The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) User Reviews

The Longer Criterion Version Is The One To See

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 7 June 2007]

First off, let me state that after viewing both versions of this film: the 85-minute and the 106-minute ones, both have their merits. For VHS, I recommend the shorter version. If you have the Criterion DVD with a 106-minute one, however, you have the best. I had seen both on tape but when I saw the longer version with a great DVD transfer, it convinced me the longer one is the version you want to see. It also seemed to improve the whole movie.

The Criterion DVD helped me appreciate the underrated black-and-white cinematography in this movie. It simply looks super, and even the special-effects are still pretty darned good considering the year this was made.

Character-wise, as so often is the case, the bad-guys are the most interesting in the movie. The best was Walter Huston playing "Scratch" (the Devil) and Simone Simon playing a female helper of his. Simon has the allure in this story to drive leading character "Jabez Stone" away from his sweet wife "Mary" (Anne Shirley).

Depressed and whining over his financial state of affairs and general lot in life, "Jabez" is ripe pickings for the wily "Scratch" and his cohort. The Devil makes Stone sign away his soul for money, prosperity, power, etc. Jabez gets carried away with his greed and winds up learning some valuable lessons.

Meanwhile, Edward Arnold plays "Daniel Webster," a folk hero during this time period, a man revered by all in New England. He winds up defending Jabez in a court-like scene i the end to see if he can win back the man's soul. Arnold is captivating in his role as Webster and gives an old-fashioned patriotic message at the end which would make today's Hollywood filmmakers sick.

Craig, who gets 12th billing in this film - go figure - has the most lines in the movie! How can be ignored, not only on the DVD and VHS boxes but on the bottom of the credits on this IMDb cast page? Craig overacts in his role and, thus, becomes a little annoying at times. Shirley might have been the most attractive I've ever seen here, mainly because of her strong, Christian character and down-home plain beauty that shines through in this character, Jabez's faithful wife "Mary." (She also gets slighted in the billing.)

Overall, this is a different story than anything you've seen. It's interesting, nicely directed by William Dieterle and photographed by Joseph August. Sadly, the latter died later in this decade with a heart attack. His last picture was another visual wonder: "Portrait Of Jennie."

The Devil Is No Match for an American Politician

[evanston_dad · 8/10 · 29 April 2005]

This film could never work now, because Americans are far too cynical to accept a politician beating the Devil in a battle of morals. Now the politician would be in the Devil's hip pocket. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a creepy, effective little morality tale about a farmer who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for prosperity and the politician who ends up defending him and winning it back.

What seemed startling in 1941 feels mostly creaky by today's standards, but there are still some fresh moments of film making in this one. William Dieterle was obviously open to experimentation when it comes to the use of cinematography and sound, and the movie has a striking visual look. The plot is mostly connect the dots, and there are no real surprises, but I don't know that one watches a morality tale for surprises in the first place.

Walter Huston is extremely creepy as the Devil (aka Mr. Scratch). He received a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his performance even though, based on sheer screen time, he really has more of a supporting role. But he's so effective when on screen that his presence dominates the film even when he's physically absent, which probably accounts for the lead nomination.

Edward Arnold is pretty good too as Daniel Webster. Also standing out is Jane Darwell (Ma Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath") as a hardened farm mother.

Parts of this film have a wicked sense of humour, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The trial at the end (with a literal jury of the damned), is especially amusing.

On a sidenote, the film was successful in capturing the 1941 Academy Award for Best Dramatic Score.

Don't expect to see any points made that haven't already been made a thousand times in a thousand other movies, but enjoy the originality of the film technique on display.

Grade: A-

Timeless Story

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 25 August 2015]

In 1840 in New Hampshire, the unfortunate farmer Jabez Stone (James Craig) is a poor but good man that lives a simple and hard life with his beloved wife Mary Stone (Anne Shirley) and his mother "Ma" (Jane Darwell). One day of bad luck, Jabez curses and tells that he would sell his soul to the devil to have a better life; immediately after the devil appears posing of a man named Mr. Scratch (Walter Huston). He offers seven years of good fortune and money to Jabez for his soul and the farmer signs the contract. Soon Jabez improves his life and after a hailstorm, his crop are the only one not damaged. Jabez borrows money to his neighbors and soon Mary gets pregnant. When she delivers the baby Daniel, she asks her prominent friend Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) to be his godfather. Meanwhile Jabez is charmed by the gorgeous Belle (Simone Simon) and he hires her as a maid and soon she becomes his mistress. Jabez does not know that Belle was sent by Mr. Scratch and soon he becomes an evil man. After seven years, Mr. Scratch returns to collect his soul and offers an addition period for the soul of his sin. Jabez realizes that he is doomed but Daniel Webster offers to defend him in a trial. What will happen to Jabez and his family?

"The Devil & Daniel Webster", a.k.a. "All That Money Can Buy", retells the timeless German classic story of Faust, a man that sells his soul to Mephistopheles. The film has not aged after more than seventy years. The dance of Belle with her guests is eerie and seems to be the source of inspiration of the dance in "Carnival of Souls". Walter Huston and Edward Arnold have great performances in the roles of Mr. Scratch and Edward Arnold respectively. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not available on Blu-Ray or DVD

A Marvelous Film that Stands the Test of Time

[swayland7 · 10/10 · 8 October 2004]

William Dieterle's adaptation of Stephen Vincent Benet's The Devil and Daniel Webster is the product of a great, albeit brief, era of quality Hollywood film-making that has never been repeated. Released within a three-year period that yielded such classics as The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Gunga Din, The Maltese Falcon, and Citizen Kane (just to name a few), The Devil and Daniel Webster is only now earning the accolades it deserves. The film is late to join the aforementioned classics because a definitive version of it has been elusive for nearly sixty years. For their 2003 DVD release of the title, The Criterion Collection finally discovered a complete print that had been in the director's possession. Now restored to its full length, and painstakingly restored, The Devil and Daniel Webster has never looked and sounded better.

