Beauty and the Beast (1946): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1946, Beauty and the Beast is a fantasy, drama and romance film directed by Jean Cocteau, running about 96 minutes. “Once upon a time…” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. 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.

Who’s in it. Beauty and the Beast stars Jean Marais as The Beast / The Prince / Avenant, Josette Day as Belle, Marcel André as Belle's Father and Mila Parély as Félicie, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.5/10, Beauty and the Beast has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Kanopy, YouTube TV and Criterion Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Beauty and the Beast page.

If you liked it. Fans of Beauty and the Beast tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Green Mile, Spirited Away and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.