Restored Beat the Devil at New York City’s Film Forum

In an interview, Peter Lorre recalled Beat the Devil (1954) as “a delicious sardonic comedy” that was “a flop first in New York” because the studio opened it with “a blood-and-thunder campaign”. Hastily re-edited by director John Huston before its release, with a tacked-on opening voice-over by lead actor Humphrey Bogart and four minutes trimmed from its running time, the movie fell into public domain years ago and has been seen only in this form – until now.

A new restoration has gone back to the original 35mm camera negative, as well as other sources, to re-create the longer version. And the Film Forum, located in New York City, will screen the uncensored and unseen version of Beat the Devil, from Friday, Feb. 17, to Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017.

Beat the Devil will be shown on the following dates and times ~

• Friday, Feb. 17 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
• Saturday, Feb. 18 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
• Sunday, Feb. 19 – 2:10 pm, 6:40 pm, and 8:40 pm
• Monday, Feb. 20 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, and 8:20 pm
• Tuesday, Feb. 21 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
• Wednesday, Feb. 22 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
• Thursday, Feb. 23 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm

Admission is $14 for adults, and $8 for children under the age of 12. Seniors age 65 and older attending shows before 5 pm, Monday to Friday, may purchase tickets for $8. Tickets for Film Forum members are $8 for all showings.

Tickets may be purchased at the Film Forum box office. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through the Film Forum website. Click the “Buy Tickets” button on the Beat the Devil page. On-line registration is required to purchase tickets through the venue’s website. More information on tickets is available on the Film Forum website.

The Film Forum is located at 209 West Houston Street, between 6th Avenue and Varick Street, in New York City, New York.

Parking, both metered and non-metered, is available on many of the streets close to the Film Forum. Parking on 6th Avenue, 7th Avenue, and Varick Street is metered.

The Film Forum is well-served by subway and bus lines. Directions to the theater, as well as parking and public transportation information, are available on the venue’s website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the chaotic making of Beat the Devil, the fifth and final movie Peter made with his old pal, Humphrey Bogart. Working on location in Italy, the two pranksters welcomed celebrity visitors such as George Sanders to the set, played practical jokes on cast-mates, and enjoyed the ping-pong-playing form of co-star Gina Lollabrigida.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available in soft-bound and hard-bound editions, as well as Kindle and Nook.

Purchase The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre from Amazon.