IMDb > Beat the Devil (1953)
Beat the Devil
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Beat the Devil (1953) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
Beat the Devil (1953) -- On their way to Africa are a group of rogues who hope to get rich there, and a seemingly innocent British couple. They meet and things happen...

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   3,017 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
James Helvick (novel)
Truman Capote (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Beat the Devil on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 December 1953 (Italy) more
Tagline:
Adventure at its boldest! Bogart at his best! more
Plot:
On their way to Africa are a group of rogues who hope to get rich there, and a seemingly innocent British couple. They meet and things happen... full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
Maybe I missed something ... but ... more (85 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Humphrey Bogart ... Billy Dannreuther

Jennifer Jones ... Mrs. Gwendolen Chelm

Gina Lollobrigida ... Maria Dannreuther
Robert Morley ... Peterson

Peter Lorre ... Julius O'Hara
Edward Underdown ... Harry Chelm
Ivor Barnard ... Maj. Jack Ross
Marco Tulli ... Ravello
Bernard Lee ... Insp. Jack Clayton
Mario Perrone ... Purser on SS Nyanga
Giulio Donnini ... Administrator
Saro Urzì ... Captain of SS Nyanga (as Saro Urzi)
Juan de Landa ... Hispano-Suiza Driver
Aldo Silvani ... Charles - Restaurant Manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Julie Gibson
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Il tesoro dell'Africa (Italy)
more
Runtime:
89 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
At one point in the film, Ivor Barnard's character is referred as the "galloping major". This is the title of a film from 1951, also made by Romulus Productions, and starring Basil Radford. The Galloping Major (1951) in this other film is a racehorse. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Inside the car, Billy has a long lit cigarette in his right hand, but soon after, when he steps down, the cigarette has disappeared. more
Quotes:
Ahmed: [to Dannreuther] I believe you must have Arab blood. Westerners are not usually so subtle. more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
24 out of 37 people found the following comment useful.
Maybe I missed something ... but ..., 13 March 2000
5/10
Author: simon.vaughan from Sydney, Australia

I watched Beat the Devil last night from a DVD I purchased recently, and frankly I wasn't impressed.

The reason I bought it I suppose was the cast list ... an excellent roll up it is too. But really I did not enjoy the film ... it just didn't seem to get up off the ground at all. Before I knew it, there was what I imagined to be a climax towards the end, then it finished. (Maybe I should watch it a few more times?)

The stars put together for the film seemed to play out their Hollywood stereotypical roles well ... Peter Lorre as the nervous little "illegal alien" type, Robert Morley as the pompous Englishman, etc. I really don't see how Bogart could have been a "sex symbol" in this one? Gina was just gorgeous as always.

I did enjoy the humour of the film though. It was subtle but it was there. Some quite funny moments.

The DVD I have is of a very poor quality. The picture is very scratchy and the sound is bad. (Gina was extremely difficult to understand in some parts.)

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (85 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Beat the Devil (1953)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
A Subtle Masterpiece cbakes
'Beat' the 'Devil'? What does that mean? tomtac
Trivia goof; this was the 4th, not the 3rd with Lorre fbm72751
Capote girlzwillbegirlz
Best quality DVD jbuchanan-1
A classic willowtree602
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Stunt Man The English Patient Marie Galante Jungle Drums of Africa Thunderball
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Adventure section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.