. Phil Reisman, Jr. adapted the story for a live television performance of "The Devil and Daniel Webster" on Breck Sunday Showcase (NBC, Feb 14, 1960, 60 min), starring Edward G. Robinson (Daniel Webster), David Wayne (Mr. Scratch), and Tim O'Connor (Jabez Stone). The trial is rigged against Webster. Shortcut to Happiness, is a modernized version set in the publishing world, starring Anthony Hopkins as a publisher named Daniel Webster, Alec Baldwin as a bestselling but terrible author named Jabez Stone, and Jennifer Love Hewitt as a female version of the devil. Butler and Girty would have called themselves Americans – and indeed were Americans – but they were Loyalists, and Webster might not have intended any but U.S. citizens. It first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on the 24 th of October, 1936. These ambiguities probably reflect ambivalent perceptions of this aspect of American history in the 20th century at the time of writing, rather than at the time when the story is supposed to take place. When Mr. Scratch comes to collect, orator and hero of the common man Daniel Webster comes to the rescue. Two years later it reappeared as a one-act folk opera by Benét and composer Douglas Moore. The Devil and Daniel Webster, often-anthologized short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, published in 1937. Yes, Dan'l Webster's dead—or, at least, they buried him. An unscrupulous movie producer uses an actress, a director and a writer to achieve success. ", Patriotism is a main theme in the story: Webster claims that the Devil cannot take the soul because he cannot claim American citizenship. This most recent version was made in 2001, but never had a wide theatrical release. THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER by Stephen Vincent Benét, 1937. 32 of 39 people found this review helpful. In his speech, Webster denounces slavery. Use the HTML below. Webster states "If two New Hampshiremen aren't a match for the devil, we might as well give the country back to the Indians." Webster demands a trial as the right of every American. Benét acknowledges the evil by having the devil say: "When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there. Walter Huston again reprised his 1941 film role in the "All That Money Can Buy" episode of Theatre Guild on the Air (NBC, April 30, 1950, 60 min); Cornel Wilde and Martha Scott co-starred. It was only the tip of his shoe that caught the stranger, but he went flying out of the door with his collecting box under his arm ... And he hasn't been seen in the state of New Hampshire from that day to this. Whether you watch weekly or want to join in for the big finish, get ready for these big Spring TV and streaming finales. After the nurse who declares that a recent surgical death was a murder dies also, an enigmatic Scotland Yard inspector arrives to investigate. Why Huston and Arnold were and are still claimed as the main stars... is really beyond me....they are clearly there as Supporting Actors to the Main Character... Jabez. Stephen Vincent Benét was born on 22nd July 1898 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. The story won the O. Henry Award. As for Webster, "He admitted all the wrong that had ever been done. It can raise many questions for perceptive readers. Check out our editors' picks for the best movies and shows coming this month. Directed and produced by William Dieterle at RKO after his triumphant Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Devil and Daniel Webster is the finest of the ambitious productions that followed in the wake of Citizen Kane. the devil replies, going on to list several wrongs done in the U.S., thereby demonstrating his presence in the U.S.. Classifying the jurors as "Americans" involves a wider definition, including all who had a part in its history – even those who lived and died as English subjects before 1775, the Loyalists who actively opposed the creation of the U.S., and those Indians (like King Philip) who interacted with the new civilization. Ma Stone is reading out loud from the book of Job, Jon M. Chu and Alan Yang on the legacy of Fresh Off The Boat, Criminal Minds Premiere Exclusive: Reid Is Losing It, Little Pine Weasel . A Barbary Coast saloonkeeper and a Nob Hill impresario are rivals for the affections of a beautiful singer, both personally and professionally in 1906 San Francisco. A farmer from the small town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, Jabez Stone, is plagued with unending bad luck, causing him to finally swear that "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" For seven years of good fortune, Stone promises "Mr. Scratch" his soul when the contract ends. Jean Holloway's adaptation aired on Hallmark Playhouse (CBS, June 10, 1948, 30 min); cast: John McIntire (Daniel Webster), Alan Reed (Mr. Scratch), Frank Goss (Jabez Stone). Stone is visited the next day by a stranger, who later identifies himself as "Mr. Scratch", and makes such an offer in exchange for seven years of prosperity. Primarily a poet, Stephen Vincent Benét won the Pulitzer Prize with his narrative poem of the Civil War, John Brown's Body.His interest in American themes is also represented in the short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster," which received unanimously the first prize in an O. Henry Memorial award competition. A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. Craig does an incredible job with this... parts of his performance toward the later half of the film.... are similar to the (still to come) work of James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life.... when both characters are desperate, caught in a nightmarish web... running from the house looking for 'Mary'. The narrative includes direct references to factual events in the life of Webster and his family. It was later published in book form by Farrar & Rinehart in 1937. Webster then laughs, "... and with that he drew back his foot for a kick that would have stunned a horse. Farmer Jabez Stone, from the small town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, is plagued with unending bad luck, causing him to finally swear "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" If you have any other question or need extra help, please feel free to … not strictly in accordance with the evidence, United States ex rel. (1941). The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. Orson Welles’ movie does, indeed, loom large over The Devil and Daniel Webster. William Dieterle's entertaining version of the noted Stephen Vincent Benet's story, about the Devil and Daniel Webster features a strong, Oscar nominated performance by Walter Huston. The film stars Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, James Craig, and Si… On this page you will find the solution to “The Devil and Daniel Webster” author crossword clue crossword clue. This question hasn't been answered yet Ask an expert. [citation needed] However, in reality many of the jury would not have classed themselves as Americans, as Governor Dale, Morton, Hathorne, and Blackbeard were English, and King Phillip was a Wampanoag. In desperation Webster thunders, "Mr. Stone is an American citizen, and no American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince. In New York, a woman who partially witnesses a killing from a train window seeks the aid of a crime novelist to solve the murder. We fought England for that in '12 and we'll fight all hell for it again!" 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' is a short story about a successful lawyer who believes you can win your soul back from the devil. The judge and jury disappear with the break of dawn. The show opened at Broadway’s St. James Theater on May 6, 1971 and closed two days later. The author of the short story is Stephen Vincent Benet and the genre of the story is a fantasy. Webster, as an experienced lawyer, would know that; presumably Mr. Scratch would have known that as well, but was confident that his hand-picked jury would do his bidding. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a 1936 short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, which in turn was based on the 1824 short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving.Both stories are based on the legend of Dr. Faustus.. Set in early-19th-century New Hampshire, the story centers around farmer Jabez Stone, a man on whom fortune has never shined and whom it has, in fact, laughed upon. The Devil and Daniel Webster Stone bargains for an additional three years; after the additional three years pass, Mr. Scratch refuses any further extension. Originally conceived as a musical collaboration with Bob Dylan, the collaboration fell apart due to creative differences between Dylan and MacLeish. Humankind "got tricked and trapped and bamboozled, but it was a great journey," something "no demon that was ever foaled" could ever understand. A group of professors working on a new encyclopedia encounter a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover. For Webster, freedom and independence defines manhood: "Yes, even in hell, if a man was a man, you'd know it.". When the devil arrives he is described as "a soft-spoken, dark-dressed stranger," who "drove up in a handsome buggy." The devil then provides the worst from Webster's perspective (and certainly, they are in Hell) examples of Americans for the judge and jury. [4], 1936 short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, This article is about the short story. Mr. Scratch agrees after Webster says that he can select the judge and jury, "so long as it is an American judge and an American jury." That same year, it won the O. Henry Award. