Beat the Devil (1953 Bogart Film) – Screening Hosted by Internet Archive

For our 11th monthly public domain film night, Internet Archive will host a screening of BEAT THE DEVIL (1953). Directed by John Huston, the film stars Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Jennifer Jones, and Gina Lollobrigida (in her first popular English language movie).
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Viewed variously as a puzzle, a parody, a feature-length in-joke, a product of Hollywood, a group of celebrities on vacation with the cameras running, or possibly all of these things. Above all, it was far ahead of its time in its efforts at black comedy, an art form mainstream audiences would not fully embrace until a decade after the film’s original release. In a directorial career that spanned nearly a half-century, Beat the Devil may be Huston’s most entertaining, yet most inscrutable film.
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Taking the formula of The Maltese Falcon and turning it on its head, the movie plays upon the dreams and fears of the then-contemporary Atomic Age and substitutes a cutthroat quest for lucrative Uranium rights for that of a gem-encrusted sculpture. Combining unusual, erratic plotting with dialogue so funny and penetrating that audiences have been known to suppress their laughter for fear of missing the next line (Truman Capote co-wrote the script with Huston hours, and sometimes minutes, before the day’s filming started), Beat the Devil became an art house hit upon its re-release in 1964 and has held the interest of critics and cinephiles alike ever since.
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Your $5 ticket includes snacks and any seat in our spacious 400-seat great room.
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Doors open at 7:15PM on April 11th. There will be a brief introduction to the film by motion picture aficionado James Fraser. James has enjoyed a moviegoing career of many decades and is always pleased to share his unique, ineffable interpretation of cinema with others to enhance their film experience and foster a sense of appreciation, enthusiasm, and wonder regarding old movies.

Host or Publisher Internet Archive