{"id":39450,"date":"2025-07-23T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craigzablo.com\/?p=39450"},"modified":"2025-07-22T15:05:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T19:05:40","slug":"39450","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craigzablo.com\/?p=39450","title":{"rendered":"“The Devil and Daniel Webster” (1941) directed by William Dieterle; starring Edward Arnold and Walter Huston \/ Z-View"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Devil and Daniel Webster <\/i><\/b>(1941)<\/p>\n

Director:\u00a0 William Dieterle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Screenplay: Dan Totheroh, Stephen Vincent Ben\u00e9t<\/strong>; <\/strong>based on The Devil and Daniel Webster<\/em>\u00a0 by Stephen Vincent Ben\u00e9t<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stars: Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, Jane Darwell, Simone Simon, Gene Lockhart, John Qualen<\/strong> and H.B. Warner.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tagline: What would YOU give for seven years of power, luxury, wealth…all the thrills you ever wanted and never dared to seek?<\/em><\/p>\n

The Plot…<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Jabez Stone has been going through a string of bad luck.\u00a0 Newly married, Jabez has struggled making a go as a farmer.\u00a0 Worried he won’t have enough money to care for his new wife and mother, in a fit of rage Jabez declares he’d sell his soul for two cents.\u00a0 Suddenly a man appears.<\/p>\n

The man calls himself Mr. Scratch.\u00a0 Scratch says that if\u00a0 Jabez would like seven years of riches and prosperity, it will only cost him his soul.\u00a0 Before Jabez can answer, Scratch makes a bag of gold coins appear.\u00a0 Jabez thinks the gold would solve all of his problems.\u00a0 And seven years is a long time away… surely he can think of a way to break the deal.<\/p>\n

Jabez signs the contract.<\/p>\n

Jabez’s luck changes immediately.\u00a0 His personality does as well… just not as fast.\u00a0 Jabez becomes greedy.\u00a0 Scratch manipulates things from behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

Seven years passes quickly.\u00a0 Scratch will be collecting Jabez’s soul soon.\u00a0 Then Jabez gets an idea… perhaps the great lawyer Daniel Webster can find a way to break the contract.<\/p>\n

Daniel Webster meets Mr. Scratch and realizes Jabez has made a deal with the devil.\u00a0 Webster takes the case… but what chance does a mere mortal have against Mr. Scratch?<\/p>\n

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Devil and Daniel Webster<\/em> was nominated for two 1942 Academy Awards and won one…<\/p>\n