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. The story may be seen as ambivalent on the treatment of the Native Americans. On Broadway very briefly, Scratch starred Will Geer in the title role and Patrick Magee as Webster. A young teen sells his soul to the Devil. The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet. The Devil and Daniel Webster 02/01/2020 Bill Hendrickson 8271 1 Comment The distressing spectacle in Washington, D.C., — with some Republican senators saying ‘President Trump has abused his office, but so what?’ – has made us think they never read “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” Written by Little Pine Weasel Plot Summary | Add Synopsis “The Devil and Daniel Webster” has a wide array of characters, each with a distinguished personality, yet an overall temperment that would be fitting of a New England community. The narrator also expresses sympathy for King Philip when he tells us that one juror "heard the cry of his lost nation" in Webster's eloquent appeal. For the film, see. Mr. Scratch tells Webster, "I shall call upon you, as a law-abiding citizen, to assist me in taking possession of my property," and so begins the argument. Later, there is this description "And when he talked of those enslaved, and the sorrows of slavery, his voice got like a big bell." Read Richard Burke poem:Jabez Stone was as unlucky as a man could be; His corn grew no higher than his boney knee; His potatoes no bigger than a single snap pea;. A nineteenth-century New Hampshire farmer who makes a pact with Satan for economic success enlists Daniel Webster to extract him from his contract. Webster's eloquence in swaying this supposedly unswayable jury is remarkable, but would have gone to no effect without the devil's pride-induced mistake in giving Webster a chance. The Devil and Daniel Webster (244) IMDb 7.6 1 h 46 min 1941 7+ Jabez Stone is a hard-working farmer trying to make an honest living, but a streak of bad luck tempts him to bargain with the Devil himself. They had all done evil, and had all played a part in the formation of the United States: After five other unnamed jurors enter (Benedict Arnold being out "on other business"), the judge enters last – John Hathorne, the infamous and unrepentant executor of the Salem witch trials. The Devil and Daniel Webster is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. Archibald MacLeish, a friend and associate of Benét's in the 1930s and until his death in 1943, also adapted the story as a play: Scratch (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971). He admits the wrongs done in the course of American history but points out that something new and good had grown from them and that "everybody had played a part in it, even the traitors." Webster." Few films have had as exalted, or as tumultuous, a history as The Devil and Daniel Webster. Huston deserved his nomination, but it is without a doubt a supporting role, as is Arnold's. After seven years, Mr. Scratch comes for Stone's soul. A color videorecording of the production aired two years later on Breck Golden Showcase (CBS, Apr 30, 1962).[3]. They admit, "Perhaps 'tis not strictly in accordance with the evidence,[2] but even the damned may salute the eloquence of Mr. At midnight of the appointed date, Mr. Scratch arrives and is greeted by Webster, presenting himself as Stone's attorney. The Devil and Webster is a slow burn campus novel from the perspective of a feminist scholar college president who discovers that ideals and protest are not as clear cut as she once thought. When Mr. Scratch comes to collect, orator and hero of the common man Daniel Webster comes to the rescue. I'm often called that in these regions." Benét's story centers on a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the devil and is defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the famous 19th-century American statesman, lawyer and orator. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? This clue was last seen on April 30 2020 on New York Times’s Crossword. The names Benét gives the devil—Mr. I love the moment when, having heard his wife is pregnant... he stares out the window hypnotically, and says almost to himself... "a son, an heir, money"... a marvelous glimpse of the corruption building within... a marvelous underrated performance. In this scene Daniel Webster addresses a jury of the damned, all villains of American history. A point sometimes not known or appreciated by the reader is that, by agreeing to a jury trial under common law, Mr. Scratch has also agreed to be bound by the rule that a jury is the exclusive judge of both the facts and the law; as such, even in the face of overwhelming evidence favoring the plaintiff (such as the contract Mr. Scratch had with Stone) the jury could find for the defendant, acting as a sort of local law-making body with the power to suspend the law in this case (this can only be done for acquittals; convictions must be done strictly according to the law and the evidence). True story of the doctor who considered it was not immoral to search for a drug that would cure syphillis. He foretells (actual) events in Webster's future, including his failure to become President (an actual ambition of his), the death of Webster's sons (which happened in the American Civil War) and the backlash of his last speech, warning "Some will call you Ichabod" (as in John Greenleaf Whittier's poem in reaction to Webster's controversial Seventh of March speech supporting the Compromise of 1850 that incorporated the Fugitive Slave Act, with many in the North calling Webster a traitor). Displaying The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. In Daniel's speech "He was talking about the things that make a country a country, and a man a man" rather than legal points of the case. An ex-convict and a woman fall in love, after she shoots her police Lt. boyfriend dead in self defense, and falsely leads him to believe that he did the shooting. An escaped prisoner has to prove his innocence to a stuffy law professor with the help of a spirited school teacher. Scratch underlines this definition by saying of the jury "Americans all". The real Daniel Webster was willing to compromise on slavery in favor of keeping the Union together, disappointing some radical abolitionists, but he held that only the preservation of the Union could keep anti-slavery forces active in the slave areas. He speaks passionately of how wonderful it is to be human and to be an American. The Devil and Daniel Webster is a 1941 fantasy film, adapted by Stephen Vincent Benét and Dan Totheroh from Benét's 1936 short story, "The Devil and Daniel Webster". The jury announces its verdict: "We find for the defendant, Jabez Stone." Benét adapted his story as a play, The Devil and Daniel Webster: A Play in One Act (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1938), and also as a folk opera, The Devil and Daniel Webster: An Opera in One Act (New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1939), music by Douglas Moore (Moore and Benét had earlier collaborated on an operetta, The Headless Horseman [1937], based on Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" [1820]). Webster starts to orate on simple and good things – "the freshness of a fine morning...the taste of food when you're hungry...the new day that's every day when you're a child" – and how "without freedom, they sickened." Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. View production, box office, & company info. Earlier, he states flatly "A man is not a piece of property." The main character is Jabez Stone, a wealthy New England statesman whose possition was the state senator of New Hampshire. The Question and Answer section for The Devil and Daniel Webster is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" by Stephen Vincent Benét “It’s a story they tell in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire.”* * “The Devil and Daniel Webster” by … This FAQ is empty. This theme of American patriotism, freedom and independence is the explanation for Webster's victory: the jury is damned to hell, but they are American and therefore so independent that they can resist the devil. Edward Arnold again played Daniel Webster for The Prudential Family Hour of Stars (CBS, Sept. 18, 1949, 30 min). I have always thought this speech one of the most eloquent statements of … Question: Compare And Contrast 2 Short Stories: The Devil And Daniel Webster- Characterize Daniel Webster Characterize Jabez Stone Characterize Old Scratch The Devil And Tom Walker: Characterize Tom Walker Characterize Old Scratch. The narrative includes direct references to factual events in the life of Webster and his family. All the praise about Huston, Arnold, Herrmann's score, etc... is richly deserved... but I'd like to finally get it out there... that the STAR of the movie... the character that this film is about... is Jabez Stone... played by James Craig. The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. Daniel Webster defends a man in court named Jabez Stone. But by doing so, he has put his contract within the reach of the Common Law used in America, under which a jury can enter whatever verdict it likes, regardless of the law. Webster then grabs the stranger and twists his arm behind his back, "for he knew that once you bested anybody like Mr. Scratch in fair fight, his power on you was gone." "And who with better right?" The story appeared in The Saturday Evening Post (October 24, 1936) and was published in book form by Farrar & Rinehart the following year. Howard Teichmann and Robert L. Richards abridged and adapted the screenplay. The Devil and Daniel Webster Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. The devil says "I am merely an honest American like yourself — and of the best descent — for, to tell the truth, Mr. Webster, though I don't like to boast of it, my name is older in this country than yours. A jury of the damned then enters, "with the fires of hell still upon them." Search for "The Devil and Daniel Webster" on Amazon.com, Title: Had a 'major' actor in 1941 been cast.. .a Gary Cooper or Henry Fonda... they would have had top billing, and possibly nominated for the Oscar. One of the best films of the 1940's. