The 1941 movie version of The Devil and Daniel Webster has never gotten anything like proper credit. What a sweet piece of work. Really good dialogue, and many well written and acted parts besides the obvious titular characters. Miser Stevens and Stone's mother were very good, and especially Simone Simon as the nursemaid/mistress.

Three emotional qualities really stand out to me:

Funny: Walter Huston as ol' Mr. Scratch was SO good. Very funny, cynical wit. Lots of little things that stand out from him, all the odd places he turns up. He's everywhere, leading the band at the parade for Dan'l, in Washington whispering in the senator's ear, playing a particularly mean fiddle at the barn dance. [I doubt Charlie Daniels could have taken this devil.] His insults to Jabez Stone were priceless. The bit at the end of him ravenously devouring this huge pie was a really funny demonstration of his greed, and the final moments of examining his book for the next target are priceless. Uncle Scratch wants YOU!

Creepy: Between all the funny stuff were the implications of hell and damnation, but especially terror and hopelessness (Stone and Miser Stevens). The visitors at Stone's new mansion really creeped me out good. Also creepy was the famous scene where Miser Stevens recently harvested soul comes flying out of Scratch's jacket pocket screaming for help. This also counts as funny, at least when my five year old nephew and I went around effecting high-pitched squeals begging "Help me Neighbor Stone."

Sexy: Belle, the French nanny/whore/demon that Scratch sent Jabez was hotter with her clothes on and no direct sexual behavior than the hookers making out in the elevator to entertain Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate. Note the exact tone and body language of her mocking rebuff to Stone at the barn dance saying "Oh, NO Mr. Stone- your place is with your WIFE." ....

The hottest thing in the movie (and one of the creepiest things) is the scene where she is singing some evil otherworldly lullaby to Stone's infant son. Rewind and watch it closely a couple of times. What was she singing?

Actually, ol' Scratch got screwed. He had Jabez Stone dead to rights. A deal is a deal. He never lied to Stone, or forced him to do anything. No, he just got screwed by a slick lawyer. Apparently, Daniel Webster was some 19th century Johnny Cochran.

Surely this is one of the greatest forgotten movies of the era. This should be making some of those AFI top 100 list thingys.