Beauty and the Beast (1962 film)

Beauty and the Beast is a 1962 American romantic fantasy film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Joyce Taylor and Mark Damon. It is based on the 18th century fairy tale Beauty and the Beast written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont[1] and features title creature make-up by the legendary Jack Pierce.

Beauty and the Beast
Directed byEdward L. Cahn
Produced byEdward Small (executive)
Robert E. Kent
Screenplay byGeorge Bruce
Orville H. Hampton
Based onBeauty and the Beast
by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
StarringJoyce Taylor
Mark Damon
Music byHugo Friedhofer
CinematographyGilbert Warrenton
Edited byRobert Carlisle
Production
company
Harvard Film Corporation
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date
  • June 29, 1962 (1962-06-29) (West Germany)
  • December 8, 1962 (1962-12-08) (United States)
Running time
77 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Shot in Technicolor and distributed by United Artists,[1] the film is the first English language live action screen adaptation of the fairy tale story.[2] Edward Small, the film's executive producer, described it as a "fairytale for everybody - no messages, no menace."[3]

Plot

Set in the Middle Ages; Lady Althea (Joyce Taylor) travels to the castle of Duke Eduardo (Mark Damon), the heir to the throne, where the two of them are to be married. But the handsome Eduardo has a horrible secret: A sorcerer's curse--an alchemist, killed by Eduardo's late father--transforms him into a terrifying, wolf-like beast every night. When Eduardo's scheming rival, Prince Bruno (Michael Pate), who has also has ambitions for the throne, learns of this secret, he tries to seize the throne by stirs up the townspeople, revealing the beast's presence to them, turning them against the beast and setting them-up to kill Eduardo for him. Only the love of Lady Althea can save the duke and break the power of the curse.

Cast

See also

References
  1. Blum, Daniel, ed. (1963). Daniel Blum's Screen World 1963. Biblo & Tannen Publishers. p. 129. ISBN 0-819-60304-X.
  2. Scheuer, Philip K. (May 1, 1961). "Andrew Stone Will Produce War Tale: Civic to Stage 'The Balcony'; 'Beauty and Beast' Refilmed". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. C11.
  3. Hopper, Hedda (January 6, 1961). "Sea Movie Will Mark Pidgeon Film Return". Chicago Daily Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. B12.


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