La Belle et la Bête (1991)

A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love.

Directors:

Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Writers:

Linda Woolverton (animation screenplay by), Brenda Chapman (story by)

Stars:

Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Jesse Corti

Won 2 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robby Benson	...	Beast (voice)
Jesse Corti	...	Lefou (voice)
Rex Everhart	...	Maurice (voice)
Angela Lansbury	...	Mrs. Potts (voice)
Paige O'Hara	...	Belle (voice)
Jerry Orbach	...	Lumiere (voice)
Bradley Pierce	...	Chip (voice) (as Bradley Michael Pierce)
David Ogden Stiers	...	Cogsworth / Narrator (voice)
Richard White	...	Gaston (voice)
Jo Anne Worley	...	Wardrobe (voice)
Mary Kay Bergman	...	Bimbette (voice)
Brian Cummings	...	Stove (voice)
Alvin Epstein	...	Bookseller (voice)
Tony Jay	...	Monsieur D'Arque (voice)
Alec Murphy	...	Baker (voice)

Storyline

Having lived a life in selfishness, young Prince Adam is cursed by a mysterious enchantress to having the appearance of a monstrous beast. His only hope is to learn to love a young woman and earn her love in return in order to redeem himself. Ten years later, his chance shows itself when a young maiden named Belle (Paige O'Hara) offers to take her ill father Maurice's (Rex Everhart's) place as his prisoner. With help from the castle's enchanted staff, Belle learns to appreciate her captor and immediately falls in love with him. Back in the village however, unscrupulous hunter Gaston (Richard White) has his own plans for Belle.

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Plot Keywords:

france | rose | castle | fairy tale | chauvinism | 

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Taglines:

The most beautiful love story ever told.

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Tous publics

Did You Know?

Trivia

The number of magical objects in the Beast's Castle would suggest that the castle had employed a ridiculously large staff. While some of the objects were once human (Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth), most of them appear to be regular objects that became enchanted with independent motion and personalities because they have no faces (dishes, mugs, chairs).

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Goofs

When Gaston tries to kiss Belle, and she opens the door, Gaston goes flying out into the mud in front of the house. But Belle's front door is on the side of the porch, not facing the mud.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found ...

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Crazy Credits

The opening prologue and end title appear within stained glass windows.

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Alternate Versions

A different version of the "Work-In-Progress Edition", mentioned above, was released on VHS in a special box set. It features all the scenes from the final movie but doesn't include the alternate version of "Be Our Guest." The tape does include a making-of documentary and a short sequence illustrating step-by-step how the film was animated. This is the "Work-In-Progress Edition" that is available on DVD.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Satisfying Villain Deaths in Disney Movies (2016)

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Soundtracks

Beauty and the Beast (End Title Duet)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Performed by Céline Dion and Peabo Bryson
Produced by Walter Afanasieff
Arranged by Walter Afanasieff and Robbie Buchanan

User Reviews

One of my all-time favourite movies.

The only animated movie to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, and it deserved it.

Magic from the opening prologue to the final credit, "Beauty and the Beast" is the last real classic to come from the Disney crew before John Lasseter came along. This was one of the few movies I happily paid to see twice in the cinema, and sitting in a sparsely-populated Friday night audience (I was living in Barbados at the time, and it was hardly the most artistic place on Earth... it was a crying shame that there was hardly anyone there while "Home Alone 2" went through the roof) the second time, the magic remained.

You all know the story, so apart from pointing out the movie's one flaw (the prince's spell had to be broken before he turned 21 or he would remain a beast forever; so if it was cast ten years before the events of the movie, wouldn't that mean he was 11 when the spell was cast...?), let's look at how well the movie works. You have a monster who's more human than the movie's medallion-man villain; you have a heroine who's PC but engaging with it; you have a supporting cast of magic utensils who wisely never upstage the couple at the centre of this love story (and despite the Disney animated trappings, it IS a love story); and you have a captivating story, beautifully told.

The movie's also got wonderful design of its French setting and characters, with the ballroom scene a standout (the tiny but appreciative audience were impressed by the sight of the Beast and Belle in their evening wear - the only time I've ever seen cartoon characters get wolf-whistled in a cinema); and Alan Menken's score is his finest work for the Mouse, with matchless lyrics from the late and much lamented Howard Ashman - how many musicals can you name where ALL the songs are brilliant? But ultimately it's the movie's very real heart that makes it a keeper; the cliche "You'll laugh, you'll cry" is all too true in this case. A lot of movies called 'classic' don't deserve that appellation, but this one does.

I'll be slaughtered by anime fans, but what the hell... one "Beauty and the Beast" is worth a thousand "Akira"s. And "Shrek"s. And, I'm willing to bet, "Treasure Planet"s. This is a truly adult animated feature that's also one for the entire family. Forget "The Silence of the Lambs" - this is the real best picture of 1991.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

21 October 1992 (France)

Also Known As:

La Belle et la Bête

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Feature Animation - 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$162,146, 17 November 1991

Gross USA:

$218,967,620

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$440,118,382

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min 91 min (special edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (original release) Dolby Digital (special edition) DTS (special edition) SDDS (special edition) Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1