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. Which brings us to Stephen Vincent Benét’s short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” Stephen Vincent Benét The Plot. Jabez Stone of Cross Corners, New Hampshire is a man of little luck, until, with his wife and children ill and a whitlow on his own thumb, he barks : Written by The author also adapted it in 1938 into a folk opera with music by Douglas Stuart Moore, a fellow Yale University alumnus. The devil is portrayed as polite and refined. When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck." Comparison between The Devil and Daniel Webster and the earlier preview version of the film, Here Is a Man; The Columbia Workshop’s radio dramatizations of Stephen Vincent Benét’s short stories “The Devil and Daniel Webster” and “Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent,” both featuring music by … An Academy Award-winning 1941 film first released under the title All That Money Can Buy, starring Edward Arnold as Daniel, Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch, James Craig as Jabez Stone, and Simone Simon as Belle. Wanting out of the deal, Stone convinces famous lawyer and orator Daniel Webster to accept his case. Webster makes him agree "never to bother Jabez Stone nor his heirs or assigns nor any other New Hampshire man till doomsday!". "King Philip, wild and proud as he had been in life, with the great gash in his head that gave him his death wound" is noted as a notorious villain of American history (the historical King Philip (Metacomet), died from a gunshot to the heart, not a gash to the head). Was this review helpful to you? It's a story they tell in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire. Love blooms between a sympathetic attorney and the comely shoplifter he has taken home for the Christmas holiday. And everybody had played a part in it, even the traitors.". Scratch. Gerald Mayo v. Satan and His Staff, "CTVA US Anthology - "Sunday Showcase" (NBC)(1959-60)", "Bob Dylan's First Musical Had a Devil of a Time", "Simpsons scripts: Treehouse of Horror IV (1F04) — Simpsons Crazy", "Watch The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 5 - Treehouse of Horror IV full episodes cartoon online", "Tripping the Rift - 01x05 - Devil and a Guy Named Webster - Video Dailymotion", "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Netflix Official Site", Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Devil_and_Daniel_Webster&oldid=1021140496, Adaptations of works by Washington Irving, Works originally published in The Saturday Evening Post, Fictional characters who have made pacts with devils, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2007, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Reverend John Smeet (a purely fictional character), This page was last edited on 3 May 2021, at 03:26. The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Jabez Stone, a New Hampshire farmer, receives a decade of material wealth in return for selling his soul to the Devil—Mr. The devil has overreached himself, agreeing to a jury trial out of pride in his unbreakable contract. It has also been released under the titles Mr. Scratch, Daniel and the Devil and Here Is a Man. This is an anachronism, as the historical Daniel Webster was closer to the events and would have been unlikely to express such an opinion. The Devil and Daniel Webster Questions and Answers. A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. But he showed how, out of the wrong and the right, the suffering and the starvations, something new had come. Yet later on, Daniel Webster's appeal to the jury on "what it means to be American" specifically includes King Philip among "the Americans". I'm not talking about Massachusetts or Vermont. 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' is a short story about a successful lawyer who believes you can win your soul back from the devil. This desire to end the institution was a mainspring of his support for the Union. Certificate: Passed Webster takes the predictions in stride and asks only if the Union will prevail. He is a long forgotten actor now, but his performance is the center of the film. “The Devil and Daniel Webster” has a wide array of characters, each with a distinguished personality, yet an overall temperament that would be fitting of a New England community. Each of these adaptations used the original story title, unless otherwise indicated: Charles R. Jackson's adaptation aired on Columbia Workshop (CBS, Aug. 6, 1938, 30 min), with music by Bernard Herrmann. What Does Sierra Mean In French, Because I Got A Girl, Blueface Best Songs, Zany And Outrageously Meaning, All Out Of Love, Storm Of Zehir, Hooklift Dumpster Manufacturers, " /> . Phil Reisman, Jr. adapted the story for a live television performance of "The Devil and Daniel Webster" on Breck Sunday Showcase (NBC, Feb 14, 1960, 60 min), starring Edward G. Robinson (Daniel Webster), David Wayne (Mr. Scratch), and Tim O'Connor (Jabez Stone). The trial is rigged against Webster. Shortcut to Happiness, is a modernized version set in the publishing world, starring Anthony Hopkins as a publisher named Daniel Webster, Alec Baldwin as a bestselling but terrible author named Jabez Stone, and Jennifer Love Hewitt as a female version of the devil. Butler and Girty would have called themselves Americans – and indeed were Americans – but they were Loyalists, and Webster might not have intended any but U.S. citizens. It first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on the 24 th of October, 1936. These ambiguities probably reflect ambivalent perceptions of this aspect of American history in the 20th century at the time of writing, rather than at the time when the story is supposed to take place. When Mr. Scratch comes to collect, orator and hero of the common man Daniel Webster comes to the rescue. Two years later it reappeared as a one-act folk opera by Benét and composer Douglas Moore. The Devil and Daniel Webster, often-anthologized short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, published in 1937. Yes, Dan'l Webster's dead—or, at least, they buried him. An unscrupulous movie producer uses an actress, a director and a writer to achieve success. ", Patriotism is a main theme in the story: Webster claims that the Devil cannot take the soul because he cannot claim American citizenship. This most recent version was made in 2001, but never had a wide theatrical release. THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER by Stephen Vincent Benét, 1937. 32 of 39 people found this review helpful. In his speech, Webster denounces slavery. Use the HTML below. Webster states "If two New Hampshiremen aren't a match for the devil, we might as well give the country back to the Indians." Webster demands a trial as the right of every American. Benét acknowledges the evil by having the devil say: "When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there. Walter Huston again reprised his 1941 film role in the "All That Money Can Buy" episode of Theatre Guild on the Air (NBC, April 30, 1950, 60 min); Cornel Wilde and Martha Scott co-starred. It was only the tip of his shoe that caught the stranger, but he went flying out of the door with his collecting box under his arm ... And he hasn't been seen in the state of New Hampshire from that day to this. Whether you watch weekly or want to join in for the big finish, get ready for these big Spring TV and streaming finales. After the nurse who declares that a recent surgical death was a murder dies also, an enigmatic Scotland Yard inspector arrives to investigate. Why Huston and Arnold were and are still claimed as the main stars... is really beyond me....they are clearly there as Supporting Actors to the Main Character... Jabez. Stephen Vincent Benét was born on 22nd July 1898 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. The story won the O. Henry Award. As for Webster, "He admitted all the wrong that had ever been done. It can raise many questions for perceptive readers. Check out our editors' picks for the best movies and shows coming this month. Directed and produced by William Dieterle at RKO after his triumphant Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Devil and Daniel Webster is the finest of the ambitious productions that followed in the wake of Citizen Kane. the devil replies, going on to list several wrongs done in the U.S., thereby demonstrating his presence in the U.S.. Classifying the jurors as "Americans" involves a wider definition, including all who had a part in its history – even those who lived and died as English subjects before 1775, the Loyalists who actively opposed the creation of the U.S., and those Indians (like King Philip) who interacted with the new civilization. Ma Stone is reading out loud from the book of Job, Jon M. Chu and Alan Yang on the legacy of Fresh Off The Boat, Criminal Minds Premiere Exclusive: Reid Is Losing It, Little Pine Weasel . A Barbary