 | |
| |
 The story of Beauty and the Beast is, indeed, as the Disney song suggests, "a tale as old as time". We can trace its origins in many forms and from many cultures. The core of the story is evident in the ancient Greek myth of Psyche and winged Eros, and in Andromeda's imprisonment by the Serpent. It resurfaces in medieval times in the tale of the beautiful princess held prisoner by a fierce dragon, awaiting rescue by a brave knight; and in the myth of the unicorn, a beast so rare and pure it could only be captured by a virgin, doomed to be slain by the hunters who used the maiden to lure the magical creature. The faerie tale, as we know it today, was written in 1756 by Madame Leprince de Beaumont, and the terrible face of the Beast changed form with each new illustrator. In 1946, producer Jean Cocteau filmed a French version, which is now available on video with subtitles. This black and white art film was so innovative, it is still being copied. Shelley Duvall's "Faerie Tale Theatre" gave us a very similar TV version. In 1983, with the release of her album, "The Wild Heart", singer Stevie Nicks gave us her song, "Beauty and the Beast", later noting that the song was inspired by Cocteau's movie, and dedicating the song to "Vincent and Katherine" [sic ~ in typical Nicks fashion, rock's Oracle offers information through yet another mystery]. Vincent and Catherine were the lead characters in CBS's marvelous 1987 weekly series based on the fable, but updated for modern viewers. The story was set in New York City, around Central Park; and Beauty was a wealthy, spoiled district attorney named Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton). Her Beast (Ron Perlman) was a man who had been "born different": caught between the worlds of man and beast, he was forever torn between his humanity and his instincts. The legend of his existence was that he had been found as an infant in a dumpster behind St. Vincent's hospital. He was taken below the surface of the city, where he thrived in a magical realm of resourceful tunnel-dwellers who managed to live well underground, despite being out-cast by the "upper world". This incredibly fierce, and yet thoughtful and sensitive creature was named Vincent; and his fabulous appeal owes much to the talented actor Ron Perlman, who played him so seamlessly that fans wanted to believe he really existed. With the assistance of Rick Baker, who created the Beast's amazingly beautiful make-up, he brought the Beast to breathing life. The cast was full of wonderful actors, and the storylines seemed endless. I must also mention here the delightful actor who played Vincent's protective adoptive "Father", Roy Dotrice, as I have enjoyed his work whenever I have seen him, and I had the good fortune of meeting him at a convention during the height of the show. Unfortunately for the show and its very loyal fans, the writers began to base each episode on the same formula, and the sparkling characters were never allowed to develop. The show was cancelled in late 1989, without ever completing its third season; but it died for the original fans with the first episodes of that year, when the writers decided to kill Beauty and set another character in her place. All the fans ever wanted was "happily ever after". Disney then caught the fever and produced a delightful animated version of Beauty and the Beast as a follow-up to the highly sucessful "The Little Mermaid". Disney's Beast was fierce, but lovable enough for children, and the movie was successful enough to spawn a Christmas video. The themes of passion, unconditional love, and trust continue to be the basis for this timeless story, which teaches that outward appearances are not always truthful, and that promises should never be broken.  | |
| |
|
| |
|
Martin
Enterprises
The only place to purchase "Second Stories", a B&B fanzine featuring illustrations by Amanda W. Crews |
|
| |
|
