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Summary: Best quality transfer available
Review: Apparently "Beat the Devil" must be in the public domain because there are so many inferior copies on the market. This one, by Laserlight, is definately the best I have seen and well worth the price. If you are a fan of black comedy and off-beat cinema, then this film is a must see. The actors are hilarious, especially Jennifer Jones, in a blonde wig, playing a compulsive liar. The DVD includes an introduction by Tony Curtis, discussing the career of Humphrey Bogart.
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Summary: Truman Capote and John Huston film a New Yorker cartoon
Review: Beat the Devil is a subtle comedy of manners. It's not a big Hollywood film, but a small independent (Bogart's own production company) that happens to have an amazing cast, is directed by one of the best (John Huston), with a Truman Capote screenplay. It's become one of my favorite off-beat films and can't recommend it enough.
What's not to like? Quite a bit if you read some of the disgruntled reviews below! But don't be dissuaded, it's a gem. And remember, Pauline Kael was a huge fan of this movie; if she's a reviewer you trust, that might be enough for you.
Other reviewers have outlined the plot so I won't go into that, and in any case, that's not the reason to watch this movie. The plot's certainly as good as any amusing Hitchcock film, with its MacGuffin and several surprising twists and comic suspense subplots unraveling throughout.
There are subtleties to Beat the Devil that apparently escape many reviewers, who perhaps wanted another formulaic 'noir' classic or some kind of slapstick laff-fest. If you like New Yorker cartoons, you'll likely enjoy this movie as much as I do: I've watched this movie at least 5 times and still love it.
Beat the Devil escapes categorization, except to say that it's a brilliant comic screenplay performed with skill and insight by several of the best actors of the 50s. Robert Morley is sublimely funny, and brings out the best in Peter Lorre and the other criminals in the gang.
Jennifer Jones is sexy and charming in her role as a compulsive liar, as is her classic and earnestly doltish husband. They reek naive British charm and are marvelous together, providing a poignant tension in contrast to the gang of conniving scoundrels.
Bogart himself has one foot in each boat, and much of the film revolves around the conflict he suffers in this double life, playing each off the other. As in most Bogie flicks, he's hilariously dry and sly, with lollapalooza actress Gina Lollobrigida playing his scheming wife. Everyone's on the make except Harry Chelm, Jennifer Jones' character's husband.
There isn't the passion of a Bogie/Bacall film, and it's not the classic noir we all love with Bogart, so don't be disappointed.
One word of warning: Beat the Devil slipped into the public domain, so the DVDs on the market are of varying quality. The one I have is ok, but only just... it's like watching an old movie, with herky jerky pops and cuts and some noise. It doesn't bother me that much though, and emphasizes the 'rare find' quality if you're feeling charitable. If you're a digital maniac, you'll be better served watching something Criterion's had its way with.
Beat the Devil is one of the most unusual 50s movies I can think of, and I don't normally watch any movie as often as I've watched this one. With the possible exception of other Bogart classics.
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Summary: Standing The Test Of Time
Review: BEAT THE DEVIL is a very funny movie which retains its subtle charm even after many viewings, It reminds me of the MALTESE FALCON not only because of the similarity of some of the characters but also because of the likeness of the screenplays. Both films essentially focus on a treasure hunt with an array of buffoons vying for the prize. Humphrey Bogart's characters seem to be about the only really normal people in either movie. While it is definitely considered to be a comedy, BEAT THE DEVIL is also not a bad adventure story. Most of the subdued action takes place on shore while the assorted crooks and cutthroats are waiting for a leaky old ship to take them to Africa.The cast includes Humphrey Bogart, Robert Morley, Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lorre, Ivor Barnard and Edward Underwood. John Huston was the director and Truman Capote contributed heavily to the screenwriting after the filming began in Italy.Truly a ton of Hollywood talent was assembled for this one movie in a relatively charming location. It is no wonder that the movie is standing the test of time and is now enjoying a revival of sorts with even a minor cult following.
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Summary: A jar of pickled clichés
Review: Certainly not a masterpiece with a terminating Humphrey Bogart and a debutante Lollobrigida. Two odd couples with crossing affairs lost in a small harbor no one knows where because their derelict ship has broken down, surrounded by a band of three or four would-be gangsters who are nothing but weak bad boys. They even end up with a taxi jumping into the ocean, an attempted murder by overboard throwing in the middle of some ocean night, a shipwreck that brings all that nice group of adventurers to some Morocco where they are forced to bribe the locals to get through, and that is not as easy as one may think. In other words quite a compilation of clichés. And yet it is some fun to see such naive queer composition that someone in Hollywood called a film. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
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Summary: Simply Fantastic
Review: Don't be misled by the fact that many don't like this movie. Perhaps it only appeals to afficiandos, but it ranks just below Casablanca as the best Bogart movie of all time. The off-beat humor is exquisite. The cast is simply marvelous, not only Bogart, but Robert Morley, Peter Lorre and, surprisingly, Jennifer Jones. It is a masterpiece of satire on the whole genre of mystery movies.