Coast saloonkeeper and a Nob Hill impresario are rivals for the affections of a beautiful singer, both personally and professionally in 1906 San Francisco. A farmer from the small town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, Jabez Stone, is plagued with unending bad luck, causing him to finally swear that "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" For seven years of good fortune, Stone promises "Mr. Scratch" his soul when the contract ends. Jean Holloway's adaptation aired on Hallmark Playhouse (CBS, June 10, 1948, 30 min); cast: John McIntire (Daniel Webster), Alan Reed (Mr. Scratch), Frank Goss (Jabez Stone). Stone is visited the next day by a stranger, who later identifies himself as "Mr. Scratch", and makes such an offer in exchange for seven years of prosperity. Primarily a poet, Stephen Vincent Benét won the Pulitzer Prize with his narrative poem of the Civil War, John Brown's Body.His interest in American themes is also represented in the short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster," which received unanimously the first prize in an O. Henry Memorial award competition. A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. Craig does an incredible job with this... parts of his performance toward the later half of the film.... are similar to the (still to come) work of James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life.... when both characters are desperate, caught in a nightmarish web... running from the house looking for 'Mary'. The narrative includes direct references to factual events in the life of Webster and his family. It was later published in book form by Farrar & Rinehart in 1937. Webster then laughs, "... and with that he drew back his foot for a kick that would have stunned a horse. Farmer Jabez Stone, from the small town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, is plagued with unending bad luck, causing him to finally swear "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" If you have any other question or need extra help, please feel free to … not strictly in accordance with the evidence, United States ex rel. (1941). The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. Orson Welles’ movie does, indeed, loom large over The Devil and Daniel Webster. William Dieterle's entertaining version of the noted Stephen Vincent Benet's story, about the Devil and Daniel Webster features a strong, Oscar nominated performance by Walter Huston. The film stars Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, James Craig, and Si… On this page you will find the solution to “The Devil and Daniel Webster” author crossword clue crossword clue. This question hasn't been answered yet Ask an expert. [citation needed] However, in reality many of the jury would not have classed themselves as Americans, as Governor Dale, Morton, Hathorne, and Blackbeard were English, and King Phillip was a Wampanoag. In desperation Webster thunders, "Mr. Stone is an American citizen, and no American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince. In New York, a woman who partially witnesses a killing from a train window seeks the aid of a crime novelist to solve the murder. We fought England for that in '12 and we'll fight all hell for it again!" 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' is a short story about a successful lawyer who believes you can win your soul back from the devil. The judge and jury disappear with the break of dawn. The show opened at Broadway’s St. James Theater on May 6, 1971 and closed two days later. The author of the short story is Stephen Vincent Benet and the genre of the story is a fantasy. Webster, as an experienced lawyer, would know that; presumably Mr. Scratch would have known that as well, but was confident that his hand-picked jury would do his bidding. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a 1936 short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, which in turn was based on the 1824 short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving.Both stories are based on the legend of Dr. Faustus.. Set in early-19th-century New Hampshire, the story centers around farmer Jabez Stone, a man on whom fortune has never shined and whom it has, in fact, laughed upon. The Devil and Daniel Webster Stone bargains for an additional three years; after the additional three years pass, Mr. Scratch refuses any further extension. Originally conceived as a musical collaboration with Bob Dylan, the collaboration fell apart due to creative differences between Dylan and MacLeish. Humankind "got tricked and trapped and bamboozled, but it was a great journey," something "no demon that was ever foaled" could ever understand. A group of professors working on a new encyclopedia encounter a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover. For Webster, freedom and independence defines manhood: "Yes, even in hell, if a man was a man, you'd know it.". When the devil arrives he is described as "a soft-spoken, dark-dressed stranger," who "drove up in a handsome buggy." The devil then provides the worst from Webster's perspective (and certainly, they are in Hell) examples of Americans for the judge and jury. [4], 1936 short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, This article is about the short story. Mr. Scratch agrees after Webster says that he can select the judge and jury, "so long as it is an American judge and an American jury." That same year, it won the O. Henry Award. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. The story may be seen as ambivalent on the treatment of the Native Americans. On Broadway very briefly, Scratch starred Will Geer in the title role and Patrick Magee as Webster. A young teen sells his soul to the Devil. The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet. The Devil and Daniel Webster 02/01/2020 Bill Hendrickson 8271 1 Comment The distressing spectacle in Washington, D.C., — with some Republican senators saying ‘President Trump has abused his office, but so what?’ – has made us think they never read “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” Written by Little Pine Weasel Plot Summary | Add Synopsis “The Devil and Daniel Webster” has a wide array of characters, each with a distinguished personality, yet an overall temperment that would be fitting of a New England community. The narrator also expresses sympathy for King Philip when he tells us that one juror "heard the cry of his lost nation" in Webster's eloquent appeal. For the film, see. Mr. Scratch tells Webster, "I shall call upon you, as a law-abiding citizen, to assist me in taking possession of my property," and so begins the argument. Later, there is this description "And when he talked of those enslaved, and the sorrows of slavery, his voice got like a big bell." Read Richard Burke poem:Jabez Stone was as unlucky as a man could be; His corn grew no higher than his boney knee; His potatoes no bigger than a single snap pea;. A nineteenth-century New Hampshire farmer who makes a pact with Satan for economic success enlists Daniel Webster to extract him from his contract. Webster's eloquence in swaying this supposedly unswayable jury is remarkable, but would have gone to no effect without the devil's pride-induced mistake in giving Webster a chance. The Devil and Daniel Webster (244) IMDb 7.6 1 h 46 min 1941 7+ Jabez Stone is a hard-working farmer trying to make an honest living, but a streak of bad luck tempts him to bargain with the Devil himself. They had all done evil, and had all played a part in the formation of the United States: After five other unnamed jurors enter (Benedict Arnold being out "on other business"), the judge enters last – John Hathorne, the infamous and unrepentant executor of the Salem witch trials. The Devil and Daniel Webster is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. Archibald MacLeish, a friend and associate of Benét's in the 1930s and until his death in 1943, also adapted the story as a play: Scratch (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971). He admits the wrongs done in the course of American history but points out that something new and good had grown from them and that "everybody had played a part in it, even the traitors." Webster." Few films have had as exalted, or as tumultuous, a history as The Devil and Daniel Webster. Huston deserved his nomination, but it is without a doubt a supporting role, as is Arnold's. After seven years, Mr. Scratch comes for Stone's soul. A color videorecording of the production aired two years later on Breck Golden Showcase (CBS, Apr 30, 1962).[3]. They admit, "Perhaps 'tis not strictly in accordance with the evidence,[2] but even the damned may salute the eloquence of Mr. At midnight of the appointed date, Mr. Scratch arrives and is greeted by Webster, presenting himself as Stone's attorney. The Devil and Webster is a slow burn campus novel from the perspective of a feminist scholar college president who discovers that ideals and protest are not as clear cut as she once thought. When Mr. Scratch comes to collect, orator and hero of the common man Daniel Webster comes to the rescue. I'm often called that in these regions." Benét's story centers on a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the devil and is defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the famous 19th-century American statesman, lawyer and orator. