The Beast Must Die (1952) La bestia debe morir [w/Commentary] [Flicker Alley]

Director: Román Viñoly Barreto
Stars: Narciso Ibáñez Menta, Guillermo Battaglia, Milagros de la Vega

Mystery writer Felix Lane, (legendary Spanish actor Narciso Ibáñez Menta), suffers a tragic loss; his nine-year-old son is killed in a hit-and-run car accident. Desperate for vengeance, Lane bypasses the authorities, adopts a new identity, and begins looking for clues that will lead him to the culprit. The suspense reaches hair-raising levels as Felix’s vendetta leads him to infiltrate an affluent family rife with its own intrigues. But who among this highly suspect bunch is the killer? And will Felix follow his mission to its bitter end? Based on Cecil Day-Lewis’ influential 1936 novel The Beast Must Die (written as Nicholas Blake), Viñoly Barreto’s film is a stunning adaptation of one of the true landmarks of crime fiction and psychological suspense.

Flicker Alley is honored to present this world-premiere Blu-ray disc edition of the superb The Beast Must Die (La bestia debe morir), a heretofore virtually unknown addition to the canon of classic international noir.

This landmark release has been gorgeously restored to its original brilliance thanks to the efforts of the Film Noir Foundation and UCLA Film & Television Archive, with special thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Charitable Trust.



Audio Commentary by author and film historian Guido Segal

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