A cautionary tale of greed and power, the narrative centers around the character of Jabez Stone (played by James Craig), a down-on-his-luck farmer who is barely able to support his family in 1840s New Hampshire. When the nefarious Mr. Scratch (Walter Houston) appears during a moment of weakness, Jabez agrees to sell his soul in exchange for seven years of good luck. Much to the dismay of his wife (Ann Shirley), mother (Jane Darwell), and beloved politician Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold), Jabez slips into a downward spiral as a result of his newfound wealth and power. When his seven years are up, Jabez learns the error of his ways and wants to make amends. To escape his contract with the devil, Jabez puts his fate in the hands of the almost mythic Daniel Webster, who represents him in a climactic barn room trial against Mr. Scratch and a jury of the damned.

The execution of this story is remarkable, from the elegant direction and incredible performances to the innovative camera work and stylish mise-en-scene. Dieterle infuses the film with stark contrast lighting and masterful compositions rich in detail and multiple layers of action. When Mr. Scratch appears in Jabez's barn, he is heavily backlit and accompanied by ethereal sounds. His accomplice, the creepy Belle, is similarly introduced beside a fireplace. To portray the film's more ghostly effects, including Belle's dance to the death with Miser Stevens and the barn room trial, Dieterle relies on multiple exposure and diffused lighting. These visual effects and others, such as items bursting into flame, were ahead of their time - as were the lighting schemes. Influenced as Citizen Kane was by German expressionist films, The Devil and Daniel Webster features bold, suggestive lighting where shadows alone often represent a character. Dieterle succeeds in creating a visual distinction between the real world and the netherworld by frequently bathing Scratch and Belle in soft light or diffusion and removing all natural sounds from the soundtrack when they appear. Belle's dance of death and Scratch's fiddle playing at Jabez's party are accompanied by severe under lighting, insinuating the hellish forces at work in both scenes. Every shot in the film, even in the mundane world, seems painstakingly planned and executed, with decisive lighting and many intricate camera movements, rare for this era of film-making.

The most remarkable performance in the film is Walter Houston's Mr. Scratch.

Houston, an Oscar-winner for his role in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, exudes unbridled glee with every devilish grin. His devil is a gentleman-like puppet master, a smooth talker, and very persuasive. He never flaunts his evil powers. He doesn't have to. His appeal is understandable because he can offer what everyone in the movie wants - wealth and power. It's easy for the Devil to sell his wares to struggling farmers, so he's confident and playful in his duties. Houston throws away one-liner after one-liner, owning the screen and stealing the show. At one point, he offers to help Daniel Webster win the presidential election. Webster replies, "I'd rather see you on the side of the opposition." As Webster walks away, Houston replies, "Oh, I'll be there, too," and sticks a cigar in his mouth.

To combat the devil, Dieterle cast Edward Arnold (who was actually recast when the original actor was injured during filming). Arnold had a tough job in the film, making believable not only Daniel Webster's mythic stature, but also his flowery rhetoric about patriotism and the goodness in all men. He admirably succeeds in not only persuading the jury of the damned, but in holding his own against Walter Houston in their many scenes together.

Everyone else in the cast is also excellent. James Craig pulls off Jabez Stone's fall from grace, and Ann Shirley is a believable virtuous wife. Jane Darwell, fresh off her Oscar-winning stint as Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, seems to be playing the same character in The Devil and Daniel Webster, but it serves the movie well. The most notable supporting player is Simone Simon, whose mesmerizing Belle haunts every frame in which she appears. It's easy to see why Jabez would fall under her spell, because we, as an audience, do as well.

The icing on the Devil's cake is Bernard Herrmann's Oscar-winning score, a dynamic one that works on many levels. Herrmann incorporates several traditional folk songs into his original music, including "Devil's Dream", "Springfield Mountain", and "Miss McLeod's Reel". For Mr. Scratch and Belle, Herrmann manipulated the sound of telephone wires "singing" in the wind to create an eerie, atonal sound for the netherworld. The film also provided Herrmann a wealth of other opportunities, including a square dance and two lullabies.

A good story makes a movie worth watching once. Exquisite aesthetics makes it worth watching many times. The Devil and Daniel Webster stands the test of time as an endearing narrative with lessons we have still to learn. It's masterful direction and style, fluid editing, and charming performances make it an accessible and entertaining film for any audience. Now restored and widely available, it is sure to join the ranks of those other great classics from the late '30s and early '40s - a scintillating example of good storytelling and fine craftsmanship.

• Scott Schirmer

My favorite movie

[axsmashcrushallthree · 10/10 · 3 August 2003]

Why would someone who has thoroughly enjoyed movies such as "Judge Dredd" and "Wild at Heart" consider this to be "my favorite movie"?

One word - "fantasy". It's my favorite movie category, and this is the best one that I've ever seen. The 1940s was the decade in which horror melodramas and fantasies really began to ramp up, and this movie helped to set the standard. Stephen Vincent Benet's story is a bit changed, but not enough to diminish this American Gothic tale.

Aside from being superior entertainment, the movie simply has no weaknesses. Where to start? The casting and acting are extraordinary. Though both are most often remembered for other movies, Edward Arnold and Walter Huston turn in their best performances here. Simone Simon (known today for the "Cat People" movies) is exceptional as Belle. Anne Shirley, James Craig, and the stellar supporting cast are also great.

