Rating: NR
Genre:
Comedy
Release Date: 06/22/1999
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD2
Run Time: 93 Minutes
Flags: Suitable for Children
Distributor/Studio: Platinum Disc
Humphrey Bogart stars as one of five disreputable adventurers who are trying to get uranium out of East Africa. Bogart's associates include pompous fraud
Robert Morley, and
Peter Lorre as the German-accented "O'Hara", whose wartime record is forever a source of speculation and suspicion. Becoming involved in Bogart's machinations are a prim British married couple (
Edward Underdown and blonde-wigged
Jennifer Jones). As a climax to their many misadventures and double-crosses, the uranium seekers end up facing extermination by an Arab firing squad. The satirical nature of
Beat the Devil eluded many moviegoers in 1953, and the film was a failure. The fact that the picture attained cult status in lesser years failed to impress its star Humphrey Bogart, who could only remember that he lost a considerable chunk of his own money when he became involved in the project.
Peter Viernick worked on the script on an uncredited basis.
Beat the Devil eventually fell into public domain, leading to numerous inferior editions by second and third-tiered labels.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
;)