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? This clue was last seen on April 30 2020 on New York Times’s Crossword. The names Benét gives the devil—Mr. I love the moment when, having heard his wife is pregnant... he stares out the window hypnotically, and says almost to himself... "a son, an heir, money"... a marvelous glimpse of the corruption building within... a marvelous underrated performance. In this scene Daniel Webster addresses a jury of the damned, all villains of American history. A point sometimes not known or appreciated by the reader is that, by agreeing to a jury trial under common law, Mr. Scratch has also agreed to be bound by the rule that a jury is the exclusive judge of both the facts and the law; as such, even in the face of overwhelming evidence favoring the plaintiff (such as the contract Mr. Scratch had with Stone) the jury could find for the defendant, acting as a sort of local law-making body with the power to suspend the law in this case (this can only be done for acquittals; convictions must be done strictly according to the law and the evidence). True story of the doctor who considered it was not immoral to search for a drug that would cure syphillis. He foretells (actual) events in Webster's future, including his failure to become President (an actual ambition of his), the death of Webster's sons (which happened in the American Civil War) and the backlash of his last speech, warning "Some will call you Ichabod" (as in John Greenleaf Whittier's poem in reaction to Webster's controversial Seventh of March speech supporting the Compromise of 1850 that incorporated the Fugitive Slave Act, with many in the North calling Webster a traitor). Displaying The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. In Daniel's speech "He was talking about the things that make a country a country, and a man a man" rather than legal points of the case. An ex-convict and a woman fall in love, after she shoots her police Lt. boyfriend dead in self defense, and falsely leads him to believe that he did the shooting. An escaped prisoner has to prove his innocence to a stuffy law professor with the help of a spirited school teacher. Scratch underlines this definition by saying of the jury "Americans all". The real Daniel Webster was willing to compromise on slavery in favor of keeping the Union together, disappointing some radical abolitionists, but he held that only the preservation of the Union could keep anti-slavery forces active in the slave areas. He speaks passionately of how wonderful it is to be human and to be an American. The Devil and Daniel Webster is a 1941 fantasy film, adapted by Stephen Vincent Benét and Dan Totheroh from Benét's 1936 short story, "The Devil and Daniel Webster". The jury announces its verdict: "We find for the defendant, Jabez Stone." Benét adapted his story as a play, The Devil and Daniel Webster: A Play in One Act (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1938), and also as a folk opera, The Devil and Daniel Webster: An Opera in One Act (New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1939), music by Douglas Moore (Moore and Benét had earlier collaborated on an operetta, The Headless Horseman [1937], based on Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" [1820]). Webster starts to orate on simple and good things – "the freshness of a fine morning...the taste of food when you're hungry...the new day that's every day when you're a child" – and how "without freedom, they sickened." Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. View production, box office, & company info. Earlier, he states flatly "A man is not a piece of property." The main character is Jabez Stone, a wealthy New England statesman whose possition was the state senator of New Hampshire. The Question and Answer section for The Devil and Daniel Webster is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" by Stephen Vincent Benét “It’s a story they tell in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire.”* * “The Devil and Daniel Webster” by … This FAQ is empty. This theme of American patriotism, freedom and independence is the explanation for Webster's victory: the jury is damned to hell, but they are American and therefore so independent that they can resist the devil. Edward Arnold again played Daniel Webster for The Prudential Family Hour of Stars (CBS, Sept. 18, 1949, 30 min). I have always thought this speech one of the most eloquent statements of … Question: Compare And Contrast 2 Short Stories: The Devil And Daniel Webster- Characterize Daniel Webster Characterize Jabez Stone Characterize Old Scratch The Devil And Tom Walker: Characterize Tom Walker Characterize Old Scratch. The narrative includes direct references to factual events in the life of Webster and his family. All the praise about Huston, Arnold, Herrmann's score, etc... is richly deserved... but I'd like to finally get it out there... that the STAR of the movie... the character that this film is about... is Jabez Stone... played by James Craig. The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. Daniel Webster defends a man in court named Jabez Stone. But by doing so, he has put his contract within the reach of the Common Law used in America, under which a jury can enter whatever verdict it likes, regardless of the law. Webster then grabs the stranger and twists his arm behind his back, "for he knew that once you bested anybody like Mr. Scratch in fair fight, his power on you was gone." "And who with better right?" The story appeared in The Saturday Evening Post (October 24, 1936) and was published in book form by Farrar & Rinehart the following year. Howard Teichmann and Robert L. Richards abridged and adapted the screenplay. The Devil and Daniel Webster Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. The devil says "I am merely an honest American like yourself — and of the best descent — for, to tell the truth, Mr. Webster, though I don't like to boast of it, my name is older in this country than yours. A jury of the damned then enters, "with the fires of hell still upon them." Search for "The Devil and Daniel Webster" on Amazon.com, Title: Had a 'major' actor in 1941 been cast.. .a Gary Cooper or Henry Fonda... they would have had top billing, and possibly nominated for the Oscar. One of the best films of the 1940's. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. Which brings us to Stephen Vincent Benét’s short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” Stephen Vincent Benét The Plot. Jabez Stone of Cross Corners, New Hampshire is a man of little luck, until, with his wife and children ill and a whitlow on his own thumb, he barks : Written by The author also adapted it in 1938 into a folk opera with music by Douglas Stuart Moore, a fellow Yale University alumnus. The devil is portrayed as polite and refined. When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck." Comparison between The Devil and Daniel Webster and the earlier preview version of the film, Here Is a Man; The Columbia Workshop’s radio dramatizations of Stephen Vincent Benét’s short stories “The Devil and Daniel Webster” and “Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent,” both featuring music by … An Academy Award-winning 1941 film first released under the title All That Money Can Buy, starring Edward Arnold as Daniel, Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch, James Craig as Jabez Stone, and Simone Simon as Belle. Wanting out of the deal, Stone convinces famous lawyer and orator Daniel Webster to accept his case. Webster makes him agree "never to bother Jabez Stone nor his heirs or assigns nor any other New Hampshire man till doomsday!". "King Philip, wild and proud as he had been in life, with the great gash in his head that gave him his death wound" is noted as a notorious villain of American history (the historical King Philip (Metacomet), died from a gunshot to the heart, not a gash to the head). Was this review helpful to you? It's a story they tell in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire. Love blooms between a sympathetic attorney and the comely shoplifter he has taken home for the Christmas holiday. And everybody had played a part in it, even the traitors.". Scratch. Gerald Mayo v. Satan and His Staff, "CTVA US Anthology - "Sunday Showcase" (NBC)(1959-60)", "Bob Dylan's First Musical Had a Devil of a Time", "Simpsons scripts: Treehouse of Horror IV (1F04) — Simpsons Crazy", "Watch The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 5 - Treehouse of Horror IV full episodes cartoon online", "Tripping the Rift - 01x05 - Devil and a Guy Named Webster - Video Dailymotion", "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Netflix Official Site", Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Devil_and_Daniel_Webster&oldid=1021140496, Adaptations of works by Washington Irving, Works originally published in The Saturday Evening Post, Fictional characters who have made pacts with devils, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2007, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Reverend John Smeet (a purely fictional character), This page was last edited on 3 May 2021, at 03:26. The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Jabez Stone, a New Hampshire farmer, receives a decade of material wealth in return for selling his soul to the Devil—Mr. The devil has overreached himself, agreeing to a jury trial out of pride in his unbreakable contract. It has also been released under the titles Mr. Scratch, Daniel and the Devil and Here Is a Man. This is an anachronism, as the historical Daniel Webster was closer to the events and would have been unlikely to express such an opinion. The Devil and Daniel Webster Questions and Answers. A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. But he showed how, out of the wrong and the right, the suffering and the starvations, something new had come. Yet later on, Daniel Webster's appeal to the jury on "what it means to be American" specifically includes King Philip among "the Americans". I'm not talking about Massachusetts or Vermont. 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' is a short story about a successful lawyer who believes you can win your soul back from the devil. This desire to end the institution was a mainspring of his support for the Union. Certificate: Passed Webster takes the predictions in stride and asks only if the Union will prevail. He is a long forgotten actor now, but his performance is the center of the film. “The Devil and Daniel Webster” has a wide array of characters, each with a distinguished personality, yet an overall temperament that would be fitting of a New England community. Each of these adaptations used the original story title, unless otherwise indicated: Charles R. Jackson's adaptation aired on Columbia Workshop (CBS, Aug. 6, 1938, 30 min), with music by Bernard Herrmann. 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the devil and daniel webster