This is Bernard Herrmann's best film score. William Dieterle's direction is quirky and involving, propelling the film along at a fast clip. Admittably, the characters are caricatures, but Dieterle helps us to feel their trials and tribulations. The movie also features brilliant cinematography, exceptional production values, and truly superior editing (this was an early job for director Robert Wise). The scenes are quite stagey, but never disjointed - the logic of the story is unmistakable and riveting.

Huston is the ultimate "Mr. Scratch". I've seen this show many times, and it's a 10/10.

Great Film, Craig Deserves Credit!

[eddyskiva · 19 August 2004]

One of the best films of the 1940's. All the praise about Huston, Arnold, Herrmann's score, etc... is richly deserved... but I'd like to finally get it out there... that the STAR of the movie... the character that this film is about... is Jabez Stone... played by James Craig. He is a long forgotten actor now, but his performance is the center of the film. Why Huston and Arnold were and are still claimed as the main stars... is really beyond me....they are clearly there as Supporting Actors to the Main Character... Jabez. Had a 'major' actor in 1941 been cast.. .a Gary Cooper or Henry Fonda... they would have had top billing, and possibly nominated for the Oscar. Craig does an incredible job with this... parts of his performance toward the later half of the film.... are similar to the (still to come) work of James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life.... when both characters are desperate, caught in a nightmarish web... running from the house looking for 'Mary'. Huston deserved his nomination, but it is without a doubt a supporting role, as is Arnold's. Jabez Stone is the central character, and Craig's multi-faceted performance should have been Oscar nommed... I love the moment when, having heard his wife is pregnant... he stares out the window hypnotically, and says almost to himself... "a son, an heir, money"... a marvelous glimpse of the corruption building within... a marvelous underrated performance.

Devil makes farmer Stone an offer in exchange for his soul with surprising consequences and Daniel Webster defend him

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 19 November 2008]

It's a story they tell in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire. It happened, so they say, a long time ago. But it could happen anytime-anywhere-to anybody....Yes, it could even happen to you. An ironic devil(Walter Huston) has written in his notebook : Jabez Stone(James Craig), Cross Corners, New Hampshire, age 27, married(Anne Shirley) 2 years, children none, credit none. Once again the Devil finds a taker. Then the young farmer Stone sells his soul to the Devil. Meanwhile, the President candidate Daniel Webster(Edward Arnold)is writing his speech: 'I would say to everyman who follows his own plough and to every mechanic, artisan, and laborer in every city in the country, I would say to every man , everywhere, who wishes by honest means to gain an honest living; Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing!. Meantime on the newspaper is published : Daniel Webster plead for farm rights in bankruptcy bill, delivered in the Senate of the United States on the proposed amendment to the bill establishing an uniform system of bankruptcy. Stone happily married and living with his mother(Jane Darnwell) is a nice but hopeless farmer who will do anything to improve his poorness in the life.Stone involuntarily sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for money but is saved from a journey to inferno when Daniel Webster defend him.

This classic fantasy based upon the legend of Faust is adapted from the story by Stephen Vincent Benet. The movie is very persuasively made , usually rise to a crescendo of emotion.Entertaining fantasy is visually striking with Walter Huston in a rare and successful comic role as sympathetic Devil. Film contains marvelous performances by main cast and secondaries actors such as Gene Lockhart, John Qualen,HB Warner,Jane Darnwell Simone Simon as a witch ad Jeff Corey appears uncredited.This cult fantasy drama is a sometimes uneven, but throughly funny and amusing recounting of the Faustian tale.

This delicate fantasy about a farmer who gradually realizes that has been deceived by the Devil has very evocative black-and white cinematography by Joseph August, Dieterle's usual and he photographed 'Portrait of Jennie'.The film won Oscars 1941 for original dramatic score by Bernard Herrmann. The motion picture is well directed by William Dieterle as a classic example of drama/comedy/fantasy of the 40s. Dieterle is a German director who was in Hollywood by 1930s and directing dramas(Scarlet down,Fog over Frisco,Fashions), costumer(Hunchback of Notre Dame,Kismet,Omar Khayyan) and biopics experts(Life of Emile Zola,Dr Ehrlich, Juarez, Madame Curie,Reuter) that were a revelation at the box-office.

One of RKOs best

[kekouri · 10/10 · 26 May 2003]

Shows as a somewhat 'dark' film. Acting is great, espically the Devil (John Huston) and Webster (Ed Arnold). It's hard to believe someone might even like a devil, but Huston does seem to make his character somewhat 'human and likeable'...except in certain scenes. Farm family (IMO) is very realistic in time frame of film, except the devil deal making. Music (Bernard Herrmann-later most Hitchcock films) is excellent. Camera work excellent as well. It may be hard to find a good copy, running at 106 minutes. If the DVD (Criterion-Janus) gets released, some scenes cut, from previous 35 mm material was found on 16 mm prints. Criterion replaced these scenes, and quality (both audio and video) of the 16mm replaced scenes are easy to spot- sound is poor, video is grainy. But these problems do not hurt the story, and the movie is still tops.

Morality Tale

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 16 May 2009]

RKO was one of the minor Hollywood studios but it produced some inimitable gems -- Fred and Ginger, "Citizen Kane," the Val Lewton studies in horror, et al -- before it was bought by Howard Hughes and finally sank when faced with competition from television, a menace to all the old studios.

