Review of Beat the Devil (1953) by Richard J — 01 Feb 2009

I'll go so fare as to take the stand, that this is not a B-movie, but rather a true Masterpiece of cinema, parading around as a camp joke, but saved like by that most elusive of qualities, GOOD CHARACTERS.

And not just the parts played by Bogart or Jenifer Jones, but equally and maybe even more importantly, from the ragtag group of characters that surround them. Seriously the key to appreciating this film, is to ignore the "plot" and realize that it is merely a gimmick from which to propel the characters forward.

In essence "Beat the Devil" is "The Big Sleep" taken even further. And I don't see how any respected movie buff could see that as a bad thing.