The Enduring Folks Horror of The Satan and Daniel Webster

Welcome to The Queue — your day by day distraction of curated video content material sourced from throughout the online. At the moment, we’re watching a video essay that explores why you need to watch William Dieterle’s The Satan and Daniel Webster.

It’s the mid-1800s in New Hampshire, and an extremely named (however extremely unfortunate) farmer named Jabez Stone (James Craig)  yearns for a greater life. His bible-clutching mom (Jane Darwell) and soft-eyed bride (Anne Shirley) guarantee him that they’re completely happy; that being collectively is sufficient. However Jabez desires of the straightforward life. And, in a second of weak point, he falls prey to that almost all notorious of temptations: he presents to promote his soul.

Immediately, a person — that’s, if he is a person — seems Mr. Scratch (Canadian-born Hollywood royalty Walter Huston). With the slick appeal of a seasoned salesman, Scratch guarantees prosperity and luck for the paltry sum of Jabez’s everlasting soul. Naturally, when the opposite shoe drops, Jabez realizes just one man can save him: lawyer, statesman, and actual historic determine, Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold).

Additionally marketed as All That Cash Can Purchase, William Dieterle‘s 1941 movie slots in properly amidst its American folks horror friends, which inform and re-tell the story of a determined man keen to danger every part for fulfillment. It’s a becoming cautionary story for a nation steeped in Satan offers and predatory capitalism. And few Hollywood productions have achieved the legend justice fairly like The Satan and Daniel Webster.

When you want extra convincing, right here’s a video essay on why it is advisable verify this gem out, from its expressionistic cinematography to Bernard Hermann’s solely Oscar-winning rating.

Watch “The Satan and Daniel Webster (1941) – twentieth Century Gems”

Who made this?

This video essay on why The Satan and Daniel Webster guidelines is by APLattanzi, a contract filmmaker and illustrator who hails from the Philadelphia space. You possibly can subscribe to them on YouTube right here. Their essays cowl a big swath of subjects, from movie scores to brief movies. You too can discover them on Letterboxd right here.

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Meg Shields is the common-or-garden farm boy of your desires and a senior contributor at Movie College Rejects. She at present runs three columns at FSR: The Queue, How’d They Do That?, and Horrorscope. She can be a curator for One Good Shot and a contract author for rent. Meg will be discovered screaming about John Boorman’s ‘Excalibur’ on Twitter right here: @TheWorstNun. (She/Her).