This one is pretty good. What a cast and crew, so many seasoned and reliable professionals. The two leads, James Craig as New Hampshire farmer Jabez Stone, and Anne Shirley as his supportive wife, aren't well known, but the cast also included some superb character actors, including John Qualen and Jane Darwell (both from "The Grapes of Wrath"). And behind the camera, such familiar names as Darrel Silvera, Bernard Hermann, and the splendid cinematographer Joe August who does miracles with black and white in this movie.

Stephen Vincent Benet borrowed the story from Faust. Craig is a poor farmer subject to a run of bad luck in the 1840s. The devil, Walter Huston, who is called "Scratch," offers to sell him seven years of unlimited prosperity in return for his soul and the angry and resentful Craig accepts.

Suddenly he has gold coins coming out the wazoo. He tells everyone that he's discovered a horde of lost Hessian treasure under his floorboards. He's happy as a clam, generous to his friends and family.

As the years pass, with the prompting of Huston, Craig becomes meaner, obsessed with pelf and pleasures of the flesh. He loses his devoted maid and adopts the succulent Simone Simon as, umm, as a nurse for his child and a general housekeeper who satisfies all his needs at the expense of his wife's status. Simon was the spellbound Irena in RKO's "The Cat People." If he first lent money to his hard-scrabble neighbors without interest, he now turns into a loan shark. His fields prosper while his friends' are reduced to stumps by hail. He builds a huge house and turns the farming over to others in order for him to organize fox hunts and dances.

Well -- one dance anyway, in his brand new mansion. Nobody comes except for some ghosts summoned by Simon Simone and the local loan shark, Miser Stevens, who reveals that he too sold his soul to the devil. Stevens' time happens to be up and he drops dead during a danse macabre. The ball has all the gaiety of the waltzes of the ghouls in "Carnival of Souls." When Craig's day of reckoning comes, he realizes that, though he gaineth the world, he loseth his soul and what doth is profiteth him? Scared to death, he calls on old friend and fellow farmer Daniel Webster, Edward Arnold, to contest the contract. Despite Scratch's having rigged the jury, Webster gets his client off and the contract is void. The big house is accidentally burned down, but what the hell.

Benet was a Pennsylvanian born into and educated by the military and by Yale. His poem about John Brown is harrowing. There were plenty of Civil War veterans still around in his youth and he must have identified with the Yankees because, in this fantasy, the poor New England farmer, after he becomes malignant, adopts the life style and accouterments of the pre-war Southern aristocratic planters. The big house looks like it just stepped out of "Gone With the Wind." Craig's huge farm bears a family resemblance to a plantation in Georgia. And Edward Arnold, as Webster, keeps harping on the union.

At that, if I were in the jury, I'm not sure I'd dismiss the case so readily. Arnold points out to this jury of thieves, cutthroats, and traitors, that, unlike them, poor Craig discovered his error in time. Yes, but what time? A few hours before the bill comes due. I'd settle for seven fat years if I could wiggle out of the contract at the last minute, wouldn't you? And don't say you wouldn't. If you didn't WANT the money you could give it all to Doctors Without Borders.

Some of the performances are sterling. Edward Arnold, whose forte was a crooked blow hard, does quite well as the perceptive, humane, and unpretentious Daniel Webster. And Walter Huston as Scratch is outrageously evil and funny. James Craig, in the role of pawn, looks the part but sounds actorish throughout. Anne Shirley, on the other hand, has the kind of sugary face and voice that fits the role well. Plus she looks as fresh faced and virginal as Olivia De Havilland. It would be a sin to think of her legs.

Overall, a nice piece of work. Not exactly gripping, but interesting and thoroughly watchable.

a gem of a film

[naylands · 10/10 · 19 October 2000]

This film is one of the finest fansties that were turned out by the Hollywood system in the 1940's. The greatest of the film laids in the two performances of Edward Arnold-as Daniel Webster-and Walter Huston as the Devil. Arnold's Webster is a great,but, flawed man, who is willing to put his very soul on the line, to help a fellow American . Huston's is the model for every conman in history. He always waits until his target is at his or hers weaks moment and he strikes. The music, by the master Bernard Herrmman, is wonderful.

The very ending, not the trial section, is frighten me as a kid and still is eerie.

American Gothic

[telegonus · 7/10 · 17 August 2002]

William Dieterle directed this handsome, ambitious adaptation of Stephen Vincent Benet's The Devil and Daniel Wesbter in 1941. An Americanized (and Yankee-fied) varation on Faust, set in rural New Hampshire, it has many charms, not the least of which its cast, which includes Walter Huston, as a playful Mr. Scratch, Edward Arnold as Daniel Webster, and in strong support, Jane Darwell, Simone Simon and John Qualen. James Craig plays the main character, Jabez Stone, the man who sells his soul to the Devil, and is barely adequate.

This is a meticulously detailed production, deliberately artificial, yet evocative of the real nineteenth century New England, it also looks like the fantasy it is. Joseph August's camerawork is outstanding, as is Bernard Herrmann's folk-inspired score, alternately reassuring, eerie and stirring. On a purely technical level the movie is flawless.

My only problem with the picture, and it's a big one, is that it's lifeless. This is no fault of the actors. It's just that once one gets past the gorgeous sets, music and photography, everyone behaves, well, as he should. No harm in this from a fairy tale standpoint, but it gets tiresome after a while to have farmers continually behaving like the "good New Hampshiremen" they are; and with Widow This and Miser That doing his thing, everything seems out of stock, as in stock company. Even the woman who seduces poor Jabez must be foreign (American girls don't act like that, eh?). I suppose it's cruel to criticize a film like this from a realistic standpoint. It's not supposed to be realistic. If this were a feature length Disney cartoon along the lines of Snow White, or simply a children's movie, I might find it more enchanting, but the talent behind the cameras was sophisticated, European, quite intelligent, and not shy about it. If, on the one hand the story was nudging us toward the larger than life, the mythopoetic, on the other hand what is on the screen is a reasonable simulacrum of human behavior, presumably aimed at an adult audience, featuring characters with precious little individuality. This was a major aesthetic hurdle the movie did not, alas, get over.

