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Beat the Devil

Play trailer Poster for Beat the Devil 1954 1h 32m Romance Comedy Crime Drama Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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68% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Billy and Maria Dannreuther are among a number of travelers stranded in Italy en route to Africa. While the Dannreuthers seem like an average couple, they have the same goal as Mrs. Gwendolen Chelm and some of their other shifty companions -- to lay claim to property that is supposedly rich with uranium.
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Beat the Devil

Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 04/29/2022
4/5
It’s wilfully nutty, but the dialogue from Truman Capote is sublime. Go to Full Review
Jason Bailey Flavorwire 02/17/2017
It operates under the assumption that everyone in it is drunk, lusty, a little crooked, and a little crazy, and once you tune in to their wavelength, it's fun to just hang out with them for an hour and a half. Go to Full Review
Howard Thompson New York Times 08/08/2006
For all the studiedly suave professionalism, though, "Beat the Devil" ends up beating itself. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia 10/30/2020
5/10
I don't know what John Huston was thinking to direct 'Beat the Devil', but to tell the truth his adventure comedy starring Humphrey Bogart seems a bit dull to me. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Jesús Fernández Santos El Pais (Spain) 08/16/2019
An informal comedy that is at times critical, entertaining, and even discursive. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Josephine O'Neill Daily Telegraph (Australia) 04/02/2019
Their production is sheer picaresque adventure, which darts from point to point as their fancy takes it -- and sparkles with mordant humor. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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CodyZamboni Z Sep 2 Sometimes amusing, mostly dull comedy, Such a dreary story with boring uninteresting characters who seek to get rich, conning their way to get African uranium, Their plans go sideways with double dealing, adultery, boat explosions, arrests in Africa , and unexpected Rita Hayworth fandom, I did like the on location Southern Italy photography. See more Blu B Jul 17 I always kind of imagine this is what a Bogart "Comedy" would be like. Most of the time your not sure if it is a comedy, and very serious and muddled more than funny. It's not really funny as it is light hearted but than it gets serious and feels like a crime drama/thriller. Outside of Bogart the rest of the characters all just blend in and it's very jumpy in the first half setting everything up. It feels very menadering dialouge wise, it gets needlessly complex with motivations someI don't understand, and it's just a whole lot of nothing. I barely get it. It kind of reminds me of a 80's type comedy with it's setup for some reason. Huston's direction isn't bad and I like the African setting and all. It does get better and easier to follow in the second half when it keeps all the characters together on the boat and all. But again it just feels like it doesn't build up to much either. It really isn't broken and Bogart is good as always but there just isn't much else to say. It's alright pretty much all around and very unremarkable and forgettable. Light hearted sure but really devoid of much laughs and more serious than anything at times. Skip it. Probably one of the worst Bogart films I've seen but that also says a lot because this really isn't that terrible. See more jack m Feb 18 One of the greatest movies of the last century..You can't go wrong with a John Huston movie, also the cast is a good as it gets..Bogart, Jennifer Jones, Peter Lorre, Gina Lollobridgida, Robert Morley..The script is masterful, great humor, great interplay of the characters..great lines..This is a real overlooked gem, sadly a film like this couldn't be made these days..But at least we have it, this is what can happen when some real artists are allowed to create, a true masterpiece.. See more Joseph S Feb 8 One of the funniest movies ever made! With a screenplay by Truman Capote and John Huston that was made up as the filming went on and no one taking it seriously the film film is a sheer delight. The problem at the time was that audiences were expecting another Maltese Falcon or Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Instead we have a group of actors having fun. Peter Lorre is a special delight (surreptitiously flicking his cigarette ash on an unwitting Morley at one and stealing the scene.) I watched again after decades and I still laughed out loud. See more Steve D 04/06/2024 Thin but quite entertaining with snappy dialog. See more Scott H 06/29/2023 Really appreciated the goofiness of this film...snappy dialogue (Huston and Truman Capote teamed up for it). Very clear on the narrative as well, unlike the Maltese Falcon. See more Read all reviews
Beat the Devil

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Movie Info

Synopsis Billy and Maria Dannreuther are among a number of travelers stranded in Italy en route to Africa. While the Dannreuthers seem like an average couple, they have the same goal as Mrs. Gwendolen Chelm and some of their other shifty companions -- to lay claim to property that is supposedly rich with uranium.
Director
John Huston
Producer
John Huston
Screenwriter
James Helvick, Truman Capote, John Huston
Distributor
Columbia TriStar Home Video, Madacy Entertainment Group Inc. [us], Reel Media International [us], United Artists, LS Video, Hollywood Classics
Production Co
Romulus Films Ltd., Dear Film, Santana Pictures Corporation
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 12, 1954, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 11, 2016
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.37:1)
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