Beauty and the Beast (1946)
La Belle et la Bête (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Not Rated
- 1h 36min
- Drama, Fantasy
- 23 Dec 1947 (USA)
- Movie
A beautiful young woman takes her father's place as the prisoner of a mysterious beast, who wishes to marry her.
Directors:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- 1 win & 2 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Jean Marais | ... |
La Bête / Le Prince / Avenant
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| Josette Day | ... |
Belle
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| Mila Parély | ... |
Félicie
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Nane Germon | ... |
Adélaïde
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| Michel Auclair | ... |
Ludovic
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| Raoul Marco | ... |
Merchant (creditOnly) (scenesDeleted)
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Marcel André | ... |
Belle's Father
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Janice Felty | ... |
La Belle (1995 opera version) (singingVoice)
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John Kuether | ... |
The Father / The usurer (1995 opera version) (singingVoice)
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Jacques Marbeuf |
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Ana María Martinez | ... |
Félicie (1995 opera version) (singingVoice)
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Hallie Neill | ... |
Adélaïde (1995 opera version) (singingVoice)
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Gregory Purnhagen | ... |
La Bête / Avenant / Ardent / The port official (1995 opera version) (singingVoice)
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Zhengzhong Zhou | ... |
Ludovic (1995 opera version) (singingVoice)
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Noël Blin | ... |
Footman (uncredited)
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| Jean Cocteau | ... |
Voice of Magic (uncredited) (voice)
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| Christian Marquand | ... |
Footman (uncredited)
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Gilles Watteaux | ... |
Footman (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Jean Cocteau | ||
| René Clément | ... | (uncredited) |
Written by
| Jean Cocteau | ... | (dialogue) |
| Jean Cocteau | ... | (screenplay) |
| Jean Cocteau | ... | (story) |
| Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont | ... | (story) |
Produced by
| André Paulvé | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Georges Auric | ||
Cinematography by
| Henri Alekan | ... | (images) |
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 |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| René Clément | ... | associate director (uncredited) |
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 |
Script and Continuity Department
| Lucile Costa | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| René Clément | ... | technical advisor |
| Roger Rogelys | ... | general manager |
Production Companies
Distributors
- DisCina (1946) (France) (theatrical)
- Actueel Film (1946) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Nederland Film (1946) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Nederland NV (1946) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Les Films Minerva (1947) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Scalera Film (1947) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Wivefilm (1947) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Internationale Filmallianz (IFA) (1947) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Lopert Films (1947) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Ulargui Films (1950) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Select Video (1982) (West Germany) (VHS)
- Embassy Home Entertainment (1985) (United States) (VHS) (subtitled)
- Canal+ (1991) (France) (tv)
- The Criterion Collection (1991) (United States) (video) (laserdisc) (subtitled)
- René Chateau Video (1996) (France) (VHS) (restaured version)
- The Criterion Collection (1998) (United States) (DVD) (subtitled)
- BFI Video (2001) (United Kingdom) (DVD) (subtitled)
- Cowboy Pictures (2002) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release) (subtitled)
- The Criterion Collection (2003) (United States) (DVD) (subtitled)
- The Criterion Collection (2004) (United States) (DVD) (subtitled)
- e-m-s the DVD-Company (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2006) (United States) (DVD) (subtitled)
- Madman Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD) (subtitled)
- Madman Entertainment (2007) (New Zealand) (DVD) (subtitled)
- Art Free (2010) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Alamode Film (2011) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- Alive Vertrieb und Marketing (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (release through)
- SND Films (2013) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital) (subtitled)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD) (subtitled)
- Centrala Wynajmu Filmów (1960) (Poland) (theatrical)
- Cetera International (2000) (Japan) (theatrical) (re-release)
- IVC (1999) (Japan) (DVD)
- NHK Kyôiku (1990) (Japan) (tv)
- NHK-BS2 (1990) (Japan) (tv)
- Nelson Entertainment (1988) (United States) (VHS)
- New Line Home Video (1994) (United States) (VHS) (reprint)
- Telewizja Polska (TVP) - I Program (1960) (Poland) (tv)
- The Criterion Collection (2011) (United States) (DVD) (subtitled)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Cannes Film Festival (festival)
- Centre National de l'Audiovisuel (2002 restoration)
- Nonesuch Records (soundtrack album) (1995 opera version)
- Paquin (costume maker)
- Pontet et Cie (mask maker)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Adélaïde, Belle, Félicie and Ludovic are young adult siblings who once lived in grandeur until their father's merchant ships were lost at sea. The family is now near ruin, but Adélaïde and Félicie nonetheless still squander away the family money on themselves and keeping beautiful, whereas Belle slaves around the house, doting on her father. Ludovic detests his two spoiled sisters, but is protective of Belle, especially with his friend Avenant, a handsome scoundrel who wants to marry Belle. Crossing the forest one dark and stormy evening, the father gets lost and takes refuge in a fantastical castle. Upon leaving, he steals a blossom off a rose bush, which Belle requested. The castle's resident, an angry beast, sentences him to one of two options for the theft of the rose: his own death, or that of one of his daughters. As she feels she is the cause of her father's predicament (despite her sisters asking for far more lavish gifts), Belle sacrifices herself to the beast. Upon arriving at the castle, Belle finds that the beast, whose grotesqueness she cannot deny, does not want to kill her, but wants to marry her and lavish her with riches. He does not force her, but he will ask her every night to marry him, these times the only ones when he will appear to her. She vows never to say yes. As Belle resigns herself to her mortal fate and looks deeper into the beast - whose grotesque exterior masks a kind but tortured soul - will her thoughts change? Meanwhile, Belle's family, who learn of her situation, have their own thoughts of what to do, some working toward what they believe is Belle's best welfare, and others working toward their own benefit. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Do Women Prefer The Beast In Men? See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | The effect of the candles lighting themselves as the merchant passes them was achieved by blowing them out and then running the film in reverse as he walked backward past them. The entire sequence was done in one long take and reversed - a quick glimpse of the fireplace shows the flames appearing to move downward. See more » |
| Goofs | As Belle and The Beast walk in the garden, a comparatively modernly dressed boy in short pants is visible for a few seconds to the top right behind them. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Fatale beauté (1994). See more » |
| Soundtracks | La belle et la bête See more » |
| Crazy Credits | The title and some of the opening credits are written with chalk on a blackboard, and then erased. See more » |
| Quotes |
Opening Title:
Children believe what we tell them. They have complete faith in us. They believe that a rose plucked from a garden can plunge a family into conflict. They believe that the hands of a human beast will smoke when he slays a victim, and that this will cause the beast shame when a young maiden takes up residence in his home. They believe a thousand other simple things. I ask of you a little of this childlike simplicity, and, to bring us luck, let me speak four truly magic words, childhood's "Open Sesame": "Once upon a time..." Jean Cocteau See more » |