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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-

Set in 1840s New Hampshire, the story centers on a poor farmer Jabez Stone (James Craig) who's about to lose his farm to a money lender when one bad piece of luck after another has him saying that his bad fortunes are enough to cause a man to sell his soul to the devil. Of course, the devil (Walter Huston) instantly appears and tempts a very willing Stone to trade his soul in return for "all that money can buy". The contract they sign has the devil collecting his soul seven years from the date of their agreement.

The devil then uncovers a buried treasure of Hessian gold and from that moment on, Stone prospers (to the detriment of his friends and neighbors). Local politician Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) is godfather to Stone's new baby and passes thru town regularly to socialize and imbibe with the locals. When the due date for reaping his soul arrives, it's to Webster that Stone turns to argue his way out of going to Hades for all eternity in a supernatural courtroom scene with famous disgraced and dishonored Americans - themselves in Hades - as the jury.

William Dieterle's nearly surrealistic settings and camera work (by Joseph August) add just the right touch of menace and fantasy to the stark New Hampshire settings. Simone Simon plays a seductive assistant of the devil whose purpose is to keep Stone's heart and attention away from his timid yet insightful wife who might somehow set him back on the right path.

Walter Huston was Oscar nominated for his performance as the devil and Edward Arnold plays Webster as big as all outdoors - a man with appetites and a love of life to match his girth. New England is portrayed as a rural place not too far from its Puritan roots.

Made in 1941, and dealing in themes of religion and patriotism, it might have been a shrill production had it been made any later once the war years had lots of films getting heavy handed when dealing with either of those subjects.

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.

Terrific film, Walter Huston as the devil duking it out with Edward Arnold, in a rare sympathetic role as Daniel Webster(usually he played parts like the nasty Tycoon in You Can't Take it With You)over a simple farmer's soul. The jury-if memory serves me right, people like Benedict Arnold and Blackbeard, his 'peers'...Dieterle takes the old Faust tale and puts a uniquely American spin into it(though he was German-you'll see what I mean if you watch it..)-this is a moving, wonderfully shot, eerie film; definately a go-see! Under-rated, not often mentioned as being on of the best films from the '40s, though it most assuredly is.

**** stars outta ****, do see it.

First off, let me state that after viewing both versions of this film: the 85-minute and the 106-minute ones, both have their merits. For VHS, I recommend the shorter version. If you have the Criterion DVD with a 106-minute one, however, you have the best. I had seen both on tape but when I saw the longer version with a great DVD transfer, it convinced me the longer one is the version you want to see. It also seemed to improve the whole movie.

The Criterion DVD helped me appreciate the underrated black-and-white cinematography in this movie. It simply looks super, and even the special-effects are still pretty darned good considering the year this was made.

Character-wise, as so often is the case, the bad-guys are the most interesting in the movie. The best was Walter Huston playing "Scratch" (the Devil) and Simone Simon playing a female helper of his. Simon has the allure in this story to drive leading character "Jabez Stone" away from his sweet wife "Mary" (Anne Shirley).

Depressed and whining over his financial state of affairs and general lot in life, "Jabez" is ripe pickings for the wily "Scratch" and his cohort. The Devil makes Stone sign away his soul for money, prosperity, power, etc. Jabez gets carried away with his greed and winds up learning some valuable lessons.

Meanwhile, Edward Arnold plays "Daniel Webster," a folk hero during this time period, a man revered by all in New England. He winds up defending Jabez in a court-like scene i the end to see if he can win back the man's soul. Arnold is captivating in his role as Webster and gives an old-fashioned patriotic message at the end which would make today's Hollywood filmmakers sick.

Craig, who gets 12th billing in this film - go figure - has the most lines in the movie! How can be ignored, not only on the DVD and VHS boxes but on the bottom of the credits on this IMDb cast page? Craig overacts in his role and, thus, becomes a little annoying at times. Shirley might have been the most attractive I've ever seen here, mainly because of her strong, Christian character and down-home plain beauty that shines through in this character, Jabez's faithful wife "Mary." (She also gets slighted in the billing.)

Overall, this is a different story than anything you've seen. It's interesting, nicely directed by William Dieterle and photographed by Joseph August. Sadly, the latter died later in this decade with a heart attack. His last picture was another visual wonder: "Portrait Of Jennie."