The Devil and Daniel Webster

It's a story they tell in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire. It happened, so they say, a long time ago. But it could happen anytime-anywhere-to anybody....Yes, it could even happen to you. An ironic devil(Walter Huston) has written in his notebook : Jabez Stone(James Craig), Cross Corners, New Hampshire, age 27, married(Anne Shirley) 2 years, children none, credit none. Once again the Devil finds a taker. Then the young farmer Stone sells his soul to the Devil. Meanwhile, the President candidate Daniel Webster(Edward Arnold)is writing his speech: 'I would say to everyman who follows his own plough and to every mechanic, artisan, and laborer in every city in the country, I would say to every man , everywhere, who wishes by honest means to gain an honest living; Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing!. Meantime on the newspaper is published : Daniel Webster plead for farm rights in bankruptcy bill, delivered in the Senate of the United States on the proposed amendment to the bill establishing an uniform system of bankruptcy. Stone happily married and living with his mother(Jane Darnwell) is a nice but hopeless farmer who will do anything to improve his poorness in the life.Stone involuntarily sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for money but is saved from a journey to inferno when Daniel Webster defend him.

This classic fantasy based upon the legend of Faust is adapted from the story by Stephen Vincent Benet. The movie is very persuasively made , usually rise to a crescendo of emotion.Entertaining fantasy is visually striking with Walter Huston in a rare and successful comic role as sympathetic Devil. Film contains marvelous performances by main cast and secondaries actors such as Gene Lockhart, John Qualen,HB Warner,Jane Darnwell Simone Simon as a witch ad Jeff Corey appears uncredited.This cult fantasy drama is a sometimes uneven, but throughly funny and amusing recounting of the Faustian tale.

This delicate fantasy about a farmer who gradually realizes that has been deceived by the Devil has very evocative black-and white cinematography by Joseph August, Dieterle's usual and he photographed 'Portrait of Jennie'.The film won Oscars 1941 for original dramatic score by Bernard Herrmann. The motion picture is well directed by William Dieterle as a classic example of drama/comedy/fantasy of the 40s. Dieterle is a German director who was in Hollywood by 1930s and directing dramas(Scarlet down,Fog over Frisco,Fashions), costumer(Hunchback of Notre Dame,Kismet,Omar Khayyan) and biopics experts(Life of Emile Zola,Dr Ehrlich, Juarez, Madame Curie,Reuter) that were a revelation at the box-office.