| The Devil and Daniel Webster | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | William Dieterle |
| Screenplay by | Dan Totheroh Stephen Vincent Benét |
| Based on | The Devil and Daniel Webster 1936 story by Stephen Vincent Benét |
| Produced by | William Dieterle Charles L. Glett |
| Starring | Edward Arnold Walter Huston James Craig Anne Shirley Jane Darwell Simone Simon |
| Cinematography | Joseph H. August |
| Edited by | Robert Wise |
| Music by | Bernard Herrmann |
Production company | William Dieterle Productions |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Devil and Daniel Webster is a 1941 American supernatural film based on the 1938 play adaptation of Stephen Vincent Benét's 1936 short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster".[1] 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.[1] Benét and Dan Totheroh adapted the play into the film's screenplay.[1]
The film's title was changed to All That Money Can Buy to avoid confusion with another film released by RKO that year, The Devil and Miss Jones, but later had the title restored on some prints. It has also been released under the titles Mr. Scratch, Daniel and the Devil and Here Is a Man. The film stars Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, James Craig, and Simone Simon.
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.
- ^ a b c Jerry L. McBride (2011). Douglas Moore: A Bio-bibliography. Music Library Association. pp. 24–28. ISBN 9780895796660.