Daniel Webster, played by Edward Arnold, is the real hero of this film. The historical Webster was a good politician and an even greater orator. He was famous throughout the USA for his powerful speeches delivered in a booming voice. Edward Arnold's Daniel Webster was a perfect foil for the devil in a court of law. The evil one is played by a grinning and cigar smoking Walter Huston. The action takes place in New Hampshire during the 1840's and revolves around a Yankee farmer who sells his soul for worldly possessions. This movie has a lush look to it, and its' entire cast is outstanding, including James Craig as the Yankee farmer Jabez Stone. This movie is a delicious slice of peach pie and Americana.

Jabez (James Craig) makes a deal with the devil who takes the form of Mr Scratch (Walter Huston). Jabez will have success and wealth for 7 years in return for his soul. After 7 years has passed, Mr Scratch offers another deal - Jabez can save himself if he sacrifices his young son. Well........Jabez doesn't like this deal and Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) steps up to the plate on his behalf and goes head to head with the devil.The story sounds good but it is mostly boring. Nothing happens for an hour. Things only get interesting with the introduction of Belle (Simone Simon). There are only a few good scenes and nearly all of these involve Belle - from the moment we first see her sitting in front of the fireplace where we just know that she is a wicked abomination conjured up by the devil, to the moment at the party where she fills the room with guests that aren't really there, to her end appearance as she rides away to somewhere over the mountains. She has an unworldly aura and her world is the world of the dead. She is all that is good about the film.James Craig is unconvincing and impossible to care about in the lead role. Most of the rest of the cast are also uninspiring. Especially annoying is the boy Lindy Wade. I would definitely have sacrificed the brat in order to have 7 more years of success and wealth.Whilst the story has a good idea, the ending is pretty crass with a court case between Daniel Webster and the Devil. It's a chance to spout crap about living a good life and it will either make you puke or completely bore you. A more effective ending would have seen Jabez let off at the expense of the brat whose life is taken by the devil. Despite a final cheeky frame with Walter Huston, this film could have been much better.

A severely down-on-his-luck New England farmer (Lindy Wade) strikes a deal with "Scratch" (Walter Huston as the devil) to bring himself 8 years of good fortune and finds himself without conscience and ultimately almost without wife as he slides down that proverbial "slippery slope." Luckily he has earlier on earned the good-will of a plutocratic lawyer/politician named Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold) who is willing to argue before the most diabolical American court ever assembled to save Daniel Stone's soul.Overall it's a mildly pleasing and mildly disturbing film, too worried about its faux-provincialism to truly become interesting or to really present a morally complex story. While Walter Huston is delightful as the manipulative Scratch, with a very physical performance, his work isn't really matched by Arnold and the work from Wade and the actress playing his wife (Anne Shirley) is so poor that it undermines the film. Not only are their performances hollow, without any real emotional urgency or immediacy, but the roles are poorly written so that you doubt any actor could have done much with it. The wife character is looks and talks like she stepped out of a D.W. Griffith movie from 1912 moreso than some rural 19th Century atmosphere. As if to correct or compensate for the weird rigidity of the wife they've given Stone a mother who is so broadly written and performed that she barely seems feminine by any definition. These are some terrible duo, no doubt, and if written in a more sarcastic way I would imagine they would suffice to explain Danny Stone's flight from the paths of the righteous.Although Simone Simon is creepily beautiful we still cannot understand his total abandonment of his wife and all decent behavior. Apparently it's a heck of a lot of fun to ride in a sleigh with Simone Simon. I don't want to be too hard on the movie -- there's a lot of fun thanks mostly to Simon and Huston. But the movie's moral dichotomy is so rigid, the line between good and evil so definite, that I literally felt it had nothing to do with the real world. And sadly, even with such a rigid separation between bad and good behavior the writers weren't able to give Daniel Webster a final speech that would really absolve Danny Stone of his guilt or that would make us believe he had convinced a jury of traitors that Stone should go free just because they might empathize with his desire for a second chance at life. Simply put, we could understand Stone's desire for a second chance if his original mistakes and evil deeds made any sense in and of themselves.Wish I could have enjoyed it more -- there are many interesting expressionist scenes and some real intimation of the uncanny. Unfortunately all of this is attached to a story that is self-congratulatory and patriotic in a showy way. A few more real dark edges, with everything not being so clearly explained, would have made for a more powerful film.

**SPOILERS** Suffering through trials and tribulations like those of Job in the Bible New Hampshire farmer Jabez Stone, James Craig, is so desperate that he hollers out load to himself that he'll sell his soul to the Devil for two cents just to get his act, as well as life, back on the right and profitable track. Not knowing what he's saying Jabez unknowingly conjured up the Devil himself in the person of Mr. Scratch-as in you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours-played by Walter Huston.Giving Jabez two cents for his thoughts and immortal soul, which he feels is more then worth it, the Devil or Mr. Scratch offers him a get rich quick scheme that will make him the wealthiest man in the state for the next seven years. Jumping at the chance Jabez signs his life and soul away to the cunning and crafty Mr. Scratch only to regret what he did as the time limit-the seven years-starts to run out on him!Becoming a total tyrant to his family and friends Jabez drives his wife Mary, Anne Shirley,almost to the breaking point with his obsession for money and power. As for his fellow farmers Jabez drives them into bankruptcy with his loan shark racket that makes them virtual slaves to him. This in a country where slavery-some 20 years before the Civil War-was soon to become outlawed. As the Devil is about to collect his due, Jabez's life, at the end of the seven years of prosperity Jabez finally realizes the mistake he made and tires everything he can to correct it. With the Devil/Mr.Scratch wanting Jabez's son Daniel, Lindy Wade, soul in return for his life the only thing left for him is to go crawling and begging on his knees to the great statesman and spellbinding orator Daniel Webster, Edward Arnold. It was Webster sound and helpful advice that the smug and arrogant Jabez had earlier rejected. Now Jabez desperately needs it in order to save his sorry a** from the bear-trap he now got it stuck in!***SPOILERS**** Powerful climax with the hard hitting and straight shooting Daniel Webster taking on the scheming and conniving Devil/Mr. Scratch in a no-holds barred winner take all "Clash of the Titans" bout in Jabez barn. You have to hand it to Mr. Scratch in his stacking the deck, or jury, in his favor with a dozen of the most unsavory and repulsive characters in all of recent, the 18th and 19th century, history.Seeing what he's up against Daniel Webster digs down deep in his oral augment and pulls out the trump card that sends the Devil/Mr. Scratch scurrying for cover. No man of group of men, including the scuzzy and despicable men on the jury, could withstand Websters barrage of worldly wisdom that had the Devil or Mr. Scratch himself run for his life. In that Mr. Scratch now knows that it's only a matter of time before the jury, that he picked to condemn the now broken down and helpless Jabez Stone, will turn on him and turn on him, for having them go along with his evil and underhanded scheme, with a vengeance! And being the coward that he really is the only way out for him is to turn and run and hope that he never has to encounter the great Daniel Webster in a court of law again.