All That Money Can Buy (1941)

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Stephen Vincent Benet (story)
Dan Totheroh (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

29 October 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | History

Tagline:

A GREAT MOTION PICTURE DARES TO BE DIFFERENT! (original print media ad - all caps)

Plot:

A 19th Century New Hampshire farmer who makes a compact with the Devil for economic success enlists Daniel Webster to extract him from his contract.

Plot Keywords:

Farmer | Devil | Deal With The Devil | Orator | New Hampshire

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Edward Arnold	...	Daniel Webster
Walter Huston	...	Mr. Scratch
Jane Darwell	...	Ma Stone
Simone Simon	...	Belle
Gene Lockhart	...	Squire Slossum
John Qualen	...	Miser Stevens
H.B. Warner	...	Justice John Hathorne
Frank Conlan	...	Sheriff
Lindy Wade	...	Daniel Stone
George Cleveland	...	Cy Bibber
Anne Shirley	...	Mary Stone
James Craig	...	Jabez Stone
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Alland	...	Guide (scenes deleted)
Sarah Edwards	...	Lucy Slossum (scenes deleted)
Fern Emmett	...	Wife (scenes deleted)
Jim Farley	...	Studio Gateman (scenes deleted)
Robert Emmett Keane	...	Husband (scenes deleted)
Anita Lee	...	Infant
Robert Pittard	...	Clerk (as Bob Pittard)
Ferris Taylor	...	President (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

The Devil and Daniel Webster (International: English title) (USA) (reissue title)
A Certain Mr. Scratch (USA) (alternative title)
Daniel and the Devil (USA) (reissue title)
Here Is a Man (USA) (trailer title)
Mr. Scratch (USA) (alternative title)
Alles was Geld kaufen kann (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Der Teufel und Daniel Webster (Germany) [de]
Der Teufelsbauer (Germany) [de]
Du kan ikke købe alt for penge (Denmark) [da]
El hombre que vendió su alma (Spain) [es]
Eros kai hrima (Greece) [el]
Inled oss icke i frestelse (Sweden) [sv]
L'oro del demonio (Italy) [it]
O Homem Que Vendeu a Alma (Brazil) (cable TV title) [pt]
Piru ja Daniel Webster (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

107 min | USA:85 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #7238) | Sweden:15

Company:

William Dieterle Productions

Trivia:

Thomas Mitchell was originally cast as Daniel Webster. While filming a carriage ride scene with young actor Lindy Wade, Mitchell lost control of the horses and was thrown from the carriage. He suffered a fractured skull and was in the hospital for 17 weeks, but made a full recovery. Director William Dieterle recast Edward Arnold in the role with one day's notice. All of Mitchell's scenes as Daniel Webster had to then be re-shot with Arnold.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The young boy who climbs onto Daniel Webster's carriage to see if Webster has horns and a tail tells Webster that his name is Martin Van Buren Aldrich, son of the only Democrat in town. Obviously, he is supposed to have been named after President Martin Van Buren, a Democrat. However, the chronology of this doesn't add up. This scene takes place in 1840, which was Van Buren's last full year in office in his single four-year term as President (1837-1841). The child is clearly about 12 or so (actor Sonny Bupp, who played the role, was 13 at the time of filming). It is almost inconceivable in these circumstances that a man in New Hampshire would have named his son after Martin Van Buren since, at the approximate time of the boy's birth in the late 1820s, Van Buren was a successful but still relatively obscure politician who would have been little known and of no particular consequence to anyone living outside his home state of New York.

Quotes:

Daniel Webster: I'd fight ten thousand devils to save a New Hampshire man.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tripping the Rift: The Devil and a Guy Named Webster (#1.5)" (2004)

My favorite movie

Why would someone who has thoroughly enjoyed movies such as "Judge Dredd" and "Wild at Heart" consider this to be "my favorite movie"?

One word - "fantasy". It's my favorite movie category, and this is the best one that I've ever seen. The 1940s was the decade in which horror melodramas and fantasies really began to ramp up, and this movie helped to set the standard. Stephen Vincent Benet's story is a bit changed, but not enough to diminish this American Gothic tale.

Aside from being superior entertainment, the movie simply has no weaknesses. Where to start? The casting and acting are extraordinary. Though both are most often remembered for other movies, Edward Arnold and Walter Huston turn in their best performances here. Simone Simon (known today for the "Cat People" movies) is exceptional as Belle. Anne Shirley, James Craig, and the stellar supporting cast are also great.

This is Bernard Herrmann's best film score. William Dieterle's direction is quirky and involving, propelling the film along at a fast clip. Admittably, the characters are caricatures, but Dieterle helps us to feel their trials and tribulations. The movie also features brilliant cinematography, exceptional production values, and truly superior editing (this was an early job for director Robert Wise). The scenes are quite stagey, but never disjointed - the logic of the story is unmistakable and riveting.

Huston is the ultimate "Mr. Scratch". I've seen this show many times, and it's a 10/10.