Question 1

What unusual directing habit did William Dieterle have on set?

Accepted Answer

Director William Dieterle directed wearing white gloves, which many thought was due to a germ phobia, but he once removed them to apply mud to a carriage wheel and wiped his hands on his pants before putting the gloves back on.

Question 2

How did composer Bernard Herrmann create the eerie sound for Mr. Scratch's first entrance?

Accepted Answer

Bernard Herrmann had a crew record phone line hums in San Francisco at 4 a.m. and combined them with the overtones of a musical note C painted on the soundtrack to produce a phantom tone.

Question 3

Why was Edward Arnold cast as Daniel Webster with only one day's notice?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Mitchell was originally cast but fractured his skull in a carriage accident during filming, requiring 17 weeks of recovery, so director William Dieterle recast Edward Arnold, reshooting all of Mitchell's scenes.

Question 4

What historical connection does Judge John Hathorne in the film have to the Salem Witch Trials?

Accepted Answer

Judge John Hathorne was a judge at the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and never apologized to the victims' families; his descendant Nathaniel Hawthorne changed the surname spelling to distance himself from this infamy.

Question 5

What desperate deal does farmer Jabez Stone make to save his land?

Accepted Answer

Farmer Jabez Stone sells his soul to the devil, Mr. Scratch, for seven years of prosperity to pay off debts and help neighbors, later seeking Senator Daniel Webster's help in a trial for his soul when the contract ends.

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The Devil and Daniel Webster

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