Best Movies Guide: Why Beauty and the Beast Still Matters

Beauty and the Beast (1946) — an evergreen reference for this movie: the essentials, the cast, where to watch and what to watch next. Once upon a time…

Where to watch

TMDB's U.S. watch-provider data lists HBO Max Amazon Channel, Kanopy, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Bloodstream. Availability changes by country and date, so check your streaming app before watching.

Cast

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

About Beauty and the Beast

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.

More like Beauty and the Beast

• Fire with Fire
• Untamed Heart
• Maria's Lovers
• Moonlight Mile
• The Fugitive Kind
• Tuesday
• The Future
• Tideland

Figures and availability come from public TMDB data and are provided as a sourced reference.