Film: Beat The Devil (1953) - a must-see

Why is this film a hidden gem? Looking at a few reference books, comments on Beat The Devil ranged from ‘cult favourite’ to ‘undeserved cult favourite’.

Many people saw it as rather patchy, due to a variable pace and talkiness. But there is great enjoyment in the dry wit, and some truly superb delivery.

This is due in no small part to the script (John Huston, Truman Capote), and the presence of another hidden gem, Jennifer Jones. She delivers her lines with such charming verve that she stands out in a high calibre cast.

This cast includes Peter Lorre, Robert Morley, Gina Lollabrigida (as, well, Gina Lollobrigida) and Humphry Bogart just playing Bogart.

It was something of a parodic take on earlier Bogart films, although the “low-key nature of the comedy eluded many people”, including Bogart, who “doesn’t seem to get the joke”. He notably said “only the phonies liked it” – but it’s easy to tell the comedy doesn’t sit with him, and he delivers the lines like the dramatic adventure film it’s meant to spoof.

Lorre reprises his earlier character, while Morley substitutes for Sydney Greenstreet as seen in Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. Morley is easily the other standout, with a comedic delivery unmatched by anyone here except Jones. Marco Tulli rounds out the band of rogues (with Morley and Lorre) simply because his form adds great slapstick effect to the three of them trotting around together.

The combination of script, Jones and Morley make for a cracker of a film, and the cinematic candy of Bogart, Lorre and Lollobrigida round off a very worthwhile experience.

Chelm: Now look here, this boat is definitely, most definitely, scheduled to sail at 24 hundred hours.

Italian sailor: Scheduled, Mr Chelm, but not, I fear, destined to do so.

[Bogart]: Propeller gone, or is the captain drunk?

Italian sailor: Oh but of course the captain is drunk. But the real trouble is the oil pump…

Film: Play It Again Sam (USA, 1972)

I’ve seen quite a few Woody Allen films in my time, but not much in recent years. My involvement had tapered off when I realised enjoyment was no longer there - and was never vociferous anyway. That made this a pleasant watch, for unexpected reasons.

When I look at his filmography (see above link), I’m surprised to see how many he made – and how many I missed.

Certainly, Allen’s films are contextualised to particular points in time. Play It Again Sam is the first in his Diane Keaton period, which is plainly visible: the fibre of Play It Again Sam contains some of the slapstick of his earlier work (such as Take The Money And Run) and the focus on relationship contained in later films such as Annie Hall. Imbued throughout, of course, with the Woody Allen persona - so much so, in fact, that he inflicts some of that persona on Diane Keaton’s character. Some could say that this persona is one of Allen’s more endearing creations, but it can become threadbare, particularly when two of the characters are possessed.

Nevertheless, what I found here was a human warmth, more so than any other Allen film I’ve seen. That warmth was between the Woody Allen and Diane Keaton characters, in both the writing and acting. The premise: A jilted Allen is set up with other women – unsuccessfully – by a couple of Allen’s friends, including Diane Keaton. The magic in the film is the developing relationship between Allen and Keaton. Tension builds as Allen becomes attracted to his best friend’s wife. This gives him an opportunity to replay Casablanca’s final scene – and speech - from (with the added twist “It's from Casablanca; I waited my whole life to say it”).

Despite the possession of these two characters by that sometimes excruciating persona, there was a genuinely touching humanity here, that I’ve never found in other Woody Allen film – no matter how he tried.