An accidental spoof!

In 1953 the legendary director, John Huston set out to make another picture with his friend and frequent collaborator, Humphrey Bogart. When it was finished it fell with a flop at the box office. Beat the Devil, however, would eventually live on to reach cult status

Initially the film was going to be another Maltese Falcon; based on a thrilling crime novel, with all the exciting twists and turns of that earlier collaboration. This time, however, filming would take place against the panoramic backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea in the Italian village of Ravello.

Or at least that’s what Bogie thought . . .

John Huston, however, had other ideas.

The director was notorious for meticulous planning, but on Beat the Devil his attitude was decidedly laissez-faire. On his way to begin shooting, Huston decided that the script just would not do. In order to live up to the expectations of the producers and complete the film on schedule, he would have to rewrite the picture on the fly. And so, he enlisted the help of a fledgling writer by the name of Truman Capote. Capote, who was then living in Rome, jumped at the chance and set out for Ravello, leaving his pet raven behind (though he would call the bird daily over the telephone, and would even delay shooting by racing back to check on it after it once refused to talk to him.)

Clearly, it wasn’t the usual way to make a movie, but according to Huston, it was a “hell of a lark doing it.”

Of course, it may come as no surprise, considering the impromptu nature of the process, that the production was marred by chaos (made worse by the wild partying that accompanied it). At one point the director fell forty feet off a cliff while walking in the pitch dark. He was miraculously unhurt. In another incident, Bogart lost several teeth in a car accident. They were replaced with a set of false teeth, and so some of his lines had to be overdubbed later (by none other than the then unknown comic actor and impressionist, Peter Sellers.)

The end result is a comic adventure story that also works as a spoof of Huston’s own work, and is one that clearly cares more about character than plot. Capote’s dialogue, while often patently absurd, is delightful; and the actors, (including marquee stars and veteran character actors alike,) make the most of their parts as they deliver each line with gusto. While the characters (or caricatures) seem as bewildered by the plot as the viewer might be, in the end it doesn’t matter much; everyone seems to be having way too much fun.

Doors - 7:00 PM

Organ Overture - 7:30 PM

Movie - 8:00 PM

Tickets - $5 | PG | 1 hr 40 min