La Belle et la Bête
Once upon a time…
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.
Beauty and the Beast (1946) is a drama, fantasy and romance film directed by Jean Cocteau, released on October 29, 1946 with a runtime of 1h 36m. It stars Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel André and Mila Parély. Viewers rate it 7.5 out of 10 across 687 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Beauty and the Beast before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Beauty and the Beast.
Trailer
Trailer
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)
Noël Blin
as Footman (uncredited)
Christian Marquand
as Footman (uncredited)
Gilles Watteaux
as Footman (uncredited)
Directed by Jean Cocteau, written by Jean Cocteau, Jean Cocteau and Jean Cocteau.
Average viewer score of 7.5/10 from 687 ratings.
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…
Reviewed on December 6, 2025
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Beauty and the Beast (1946) is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Kanopy, Criterion Channel and HBO Max, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Beauty and the Beast (1946) includes Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel André, Mila Parély and Nane Germon. The film was directed by Jean Cocteau. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Beauty and the Beast was released on October 29, 1946 and runs for 1h 36m.
Beauty and the Beast (1946) holds an average rating of 7.5 out of 10 from 687 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama, fantasy and romance films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Beauty and the Beast trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
