The Devil and Daniel Webster

The Devil and Daniel Webster

Directed by William Dieterle • 1941 • United States
Starring Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, James Craig

Jabez Stone is a hard-working farmer trying to make an honest living, but a streak of bad luck tempts him to do the unthinkable: bargain with the Devil himself. For seven years of good fortune, Stone promises “Mr. Scratch” his soul when the contract ends. When the troubled farmer begins to realize the error of his choice, he enlists the aid of the one man who might save him: the legendary orator and politician Daniel Webster. Directed with stylish flair by William Dieterle, THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER brings the classic short story by Stephen Vincent Benét to life with inspired visuals, an unforgettable Oscar-winning score by Bernard Herrmann, and a truly diabolical performance from Walter Huston.

The Devil and Daniel Webster
  • The Devil and Daniel Webster

    Directed by William Dieterle • 1941 • United States
    Starring Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, James Craig

    Jabez Stone is a hard-working farmer trying to make an honest living, but a streak of bad luck tempts him to do the unthinkable: bargain with the Devil himself. For seven years of good fortune,...

Extras

  • THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER Commentary

    Recorded in 1991 and updated in 2003, this commentary features film historian Bruce Eder and biographer Steven C. Smith (A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann)

  • THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER and HERE IS A MAN

    THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER was first previewed as HERE IS A MAN on July 12, 1941. Although its overall content is similar, some stylistic flourishes and edits differ between that earlier print and the subsequent cut, titled ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY. Those differences are presented here, with each...

  • Continuity Editing in THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER

    Professor Jeff Smith walks us through the basics of continuity editing and shows how William Dieterle’s faustian fever dream adheres to that code while testing the limits of its expressive potential.