Although he was a last minute replacement for Thomas Mitchell who broke a leg during early shooting, Edward Arnold proved to be the quintessential Daniel Webster. He went toe to toe with Walter Huston as old Mr. Scratch and it seems a shame that Huston was singled out for an Oscar nomination and Arnold wasn't.
Huston made one colorful little devil with that porkpie hat and perpetual malicious grin on his face. He was nominated for Best Actor in 1941, but lost to Gary Cooper for Sergeant York. As if not to tempt providence by awarding a performance of Satan as America was about to face Hitler
I well remember in high school English class reading this Stephen Vincent Benet classic. It's so popular that it fixed our popular image of Daniel Webster in the 20th Century and in this one.
The real Webster did indeed spring from the yeoman Yankee farmers of New Hampshire. But by 1847 when this story allegedly takes place, he'd moved to Boston, Massachusetts where he was a spokesman for New England shipping and commercial interests. He was a strong believer in the high tariff and the sanctity of a contract. It would have gone against his nature to argue his way out of one, even out of one for a man's soul with the devil.
But he was a great attorney and his greatest fame in history is as an attorney on constitutional issues before the Supreme Court. During the famous Dartmouth College Case he did kind of use some of the same histrionic flair you see here, when he tearfully argued for that small college Dartmouth, but that there are those who love her.
In this Yankee retelling of the Faust story, hard luck farmer Jabez Stone, played by James Craig sells his soul to the devil for some prosperity. He finds some old buried treasure, but the money therein brings him no happiness. He goes to the best advocate he knows, American statesmen Daniel Webster to get him out of the deal.
Though Huston lost for Best Actor, The Devil and Daniel Webster was up for another award and Bernard Herrmann's score brought the film it's only Oscar. Herrmann's recreation of American 19th century folk music was nothing short of inspired. You'll not forget it once you've heard it.
And check out Walter Huston's last few minutes on the screen. The end is about three minutes without dialog, but absolutely priceless.
Huston made one colorful little devil with that porkpie hat and perpetual malicious grin on his face. He was nominated for Best Actor in 1941, but lost to Gary Cooper for Sergeant York. As if not to tempt providence by awarding a performance of Satan as America was about to face Hitler
I well remember in high school English class reading this Stephen Vincent Benet classic. It's so popular that it fixed our popular image of Daniel Webster in the 20th Century and in this one.
The real Webster did indeed spring from the yeoman Yankee farmers of New Hampshire. But by 1847 when this story allegedly takes place, he'd moved to Boston, Massachusetts where he was a spokesman for New England shipping and commercial interests. He was a strong believer in the high tariff and the sanctity of a contract. It would have gone against his nature to argue his way out of one, even out of one for a man's soul with the devil.
But he was a great attorney and his greatest fame in history is as an attorney on constitutional issues before the Supreme Court. During the famous Dartmouth College Case he did kind of use some of the same histrionic flair you see here, when he tearfully argued for that small college Dartmouth, but that there are those who love her.
In this Yankee retelling of the Faust story, hard luck farmer Jabez Stone, played by James Craig sells his soul to the devil for some prosperity. He finds some old buried treasure, but the money therein brings him no happiness. He goes to the best advocate he knows, American statesmen Daniel Webster to get him out of the deal.
Though Huston lost for Best Actor, The Devil and Daniel Webster was up for another award and Bernard Herrmann's score brought the film it's only Oscar. Herrmann's recreation of American 19th century folk music was nothing short of inspired. You'll not forget it once you've heard it.
And check out Walter Huston's last few minutes on the screen. The end is about three minutes without dialog, but absolutely priceless.