Scratch or the stranger—were both used around New England and other parts of the pre-Civil War United States: "Perhaps Scratch will do for the evening. Drama. However, the stranger/Satan remarks that "When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there", which implies the author's acknowledgement that the Indians were sometimes wronged. But every time there's a thunder storm around Marshfield, they say you can hear his rolling voice in the hollows of the sky. 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. Stephen Vincent Benet was born … Comedy, Certificate: Passed The poet Stephen Vincent Benet’s short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster” is a classic that everyone can enjoy, and it makes us think. A scene from the classic movie, The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), based upon the short story by Stephen Vincent Benet, in which Daniel Webster bests Satan in a jury trial to save the soul of New Hampshireman Jabez Stone. Mr. Scratch congratulates Webster, and the contract is torn up. The short story’s main character is a lawyer named Daniel Webster. Scratch reluctantly admits that, although a war will be fought over the issue, the United States will remain united. He is ready to rage, without care for himself or Stone, but he catches himself: he sees in the jurors' eyes that they want him to act thus. talks about people on the devil’s trials is called “ The Devil and Daniel Webster”. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Vincent Benet's Faust-influenced but distinctly American short story and screenplay, The Devil and Daniel Webster, which has also been adapted for the stage and turned into an opera. [citation needed]. These terms are taken primarily from "The Devil and Tom Walker" (1824) by Washington Irving, who usually calls the devil Old Scratch. A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. After being fished out of the sea by a sailer, three fugitives find themselves prisoners of the ship's brutal skipper who refuses to put them ashore and they hatch an escape plan during a crew mutiny. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. Add the first question. Like many tales about the good vs. the evil, the evil mostly steals the show from the good in "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1941), a cautionary moral tale based on Stephen Vincent Benét's short story which is sort of a New England version of the tale of Faust. Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, and James Craig reprised their 1941 film roles in the "All That Money Can Buy" episode of Cavalcade of America (NBC Red Network, Oct. 20, 1941, 30 min). Stone agrees. Newlyweds Gil and Lana Martin try to establish a farm in the Mohawk Valley but are menaced by Indians and Tories as the Revolutionary War begins. The Devil And Daniel Webster Poem by Richard Burke. Benét's story centers on a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the devil and is defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the famous 19th-century American statesman, lawyer and orator. Mr. Scratch offers to tell Webster's fortune in his palm. ", Webster insists on a jury trial as an American right, with Americans for the jury and an American judge. Little Pine Weasel . Phil Reisman, Jr. adapted the story for a live television performance of "The Devil and Daniel Webster" on Breck Sunday Showcase (NBC, Feb 14, 1960, 60 min), starring Edward G. Robinson (Daniel Webster), David Wayne (Mr. Scratch), and Tim O'Connor (Jabez Stone). The trial is rigged against Webster. Shortcut to Happiness, is a modernized version set in the publishing world, starring Anthony Hopkins as a publisher named Daniel Webster, Alec Baldwin as a bestselling but terrible author named Jabez Stone, and Jennifer Love Hewitt as a female version of the devil. Butler and Girty would have called themselves Americans – and indeed were Americans – but they were Loyalists, and Webster might not have intended any but U.S. citizens. It first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on the 24 th of October, 1936. These ambiguities probably reflect ambivalent perceptions of this aspect of American history in the 20th century at the time of writing, rather than at the time when the story is supposed to take place. When Mr. Scratch comes to collect, orator and hero of the common man Daniel Webster comes to the rescue. Two years later it reappeared as a one-act folk opera by Benét and composer Douglas Moore. The Devil and Daniel Webster, often-anthologized short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, published in 1937. Yes, Dan'l Webster's dead—or, at least, they buried him. An unscrupulous movie producer uses an actress, a director and a writer to achieve success. ", Patriotism is a main theme in the story: Webster claims that the Devil cannot take the soul because he cannot claim American citizenship. This most recent version was made in 2001, but never had a wide theatrical release. THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER by Stephen Vincent Benét, 1937. 32 of 39 people found this review helpful. In his speech, Webster denounces slavery. Use the HTML below. Webster states "If two New Hampshiremen aren't a match for the devil, we might as well give the country back to the Indians." Webster demands a trial as the right of every American. Benét acknowledges the evil by having the devil say: "When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there. Walter Huston again reprised his 1941 film role in the "All That Money Can Buy" episode of Theatre Guild on the Air (NBC, April 30, 1950, 60 min); Cornel Wilde and Martha Scott co-starred. It was only the tip of his shoe that caught the stranger, but he went flying out of the door with his collecting box under his arm ... And he hasn't been seen in the state of New Hampshire from that day to this. Whether you watch weekly or want to join in for the big finish, get ready for these big Spring TV and streaming finales. After the nurse who declares that a recent surgical death was a murder dies also, an enigmatic Scotland Yard inspector arrives to investigate. Why Huston and Arnold were and are still claimed as the main stars... is really beyond me....they are clearly there as Supporting Actors to the Main Character... Jabez. Stephen Vincent Benét was born on 22nd July 1898 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. The story won the O. Henry Award. As for Webster, "He admitted all the wrong that had ever been done. It can raise many questions for perceptive readers. Check out our editors' picks for the best movies and shows coming this month. Directed and produced by William Dieterle at RKO after his triumphant Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Devil and Daniel Webster is the finest of the ambitious productions that followed in the wake of Citizen Kane. the devil replies, going on to list several wrongs done in the U.S., thereby demonstrating his presence in the U.S.. Classifying the jurors as "Americans" involves a wider definition, including all who had a part in its history – even those who lived and died as English subjects before 1775, the Loyalists who actively opposed the creation of the U.S., and those Indians (like King Philip) who interacted with the new civilization. Ma Stone is reading out loud from the book of Job, Jon M. Chu and Alan Yang on the legacy of Fresh Off The Boat, Criminal Minds Premiere Exclusive: Reid Is Losing It, Little Pine Weasel . A Barbary Coast saloonkeeper and a Nob Hill impresario are rivals for the affections of a beautiful singer, both personally and professionally in 1906 San Francisco. A farmer from the small town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, Jabez Stone, is plagued with unending bad luck, causing him to finally swear that "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" For seven years of good fortune, Stone promises "Mr. Scratch" his soul when the contract ends. Jean Holloway's adaptation aired on Hallmark Playhouse (CBS, June 10, 1948, 30 min); cast: John McIntire (Daniel Webster), Alan Reed (Mr. Scratch), Frank Goss (Jabez Stone). Stone is visited the next day by a stranger, who later identifies himself as "Mr. Scratch", and makes such an offer in exchange for seven years of prosperity. Primarily a poet, Stephen Vincent Benét won the Pulitzer Prize with his narrative poem of the Civil War, John Brown's Body.His interest in American themes is also represented in the short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster," which