As an historical addendum it's worth noting that The Devil and Daniel Webster is one of several movies made in the period of roughly 1940-41 that dealt with east coast America in a manner at once critical, romantic and wistful. New England is not often dealt with in films, yet from the same year there was H.M. Pulham, Esq.; and the previous year saw the movie of Our Town. Philadelphia Story is another from the same period. Citizen Kane, filmed on the same backlot as Daniel Webster, covered the tri-state waterfront, journeying from New York to Philadelphia to Atlantic City. It's as if Hollywood, traditionally geared more to heartland tastes, suddenly cozied up to the northeastern seaboard, which it normally, aside from New York, didn't depict much in films, tossing out bouquet after bouquet, as if to compensate for having snubbed this part of the country, movie-wise, for so many years.

Possibly the Most Patriotic U.S. Film Ever Made

[Local Hero · 10/10 · 4 July 2001]

"Daniel and the Devil" ("The Devil and Daniel Webster"; "All That Money Can Buy") is a great film in many respects, with a fable-like moral that is certainly timeless and universal. And yet, it is also a distinctly, profoundly American film, capturing with rare directness something of the true founding spirit of the United States. To this effect, it is a deeply patriotic movie-- not in the sense of the blind jingoism or arrogant self-aggrandizement so often seen in Hollywood films, but in the sense of a film that understands patriotism as a constant need for vigilance, an ethical and political struggle that began with the Revolutionary War and that continues up to the present day. At its crux, "Daniel and the Devil" argues that the greatest enemies of civil liberty are institutionalized avarice and economic oppression, an age-old, common-sense message that has become alarmingly rare, especially today, in 2001, when Ol' Scratch himself can just about be spotted strolling around the Oval Office.

I don't know...this one didn't bowl me over...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 9 February 2010]

I know that this film has a wonderful reputation and the other reviews are all very favorable, but somehow I couldn't get very excited about this film. Perhaps I felt the material was just too familiar, perhaps the movie just opened up the trauma I experienced when I was forced to read "Faust" while in college (this was 25 years ago and I STILL cringe at the thought of reading all 25,000 lines of Goethe's rambling tale). All I know is that I wasn't caught up in the story and to me, with a few exceptions, seemed rather unremarkable. Here are the exceptions. First, there were some very nice performances--Walter Huston was very good as was Edward Arnold. Second, the film had very nice cinematography and just looked lovely--with a nice mythical quality about it. On the down side, the main character seemed like an idiot and I didn't care that the Devil was going to get his soul. The film did nothing to create sympathy for the jerk. In addition, the film really went on too long and the wonderful courtroom scene was way, way too short. Overall, an interesting time-passer but it hardly seemed like a classic to me.

The plot could have come from a 19th-century Bible Society publication

[steiner-sam · 5/10 · 18 January 2023]

It's a didactic morality story set in New England from 1840 to 1847. It follows the experiences of a poor farmer who sells his soul to the devil for seven years of good luck.

Jabez Stone (James Craig) and his wife, Mary (Anne Shirley), are poor New Hampshire farmers. Jabez's devout mother (Jane Darwell) lives with them. They are great admirers of Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold), a prominent Whig politician, lawyer, and orator. Jabez especially seems to have bad luck and finally makes a deal to give his soul to the devil for seven years of good luck. The devil, who calls himself Mr. Scratch (Walter Huston), is sly and smooth-talking and entices Jabez with a sack full of gold.

Jabez settles all his debts but then becomes greedy and takes advantage of other local farmers and, by 1847, is one of the wealthiest men in the country. He is also distracted by Belle (Simone Simon), an attractive woman inserted into his household by Mr. Scratch. He then, with the help of Daniel Webster, needs to bargain with Mr. Scratch about the enforcement of their contract.

The story is heavy-handed in its obvious moral points and brings in some American exceptionalism. Walter Huston has the best role and is the best actor in the movie. Everyone else is stereotyped. The plot could have come from a 19th-century Bible Society publication.

Great script, great acting, great effects, it is funny, creepy and sexy.

[Morethings · 9 January 2000]

What a sweet piece of work. Really good dialogue, and many well written and acted parts besides the obvious titular characters. Miser Stevens and Stone's mother were very good, and especially Simone Simon as the nursemaid/mistress. Three emotional qualities really stand out to me:

Funny: Huston as ol' Mr. Scratch was SO good. Very funny, cynical wit. Lots of little things that stand out from him, all the odd places he turns up. He's everywhere, leading the band at the parade for Dan'l, in Washington whispering in the senator's ear, playing a mean fiddle at the barn dance. His insults to Jabez Stone were priceless. The bit at the end of him ravenously devouring this huge pie was a really funny demonstration of his greed, and the final moments of examining his book for the next target are priceless.

Creepy: Between all the funny stuff were the implications of hell and damnation, but especially terror and hopelessness (Stone and Miser Stevens). The visitors at Stone's new mansion really creeped me out good. Also creepy was the infamous scene where Miser Stevens recently harvested soul comes flying out of Scratch's jacket pocket screaming for help. This also counts as funny, at least when my five year old nephew and I go around effecting high-pitched squeals begging "Help me Neighbor Stone."

