Beauty and the Beast

I think that this film is unfairly maligned. It does not purport to be an adaptation of the original story, the most famous version of which was written by Madame Le Prince de Beaumont and published in 1756. This film is admittedly not as haunting as the version starring George C. Scott, which was made for TV in 1976 and stuck quite close (as did Jean Cocteau's artistic masterpiece) to the original French fairy tale. It should, however, be appreciated for what it is: a glossy Technicolor fantasy from the producer who brought us the excellent fantasy film "Jack the Giant Killer," which was released in the same year and features some of the same actors. It has the same evocative opening, which shows a story-book opening up and inviting the viewer into its magical world. The same opening is found in Disney's "Snow White," "Cinderella," and "Sleeping Beauty."

I cannot fathom why some viewers say that the sets are "cardboard"; I personally feel that the castle sets are quite convincing and solid-looking. The costumes are also lovely. Granted, Joyce Taylor is not a great actress and not really as pretty to look at as Mark Damon, who plays the duke/beast. I think he delivers a solid performance, although the script hardly gives him the opportunity to show how well he can act, which he most certainly did two years earlier in Roger Corman's horror masterpiece, "House of Usher." There is a great cast of character actors: the ever-slimy Michael Pate and the little-known and under-appreciated Walter Burke, who plays the part of the villain's henchman to creepy perfection. Another asset is the beast make-up created by the legendary Jack P. Pierce, who was the artist behind the monster make-up for the Frankenstein monster and the Wolf Man (the curse on Eduardo, Mark Damon's character, is actually like that of the one imposed upon Lon Chaney Jr.'s character in the latter film). Finally, we have the requisite happy ending. This is a good family film. Don't expect high art. I am sure the makers of the movie did not set out with that aim in mind.

Little-seen American-made rewrite of the classic fable is an awesomely awful 'family film' set in Italy. The beautiful daughter of the Count of Sardi is all set to marry a vacuous Prince Charming, but he has inherited an ancient curse which turns him into a werewolf every nightfall. Bad films can be a lot of fun, but this one is just sad. Paltry production values, pitiful make-up effects, amateurish cast including Joyce Taylor, Mark Damon and Edward Franz, terrible script and direction. Stick with the 1946 French version by Jean Cocteau. Heck, even Disney's animated bombast is preferable to this! NO STARS from ****

Loosely based on the classic fairy tale, this version of Beauty and The Beast sees handsome Duke Eduardo (Mark Damon) suffering under a curse brought about by his tyrant father: when the sun sets, the young man is transformed into a beast, who looks remarkably like Universal's The Wolf Man (this film's 'monster' also created by that film's legendary make-up artist Jack P. Pierce). By night, Eduardo searches for the hidden tomb of Scarlotti, the alchemist who placed the curse, hoping to find some way to put an end to his torment. Joyce Taylor plays Althea, betrothed to Eduardo, who discovers her beloved's secret but remains devoted, and Michael Pate stars as villainous Uncle Bruno, who wants to overthrow his nephew and become ruler in his place.

This is a fairly routine fantasy with gentle gothic horror undertones that plays out with few surprises - it's a handsomely mounted production but predictably scripted and, for the most part, flatly directed by Edward L. Cahn, who delivers little energy or excitement, at least until the final act, when some genuine peril is introduced for Eduardo and Althea as Bruno incites hatred and leads an angry mob to the castle to try and kill the beast. In time-honoured fashion, true love saves the day as Althea's willingness to die alongside Eduardo breaks the curse in the nick of time. Damon and Taylor make for good-looking protagonists, but Pate steals the show with another one of his brilliant boo-hiss bad-guy performances.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was the last movie by experienced Hollywood director Edward L.Cahn who died in 1963. He was a real workhorse and directed some 100 films in 30 years, among them such B-Picture classics as THE CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN, ZOMBIES OF MORA-TAU, INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN, IT!-THE TERROR FROM BRYOND SPACE and THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is an unimportant and pretty boring period picture with well done art direction, but that is all it has to offer. The naive story moves along at a snail's pace without any highpoint and there is no action at all. Although Mark Damon looks like a werewolf after he turns into the beast, this is not a horror film, because Damon is a very tame "werewolf", who does no harm to anyone. Anyway, with or without make-up: Damons acting ability is not very impressive and it was a wise move by him, to give up acting and become a movie producer a few years later.

Edward L. Cahn has become a forgotten man among low budget filmmakers. Not as gifted as Edgar G. Ulmer nor stunningly incompetent like Ed Wood Jr or as prolific as William Beaudine, Cahn was nevertheless responsible for many of the more memorable moments which occured in 50's B movies. To the first generation raised on television IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE and INVISIBLE INVADERS were classics of their kind which inspired other more celebrated films (ALIEN and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD)

Cahn earned the nickname "Fast Eddie" in Hollywood because of his ability to shoot his pictures quickly and efficiently (he made 110 films over a 30 year period). He first came to prominence at MGM directing the last several OUR GANG shorts in the late 1930's. He then worked for several independent outfits who released through Columbia, American International, and United Artists where he finished his career.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was his swan song and his only film in color which is too bad because one of its highlights is the imaginative use of lighting to enhance the color photography. The Beast make-up was done by Jack P. Pierce who did the legendary Universal monsters which is why it resembles Lon Chaney Jr's WOLF MAN. Mark Damon (FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER) and Joyce Taylor make a lovely couple as the title characters while veteran villains Walter Burke and Michael Pate help to add spice to the proceedings.

There are several shots which, as was characteristic of Cahn, manage to stick with you once the movie is over though you really don't know why. While definitely not the best version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (the Jean Cocteau 1946 film will always reign supreme while Disney's will remain the best known), this one is not without merit. "Fast Eddie" was one of those rare directors who could get the very most out of the very least. The ability to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear is a talent that deserves to be remembered...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.