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Summary: If you like Maltese Falcon you'll love this low-key parody.
Review: Every character in this movie is a parody of characters played by these actors in other, more famous movies. Extremely funny script by Truman Capote. And if you like Peter Lorre in anything you'll love his character in this. One of my favorite movies of all time, I stumbled on a really bad VHS recording in a discount store but I watch it over and over--it's hilarious.
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Summary: GOOD MOVIE ???
Review: Great story with a great cast,but horrible sound and picture quality.
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Summary: Very Off Beat and Very Unexpected
Review: Humphrey Bogart heads a superior cast in this tale of a gang of swindlers who seek to covertly purchase African lands rich in uranium--but this is not the tough film noir you might expect: the script by director John Huston and Truman Capote upends the tale to create one of the most wry and wicked comedies going, and a remarkably fine cast follows suit with a host of eccentric performances. Although Bogart does not look his best (this film was made toward the end of his life), he offers an understated yet very witty performance as Billy Dannreuther, the man the crooks hire to make the land purchase. His leading ladies, bombshell Gina Lollobrigida and an unexpectedly blonde Jennifer Jones, are equally effective in the roles of Bogart's cheerfully pragmatic wife and the pathological liar with whom Bogart becomes romantically entangled. But the big news in this film is the supporting cast. Robert Morley, Peter Lorre, Ivor Barnard, and Marco Tulli give drop-dead-funny performances as the largely incompetent foursome behind the landsnatch scheme; Edward Underdown (as Jones' long suffering husband) is simply the most completely ludicrous Brit to hit the screen since 1930s screwball comedy; and all the cameo players nail their roles to perfection. It would be unforgivable to give away too much of the story, but suffice to say that one wrong turn leads to another. But the film never overplays its hand, maintaining a low key tone that sets off the wickedly funny script to delightful effect. Some viewers may not get the joke--much of BEAT THE DEVIL requires the ability to appreciate covert humor--but those who do will find the movie bears repeat viewing. Recommended.
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Summary: Jennifer Jones-Comedienne
Review: I am a big JJ fan and try to obtain as many of her films on video as I can.This is not easy in the UK as many are deleted or not available.Fortunatly my VCR takes both PAL and the American NTSC formats ...Now I think Selznik did JJ a great injustice by not producing/casting his wife in more comedy/thrillers like "Beat the Devil".She obviously had a comic gift which comes over perfectly as the lying, obsessed Gwendolynne "...my spanish nurse said...".Apart from Cluny Brown (1946),it is a pity she was not cast in more comedy/thrillers like this instead of the nervy characters she often portrayed.HB looks sagged down with the cancer which was soon to claim him but has some great lines from Truman Capote/John Huston.The more you watch "Beat the Devil", the more comic it becomes.I especially liked the "interview" with the arab potentate with all the castaways.All the cast shine and parody the characters they represent, the snobby English gentleman,(Edward Underdown), the sinister German side kick (Peter Lorre) of comic baddy boss (Robert Morley),the drunk excitable Italian skipper of the doomed vessel and of course the voluptous Italian firecracker played by Gina Lollobrigida.The line she has, "I've brought you tea and crumpet", said to a sick Edward Underdown,appealed immensely to my bawdy English sense of humour!
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Summary: Review for Unicorn Video Release
Review: I have only seen the 90 minute version, so whether it's inferior to the uncut version, I can't really say. This is one of my favorite Bogart movies however. It's also one of the few old movies with a sense of humor that doesn't seem outdated (to me at least).
Technically speaking this version looks as good as any old movie. The DVD is digitally remastered and features a digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, Dolby digital sound, scene access and interactive menus. I don't have the gear to evaluate the 5.1 or Dolby, but the sound is fine on my tv speakers.
I know that I bought the Unicorn Video version because of the price I paid, but Unicorn Video does not appear anywhere on the DVD case. If you're looking for this version in stores, the cover has a picture of Bogart against a wine colored background with 'Digital Gold Collection' in a gold banner at the top of the case.
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