All That Money Can Buy a.k.a The Devil and Daniel Webster
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All That Money Can Buy a.k.a The Devil and Daniel Webster (Criterion Collection) – UK Only [Blu-Ray]
All That Money Can Buy a.k.a The Devil and Daniel Webster (Criterion Collection) – UK Only [Blu-Ray]
He became blind so he would listen to programs, unfortunately he passed away before he was able to have us play it.
I will watch it in time when I’m able too
He always said the end was frightening to him.
I’m sure compared to today’s movies, it’s very mild but as a child it had an effect on my dad.
He has me order a lot of titles he can’t seem to locate elsewhere. They always come well packaged, in a timely fashion and have always been great quality. Happy husband/ happy wife!
Walter Huston was superb. He played the role with humor and an attractive if demonic smile. James Craig could have been a directed to appear a bit less full of adrenaline. Simone Simon was a believable assistant to Mr. Scratch. Worth watching.
This is a wonderful movie, actually one of my favorites. It has philosophy, religion, patriotism, sexy, down-home neighbor essentials, love, distress, law, and more all wrapped up together. Some scenes are downright creepy. The Jury of the Damned is crazy clever creative, of course. Great casting. Walter Houston should have won an Academy Award, as I’m not sure how anyone could play the Devil any better. Everyone did spot on performances. And whether Mick and Keith got their idea from Scratch for Sympathy for the Devil (I was there when…) is an open question.
This classic withstands time because it manifests a truth that never gets old. A great story, well-told.
I purchased this movie for two reasons. I love old movies and my uncle, James Craig, just happens to be in this one along with Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, Jane Darwell, Simone Simon and Gene Lockhart who are all great actors and I would recommend this flick to anyone who, like me, love old movies and film noir.
a word of caution this masterpiece has been adapted in many different forms over decades but none strain your senses as this one does criterion needs to be commended on the fine job they done of preserving this film to it,s original punch few films grab harder than this one if you haven,t seen it it is masterful in every aspec
This is an “Old” movie which should be shown more often Today! Just a great old movie with no gimmic’s or computerized special effects. The actor’s and actresses may be dead and gone but the story line never ages and is just as relevent today as it was then. The story line is not convoluted, but right there for all to see without having to “read between the lines”.
Mabey because of talking to my children about how evil works and this is a prime example of it. It hits the home as the father is consumed by money and then his son is swept into it by his disobedience to his Mom, even all the way to the politician Daniel Webster who fights evil all through the movie as he says “oh its you again” speaking to Scratch. The characters are richly portrayed and the end is quite fitting with Scratch looking into the camera.
What a great lesson to watch with your kids, to show how evil is always working to ensnare us. Thanks to Criterion for re-doing these great old movies. By the way did I say how great the restoration was??? It`s top notch!!!!!
A simple movie with a timeless message. This movie is a cross between a scary movie and one that is moralistic in its essence. The movie is fun to watch and can have a positive impact on one’s approach to life. The essence of wealth can rapidly move from necessity to all encompassing and totalitarian. The color of gold in this movie is both mesmerizing and blinding. In all, this movie is also a side approach to a romantic movie. Love of a good woman can conquer the devil himself! After watching this movie, one should hold the love of their life and give them a gentle squeeze!
To supplement a chapter that focuses on the “big three” – Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster, I showed the beginning and end of this film to my 8th graders. They liked it very much. It helped me show how guys like D. Webster were larger than life in their life time and after. I enjoyed the black and white and the Citizen Kane-ish style, but I think this movie could be redone with contemporary stars and effects. It would be cool. If you like history and old movies, it’s a good buy.
Years ahead of its time with some of the finest black & white photography ever.
If it has its faults, a certain folksiness which doesn’t cross the years (or the Pond) that well is one.
The part of Jabez Stone is not amazingly well acted in my mind.
The trial at the end is over a little too quickly, and is concluded a little too easily…
On the other hand, Walter Huston and Edward Arnold don’t put a foot wrong for the whole movie, and even some of the lesser characters (example Miser Stephens) are so well played (and well lit) that they stop you in your tracks.
Note that this is a fuller version than that released as “All That Money Can Buy” and as a result hangs together rather better.
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.
Based on the popular 1937 short story by Stephen Vincent Bent, 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–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 Bent’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.