received unanimously the first prize in an O. Henry Memorial award competition. A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. Craig does an incredible job with this... parts of his performance toward the later half of the film.... are similar to the (still to come) work of James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life.... when both characters are desperate, caught in a nightmarish web... running from the house looking for 'Mary'. The narrative includes direct references to factual events in the life of Webster and his family. It was later published in book form by Farrar & Rinehart in 1937. Webster then laughs, "... and with that he drew back his foot for a kick that would have stunned a horse. Farmer Jabez Stone, from the small town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, is plagued with unending bad luck, causing him to finally swear "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" If you have any other question or need extra help, please feel free to … not strictly in accordance with the evidence, United States ex rel. (1941). The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. Orson Welles’ movie does, indeed, loom large over The Devil and Daniel Webster. William Dieterle's entertaining version of the noted Stephen Vincent Benet's story, about the Devil and Daniel Webster features a strong, Oscar nominated performance by Walter Huston. The film stars Edward Arnold, Walter Huston, James Craig, and Si… On this page you will find the solution to “The Devil and Daniel Webster” author crossword clue crossword clue. This question hasn't been answered yet Ask an expert. [citation needed] However, in reality many of the jury would not have classed themselves as Americans, as Governor Dale, Morton, Hathorne, and Blackbeard were English, and King Phillip was a Wampanoag. In desperation Webster thunders, "Mr. Stone is an American citizen, and no American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince. In New York, a woman who partially witnesses a killing from a train window seeks the aid of a crime novelist to solve the murder. We fought England for that in '12 and we'll fight all hell for it again!" 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' is a short story about a successful lawyer who believes you can win your soul back from the devil. The judge and jury disappear with the break of dawn. The show opened at Broadway’s St. James Theater on May 6, 1971 and closed two days later. The author of the short story is Stephen Vincent Benet and the genre of the story is a fantasy. Webster, as an experienced lawyer, would know that; presumably Mr. Scratch would have known that as well, but was confident that his hand-picked jury would do his bidding. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a 1936 short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, which in turn was based on the 1824 short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving.Both stories are based on the legend of Dr. Faustus.. Set in early-19th-century New Hampshire, the story centers around farmer Jabez Stone, a man on whom fortune has never shined and whom it has, in fact, laughed upon. The Devil and Daniel Webster Stone bargains for an additional three years; after the additional three years pass, Mr. Scratch refuses any further extension. Originally conceived as a musical collaboration with Bob Dylan, the collaboration fell apart due to creative differences between Dylan and MacLeish. Humankind "got tricked and trapped and bamboozled, but it was a great journey," something "no demon that was ever foaled" could ever understand. A group of professors working on a new encyclopedia encounter a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover. For Webster, freedom and independence defines manhood: "Yes, even in hell, if a man was a man, you'd know it.". When the devil arrives he is described as "a soft-spoken, dark-dressed stranger," who "drove up in a handsome buggy." The devil then provides the worst from Webster's perspective (and certainly, they are in Hell) examples of Americans for the judge and jury. [4], 1936 short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, This article is about the short story. Mr. Scratch agrees after Webster says that he can select the judge and jury, "so long as it is an American judge and an American jury." That same year, it won the O. Henry Award. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. The story may be seen as ambivalent on the treatment of the Native Americans. On Broadway very briefly, Scratch starred Will Geer in the title role and Patrick Magee as Webster. A young teen sells his soul to the Devil. The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet. The Devil and Daniel Webster 02/01/2020 Bill Hendrickson 8271 1 Comment The distressing spectacle in Washington, D.C., — with some Republican senators saying ‘President Trump has abused his office, but so what?’ – has made us think they never read “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” Written by Little Pine Weasel Plot Summary | Add Synopsis “The Devil and Daniel Webster” has a wide array of characters, each with a distinguished personality, yet an overall temperment that would be fitting of a New England community. The narrator also expresses sympathy for King Philip when he tells us that one juror "heard the cry of his lost nation" in Webster's eloquent appeal. For the film, see. Mr. Scratch tells Webster, "I shall call upon you, as a law-abiding citizen, to assist me in taking possession of my property," and so begins the argument. Later, there is this description "And when he talked of those enslaved, and the sorrows of slavery, his voice got like a big bell." Read Richard Burke poem:Jabez Stone was as unlucky as a man could be; His corn grew no higher than his boney knee; His potatoes no bigger than a single snap pea;. A nineteenth-century New Hampshire farmer who makes a pact with Satan for economic success enlists Daniel Webster to extract him from his contract. Webster's eloquence in swaying this supposedly unswayable jury is remarkable, but would have gone to no effect without the devil's pride-induced mistake in giving Webster a chance. The Devil and Daniel Webster (244) IMDb 7.6 1 h 46 min 1941 7+ Jabez Stone is a hard-working farmer trying to make an honest living, but a streak of bad luck tempts him to bargain with the Devil himself. They had all done evil, and had all played a part in the formation of the United States: After five other unnamed jurors enter (Benedict Arnold being out "on other business"), the judge enters last – John Hathorne, the infamous and unrepentant executor of the Salem witch trials. The Devil and Daniel Webster is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. Archibald MacLeish, a friend and associate of Benét's in the 1930s and until his death in 1943, also adapted the story as a play: Scratch (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971). He admits the wrongs done in the course of American history but points out that something new and good had grown from them and that "everybody had played a part in it, even the traitors." Webster." Few films have had as exalted, or as tumultuous, a history as The Devil and Daniel Webster. Huston deserved his nomination, but it is without a doubt a supporting role, as is Arnold's. After seven years, Mr. Scratch comes for Stone's soul. A color videorecording of the production aired two years later on Breck Golden Showcase (CBS, Apr 30, 1962).[3]. They admit, "Perhaps 'tis not strictly in accordance with the evidence,[2] but even the damned may salute the eloquence of Mr. At midnight of the appointed date, Mr. Scratch arrives and is greeted by Webster, presenting himself as Stone's attorney. The Devil and Webster is a slow burn campus novel from the perspective of a feminist scholar college president who discovers that ideals and protest are not as clear cut as she once thought. When Mr. Scratch comes to collect, orator and hero of the common man Daniel Webster comes to the rescue. I'm often called that in these regions." Benét's story centers on a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the devil and is defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the famous 19th-century American statesman, lawyer and orator. