Beat the Devil

Friday, June 2 – Sunday, June 4

New Digital Restoration!
Never Before Seen Footage!

(1953) dir John Huston w/Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollabrigida, Robert Morley, Peter Lorre [93 min; DCP]
In BEAT THE DEVIL, the last of six collaborations between Huston and Bogart, a group of nefarious businessmen are stranded in an Italian port as they plot how to take control of African land that is rich in uranium. In comes an innocent British couple. Flirting and intrigue ensue. Loyalties are questioned; allegiances tested. And amidst all of this is a parade of strong character actor performances, electric dialogue, and the hot Italian sun.

The behind-the-scenes stories are nearly as interesting as the film itself: Bogart lost his teeth in a car crash during filming, Capote made sure to get in his daily telephone call to his pet raven while writing the script on-the-fly, and John Huston fell off a cliff during filming.

Casablanca might be the Bogie film most associated with the Brattle but it is BEAT THE DEVIL that first endeared him to the theater and its audience. Shortly after its poorly-received release in 1954, the Brattle took up the torch for the film and its star – championing this convoluted and campy self-parody with repeated revival screenings. We are thrilled to screen this brand new restoration that includes footage originally cut prior to release.

Restored by Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with The Film Foundation, with the support of RT Features and the Franco-American Cultural Fund. Audio restoration by Deluxe Media Audio Services. Image restoration by L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory