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Devil & Daniel Webster [VHS]

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This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

"The Devil & Daniel Webster" is simply put, a great film with an important moral. It is based on a short story of the same name by Stephen Vincent Benét.

It takes place near the state lines of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the 1840's. Jabez Stone, a struggling and destitute farmer signs a contract with Satan, offering to give him his soul after 7 years of good fortune. He has money but is very unhappy with his predicament. When the devil comes to collect, Jabez calls on Daniel Webster to help him void the contract.

Note:
Daniel Webster was a real-life historical figure. He was secratary of State a few times and ran for president in 1836

I am reminded of Matthew 16:26
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" I could almost say that this could be a Christian film. It goes to show that one's soul is more important that their life.

The acting in the film is excellent and a great Oscar® winning musical score. The film also includes the classic folk tune "Devil's Dream" which is a longtime favorite of mine.

The film was remade in 2001 by Alec Baldwin but never released due to budget problems in post production. Quite a shame as a remake would be great for the times we are living in.

The DVD has an excellent assortment of special features also.

There is a recording of Alec Baldwin reading the original short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, production and publicity photos and ephemerma, A comparison between the two versions of the film, a presentation about the music in the film, audio commentary by Bruce Eder and Steven C. Smith, and two audio drama radio shows based on Stephen Vincent Benét's stories "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent."

This DVD is one of the best releases by the Criterion Collection and I highly recommend this film.

William Dieterle was Hollywood's greatest fantasist in the thirties and forties. Whether making marvelous neo-Gothic/Romantic versions of classics such as THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME or one of the greatest ghost stories ever made in America in A PORTRAIT OF JEANNIE, Dieterle, who was famed for his ability at handling crowd scenes, similarly excelled in slightly surreal subjects. One of many highly success German expatriates working in Hollywood, he incorporated into many of his films many techniques found in some of the classics of German Expressionism, none more than in THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER (originally released by the studio as ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY, based on the Stephen Vincent Benet short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster"). Not surprisingly, this film is most successful on a purely visual level, with one fascinating, almost gothic image after another. "Gothic" is an apt adjective, since Benet's original story was, of course, yet another of an endless succession of Faust tales, a story that stems itself from the late medieval period. The Faust tale has been cast and recast by a host of writers and artists from Marlowe to Goethe to Kierkegaard to Gounod, and this film rightfully takes its place among the more significant versions of the tale.

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER is not a perfect film, but it is a fascinating one. I think the virtues win out over the vices, but the vices are apparent. First, it is an oddly paced film. Usually editors have to take much of the blame for the rhythm and pace of a film, and what is unusual in this film is that the editor was one of the most celebrated in film history, Robert Wise, later a prominent director and previously the editor of CITIZEN KANE. But whatever magic he wrought elsewhere, in this film scenes tend to linger too long, transitions are slow, and the film often feels sluggish. The other great vice is the casting. Although several cast members are outstanding, James Craig in the Faust character, Jabez Stone, is far too wooden, displaying as the old wag pointed out the full gamut of emotions from A to B. Craig displays little or no subtlety in his performance, and one can only imagine how good the film would have been with a Henry Fonda or Jimmy Stewart in the role. As a thought experiment I encourage any viewer to watch any scene with Craig, and imagine Henry Fonda instead. The results will be obvious.

Luckily, the virtues outstrip the vices. Dieterle and his cinematographer Joseph August create an unforgettable look for the film, bathing many scenes in blacks, grays, and garish whites, giving the film an almost noirish quality. The score is among the finest of the era in film, composed by the man many regard as the greatest composer ever for film, Bernard Hermann. For this film Hermann concocts a marvelous blend of themes based on traditional folk tales and original compositions to produce yet another of his many film masterpieces. And, of course, the cast is marvelous, despite Craig's shortcomings in one of the lead roles. The person who steals the movie is the unforgettable Walter Huston as the Devil himself, Mr. Scratch. Over the decades the Devil has had numerous incarnations in film, but this is by far the finest. Huston is able to imbue his Satan with equal amounts of charm, likeability, and repulsiveness. With his chin whiskers, his Robin Hood cap, and devilish grin, Huston manages to make one believe that someone might indeed sell their soul to him. Perhaps another actor could have done as well in this role, but I can't think of who. He pulls off scenes that should be impossible, including the final shot, where Scratch, having been thwarted by Daniel Webster, starts slowly to look for his next victim, initially scanning the distance, until finally seeing his prey, and grinningly points and gazes at the viewer. Huston is one of the great actors cinema has seen, but tragically most of his films are not common fare. Many will know him from his Oscar winning performance from the film his son John Huston directed him in with Humphrey Bogart, THE TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE. More serious film buffs will know him perhaps from RAIN or AND THEN THERE WERE NONE or DODSWORTH, a group of films that demonstrate his astonishing range as an actor (indeed, it is hard to imagine two characters as unalike as the sanctimonious missionary in RAIN and Scratch in this film). The DVD release of this film gives his potential fans another opportunity to appreciate his particular genius.

Edward Arnold makes a marvelous Daniel Webster, though incredibly he was not the original choice for the role. Filming actually commenced with Thomas Mitchell in the role, and actually still appears in a couple of shots. When Mitchell had to pull out of the film due to being physically incapacitated, Arnold stepped into a role that he would have seemed to be the perfect choice for from the beginning. Arnold doesn't get much of a chance to shine until the end, when he addresses a jury of cutthroats. He becomes as glowing an orator as Webster was reputed to be in his day. Much of the rest of the cast if filled out by staple character actors from the early forties, such as Gene Lockhart, John Qualen (who for once does not speak with a Scandinavian accent), and Jane Darwell. Special note should be made of Simone Simon as Farmer Stone's temptress. Simon arrived in Hollywood in the 1930s with much fanfare, and was instantly hailed on one of the beauties of the century as well a can't-miss star of the screen. Somehow neither in France nor in Hollywood did her career fulfill the promise foreseen for her. She did manage a couple of good roles in France and one low budget masterpiece in the United States in the unforgettable Val Lewton masterpiece CAT PEOPLE. This is one of her better American roles.

This appears in the Criterion collection, which means that it comes loaded with marvelous extras. One can only hope that at some point the kind of care and professionalism that Criterion lavishes on its discs will be matched by the majority of DVD producers.

This has to be one the most priceless films about the American experience, mixing metaphor and history. The story begins in one chilling scene in which the shadow of the Devil taunts the noble statesman Daniel Webster - you'll never be President if you stick to your pieties, warns Old Scratch. Switching gears, the Devil sets his sights on easier game - a barely solvent New Hampshire farmer named Jabez Stone, the sort of angry everyman who would sell his soul to the devil if things got too rough. (It's the middle of the 19th century, with the every-man for himself mentality that would nearly destroy the Union within the ten years). Stone's greed and desperation get the better of him, and he sells his soul for 7 years of boundless riches and good fortune - with advance paid from a sack of lost Hessian gold. Stone becomes wealthy, but also becomes less of the likeable guy and good neighbor his small New Hampshire town loved - replacing the hated Miser Stephens as the hamlet's chief creditor. The change attracts the attention of Dan Webster himself, New Hampshire's favorite son. Despite having second thoughts now and then, Stone remains steadfast in his ways, and makes no attempt to escape his fated damnation. When Stone appears to flag, Scratch manages to find an inducement - he can always collect immediately if he thinks Stone was trying to break the deal. Scratch hedges his bet, unleashing plagues of hail and other misfortunes for New Hampshire, bad luck that manages not to touch Stone. He also sends a sexy demon, Bel (Simone Simon of "Cat People") with a softer way of guaranteeing Stone's compliance. Where Webster fails to turn Stone on the right path, the sudden passage of seven years succeeds in swaying him. The Devil returns to claim Stone's soul. Seemingly amenable to negotiation, he soon reveals his darker true self, and the claim stands. Only one obstacle remains between the poor farmer and damnation - Webster himself, who pledges to stand up to a dozen devils for any one New Hampshire man. With a court held sway by a jury of the damned (including among others Blackbeard the pirate and Ben Arnold) not predisposed to spare Stone from purgatory, Webster knows he's got an uphill battle. Instead, he argues what essentially amounts to a redemption of America from it's sins - our nation has to an extent been built upon such suffering, but the evil of the past can be redeemed somewhat by not condemning the future (i.e., you're condemned, but you can redeem yourself by giving Stone the shot at salvation that nobody offered you).

This was a great film for so many reasons, mostly because of the topnotch acting and the way the script jumps between the metaphorical and historical messages. History-wise, the film speaks of the nobility of the union cause and against the evils that would seek to fragment it on the eve of the civil war; with America still on the fence about entering WWII, the script also spoke to those on the verge of siding with the antidemocratic forces in born of the depression and the improbable triumphs of fascist Europe.

But you should really watch this flick for the acting, especially Ed Arnold as the redoubtable Webster and Walter Huston as the insidious Mr. Scratch. As Webster, Arnold is uniformly noble whether standing up to the divisive forces in America or the jury of the damned who made it so. But Huston shines improbably as Scratch who alternates between easygoing and demonic in his praise of America's greed and his search for a place in its history. When Webster argues that neither Stone nor any American can be forced to serve a foreigner, Scratch replies with film's least forgettable speech - who is more American than he is? Wasn't he the master of the first slave ship to America? When the first wrong was done to the Indian, wasn't he there? Isn't the devil a perennial character in the Sunday sermons of every Church in America? ("Now it's true that the South takes me for a northerner and the North for a southerner, and, though I am loathe to admit it, Mr. Webtser, I'm actually more famous here than you.") The devil speaks to the cynical side of our history that he is an American if only because we cannot take the fall for our own episodes of deviltry, a point the script leaves some impression with in its final shot - Scratch himself facing the camera and, with his index finger pointed straight at the audience, doing a chillingly hilarious impression of Uncle Sam. "I want you" he seems to say. A classic film.

When it was first released in 1941, THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER (originally released as ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY) found itself buried under the controversial shadow of Orson Welles' classic film, CITIZEN KANE, which came out at the same time. Adding insult to injury was the fact that this classic adaptation of the Stephen Vincent Benet tale would suffer cuts and trims that would dissipate the film's impact. Now, thanks to a first-class restoration effort by Criterion, this stylish quick-witted film can be seen in all its original glory.

The film tells the story of Jabez Stone (James Craig), a struggling New Hampshire farmer, who curses his ill-luck to the point of offering his soul to the devil. No sooner does he voice his wish, when a sinister little man named "Mr. Scratch" (Walter Huston) appears. Needless to say, the seven year deal for good luck and money is struck and the kindly farmer is soon corrupted, despite the best efforts of his wife and his mother. Eventually, Jabez comes to bitterly regret his deal and it is up to famed orator Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) to defend him in a hellish court before a jury of the damned.

Director William Dieterle (who previously helmed the classic 1939 version of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME) does a wonderful job in presenting his tale through the powerful use of shadow and contrast. Bernard Herrmann compliments the film with a stellar score which won him the Academy Award that year. The acting, for the most part, is also top-notch. While not the best actor in the world, James Craig is solid enough as the hapless Jabez. Ann Shirley is equal parts warmth and steel as his loving wife. Jane Darwell, who earned praise as Ma Joad in the classic THE GRAPES OF WRATH, is solid in another "salt of the earth" role as Ma Stone. Simone Simon is absolutely sexy and appropriately sinister as Belle, the demon lady that Scratch recruits to keep Jabez in line. Edward Arnold, who replaced Thomas Mitchell after an on-set accident, is top-notch as the larger-than-life Daniel Webster. Used to playing ruthless businessmen and pompous fathers, Arnold makes the most of this plum role, and his final speech to the unholy jury is a definite highlight. When all is said and done, however, it is Walter Huston's marvelous portrayal of the Devil that will remain in the memory long after film's end. With a folksy, puckish demeanor, Huston creates a fun-loving, even likable character. However, when Jabez tries to wheedle out of the deal, Huston drops the smiling facade, showing us the true nastiness of his character. It is a definitive performance.

As with many of Criterion's DVD releases, THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER has extras that will please both fans of the film and the original story. Along with an informative film commentary by noted film historians, there is a wonderful audio recording of the original tale read by Alec Baldwin, along with 2 old radio dramas covering both the original and another, "Daniel Webster and the Seas Serpent." There is also an excellent feature focusing on Bernard Herrmann's wonderful score which uses clips from the film for emphahsis.

Overall, THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER is a classic that definitely is a must-have for your film collection and one that I highly recommend. It's a "hell" of a movie!

I was enchanted by this comedy/drama when I saw it as a youngster, and I must say the enchantment has not been diminished by time. A wonderfully directed and filmed Faustian story, quintessentially American in tone, both its content and style were remarkable for those times, over 60 years ago. It is played with a light touch despite it's deep and atmospheric(and marvelous) cinematography by Joseph August and it's often moody score by Bernard Herrmann.

Of course one wonders if the film would have the same buoyancy and sense of fun, despite the dark themes, if any actor played Mr. Scratch other than the truly wonderful Walter Huston. He is simply terrific here, and his performance alone is worth the price of admission. Countering Huston's sly, mischievous, grinning Devil is another great character actor with the gravitas to match him, and that's Edward Arnold as Daniel Webster.

I like the opening credits wherein director Dieterle lists all the behind the scenes talent without titles, including himself, and at the end states " who collaborated on this film". It is truly a collaboration with director and cinematographer and composer and editor (Robert Wise) all on the same page. It has some striking moments, most especially the first encounter with Belle (Simone Simon), the ghostly dance at Jabez Stone's mansion, and the final eerie trial.

The supporting performances, especially the always reliable Jane Darwell as Ma Stone are fine. James Craig as Jabez Stone was a bit of a stiff, but the movie's overall qualities compensate for him. Simone Simon is luscious, and the honestly presented depiction of her adulterous relationship with Jabez is quite daring for the times (one wonders how it got past the Hays office).

This came out in 1941, and Arnold's stirring defense of Jabez that exhalts all things American in the land and character of it's people may strike some as corny, but this was made on the cusp of World War II, and these things needed to be said then, and in a lower key, some of which wouldn't hurt us to be reminded of now.

And, finally, there is the last great shot of Huston's Scratch eating the stolen peach pie and then musingly rubbing his chin as he looks out directly at us in search of his next victim. Perfect.

An unjustly underrated film. Few movies I have seen are as visually impresive and verbally moving as "The Devil and Daniel Webster." Walter Huston's representation of the Devil is definitive. He's charming and sly to the naked eye, but pure evil at heart. I think the real Devil would have applauded. Edward Arnold is equally impresive as Daniel Webster. The Faust legend always makes for a good story, and this is the best use i've ever sen the legend put to. This movie is a pleasure.

P.S. Warning: The end will give you goosebumps.

If you could summon old Beelzebub up from the pits of Hell and trade your soul for seven or so years of wealth and good luck, would you do it? And if you DID do it but later had second thoughts, would you have any course of redress? These are the questions that--on the surface, at least--are explored in the 1941 cinematic masterpiece THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER (originally released as ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY and shown to preview audiences as HERE IS A MAN).

Based on the popular 1937 short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER extends far beyond the scope of its source material to become more than just a facet of the legend of larger-than-life U.S. 19th-century American statesman and orator Daniel Webster. The film is actually a satire of Depression-era perceptions of unfettered capitalism and moneylender institutions like banks, mortgage companies, and pawnbrokers, and it even manages to take a few jabs at blind patriotism and the idealistic American conception of personal freedom. The character of Webster, though important to the plot, is ancillary to the film's overall Populist message.

The movie covers a slice from the life of one Jabez Stone (James Craig), a mid-19th-century New Hampshire farmer who seemingly has no respite from his perpetual run of bad luck. Under the shadow of the impending foreclosure on his farm, Jabez enters into a Faustian agreement with a certain "Mr. Scratch" (Walter Huston), who promises the farmer seven years of good luck and prosperity in exchange for his soul.

Jabez takes to his newfound wealth like a fish to water, and it isn't long before his lifestyle and behavior mirrors that of the greedy moneylenders he once so despised. But as the end of his 7-year contract draws nigh, he starts to worry about his ultimate fate. When his wife, Mary (Anne Shirley), senses that something evil is tormenting her husband, she appeals to the famous statesman and lawyer Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) for help. Always willing to assist a fellow New Englander, Webster rises to the occasion and engages Mr. Scratch vis-à-vis in the most hellish court of law ever assembled. But can Daniel Webster save Jabez from eternal damnation, or has the great agrarian champion and statesman finally met his match?

Excellent performances from the cast, especially the great Walter Huston's portrayal of Mr. Scratch and Edward Arnold's depiction of Daniel Webster; beautiful cinematography, which includes a combination of new, groundbreaking camera techniques with lighting styles that hearken back to German Expressionist cinema; clever, stylish special FX that still stand up well, even against today's CGI stuff; a fantastic musical score that includes elements of Americana folk music and experimental electronic techniques; and a well written script all serve to elevate THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER to the level of a minor masterpiece. Yet despite this fact, the film was an unfortunate box-office flop during its initial release.

Part of this failure was due to bad timing. CITIZEN KANE (1941) was released only a few months before, and the hype and controversy generated by Orson Welles' magnum opus pushed many other great films to the background. In addition, the film was simply ahead of its time. The subtle left-wing subtext, the sometimes enigmatic depiction of the supernatural, the strange lighting, and the obvious allusions to blasphemy and infidelity were not as common in that era as today, and critical reviews of the era indicate that THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER's literate script was over the heads of the average moviegoer in 1941. Nonetheless, Walter Huston was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of the bedeviling Mr. Scratch, and though he didn't win, the film DID beat out CITIZEN KANE in the category of best musical score.

