Beauty and the Beast (1963)

This version of Beauty and the Beast is a so-so rendition of the oft-filmed classic fairy tale. It does feature an unusual twist: in this re-telling, the prince is more of a "were-beast," as he is human during the day and becomes a beast (a remarkably wolf-like beast, in fact) only at night. This twist, of course, negates some of the impact of the story. It's tragic that a man must spend his nights in a beastly form, but not as tragic as if he were doomed to wear that form 24 hours a day. It also doesn't help matters that the beast is quite tame; he may be somewhat ill-tempered but he never is dangerous. Beauty also suffers from truly horrible dialogue, and the screenplay in general works in fits and starts. On the other hand, both Mark Damon (in his human aspect) and Joyce Taylor are lovely to look at; their dramatic performances are fine, if not spectacular. The supporting cast, especially Walter Burke, is generally better. Edward L. Cahn's direction needs to be livelier and more imaginative, but it gets the job done. Beauty is acceptable, but with so many better versions available, there's little reason to seek this one out. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide