Any film with the word “devil” in its title is sure to capture one’s attention. For instance, the title “The Devil and Miss Jones” is sure to raise anyone’s curiosity. Who is Miss Jones, and what happened when she met the devil? Don’t let the title mislead you. This is a very cheerful, lighthearted film from 1941 starring Jean Arthur, Charles Coburn, and Robert Cummings.
Many 1940s films featured actors playing supernatural beings, including angels and devils. This isn’t one of those movies, though. The titular devil is not an actual demon but a devilish businessman. In fact, as far as characters go, I can name many parts which Charles Coburn played which are far more deserving of being called devils. Rather than an actual description of Coburn’s character, it’s a reflection of what people think about him.
The devil, whose name is John P. Merrick, is the wealthiest man in the world. He lives in a mansion by Central Park and seems to own most of New York City. Naturally, stories of this kind could easily offend real-life businessmen, who often found such characters a little too close to themselves. They decided to beat irate tycoons to the punch with this comical forward after the opening credits: “Dear Richest Men in the World: We made up this character in the story, out of our own heads. It’s nobody, really. The whole thing is make-believe. We'd feel awful if anyone was offended. Thank you, The Author, Director and Producer. P.S. Nobody sue. P.P.S. Please.” If I were one of the richest men in the world back then, that disclaimer would have made me even more certain that the story was based on me!
An Employment War
John P. Merrick’s problems all center around Neely’s Department Store, an investment he didn’t even realize he owned. Employees on the fifth floor protest what they consider unfair treatment from their employers by hanging Mr. Merrick in effigy outside the store. The mannequin has horns and looks very devilish. Merrick’s four lawyers come to his house and promise to deal with the issue, yet he thinks their methods are too slow. He isn’t satisfied with the dismissal of the employees who were discovered as the ringleaders, since he knows more rebels are still employed in the store. The lawyers hire detective Tom Higgins (Robert Emmett Keane) to infiltrate the store as a new employee, but Merrick decides to take his employment card and go to the store as Higgins himself.On the fifth floor, he sells slippers. He immediately dislikes section manager Hooper (Edmund Gwenn) and decides to get him fired as soon as possible. However, a young shoe saleswoman, Mary Jones (Arthur), quickly befriends him, loaning him money for lunch when she mistakes his remarks about a bad stomach for extreme poverty. He shares lunch in the park with middle-aged salesclerk Elizabeth Ellis (Spring Byington), with whom he shares a shy attraction. That evening, he discovers that Mary’s sweetheart, Joe O’Brien (Cummings), is the ringleader of the protest. Although he was fired, he still organizes secret meetings with the four hundred employees who agree with his cause.
The root of this fight isn’t increased salary but job security for faithful employees, so stores can’t toss them aside after fifteen years of employment because they don’t want to keep paying them yearly raises. The phony Higgins soon finds himself on the frontlines of the fight. At first, Merrick thinks Joe is an idiot and dislikes him for the influence he has over Mary, Elizabeth, and the other gullible employees. However, as he spends more time with Joe, he begins to see the motivation behind the young man’s bold actions.
David and Goliath
This is a classic David and Goliath story. The switch is that Goliath ends up fighting with the Israelites instead of against them! It’s a delightful example of a stubborn person who goes to the enemy camp as spy with the intent of destroying them, only to end up getting converted himself. By stepping out of his palatial mansion and getting into the working world again, Merrick has an opportunity to be around people who are working with him, not coweringly working for him, like his butler (S.Z. Sakall) and his lawyers. His new friends take him at face value and show him how to have fun. He quickly realizes that he can enjoy life, including eating more than milk and graham crackers.Although the main story is about John P. Merrick’s undercover adventures as Tom Higgins, an important plot point is the love story of Mary and Joe. Merrick doesn’t take their romance very seriously at first, telling Mary that any couple’s being in love is just a matter of coincidence. Mary’s response is that some of the greatest loves are probably between the simplest of people, but you can’t use science to measure how you feel. Merrick realizes how right she is in his own budding romance with Elizabeth. You don’t often see a love story with two middle-aged people, but this is a touching example of two people who find love for the first time in their autumn years. Spring Byington usually plays long-married women, so it’s nice to see her as a sweetheart. Merrick’s growing affection for Elizabeth is a powerful force in changing the curmudgeon into a fun-loving, friendly person.
This is a hilarious movie. The humor comes from funny dialogue as well as light physical comedy. Jean Arthur was famous for her perfect timing in screwball comedies, and she displays that same knack as Mary Jones. Robert Cummings is outrageously zealous as Joe O’Brien, making a comical but lovable crusader with his over-the-top antics for a good cause. Perhaps the funniest character is Charles Coburn as John P. Merrick. He can be so emphatic, gruff, and bombastic when angry, often with very comical effects. Then, when someone questions him on a point, he responds with a totally blank, innocent expression. When bluffing as Mr. Higgins, he often bewilders people by covering his lies with a clueless stare. Some extra laughs are provided by Edmund Gwenn as the section manager who is determined to put Higgins in his place and S.Z. Sakall as the devoted butler who helps Merrick’s scheming.
The Smallest Right
Through a series of ridiculous accidents, John Merrick ends up being arrested in a bathing suit during a day at Coney Island. When Mary finally shows up to rescue him, confusion ensues because he denies his earlier claims of wanting to call his chauffeur, since he has to keep up the Higgins façade in Mary’s presence. As a result, the police suspect them both of trying to sell stolen items. Luckily, Joe soon arrives. Instead of arguing their innocence and demanding their release, he dares the police officers to arrest them and him, ultimately frustrating them so much with his quotations from the Constitution and his speeches about American rights that they remove all charges and apologize, just to get rid of them.Joe says in the police station, “This is a free country. You let a guy say you were spitting on the sidewalk when you weren’t, the next thing he’ll do is tear up the Constitution. ... Yes, I’m a little crazy. That happens to be my particular kind of patriotism. I don’t care how small the right is you try to take away from me, I’ll fight for it. The Boston Tea Party was started over one penny. This is big enough for me.” It’s an inspiring reminder that no right is too small to defend and no cause is lost as long as someone is willing to fight for it.
This movie is a funny comedy with a touching love story. It has a great cast and a clever script. The department store setting offers an interesting look into the workplace of the early 1940s. However, besides all these things, this film offers a very poignant message about the importance of fighting for your rights, no matter how small, when they are threatened.