(Film buffs might be interested in the following bits of trivia: Both CITIZEN KANE and THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER were scored by Bernard Herrmann, so he was competing against himself for the 1941 Oscar. Herrmann also later scored Hitchcock's VERTIGO (1958) and PSYCHO (1960), as well as numerous other films and TV shows. The film editor on THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER was Robert Wise, who would later go on to direct genre greats like THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951), THE HAUNTING (1963), and THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1971), among others. And more recently, this film was also parodied in an episode of TV's THE SIMPSONS entitled "The Devil and Homer Simpson.")

In later years, the film was heavily cut for re-release, and this butchery pared the original 106-minute running time down to approximately 84 minutes. Of course, that much loss of screen time made the film's plot confusing and vague, and THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER never received the appreciation it deserved.

But now, thanks to the wonderful Criterion Collection release, contemporary audiences can see the film as the filmmakers intended. Cut elements, many of which were once thought to be lost, have been replaced and the film cleaned up as much as possible, and this restored version is what is now available via DVD. Some minor wear is still noticeable, but overall the DVD transfer is beautiful. Extras include a fascinating commentary from film historian Bruce Eder and composer Bernard Herrmann's biographer Steven C. Smith, actor Alec Baldwi's cool reading of Benét's original short story, old-tyme radio dramatizations of the story, and much more! This is a disc that all lovers of great classic films or fans of older, milder horror films should add to their collections.

This is one of the most unusual movies ever made, a true treasury of inventiveness, and only one of about 200 total (out of nearly 20,000 films) to which acclaimed British film critic Leslie Halliwell had awarded 4 stars. Those who know Mr. Halliwell's work will immediately recognize that this makes for a very special film, since he was in his day perhaps the surest guide of all to Golden Age films, as well as being a very tough grader. Hence, a presumptively extraordinary film. In spite of this, the film failed commercially because it does not fit easily into any given category. It depicted a German Faustian theme about a farmer who sold his soul to the devil. Yet it was set in the context of down-home Americana. And it bore the arty qualities of a German expressionism brought to it by its famed director, William Dieterle. Into this mix, one can throw first-class American acting by Walter Huston and Edward Arnold, and the entire package becomes one weird combination for marketing purposes. That having been said, this indescribable mix is an amazing movie: it moves quickly, it is amazingly photographed in moody black and white, it has a first-class score that rivals anything Bernard Herrmann ever did (e.g., Vertigo), it has a lead performance by Walter Huston as the devil ('Mr. Scratch') that ranks among the most memorable performances ever recorded on film, and it concludes a fine and imaginative script with a 'courtroom scene' that is utterly fascinating in its depiction of the most infamous blackguards of American history being summoned from the depths of perdition to stand as jury to determine whether or not the poor farmer who had sold his soul should be held to have a binding contract with the devil. The film is roistering entertainment as well as caviar for the pointy-head crowd, quite a mix by any measure. Not to be missed!

With the DEVIL & DANIEL WEBSTER, we have yet another example of a shoddy Criterion transfer. The problem here is not the picture, but the sound. Admittedly the picture could be improved - especially the bothersome vertical white line coursing through much of the film. The sound, though, is appalling: a constant and annoying hiss makes it almost impossible to appreciate the astonishing acting and lighting and, obviously, the score.

How long can Criterion coast on its heretofore deserved reputation as a distributor of classic films on DVD? With this and other recent fiascos, one can only assume not long.

This is a great film. What makes it great? Well, lots of things. It was wonderfully directed by William Dieterle, edited by Robert Wise, scored by Bernard Herrmann (who won an Oscar), but most outstanding is the performance of Walter Huston. You'll never hear me say anything against James Stewart or Henry Fonda, but Walter Huston was the original everyman - "American Madness," "Rain," "Abraham Lincoln," "Gabriel Over the White House," "Dodsworth," etc., - but unlike them he was a character actor, everybit as good as Charles Laughton. Now "Dodsworth" and "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" are the films that Huston is now most remembered for - but "The Devil and Daniel Webster" should be considered right along with them. Huston is superb. Take a look at his performances in these last three films and try to remember that it's just one actor. Mistakenly the Academy nominated Huston in the lead category for this performance when, indeed, he was a supporting player. Had he been nominated in the correct category he would (and should) have won the award. This is simply a great actor at the top of his game - and when Huston was at the top of his game no one could touch him. Don't let this classic slip by.