Beat the Devil

An establishment shot, the view north along the Amalfi coast, located on the southern side of the Sorrento Peninsula (Campania province, Southern Italy), taken east of Maiori looking towards the Capo di Conca in the left distance. The property visible in the right foreground, located just beneath the Strada Statale Amalfitana, currently hosts the Bella Baia Campsite.

Set in fictitious Portoverto, which is portrayed during the opening credits in further establishing shots of so far unknown coastal resorts.

Portoverto waterfront.

Portoverto main street.

Portoverto street scene.

Peterson (Robert Morley) striding down Via Richard Wagner (with the steps) to the Piazza Duomo with Ravello (Marco Tulli) and Julius O'Hara (Peter Lorre) behind in Ravello, just passing by the ristorante on the corner, called Caffè Calce.

The buildings in the background have been demolished but the ones to the left of the frame are still there. The church which be on the right if they were further down the street faces the piazza and the "hotel" where they're staying. Info and pic provided by Tim, with our gratitude.

By the corner of Via Richard Wagner with narrow Via Roma, their paths cross with the British couple Gwendolen (Jennifer Jones) and Harry Chelm (Edward Underdown).

Other protagonists are Billy Dannreuther (Humphrey Bogart) and Maria Dannreuther (Gina Lollobrigida) seen on their hotel room balcony, overlooking Piazza Duomo in Ravello, located high above the Bay of Salerno, but standing in for Portoverto too.

Below them a band plays watched by locals. The scaffolding in the background belongs to the set construction for the "Albergo e Pensione Bristol", placed at the time in the southwest corner of the main square, close to the building that currently houses the Bric À Brac clothing store, located at Piazza Duomo 4.

When the 1951 Siata 1400 Limousine, bringing back Maj. Jack Ross (Ivor Barnard) from Rome airport, arrives in the main square, the fictional hotel can be seen in the background, while the scaffolding has already been removed.

As the heavy black sedan makes a U-turn towards the "Bristol", the left part of the set construction becomes visible behind the horse-drawn carriage and the three locals.

Peterson, Ravello and O'Hara turn the corner, but this time straight towards Piazza Duomo, also known as Piazza Centrale.

A Google Earth View to support Tim's identification in Capture 6. Taken from Piazza Centrale, Ravello. SJ/G

Billy Dannreuther sits at the currently called Duomo Caffè, along with the Chelm's in the background.

The Purser (Mario Perrone) of the S.S. Nyanga updates Billy on the repair work about the oil pump. The 'Hotel Bristol' can be seen on the opposite side of the square.

Dannreuther's former Hispano-Suiza, now owned by its former chauffeur, takes Billy, Maria and the Chelm's to his former villa, now owned by the bank, high above the Amalfi Coast. Probably somewhere on Strada Statale 373 between Atrani and Ravello.

The car approaches Dannreuther's former villa, Villa Capriccio, but actually Castello Colonna comes into view, which rises on the San Pietro hills at Piano di Sorrento, located west of Positano.

Billy Dannreuther and Gwendolen Chelm stand together on the Terrazza dell'Infinito, Villa Cimbrone, Ravello. Also seen in 'Der Commander', 'Wonder Woman' and 'Sissi – Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin'. In the distance the Monte dell'Avvocata range can be seen.

Hamilton McMurray was there in June 2012. (SJ)

Julius O'Hara spying on the two. This scene includes a very steep dolly shot that zoomed away from the couple newly in love until O'Hara comes into view. As O'Hara he shines with statements like: "Time. Time. What is time? The Swiss manufacture it. The French hoard it. The Italians squander it. Americans say it is money. Hindus say it does not exist. You know what I say? I say time is a crook" or "In Chile O'Hara is a tip top name. Many Germans in Chile have become to be called O'Hara".

Dannreuther and Chelm at the Pensione Bristol, as already mentioned, a set construction of the fictional hotel.

Peterson meets with Harry. Steve Randall discovered that this was taken at the Piazza Duomo in Ravello. The filmmakers have found an angle that lines up the Duomo steps, the columns at its edge, and the top of the ruined tower. The ancient tower that can be seen between the two actors marks the entrance to Villa Rufolo.

Peterson and Dannreuther make their way to Rome airport. The Hispano-Suiza on the Strada Statale 163 Amalfitana, just leaving the short tunnel above the gorge at the Marina di Praia, to be found east of Praiano.

Because the engine causes problems, the chauffeur and his passengers are forced to push the classic car and then jump in again.

But the second pushing maneuver goes wrong and the Hispano-Suiza rolls away now driverless, here seen after crossing the gorge behind the Acquachiara Spiaggia (Clear Water Beach) in Maiori. The oblong building alongside the SS163 major road now hosts the Hostaria Santa Maria restaurant.

The three of them run after the run away car reaching the bend below the current Villa Anna hotel in the outskirts of Maiori, to realize that the car can no longer be caught. Above in the center background a part of Villa Scarlato can be seen.

At the next bend, the Hispano-Suiza, according to Dannreuther a custom design for a famous bullfighter, breaks through the roadside wall and crashes into the sea.

Desperate, the chauffeur (Juan de Landa) complains to Dannreuther and Peterson about the loss of his car. In the left background the well-known Salicerchio tower aka Torre Normanna, built between 1534 and 1590, can be seen.

Gwendolen and Maria, as swimsuit beauties, basking on the exclusive sun terrace next to the Torre Saracena while the Atrani waterfront is visible behind them. See Capture 39.

This is from the swimming pool area of La Luna Convento Hotel between Amalfi and Atrani. SJ

Assuming the car went over the cliff along with Billy, Harry descends the steps beneath the mighty walls of the ancient watchtower for telling the "shocking news" to Maria.

At midnight, the Chelms along with the others board the S.S. Nyanga. The grooved rails onto the quay indicate that the embarking was filmed in the port of Salerno, because there is no railway along the Amalfi coast.

Eventually the Portuguese vessel makes her way towards British East Africa.

Due to the Nyanga sustaining damage the night before, the protagonists, except Harry, are stranded on the coast of North Africa and are arrested by Arabs shortly afterwards.

Presumably shot on one of the beaches of the Pontine Plain between Rome and Naples, possibly nearby Sabaudia.

After their short Africa adventure the whole bunch, but still without Harry, sail back to the nearest Italian harbour. In the background the then Salerno waterfront can be seen. The tall apartment block on the left edge still stands nearby Piazza Gioia Flavio.

The large shipyard building in the distance, with La Carnale fortress visible behind it, is long gone.

To everyone's surprise, the S.S. Nyanga has also found a safe haven. Unknown location.

Still without Harry, the whole party is back in town, arriving by taxi on Piazza Centrale in Ravello. In the background, behind the OM Taurus 400 type coach previously seen in Capture 25. The archway across Via della Marra can be seen in the background.

Billy, Maria and Gwendolen get out of the Bianchi S-8 type cab in front of the "Albergo e Pensione Bristol", where an investigator from Scotland Yard, Inspector Jack Clayton (Bernard Lee) is already waiting for them.

Accompanied by the sounds of the brass band and the Italian police, Peterson, Major Jack Ross (Ivor Barnard), Ravello and O'Hara, accused of murder, are taken away. Facing down from the camera platform next to the Dannreuther balcony onto Piazza Duomo.

22 February 2014: This is a location plaque just above Atrani on the pedestrian walk down to the beach noting its moment of fame. (SJ)