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The Devil and Daniel Webster
(1941)
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Title: The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Edward Arnold | ... | ||
| Walter Huston | ... | ||
| Jane Darwell | ... |
Ma Stone
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| Simone Simon | ... |
Belle
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| Gene Lockhart | ... | ||
| John Qualen | ... |
Miser Stevens
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| H.B. Warner | ... | ||
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Frank Conlan | ... |
Sheriff
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Lindy Wade | ... |
Daniel Stone
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George Cleveland | ... |
Cy Bibber
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| Anne Shirley | ... |
Mary Stone
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James Craig | ... | |
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Plot Summary
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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." Written by Little Pine Weasel <kristinat@cerritos.edu>
Taglines:
A GREAT MOTION PICTURE DARES TO BE DIFFERENT! (original print media ad - all caps) See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
29 October 1941 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
A Certain Mr. Scratch See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (cut)Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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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. See more »Goofs
When Jabez comments on the full moon, the moon shaped light in the sky is obviously not in the full moon phase. See more »Quotes
Ma Stone: A man can always change things. That's what makes him different from the barnyard critters.See more »
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-