Re: RARA-AVIS: TMF - surprises & sequel?
rikke & hanne Kesten (rbkhbk@bcn.net)
Sun, 14 Feb 1999 09:55:27 -0500
I think Beat the Devil is one of the funniest and oddest films
ever
made. After making a huge success with African Queen, John
Huston was
financed on this project by United Artists -- whose new
management's
style was strictly "hands-off" with the film makers once they
approved a
film.
Huston, Bogart, Jennifer Jones, Gina Lolabrigida, Peter Loore,
Truman
Capote, et al was enough of a package to earn Huston that
freedom.
They headed out with their crew, made a movie while having
themselves
one hell of a party. Then they more or less disappeared with
the work
print during a very long editing period.
When the finished film, after much pulling a shoving, was
finally
shown to United Artists executives in New York for their first
look at
what they had financed, there was dead silence in the room.
They didn't get it, hated the film, and basically dumped it as
a
second feature. However, hip audiences found the film to be
wonderful,
unique, funny and it became a very early cult film.
See it. It's a hoot.
I never thought of it a a sequel to TMF but why not that
too!!
--steve
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