History Literature / TheDevilAndDanielWebster

* ShoutOut: Not only does the {{Superman}} novel ''Literature/MiracleMonday'' make reference to the events of TDADW, the basic premise (Superman beating the Devil's agent with just his righteousness) is inspired by it.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Spoken of Belle by Mary, immediately before she [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar bangs Jabez]] no less:

"The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a 1937 short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, which in turn was based on the 1824 short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Creator/WashingtonIrving. Both stories are based on the legend of [[Myth/{{Faust}} Dr. Faustus]].

Its protagonist is New Hampshire farmer Jabez Stone, a man on whom fortune has never shined and has, in fact, [[ButtMonkey laughed upon]]. That all changes when the sly Mr. Scratch, who is none other than Satan himself, comes visiting. Jabez sells his soul to the devil and enjoys seven years of contractual good luck. However, near the end of the deal, Jabez decides to find some way out of it; he finds it in the famed attorney Daniel Webster. Now, Jabez can only hope Webster can give him a chance out of hell.

Its protagonist is New Hampshire farmer Jabez Stone, a man for whom fortune has never shined and has, in fact, [[ButtMonkey laughed upon]]. That all changes when the sly Mr. Scratch, who is none other than Satan himself, comes visiting. Jabez sells his soul to the devil and enjoys seven years of contractual good luck. However, near the end of the deal, Jabez decides to find some way out of it; he finds it in the famed attorney Daniel Webster. Now, Jabez can only hope Webster can give him a chance out of hell.

Its protagonist is Jabez Stone, a man for whom fortune has never shined and has, in fact, [[ButtMonkey laughed upon.]] That all changes when the sly Mr. Scratch, who is none other than Satan himself, comes visiting. Jabez sells his soul to the devil and enjoys seven years of contractual good luck. However, near the end of the deal, Jabez decides to find some way out of it; he finds it in the famed attorney Daniel Webster. Now, Jabez can only hope Webster can give him a chance out of hell.

"The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a 1937 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 [[Myth/{{Faust}} Dr. Faustus]].

Its most well known adaptation was a 1941 film directed by William Dieterle, starring Creator/WalterHuston as Scratch, Edward Arnold as Webster, and James Craig as Jabez Stone. It was retitled ''All That Money Can Buy'' in some states, as well as on UsefulNotes/AcademyAward ballots. At that year's ceremony, it won composer Music/BernardHerrmann his only Oscar for his original score.

* EnemyEatsYourLunch: After taunting Jabez Stone for attempting to break their contract, Scratch flees from the approaching Ma Stone; taking a bunch of Stone's carrots with him. At the end of the film, Scratch [[EvilIsPetty extracts a final act of petty vengeance]] by stealing Daniel Webster's peach pie and eating it.

* SettingUpdate: It was adapted into a movie called ''Shortcut to Happiness'' in 2003.

* WindowPane: The boy Jabez scares away for fishing in his pond returns and takes vengeance by throwing a rock through Jabez's window.

!!The film contains examples of:

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter:
-->''Mary:'' "What a sweet and kind girl..."
** Spoken of Belle. Immediately before she [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar bangs Jabez]] no less.

* OminousFog: When Scratch makes his entrance in Jabez's barn, he appears coming out of a cloud of fog.

* DealWithTheDevil: Mr Stone makes a deal with the devil in exchange for seven years of prosperity.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Not all of the jury of the damned were really that evil in reality. In particular, Thomas Morton was only evil in the sense of being an enemy of Puritans and was an early proponent of treating Native Americans decently.
** Lampshaded when, in Webster's final speech, the author turns the perspective around and lets the reader see their more-admirable qualities -- though they're still, you know, damned.

"The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a 1937 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 [[{{Faust}} Dr. Faustus]].

* DealWithTheDevil: Natch.

* [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Did You Just Kick Out Cthulhu]]: The Devil has left New Hampshire for good.

* InTheStyleOf / SpiritualSuccessor: It's written in a sort of {{tall tale}} style which fits the literature written at the period that it's set, and also shows the influences of American LovecraftCountry stories, specifically "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
* JuryOfTheDamned: the TropeMaker

%%* LouisCypher: How about some context?

* SettingUpdate: ''Shortcut to Happiness.''

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Before the credits roll, Scratch [[NoFourthWall looks through the screen]], selecting [[YouSuck the viewer]] as his next target.

Was given a short musical parody by [[TheLazerCollection DominicFear]]. There is also an operatic adaptation by Douglas Moore, who also wrote ''The Ballad of Baby Doe.'' There is an animated FunnyAnimal adaptation for children called ''WesternAnimation/TheDevilAndDanielMouse''.

* ButtMonkey: Jabez Stone
* DealWithTheDevil
* TheDevilIsALoser

* HangingJudge: Justice Hathorne. This may also count as TruthInTelevision as Hathorne was the judge who presided over the Salem Witch Trials. However, he is an American judge, which is what Daniel Webster demanded.

* LaserGuidedKarma [[spoiler: Miser Stephens']] contract expires hours before Jabez's.
* LouisCypher
* OurSoulsAreDifferent: [[spoiler: Miser Stephens']] soul appears as a [[MacabreMothMotif moth-like creature]]. Scratch informs us that most of the souls he gets look like moths. He does suggest, however, that the souls of greater or more virtuous men are "bigger".
* PatrioticFervor
* {{Satan}}

* ShoutOut: Not only does the {{Superman}} novel ''Literature/MiracleMonday'' make reference to the events of TDADW, the basic premise (Superman beating The Devil's agent with just his righteousness) is inspired by it.
** A United States District Judge once [[DeadpanSnarker dropped a reference to this story]] in an opinion in a case where a man sued the Devil. [[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_ex_rel._Gerald_Mayo_v._Satan_and_His_Staff United States ex rel. Gerald Mayo v. Satan and His Staff]].

* TrialOfTheMysticalJury

* ExtremeDoormat: Mary has watched Jabez change from an honest-but-loveable schmuck to a rich asshole whose screwing his (hell-sent) maid Belle and letting his son roam free. Her reaction? "[[ItsAllMyFault It must be all my fault, I know it!]]"