Sexy: Belle, the French nanny/whore that Scratch sent Jabez was hotter with her clothes on and no direct sexual behavior than the hookers making out in the elevator to entertain Al Pacino in "The Devil's Advocate." Note the exact tone and body language of her mocking rebuff to Stone at the barn dance saying "Oh, NO Mr. Stone- your place is with your WIFE."

The hottest thing in the movie (and one of the creepiest things) is the scene where she is singing some evil otherworldly lullaby to Stone's infant son. Rewind and watch it closely a couple of times. What was she singing?

Surely this is one of the greatest forgotten movies of the era. This should be making some of those AFI top 100 list thingeys.

"Don't Let This Country Go To The Devil"

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 28 June 2007]

Although he was a last minute replacement for Thomas Mitchell who broke a leg during early shooting, Edward Arnold proved to be the quintessential Daniel Webster. He went toe to toe with Walter Huston as old Mr. Scratch and it seems a shame that Huston was singled out for an Oscar nomination and Arnold wasn't.

Huston made one colorful little devil with that porkpie hat and perpetual malicious grin on his face. He was nominated for Best Actor in 1941, but lost to Gary Cooper for Sergeant York. As if not to tempt providence by awarding a performance of Satan as America was about to face Hitler

I well remember in high school English class reading this Stephen Vincent Benet classic. It's so popular that it fixed our popular image of Daniel Webster in the 20th Century and in this one.

The real Webster did indeed spring from the yeoman Yankee farmers of New Hampshire. But by 1847 when this story allegedly takes place, he'd moved to Boston, Massachusetts where he was a spokesman for New England shipping and commercial interests. He was a strong believer in the high tariff and the sanctity of a contract. It would have gone against his nature to argue his way out of one, even out of one for a man's soul with the devil.

But he was a great attorney and his greatest fame in history is as an attorney on constitutional issues before the Supreme Court. During the famous Dartmouth College Case he did kind of use some of the same histrionic flair you see here, when he tearfully argued for that small college Dartmouth, but that there are those who love her.

In this Yankee retelling of the Faust story, hard luck farmer Jabez Stone, played by James Craig sells his soul to the devil for some prosperity. He finds some old buried treasure, but the money therein brings him no happiness. He goes to the best advocate he knows, American statesmen Daniel Webster to get him out of the deal.

Though Huston lost for Best Actor, The Devil and Daniel Webster was up for another award and Bernard Herrmann's score brought the film it's only Oscar. Herrmann's recreation of American 19th century folk music was nothing short of inspired. You'll not forget it once you've heard it.

And check out Walter Huston's last few minutes on the screen. The end is about three minutes without dialog, but absolutely priceless.

One of Hollywood's Black Swans -- a lost masterpiece

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 9 November 2013]

Hollywood at its peak had a love/hate relationship with the so-called "fantasy" genre. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn't. Thankfully this did not stop the studios from continuing to try. Looking at films like this, one is tempted to borrow the nomenclature of the modern economists who, when forced to admit that they have no idea why a particular thing happened, will simply call it a "Black Swan" event. This film therefore if one of RKO's Black Swans, a film with modest ambitions that, from the very first scene to the very last, draws in the viewer and takes him on a wild ride. Other reviewers here have talked about plot, and that is covered. Most readers I suspect would be familiar with either the original Daniel Webster tale or Faust itself. Or at least should be. The acting is stellar, especially Huston who, in his own way, delivers a screen presence here as memorable as a Welles or a James Earl Jones. His portrayal of Old Scratch, his body language, is a sight to behold. The real credit here goes to William Dieterle, who clearly had a "vision" of how this film should look and feel before even the first reel was in the camera. It is an astonishing experience, almost the mid-point between a dream and a stage-play. Hollywood produced maybe 10 fantasies of this calibre in this period (including Death Takes a Holiday and Here Comes Mr. Jordan). They all deserve to be seen, and remembered.

Uneven but with some wonderful spots

[funkyfry · 6/10 · 24 May 2010]

A severely down-on-his-luck New England farmer (Lindy Wade) strikes a deal with "Scratch" (Walter Huston as the devil) to bring himself 8 years of good fortune and finds himself without conscience and ultimately almost without wife as he slides down that proverbial "slippery slope." Luckily he has earlier on earned the good-will of a plutocratic lawyer/politician named Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) who is willing to argue before the most diabolical American court ever assembled to save Daniel Stone's soul.

Overall it's a mildly pleasing and mildly disturbing film, too worried about its faux-provincialism to truly become interesting or to really present a morally complex story. While Walter Huston is delightful as the manipulative Scratch, with a very physical performance, his work isn't really matched by Arnold and the work from Wade and the actress playing his wife (Anne Shirley) is so poor that it undermines the film. Not only are their performances hollow, without any real emotional urgency or immediacy, but the roles are poorly written so that you doubt any actor could have done much with it. The wife character is looks and talks like she stepped out of a D.W. Griffith movie from 1912 moreso than some rural 19th Century atmosphere. As if to correct or compensate for the weird rigidity of the wife they've given Stone a mother who is so broadly written and performed that she barely seems feminine by any definition. These are some terrible duo, no doubt, and if written in a more sarcastic way I would imagine they would suffice to explain Danny Stone's flight from the paths of the righteous.

