The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941 film)
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| The Devil and Daniel Webster | |
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 DVD cover |
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| Directed by | William Dieterle |
| Written by | Peter Dexter Bill Condon Nancy Cassaro |
| Starring | Edward Arnold |
| Distributed by | RKO (US theatrical) Criterion (Region 1 DVD) |
| Release date(s) | 17 October 1941 (USA) |
| Running time | 107 mins (full version) 85 mins (cut version) |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Devil and Daniel Webster is a 1941 fantasy film, adapted from Stephen Vincent Benét's short story of the same name by Benét and Dan Totheroh. It has also been released under the titles All That Money Can Buy, Daniel and the Devil and Here Is a Man. The film stars Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, and James Craig. It was directed by William Dieterle.
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[edit] Plot
In 1840 New Hampshire, poor, downtrodden farmer Jabez Stone (James Craig) sells his soul to "Mr. Scratch" (Walter Huston) in return for seven years of prosperity. However, when his time is almost up, Stone begs famed orator Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) to help him find some way out of his bargain with the Devil. Webster agrees to take his case.
When Mr. Scratch shows up to claim his due, Webster has to risk his own soul before his fiendish opponent will agree to a trial by jury. Mr. Scratch chooses the jury members from among the most notoriously evil men of history, with John Hathorne (one of the magistrates of the Salem witch trials) as the judge. When Webster protests, Mr. Scratch points out that they were "Americans all." However, Webster is able to talk the jury into releasing Stone from his deal.
[edit] Adaptation
The jury of the damned in the film is slightly altered from the original, as revealed in the following dialogue:
- Scratch: Captain Kidd, he killed men for gold. Simon Girty, the renegade; he burned men for gold. Governor Dale, he broke men on the wheel. Asa, the Black Monk, he choked them to death. Floyd Ireson and Stede Bonnet, the fiendish butchers. Walter Butler, the King of the Massacre. Big and Little Harp, robbers and murderers. Teach, the Cutthroat. Morton, the vicious lawyer. And General Benedict Arnold, you remember him, no doubt.
- Webster: A jury of the damned.
- Scratch: Dastards, liars, traitors, knaves.
- Webster: This is monstrous.
- Scratch: You asked for a jury trial, Mr Webster. Your suggestion - the quick or the dead.
- Webster: I asked for a fair trial.
- Scratch: Americans all.
In the original story, Webster regrets Benedict Arnold's absence, but in the film, he is present and Webster objects, citing him as a traitor and therefore not a true American. His objection is dismissed by the judge.
[edit] Cast
- Edward Arnold as Daniel Webster. When filming began, Thomas Mitchell played Webster, but had to be replaced when he broke his leg. Mitchell can still be seen in some scenes.[citation needed]
- Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch
- James Craig as Jabez Stone
- Anne Shirley as Mary Stone
- Jane Darwell as Ma Stone
- Simone Simon as Belle
- Gene Lockhart as Squire Slossum
- John Qualen as Miser Stevens
- H. B. Warner as Justice John Hathorne
[edit] Alternate versions
The original release was 107 minutes long. It was a critical, but not a box-office success, and was subsequently re-released under the title All That Money Can Buy with nearly half an hour cut, reducing the film to 85 minutes. The cuts were crudely done, as if a piece of film had broken and had clumsily been spliced together. The film was restored to its full length in the 1990s and has been issued in that form on home video. In earlier releases, the restored portions are taken from inferior prints of the movie. A preview print which was found in the estate of the director served as the basis for the film's restoration and release on DVD.
[edit] Awards
It won the Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture with music by Bernard Herrmann and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Walter Huston).
