The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)

7.6Approved105 minDirector: William Dieterle

1941 film by William Dieterle

The Devil and Daniel Webster (originally released as All That Money Can Buy) is a 1941 American supernatural horror film directed by William Dieterle and starring Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, James Craig, and Simone Simon. Based on the 1938 play adaptation of Stephen Vincent Benét's 1936 short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster", the film deals with the theme of the deal with the Devil: A farmer sells his soul for good luck and prosperity, but becomes desperate when the time of his pact is about to end. He asks the lawyer Daniel Webster to help him find a way out of the pact's terms. The play by Benét was in turn based on the libretto created by Benét for an opera adaptation of his short story with composer Douglas Moore, a project he began writing in 1937. Benét and Dan Totheroh adapted the play into the film's screenplay.

Filmed in early 1941, The Devil and Daniel Webster was theatrically released by RKO Radio Pictures on October 16, 1941, under the title All That Money Can Buy, which the studio mandated in order to avoid confusion with another one of their films, The Devil and Miss Jones, released the same year. It was later released as The Devil and Daniel Webster in 1942, and appeared in a truncated version bearing the title Daniel and the Devil in 1952.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is The Devil and Daniel Webster about?
The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) — A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. When Mr. Scratch comes to collect, orator and hero of the common man Daniel Webster comes to the rescue.
Is The Devil and Daniel Webster based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is The Devil and Daniel Webster scary?
Content rating: Approved. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.