Brier Patch:

Allow me to counter the rave reviews that dominate the movie page here. It is telling that the featurette - Humphrey Bogart on Film - does not even mention Beat the Devil. It just isn't worthy. If the devil is beaten in this film, it is only by shtick as the actors riff on their personas. Apparently Huston and Capote wrote this film as they made it and the lack of time and forethought shows. Without a good sense of where they were going, the actors rely on their stock mannerisms. Jennifer Jones seems to have the most fun of the cast as she manufactures an original, if completely unbelievable, character. It is periodically enjoyable to watch her sparking off of a bemused, deadpan Bogie. At the other end of the spectrum is Peter Lorre, who is criminally underused and seems bored or embarrassed by the entire effort to put together a movie on the fly. Meanwhile, the documentary on Bogart is fairly shallow. I can't say I disliked this DVD, but it was disappointing in retrospect. According to Wikipedia, Bogart said of Beat the Devil - "Only phonies like it." I don't share that assessment. The movie has its moments. But the sum of the parts doesn't add up to a satisfying whole. Recommended only for Bogie completists or to see the beautiful Gina Lollobrigida in her first American film.

JC 528558:

I wanted so much to like this, because I love Bogey so much, but...eh. The movie has a depressing cheap dark feel, and the plot twists are hard to follow and not too believable. Bogey looks like he has one foot in the grave, and Jennifer Jones is just as annoying as I usually find her, although I did enjoy the way she preceded every bald-faced lie with, "In point of fact..." Peter Lorre as an "Irishman" from Argentina--that was another good gag. But otherwise a forgettable film.