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? This clue was last seen on April 30 2020 on New York Times’s Crossword. The names Benét gives the devil—Mr. I love the moment when, having heard his wife is pregnant... he stares out the window hypnotically, and says almost to himself... "a son, an heir, money"... a marvelous glimpse of the corruption building within... a marvelous underrated performance. In this scene Daniel Webster addresses a jury of the damned, all villains of American history. A point sometimes not known or appreciated by the reader is that, by agreeing to a jury trial under common law, Mr. Scratch has also agreed to be bound by the rule that a jury is the exclusive judge of both the facts and the law; as such, even in the face of overwhelming evidence favoring the plaintiff (such as the contract Mr. Scratch had with Stone) the jury could find for the defendant, acting as a sort of local law-making body with the power to suspend the law in this case (this can only be done for acquittals; convictions must be done strictly according to the law and the evidence). True story of the doctor who considered it was not immoral to search for a drug that would cure syphillis. He foretells (actual) events in Webster's future, including his failure to become President (an actual ambition of his), the death of Webster's sons (which happened in the American Civil War) and the backlash of his last speech, warning "Some will call you Ichabod" (as in John Greenleaf Whittier's poem in reaction to Webster's controversial Seventh of March speech supporting the Compromise of 1850 that incorporated the Fugitive Slave Act, with many in the North calling Webster a traitor). Displaying The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. In Daniel's speech "He was talking about the things that make a country a country, and a man a man" rather than legal points of the case. An ex-convict and a woman fall in love, after she shoots her police Lt. boyfriend dead in self defense, and falsely leads him to believe that he did the shooting. An escaped prisoner has to prove his innocence to a stuffy law professor with the help of a spirited school teacher. Scratch underlines this definition by saying of the jury "Americans all". The real Daniel Webster was willing to compromise on slavery in favor of keeping the Union together, disappointing some radical abolitionists, but he held that only the preservation of the Union could keep anti-slavery forces active in the slave areas. He speaks passionately of how wonderful it is to be human and to be an American. The Devil and Daniel Webster is a 1941 fantasy film, adapted by Stephen Vincent Benét and Dan Totheroh from Benét's 1936 short story, "The Devil and Daniel Webster". The jury announces its verdict: "We find for the defendant, Jabez Stone." Benét adapted his story as a play, The Devil and Daniel Webster: A Play in One Act (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1938), and also as a folk opera, The Devil and Daniel Webster: An Opera in One Act (New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1939), music by Douglas Moore (Moore and Benét had earlier collaborated on an operetta, The Headless Horseman [1937], based on Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" [1820]). Webster starts to orate on simple and good things – "the freshness of a fine morning...the taste of food when you're hungry...the new day that's every day when you're a child" – and how "without freedom, they sickened." Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. View production, box office, & company info. Earlier, he states flatly "A man is not a piece of property." The main character is Jabez Stone, a wealthy New England statesman whose possition was the state senator of New Hampshire. The Question and Answer section for The Devil and Daniel Webster is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" by Stephen Vincent Benét “It’s a story they tell in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire.”* * “The Devil and Daniel Webster” by … This FAQ is empty. This theme of American patriotism, freedom and independence is the explanation for Webster's victory: the jury is damned to hell, but they are American and therefore so independent that they can resist the devil. Edward Arnold again played Daniel Webster for The Prudential Family Hour of Stars (CBS, Sept. 18, 1949, 30 min). I have always thought this speech one of the most eloquent statements of … Question: Compare And Contrast 2 Short Stories: The Devil And Daniel Webster- Characterize Daniel Webster Characterize Jabez Stone Characterize Old Scratch The Devil And Tom Walker: Characterize Tom Walker Characterize Old Scratch. The narrative includes direct references to factual events in the life of Webster and his family. All the praise about Huston, Arnold, Herrmann's score, etc... is richly deserved... but I'd like to finally get it out there... that the STAR of the movie... the character that this film is about... is Jabez Stone... played by James Craig. The Devil and Daniel Webster.pdf. Daniel Webster defends a man in court named Jabez Stone. But by doing so, he has put his contract within the reach of the Common Law used in America, under which a jury can enter whatever verdict it likes, regardless of the law. Webster then grabs the stranger and twists his arm behind his back, "for he knew that once you bested anybody like Mr. Scratch in fair fight, his power on you was gone." "And who with better right?" The story appeared in The Saturday Evening Post (October 24, 1936) and was published in book form by Farrar & Rinehart the following year. Howard Teichmann and Robert L. Richards abridged and adapted the screenplay. The Devil and Daniel Webster Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. The devil says "I am merely an honest American like yourself — and of the best descent — for, to tell the truth, Mr. Webster, though I don't like to boast of it, my name is older in this country than yours. A jury of the damned then enters, "with the fires of hell still upon them." Search for "The Devil and Daniel Webster" on Amazon.com, Title: Had a 'major' actor in 1941 been cast.. .a Gary Cooper or Henry Fonda... they would have had top billing, and possibly nominated for the Oscar. One of the best films of the 1940's. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. Which brings us to Stephen Vincent Benét’s short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” Stephen Vincent Benét The Plot. Jabez Stone of Cross Corners, New Hampshire is a man of little luck, until, with his wife and children ill and a whitlow on his own thumb, he barks : Written by The author also adapted it in 1938 into a folk opera with music by Douglas Stuart Moore, a fellow Yale University alumnus. The devil is portrayed as polite and refined. When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck." Comparison between The Devil and Daniel Webster and the earlier preview version of the film, Here Is a Man; The Columbia Workshop’s radio dramatizations of Stephen Vincent Benét’s short stories “The Devil and Daniel Webster” and “Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent,” both featuring music by … An Academy Award-winning 1941 film first released under the title All That Money Can Buy, starring Edward Arnold as Daniel, Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch, James Craig as Jabez Stone, and Simone Simon as Belle. Wanting out of the deal, Stone convinces famous lawyer and orator Daniel Webster to accept his case. Webster makes him agree "never to bother Jabez Stone nor his heirs or assigns nor any other New Hampshire man till doomsday!". "King Philip, wild and proud as he had been in life, with the great gash in his head that gave him his death wound" is noted as a notorious villain of American history (the historical King Philip (Metacomet), died from a gunshot to the heart, not a gash to the head). Was this review helpful to you? It's a story they tell in the border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire. Love blooms between a sympathetic attorney and the comely shoplifter he has taken home for the Christmas holiday. And everybody had played a part in it, even the traitors.". Scratch. Gerald Mayo v. Satan and His Staff, "CTVA US Anthology - "Sunday Showcase" (NBC)(1959-60)", "Bob Dylan's First Musical Had a Devil of a Time", "Simpsons scripts: Treehouse of Horror IV (1F04) — Simpsons Crazy", "Watch The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 5 - Treehouse of Horror IV full episodes cartoon online", "Tripping the Rift - 01x05 - Devil and a Guy Named Webster - Video Dailymotion", "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Netflix Official Site", Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Devil_and_Daniel_Webster&oldid=1021140496, Adaptations of works by Washington Irving, Works originally published in The Saturday Evening Post, Fictional characters who have made pacts with devils, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2007, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Reverend John Smeet (a purely fictional character), This page was last edited on 3 May 2021, at 03:26. The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Jabez Stone, a New Hampshire farmer, receives a decade of material wealth in return for selling his soul to the Devil—Mr. The devil has overreached himself, agreeing to a jury trial out of pride in his unbreakable contract. It has also been released under the titles Mr. Scratch, Daniel and the Devil and Here Is a Man. This is an anachronism, as the historical Daniel Webster was closer to the events and would have been unlikely to express such an opinion. The Devil and Daniel Webster Questions and Answers. A down-on-his-luck farmer makes a deal with the devil for seven years of prosperity. But he showed how, out of the wrong and the right, the suffering and the starvations, something new had come. Yet later on, Daniel Webster's appeal to the jury on "what it means to be American" specifically includes King Philip among "the Americans". I'm not talking about Massachusetts or Vermont. 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' is a short story about a successful lawyer who believes you can win your soul back from the devil. This desire to end the institution was a mainspring of his support for the Union. Certificate: Passed Webster takes the predictions in stride and asks only if the Union will prevail. He is a long forgotten actor now, but his performance is the center of the film. “The Devil and Daniel Webster” has a wide array of characters, each with a distinguished personality, yet an overall temperament that would be fitting of a New England community. Each of these adaptations used the original story title, unless otherwise indicated: Charles R. Jackson's adaptation aired on Columbia Workshop (CBS, Aug. 6, 1938, 30 min), with music by Bernard Herrmann.

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