Beauty and the Beast

"Once upon a time…"

1946 1h 36m FR

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 692

DramaFantasyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of a gentle-hearted beast in love with a simple and beautiful girl. She is drawn to the repellent but strangely fascinating Beast, who tests her fidelity by giving her a key, telling her that if she doesn't return it to him by a specific time, he will die of grief. She is unable to return the key on time, but it is revealed that the Beast is the genuinely handsome one. A simple tale of tragic love that turns into a surreal vision of death, desire, and beauty.

“Once upon a time…”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Jean Marais
La Bête / Le Prince / Avenant
Josette Day
Belle
Marcel André
Belle's Father
Mila Parély
Félicie
Nane Germon
Adélaïde
Michel Auclair
Ludovic
Raoul Marco
The Insurer
Jean Cocteau
The Voice of Magic (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jean Cocteau
Writers: Jean Cocteau, Jean Cocteau
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

80 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jean Cocteau, shot by Henri Alekan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Georges Auric. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Claude Ibéria shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Jean Marais and Josette Day and Marcel André carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Once upon a time…".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0038348 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jean Cocteau directs. Henri Alekan behind the camera. Georges Auric scores. Claude Ibéria cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Jean Cocteau, shot by Henri Alekan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Georges Auric. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Claude Ibéria shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Jean Marais and Josette Day and Marcel André carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Once upon a time…".
7IMDB entry: tt0038348 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 33 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Henri Alekan
Original score: Georges Auric
Editing: Claude Ibéria
Production design: Christian Bérard
Costume design: Marcel Escoffier
Makeup / hair: Hagop Arakelian
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
IMDB: Beauty and the Beast (1946)

Awards

Louis Delluc Prize

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Jean Cocteau

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-12-06
★ 7/10
Cocteau’s adaptation of this timeless fairy tale spends a little more on the characterisations than many as it regales us with the misfortunes of a merchant (John Kuether) and his four children. All are used to the finer things in life, but when rough seas rob him of his merchandise and two of his daughters continue to spend as if there were no tomorrow, he is reduced to near bankruptcy and forced to travel the woods in the dark where he is caught up in a storm. Desperate for shelter, he happens upon a ruined castle and there spends the night. Rather than leave as he came, though, he helps himself to one of the roses growing near the wall and that causes his hitherto absent host to emerge with a menacing ultimatum. Prepare to become compost or get one of your daughters to voluntarily come and keep me company. Of course, there is debate about what the family ought to do upon his return, but it’s “Belle” (Josette Day) who takes the initiative and duly arrives to fulfil his pledge. Though outwardly quite monstrous, the “beast” (Jean Marais) isn’t looking to make her life hard or frightening, indeed he ensures that she has the finest clothes, jewels, food and drink and she begins to soften to his fearsome appearance. With some trust soon established, she convinces him to allow her to spend some time with her family and when they see her finery and riches she realises that perhaps she doesn’t belong there any more - though not before her previous suitor “Avenant” (also Marais) and her brother “Ludovic” (Michel Auclair) hatch a plan to follow her and appropriate some of his riches. It’s the ultimate love story that encourages people to look beyond the superficial, and I found Day delivered effectively as a woman of integrity and humanity. There is much less mystery about her nemesis here. We see him right from the start and though I will confess to thinking Marais did look a bit like Frank Morgan’s lion from “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), he brought a pitiable nature to his performance. The design, costumes and eeriness of the ruins all really help to convey his sense of loneliness and isolation, and make the fairly standard presentation of the denouement just that little bit different.

Production companies