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

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Stephen Vincent Benet (story)
Dan Totheroh (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 October 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

A GREAT MOTION PICTURE DARES TO BE DIFFERENT! (original print media ad - all caps)

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Farmer | Devil | 19th Century | Deal With The Devil | Orator

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Alland	...	Guide (scenes deleted) (uncredited)
Frank Austin	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin	...	Hank (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Hazel Boyne	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sonny Bupp	...	Martin Van Buren Aldrich (uncredited)
Bob Burns	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Horace B. Carpenter	...	Jabez Stone's Guest at Party (uncredited)
Tex Cooper	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jeff Corey	...	Tom Sharp (uncredited)
Alec Craig	...	Eli Higgins (uncredited)
Eddie Dew	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Patricia Doyle	...	Servant (uncredited)
Robert Dudley	...	Lem (uncredited)
Sarah Edwards	...	Lucy Slossum (scenes deleted) (uncredited)
Fern Emmett	...	Wife (scenes deleted) (uncredited)
Jim Farley	...	Studio Gateman (scenes deleted) (uncredited)
Charles Herzinger	...	Old Farmhand (uncredited)
Harry Hood	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Harry Humphrey	...	Reverend (uncredited)
Payne B. Johnson	...	Boy (uncredited)
Robert Emmett Keane	...	Husband (scenes deleted) (uncredited)
Anita Lee	...	Infant (uncredited)
Thomas Mitchell	...	Daniel Webster in some long shots (uncredited)
Robert Pittard	...	Clerk (uncredited)
June Preston	...	Little Blonde Girl (uncredited)
Stewart Richards	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Sherman Sanders	...	Caller (uncredited)
Carl Stockdale	...	Van Brooks (uncredited)
Robert Strange	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Ferris Taylor	...	President (scenes deleted) (uncredited)
Jim Toney	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Virginia Williams	...	Baby (uncredited)

Directed by
William Dieterle

Writing credits
Stephen Vincent Benet		story "The Devil and Daniel Webster" &
Dan Totheroh		screenplay and
Stephen Vincent Benet		screenplay

Produced by
William Dieterle	....	producer
Charles L. Glett	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Joseph H. August		(director of photography) (as Joseph August)

Film Editing by
Robert Wise

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Argyle Nelson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Alfred Herman	....	associate art director (as Al Herman)

Sound Department
Hugh McDowell Jr.	....	sound recordist
James G. Stewart	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Music Department
Bernard Herrmann	....	conductor
Bernard Herrmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Peter Berneis	....	dialogue director

Production Companies

• William Dieterle Productions

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astor Pictures Corporation (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-titled) (re-release)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Nelson Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"All That Money Can Buy" - USA (original title)
"A Certain Mr. Scratch" - USA (alternative title)
"Daniel and the Devil" - USA (reissue title)
"Mr. Scratch" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

107 min | USA:85 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7238) | Australia:G

Company:

William Dieterle Productions

Trivia:

Prints that have been made under the title "The Devil and Daniel Webster" also say "Originally released as 'All That Money Can Buy' ", indicating that this was the film's original title.

Goofs:

Continuity: Shortly after filming had begun, Thomas Mitchell fractured his skull and was replaced by 'Edward Arnold'. Not many scenes had been shot, none were re-shot, so Mitchell is still visible in some scenes.

Quotes:

Jabez Stone:What do you have on your mind?
Daniel Webster:You, Jabez Stone. You and a lot of poor farmers hereabouts... all good men of the earth and in trouble because of you. Or am I wrong about those contracts?
Jabez Stone:Without me and my money they wouldn't have anything.
Daniel Webster:They'd have a good neighbor - and that's worth more than anything else... much, much more.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror IV (#5.5)" (1993)

The Devil Is No Match for an American Politician

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-