Dotbankey A lot of fun.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

JLRVancouver Bogart's a shady tough guy who has cut a deal with Robert Morley's band of scoundrels (including the inimitable (but often imitated) Peter Lorre) to swindle some central African country out of a uranium deposit. Enter a supercilious ex-Royal Marine gentry-wannabe (Edward Underdown) and his compulsive liar wife (Jennifer Jones), who are heading to Africa on the same boat and you get this off-beat comedy directed by the great John Huston. A bit slow at times, "Beat the Devil" isn't exactly 'laff-a-minute', but the situations are amusing, the script witty in a dry way, and the delivery is excellent (especially Morley'). As a bonus, Bogart's wife is played by the gorgeous Gina Lollobrigida, eye-candy that shamelessly adds a half point to my rating. Good fun – worth watching.

LeonLouisRicci Abysmal and Abstract, Off Center and Eccentric. in Other Words an Intellectual Hubris that Assumes Everyone will be in on the Joke. Most were Not and Even Those that were or at Least Pretended to be had to Take a Deep Breath and Say that They Liked it with a Curious Gurgle as if the Accolades got Stuck in the Throat.Because, Truth be Told, it is One of Those Train-Wrecks of a Film that is Jaw Droppingly Bad that the Brain Cannot Process how So Many Talented People Could be Involved in such a Mess. They must have All been Drunk, the Mind Says in Disbelief, and the Mind is Probably Right.The Movie Looks Awful, and that is Not a Comment on the Horrendous Public Domain Prints that are in the Bargain Bins, it is a Comment on the Film and how Awful it Looks. It is an Ugly Movie, Full of Ugly Actors, or in Humphrey Bogart's Case, Just Sickly. Every Male Character is Repulsive and Even More so when Placed Alongside Gina Lola Bregeda and Jennifer Jones. Both are Married too and Cheating on Their Respective Repulsive Husbands. This is a Joke Right? Ha Ha! Not Funny.There are a Few Funny Lines Sprinkled Through this Turgid Satire but Not Enough to Make it Much More than Anything of a Curiosity to Watch All of these Folks Go Through the Motions of the Movies Pretentiousness. To Illustrate just How Unfunny it is, Notice how Many Times the Ship's Captain Screams and Screams in Italian No Less. Loud and Louder Until the Ears Give Up and Any Attempt at Farce is Buried Under Decibels of Noise.Everyone is Thickly Accented and Much of the Time Hard to Understand, Not the Best Thing is a Wordy, "Witty", Film. Jennifer Jones Steals the Movie but that Wasn't Hard, Everyone Else just Falls Flat and Fails to Make Much of an Impression. The Movie Seems Like it was Made by Intelligent Drunks on a Bender for Intelligent Drunks on a Bender. That's a Pretty Small Audience, like that of a Cult Movie.

arfdawg-1 Odd film. Made as a parody of the Maltese Falcon.Filmed on the fly, with Huston writing parts each day as he filmed.It has the look of one of those later Orson Welles films he made with his own money.It's worth a watch, but no where near as good as the Maltese Falcon.The synopsis:A quartet of international crooks -- Peterson, O'Hara, Ross and Ravello -- is stranded in Italy while their steamer is being repaired. With them are the Dannreuthers. The six are headed for Africa, presumably to sell vacuum cleaners but actually to buy land supposedly loaded with uranium. They are joined by others who apparently have similar designs.

SimonJack Only Sydney Greenstreet is missing from the cast of "Beat the Devil," an entertaining comedy-adventure-mystery. But, Robert Morley fills his place very well. So, the cast is there, the plot and script are there, and one fine movie is the result. This film has a little bit of many things – intrigue, adventure, action, murder. And lots of other things – mayhem, romance, and comedy. Humphrey Bogart is Billy Dannreuther, a man who once had money and an estate in Southern France, but who now must deal with some shady characters for his future income. Morley plays Peterson, who heads a shady foursome that is out to swindle some wealthy mineral deposits out from under the nose of the government in Africa. The others of his quartet are Peter Lorre as Julius O'Hara, Marco Tulli as Ravello and Ivor Barnard as Maj. Jack Ross. Ross is their "hit man."Gina Lollobrigida plays Billy's wife, Maria. Saro Urzi plays the captain of the SS Nyanga. And into this assortment of characters come an English couple, Harry and Gwendolen Chelm, who are going to South Africa to run a small coffee plantation. They are played by Edward Underdown and Jennifer Jones, respectively. Each of the women in this slightly sinister but mostly hilarious farce is openly attracted to the other's husband. Or so it would seem – so obvious to all. The story has some undertones of crime, but comedy and skulduggery rule the day. Distrust among crooks, unhappy marriages, fantasies of wealth and status, and just plain wild imaginations are the vehicles of the comedy in "Beat the Devil." Look for the humor in many places. For one, there's Peter Lorre's name. He's an Irishman by the name of Julius O'Hara. That's laughable enough, but then his own companion, Ravello, can't pronounce "O'Hara." The hit man, Jack Ross, is a pint-sized Nazi fascist. Everyone contributes to the humor in some way. Underdown is hilarious as the English snob, Chelm. Jones steals her scenes as Mrs. Chelm with her wild fantasies of her husband's past and her dream life. This is a sophisticated comedy that spoofs many conventions of the time. Even the mode of travel for this coterie of crazy characters is a sham – a broken-down cargo ship out of a southern French port. The movie is based on a book by British journalist and novelist Claud Cockburn. Truman Capote and John Huston wrote the screenplay. Huston also directed the film. The script for this film is quite crispy. Humorous subtleties are sprinkled throughout the story. Here is a sampling of funny lines and exchanges.Peterson sits down at a café table with Mrs. Chelm. Peterson says, "I find it rather hard to believe that a man of your husband's position would go to Africa just for the coffee planting." Mrs. Chelm: "You're rather quick aren't you? In point of fact, he isn't. In point of fact he has a very special reason." Peterson: "So I suspected." Mrs. Chelm: "It has to do with sin." Peterson: "Sin?" Mrs. Chelm: "Since the war, my husband has been almost exclusively concerned with spiritual values. He feels that if he can get away there – in the heart of Africa, he will come face to face with essentials. He wants to work out the problem of sin." The expression on Peterson's face is hilarious. "Sin!?" he repeats, as though he hadn't heard her further remarks. Mrs. Chelm: "Why yes, of course. Isn't that what we're all most concerned with – sin?"Billy: "My conduct? Who do they think I am – their hired hand?" Maria: "But you are, Billy. You are." Billy: "How kind of you to remind me. How good. How true. How kind."Peterson: "Or perhaps you have even other reasons?" Billy: "Such as?" Peterson: "That's for you to know and for us to find out."The major: "Mussolini, Hitler, and now Peterson." O'Hara: "A great man. A great loss." Ravello: "I'm going upstairs and read my Bible."Mrs. Chelm: "I was in love with him." Chelm: "What did you say?" Mrs. Chelm: "I was in love with him." Chelm: "Really darling, have you no control over your romantic fantasies? Mrs. Chelm: "Please go away." Chelm: "He's dead, and I'm married to a fool like you. I'll just take these (aspirin) to Maria."Ship's steward in the hotel: "Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the glad tidings. The captain is sober and the SS Myanga will sail at midnight."The shady foursome walks out onto the ship's deck at sea, and Mrs. Chelm is at a distance on the bow of the ship doing stretching exercises. Peterson calls out to her, "Good morning, Mrs. Chelm." He lowers his voice and mumbles to his comrades, "Let's hope she breaks her neck."