14. H. H. T. (13 March 1954). "City-Wide Debut". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  15. Ebert, Roger (26 November 2000). "Beat the Devil" . Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  16. 1 2 Jeffrey Wells (23 August 2016). ""Good Morning, Mr. Dannreuther!"". Hollywood Elsewhere.
  17. Glenn Erickson (22 August 2016). "DVD Savant: August 2016 Archives".

Bibliography