Beauty and the Beast (1946) La belle et la bête (original title)

Director:

Jean Cocteau
(more)

Writers:

Jean Cocteau (dialogue)
Jean Cocteau (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

23 December 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

Adélaïde, Belle, Félicie and Ludovic are young adult siblings who once lived in grandeur until their father's merchant ships were lost at sea...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Beast | Rose | Forest | Magic

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Jean Marais	...	La Bête (The Beast) / The Prince / Avenant
Josette Day	...	Belle
Mila Parély	...	Félicie
Nane Germon	...	Adélaïde
Michel Auclair	...	Ludovic
Raoul Marco	...	The Usurer
Marcel André	...	Belle's Father
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Janice Felty	...	La Belle (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
John Kuether	...	The Father / The usurer (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Jacques Marbeuf
Ana María Martinez	...	Félicie (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Hallie Neill	...	Adélaïde (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Gregory Purnhagen	...	La Bête / Avenant / Ardent / The port official (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Zhang Zhou	...	Ludovic (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Noël Blin	...	Footman (uncredited)
Jean Cocteau	...	Voice of Magic (voice) (uncredited)
Christian Marquand	...	Footman (uncredited)
Gilles Watteaux	...	Footman (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Cocteau
René Clément		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean Cocteau		dialogue
Jean Cocteau		screenplay
Jean Cocteau		story
Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont		story

Produced by
André Paulvé	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Henri Alekan

Film Editing by
Claude Ibéria

Production Design by
Christian Bérard
Lucien Carré		(as Carré)

Set Decoration by
Lucien Carré		(as Carré)
René Moulaert

Costume Design by
Antonio Castillo
Marcel Escoffier
Christian Bérard		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Hagop Arakelian	....	makeup artist (as Arakelian)

Production Management
Émile Darbon	....	production manager

Sound Department
Jacques Carrère	....	sound
Héctor Castillo	....	sound engineer: opera version
P. Gaborian	....	sound assistant
Henry Girbal	....	sound assistant (as H. Girbal)
Jacques Lebreton	....	sound
Mario McNulty	....	assistant sound engineer: opera version
Rouzenat	....	sound effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
G.R. Aldo	....	still photographer (as Aldo)
Robert Foucard	....	camera operator (as Foucard)
Raymond Letouzey	....	camera operator (as Letouzey)
Henri Tiquet	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pierre Cardin	....	costume maker (uncredited)

Music Department
Roger Desormière	....	orchestra's conductor

Other crew
René Clément	....	technical advisor
Lucile Costa	....	script supervisor
Roger Rogelys	....	general manager

Production Companies

• DisCina

Distributors

• DisCina (1946) (France) (theatrical)
• Actueel Film (1946) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Nederland NV (1946) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Internationale Filmallianz (IFA) (1947) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Lopert Pictures Corporation (1946) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Artfree (2010) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cowboy Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• EMS (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Janus Films (????) (USA) (all media)
• Large Door Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Centre National de l'Audiovisuel  2002 restoration
• Nonesuch Records  soundtrack album (1995 opera version)
• Paquin  costume maker (uncredited)
• Pontet et Cie  mask maker (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"La belle et la bête" - France (original title)

Runtime:

96 min | USA:93 min | Germany:90 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Dolby Digital (1995 opera version)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Germany:16 | France:U (Visa #782) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Château de Raray, Senlis, Oise, France

Company:

DisCina

Trivia:

The costumes were manufactured at the workshop of the famous Paris couture house of Jeanne Lanvin, with the men's costumes under the supervision of Lanvin designer Pierre Cardin

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: (at around 1 min) The chin of the actor portraying the "arm candle branch" to the left of Belle as she nears the talking door is visible.

Quotes:

Ludovic:Get your hands off her! You want a black eye?
Belle:It's all right, Ludovic. He was asking me to marry him.
Ludovic:What did you say?
Avenant:Your sister doesn't want me!
Ludovic:Bravo, Belle. I'm a scoundrel, and proud of it, but I won't stand to see you marry one.
Ludovic:[to Avenant] Consider yourself warned. Now clear out, you hoodlum!
[Avenant punches Ludovic in the face]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005)

Soundtrack:

La belle et la bête

Visually stunning

When special effects anthologies are shown "Metropolis" is called the grandfather of film FX, "2001" is the son and "Star Wars" is the grandson. Invariably the French are forgotten. This is shameful, since the French were truly the masters of FX or "trick" shots. Following my analogy, Cocteau was the heir apparent of Melies.

"Beauty and the Beast" not only beautifully re-tells a beautiful story, but powerfully displays the Beast's magic. Cocteau's genius is that he makes simple editing techniques look like art and in this movie like the combination of art and magic. Watch what happens when Beauty gives one of her sisters a present from the Beast's castle which the Beast meant only for Beauty.

The version I saw was in French with English subtitles, but the visuals, in glorious black and white, are so stunning, you could almost cover up the subtitles and still understand what's going on.

I can't recommend this movie enough! It is #1 on my foreign film list.