Although Simone Simon is creepily beautiful we still cannot understand his total abandonment of his wife and all decent behavior. Apparently it's a heck of a lot of fun to ride in a sleigh with Simone Simon. I don't want to be too hard on the movie -- there's a lot of fun thanks mostly to Simon and Huston. But the movie's moral dichotomy is so rigid, the line between good and evil so definite, that I literally felt it had nothing to do with the real world. And sadly, even with such a rigid separation between bad and good behavior the writers weren't able to give Daniel Webster a final speech that would really absolve Danny Stone of his guilt or that would make us believe he had convinced a jury of traitors that Stone should go free just because they might empathize with his desire for a second chance at life. Simply put, we could understand Stone's desire for a second chance if his original mistakes and evil deeds made any sense in and of themselves.

Wish I could have enjoyed it more -- there are many interesting expressionist scenes and some real intimation of the uncanny. Unfortunately all of this is attached to a story that is self-congratulatory and patriotic in a showy way. A few more real dark edges, with everything not being so clearly explained, would have made for a more powerful film.

Wow. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

[artzau · 9/10 · 11 November 2005]

Stephan St. Vincent Benet's play was taken to the screen in an unbelievable display of talent. Back at the time when studios kept a "stable" of character actors to support their "stars," we have seen these faces again and again over time. This film in way departs from that and I, for one, miss that re-encounter with these familiar faces terribly. This film, which I had not seen before and had only read about, is a classic. The wonderful, mobile and impish face of Walter Huston, father of John and grandfather of Anjelica, welcomes into the drama where we soon meet Jane Darwell, Jeff Corey, H.B. Warner, Gene Lockhart, John Qualen and a host of others whose faces we can see splashed over these old studio films. I was surprised to get glimpses of Thomas Mitchell instead of Edward Arnold but find out at this site that Mitchell was replaced by Arnold. It was the replacement of a fine character actor by another and there was no lowering of the standard, as Arnold's dark Austrian presence lends itself wonderfully to the character of Daniel Webster.

The tale, a Faustian legend wherein the hero redeems his soul, is a classic and is not overdone by the studio's relatively unknown James Craig. The female interests of Ann Shirley, another relatively unknown, is augmented by sexy character actress Simone Simon, who magically appears as the temptress, striving to lead the naive Jabez "over the hill." The trial scene, brief and ending with Arnold's fine soliloquy, is a pleasure to watch, in conjunction with Husont's wonderful facial gymnastics.

Alas, they just don't make'em like that anymore.

Homespun Faust legend has an artificial quality...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 23 February 2009]

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER is a picturesque morality tale about a man, a simple farmer (JAMES CRAIG), who finds out the hard way that all the money in the world can't buy happiness. But first, he has to lose all the things most important to him. Fortunately, the Devil (WALTER HUSTON) allows him to have his case tried before a jury when he's unwilling to keep his end of a bargain after selling his soul to "Mr. Scratch." It's a good tale but it loses something in transition to the screen from a story by Stephen Vincent Benet. First of all, JAMES CRAIG is entirely ill at ease in a role he's clearly unsuited for as the simple man who is fortunate to have a friend in Daniel Webster (EDWARD ARNOLD) who can defend him. Arnold is fine as the great orator, filling in for Thomas Mitchell who was unable to complete the role he started.

The sets have an artificial look with painted backdrops and the whole story photographed on a sound stage--something which shouldn't be too distracting because this is a blend of fantasy and fiction. But it only draws attention to the fact that we're watching a carefully staged movie rather than the real thing.

ANNE SHIRLEY has little to do but be sweet and forthright as Craig's compliant wife, JANE DARWELL is her usual self as Ma Stone, and assorted character actors walk in and out among the proceedings competently. But WALTER HUSTON lights up the screen every time he appears as Mr. Scratch. He plays the role with just the right touch of sardonic humor and with a melodramatic flair, clearly enjoying himself as he makes a deal with farmer Craig. He's so good that Craig's blandness stands out by comparison.

Bernard Herrmann's score is definitely not one of his finest, as some of the other comments seem to suggest. There are long passages of time where there is no music at all--and then scattered bursts of music whenever something vital is happening.

A disappointment for me. I had expected too much when I heard this was going to be shown on TCM. I just read the original New York Times review and they seemed to concur with what I just wrote.

SIMONE SIMON is attractive as the Devil's handmaiden but it's the kind of role that any young ingenue could have played equally well and not as arresting as her work in the Val Lewton films.

Wealth and prosperity, at the cost of your soul...

[The_Void · 8/10 · 3 August 2006]

This sadly underseen gem is based on a story by Stephen Vincent Benet, and excellently blends themes of fantasy and horror with the classic idea of money can't buy you everything. I don't know why this film isn't more widely seen, as it's at least as good as well renowned classics from the same era such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, and a lot of the films produced by Val Lewton. Any film featuring a character representing The Devil is bound to be more than a little camp, but director William Dieterle compliments this nicely with a distinct streak of humour running through the film, and this combined with a devilish performance from Walter Huston means that the film is a lot of fun to watch, and makes it's audience think at the same time. The story centres on Jabez Stone; a young farmer living with his God-fearing mother and strangely unambitious wife. He's also a man that is continually plagued by bad luck. His luck changes one day in the barn when he runs into Mr Scratch; a man that seduces him with gold and offers him the chance to become the richest man in America...at the cost of his soul. Thus begins a battle between Satan himself, and the saviour of the people; lawyer Daniel Webster.

The Devil and Daniel Webster benefits from a good, strong cast that put across the story in the most professional way possible. Walter Huston is superb, and he receives good feedback from Edward Arnold in the title role, Anne Shirley as the wife and Cat People's Simone Simon, who is intriguing as the 'nanny'. You might think that lead actor James Craig would be 'up to his neck in it' with so much talent available to take the focus away from him, but on the contrary; Craig more than holds his own against all of the supporting players, and this film certainly doesn't have any problems where acting is concerned. The story flows very well throughout; director William Dieterle does an excellent job of ensuring that the characters are always the principle element, which ensures that the film is always interesting. The moral lessons are well complimented by themes of what it is 'to be an American', and while I'm not American myself, the two bode well with one another. The ending is a classic example of memorable scene setting, as The Devil brings his jury in and the legal battle for the farmer's soul begins. Overall, this is an absolutely superb film and one that must become more seen. If you get the chance to see this; make sure you don't pass it up!

