The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)
"All That Money Can Buy" (original title)

A 19th Century New Hampshire farmer who makes a compact with the Devil for economic success enlists Daniel Webster to extract him from his contract.

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Stephen Vincent Benet (story), Dan Totheroh (screenplay),

Stars:

Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, Jane Darwell

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edward Arnold	...	Daniel Webster
Walter Huston	...	Mr. Scratch
Jane Darwell	...	Ma Stone
Simone Simon	...	Belle
Gene Lockhart	...	Squire Slossum
John Qualen	...	Miser Stevens
H.B. Warner	...	Justice John Hathorne
Frank Conlan	...	Sheriff
Lindy Wade	...	Daniel Stone
George Cleveland	...	Cy Bibber
Anne Shirley	...	Mary Stone
James Craig	...	Jabez Stone

Storyline

A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. When Mr. Scratch comes to collect, orator and hero of the common man Daniel Webster comes to the rescue. Based on the short story by Stephen Vincent Benet. Also known as "All That Money Can Buy."

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Plot Keywords:

farmer | devil | 19th century | deal with the devil | orator | 

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Taglines:

STEPHEN VINCENT BENET'S Amazing Saturday Evening Post Story

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Certain Mr. Scratch

Company Credits

Production Co:

William Dieterle Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min 85 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Thomas Mitchell was originally cast as Daniel Webster. While filming a carriage ride scene with young actor Lindy Wade, Mitchell lost control of the horses and was thrown from the carriage. He suffered a fractured skull and was in the hospital for 17 weeks, but made a full recovery. Director William Dieterle recast Edward Arnold in the role with one day's notice. All of Mitchell's scenes as Daniel Webster had to then be re-shot with Arnold.

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Goofs

The young boy who climbs onto Daniel Webster's carriage to see if Webster has horns and a tail tells Webster that his name is Martin Van Buren Aldrich, son of the only Democrat in town. Obviously, he is supposed to have been named after President Martin Van Buren, a Democrat. However, the chronology of this doesn't add up. This scene takes place in 1840, which was Van Buren's last full year in office in his single four-year term as President (1837-1841). The child is clearly about 12 or so (actor Sonny Bupp, who played the role, was 13 at the time of filming). It is almost inconceivable in these circumstances that a man in New Hampshire would have named his son after Martin Van Buren since, at the approximate time of the boy's birth in the late 1820s, Van Buren was a successful but still relatively obscure politician who would have been little known and of no particular consequence to anyone living outside his home state of New York.

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Quotes

Daniel Webster: [about Jabez] Well, he sure made himself the big frog in the little pond around here.

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Connections

Referenced in Damn Yankees! (1958)

User Reviews

a gem of a film

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.