All That Money Can Buy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

All That Money Can Buy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 4, 2024

William Dieterle's "All That Money Can Buy" a.k.a. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1941) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder and biographer Steven C. Smith; archival program with film scholar Jeff Smith; restoration comparison; vintage trailer; and more. In Enlgish, with optional Enlgish SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The story that is told in William Dieterle’s film All That Money Can Buy is just another variation of the ancient story about the gullible man and the Devil. Some may argue that Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s classic play Faust is the original source of it, but this is not true. Goethe, like countless other writers and film directors, simply offered his personalized spin on it.

Of course, it is hardly surprising because there is an element of this story that is timeless. It is the ultimate temptation, which has always meant different things to different people. Massive wealth, uncontested power, immortality, etc. After identifying the gullible man, the Devil would approach him with a special deal involving one such ultimate temptation in exchange for his soul. If the gullible man accepts the special deal, the Devil does his part, disappears, and at the right time reappears to collect what belongs to him.

In Dieterle’s film, the gullible man is the young farmer Jabez Stone (James Craig), who lives in rural New England with his wife Mary (Anne Shirley) and elderly mother (Jane Darwell), barely making ends meet. In a moment of desperation, Stone declares his willingness to trade his soul to the Devil and, much to his surprise, gets a life-altering deal from the mysterious outsider Mr. Scratch (Walter Huston). Several days later, Stone wipes out his debts, and during the next seven years, while he is under contract with Mr. Scratch, becomes the most prominent man in the area. At the end of the seventh year, Stone is again visited by Mr. Scratch and informed that he must surrender his soul. Now fully aware of the grave error he has made, Stone approaches Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold), the most respected man in the area and former candidate for President, and begs him to help him get out of the difficult situation he has trapped himself in.

The bulk of the material that makes this variation of the ancient story about the gullible man and the Devil interesting is in the final act. While Webster debates the Devil, Dieterle touches on several big themes that essentially reaffirm the classic image of America and its commitment to freedom and justice for all. However, and this is very important to underscore, the reaffirmation is not done through scripted slogans but in a thought-provoking, still relevant debate.

Even though the camera spends a great deal of time observing Stone’s transformation and simultaneous erosion of his system of beliefs, he is not the most interesting character. Mr. Scratch initiates just about everything that makes the drama attractive and illuminating. He is a sleek, in many ways brilliant manipulator, who is dangerous not because of his inhuman powers, but because of his perfect grasp of the human psyche. After Mr. Scratch comes Webster, a pragmatist who understands very well what makes human beings vulnerable. Interestingly, he is imperfect and vulnerable as well.

Dieterle and cinematographer Joseph August shot All That Money Can Buy on the RKO lot in Hollywood, but several sequences look like they might have been done on location somewhere in New England. However, large areas of the film have that instantly recognizable modest appearance studio projects from the early 1940s had.

A simple yet very effective score with distinct baroque qualities earned Bernard Herrmann’s one and only Oscar statuette in 1942. Huston was nominated for one in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category but did not win.

Criterion’s upcoming release introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration of All That Money Can Buy. Also, it features a very interesting program that highlights some of the differences between the 1941 preview version of the film, Here Is a Man, and its 1943 rerelease as The Devil and Daniel Webster.

All That Money Can Buy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, All That Money Can Buy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The film has been fully restored in 4K and looks terrific in high-definition. A direct comparison with Criterion's DVD release from 2003 reveals such massive improvements that some sections of the film now look quite different. Why exactly? Because the range of better and healthier darker nuances, for instance, make it easier to see a lot more. All visuals look very stable, too. This said, there are some minor density fluctuations that occur before and after transitions, but these are inherited limitations. Elsewhere, where density levels can still fluctuate a bit, delineation, clarity, and depth remain pleasing. There are no traces problematic digital corrections. The surface of the visuals looks very healthy. All in all, I was very impressed with the quality of the 4K restoration and the overall upgrade in quality in all areas that we scrutinize in our reviews. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

All That Money Can Buy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

While the soundtrack has some easily recognizable limitations -- for example, in several sections the music does not sound appropriately full and nicely rounded -- I think that dynamic contrasts are very good, especially considering that All That Money Can Buy was completed in the early 1940s. Also, clarity is outstanding and as a result all exchanges are extremely easy to follow. I did not encounter any age-related or encoding anomalies to report.

All That Money Can Buy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Version Comparison - this program highlights some of the differences between the 1941 preview version of All That Money Can Buy, which was titled Here Is a Man, and its 1943 rerelease as The Devil and Daniel Webster. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• "The Devil and Daniel Webster" - in this archival program, Alec Baldwin reads Stephen Vincent Benet's original 1937 short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster". The program was produced for Criterion in 2003. In English, not subtitled. (34 min).

• Observations on Film Art - in this archival program, film scholar Jeff Smith discusses the visuals style and structure of All That Money Can Buy. The program original aired on the Criterion Channel in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• The Columbia Workshop - Stephen Vincent Benet wrote three short stories about his larger-than-life personification of the historic Daniel Webster: "The Devil and Daniel Webster", "Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent", and "Daniel Webster and the Ides of March". Presented here are radio dramatizations of the first two stories, both featuring music by Bernard Herrmann. courtesy of Columbia Workshop.
  
  1. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1938). In English, not subtitled. (30 min).
  2. "Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent" (1937). In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Restoration Demonstration - this new program provides before-and-after comparisons with additional comments about the history and new 4K restoration of All That Money Can Buy. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for All That Money Can Buy. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by film historian Bruce Eder and biographer Steven C. Smith (A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann). The commentary was recorded for exclusively for Criterion in 1991 and updated in 2003.

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by author Tom Piazza and a 1941 article by Vincent Beneet, as well as technical credits.

All That Money Can Buy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Faust, Alias Nick Beal, All That Money Can Buy, and Angel Heart are just a few films that offer a retelling of the same ancient story about the gullible man and the Devil. There are many more like them, and more will be made in the future because this story will never lose its relevance. Criterion's upcoming release introduces a fabulous new 4K restoration of All That Money Can Buy that will thrill its fans. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.