Another Faust variation

[frankde-jong · 6/10 · 31 October 2020]

Central in this film is the Faust theme, in which the main character sells his soul to the devil. Sometimes the compensation is knowledge (Goethe), sometimes it is youth (1926, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau) and in this film it is wealth.

After the deal the capital of the main character rises, but his personality becomes worse. In the past he had to pay very high interest rates on his loans and now he becomes an usurer himself. His personality is negatively affected by the femme fatale for whom he had left his wife. This femme fatale is played by Simone Simon who played similar roles in "La bête humaine" (1938, Jean Renoir) and "Cat people" (1942, Jacques Tourneur). The negative influence of the femme fatale reminded me of "Sunrise" (1927, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau). In "Sunrise" the opposition between the "pure" countryside and the "sinful" city is very explicit. In "All that money can buy" it is more implicit, but there is little doubt that the living on a small farm is represented as simple, honest and just.

The weak spot of the film is the happy end. Just as in "Red river" (1948, Howard Hawks) it is very artificial and forced (although in "Red river" the part of the film before the weak ending is better). My appreciation of the ending may however be negatively influenced by a lack of knowledge about American history. Some of the characters in the ending are historical figures. Daniel Webster (1782 - 1852) (beside "All that money can buy" an alternative title of this film is "The devil and Daniel Webster") was an American politician. John Hawthorne (1641 - 1717) was a judge involved in the Salem witch trials.

Some thoughts on a particularly American film, directed by an immigrant

[Doug-193 · 10/10 · 22 September 1998]

I recently purchased a "restored" version of ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY,-an independent production that suffered multiple disfiguring cuts almost immediately upon release,-on Laserdisc with the previously excised material apparently from inferior sources: grainy, contrasty, degraded audio. However, it is a joy to see. This is quintessential Americana with near-perfect casting and production credits, wonderfully directed by Dieterle (whose career began in Europe: as an actor, Dieterle appeared in F. W. Murnau's silent, FAUST), and containing one great screen performance: Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch, his second best performance, in my opinion (His best work is in TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, directed by his son John. And a close third is his performance in DODSWORTH.) Edward Arnold is also memorably intelligent, and the part of the presiding judge for the jury of the "damned" is played with harrowing pathos by the great H.B. Warner.

But it is the music that really makes the film; I cannot recall a single image without its attendant scoring. Possibly Bernard Herrmann's finest film score.

Daniel Webster's speech to the jury, as delivered by Edward Arnold, is one of the great moments in American cinema

[richard-1787 · 7/10 · 1 May 2020]

Most of this movie is uninteresting filler. It was adapted from Benét's one-act play, which in turn had been adapted from Benét's short story, which may explain why most of the movie seems drawn out, despite the first-rate actors (Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, Jane Darwell).

Once we get to the trial, at the end, everything gets much better very quickly. From there almost to the end of the movie the attention is focused on Huston and Arnold, and they carry it off magnificently.

The high point, without any question, is Arnold's delivery of Daniel Webster's speech to the jury. The content by itself is magnificent. Filmed in 1941, just before Pearl Harbor, it expresses everything that is - was? - good about the United States, as we had to ask ourselves what we would be fighting for in the months and years to come. But every bit as good as the content is Arnold's masterful delivery of it. Every line is "staged", and the whole thing builds to a crescendo of rhetorical brilliance such as one might have expected from one of our nation's great orators. If I were to judge this movie on that speech alone, there wouldn't be enough stars in the heavens to do justice to it.

The first part of this movie is sometimes slow going. You can go make popcorn, or finish the dinner dishes, or whatever and not really miss anything. But sit riveted to your set for the end. It will make you feel good about being human, and about being American.

Should have been better

[AAdaSC · 4/10 · 18 May 2011]

Jabez (James Craig) makes a deal with the devil who takes the form of Mr Scratch (Walter Huston). Jabez will have success and wealth for 7 years in return for his soul. After 7 years has passed, Mr Scratch offers another deal - Jabez can save himself if he sacrifices his young son. Well........Jabez doesn't like this deal and Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) steps up to the plate on his behalf and goes head to head with the devil.

The story sounds good but it is mostly boring. Nothing happens for an hour. Things only get interesting with the introduction of Belle (Simone Simon). There are only a few good scenes and nearly all of these involve Belle - from the moment we first see her sitting in front of the fireplace where we just know that she is a wicked abomination conjured up by the devil, to the moment at the party where she fills the room with guests that aren't really there, to her end appearance as she rides away to somewhere over the mountains. She has an unworldly aura and her world is the world of the dead. She is all that is good about the film.

James Craig is unconvincing and impossible to care about in the lead role. Most of the rest of the cast are also uninspiring. Especially annoying is the boy Lindy Wade. I would definitely have sacrificed the brat in order to have 7 more years of success and wealth.

Whilst the story has a good idea, the ending is pretty crass with a court case between Daniel Webster and the Devil. It's a chance to spout crap about living a good life and it will either make you puke or completely bore you. A more effective ending would have seen Jabez let off at the expense of the brat whose life is taken by the devil. Despite a final cheeky frame with Walter Huston, this film could have been much better.