The Devil is a surviving 1921 silent drama film directed by James Young and starring stage actor George Arliss in a film version of his 1908 Broadway success of Ferenc Molnár's play, The Devil (Hungarian: Az ördög).The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993: The Devil Long thought to be a lost film, a print was discovered in the 1990s and restored by the Library of Congress.
This was George Arliss' first film following a successful career on Broadway. Arliss' wife Florence Arliss co-starred with him in the film, and continued to do so until he died in 1946. Future Oscar-winner Fredric March had an uncredited bit part in the film.
Plot The Devil, in the guise of a human named Dr. Muller, meets the young couple Marie and her fiance Georges. They remark, upon looking at a Renaissance painting of a martyr, that Evil could never triumph over Good. The Devil, taking this as a challenge, decides to bring about the couple's downfall. In the end, Marie resorts to the power of prayer and a shining crucifix appears which causes the Devil to disappear in a burst of flames.
Cast George Arliss as Dr. Muller/The Devil Lucy Cotton as Marie Matin Roland Bottomley as Georges Roben Sylvia Breamer as Mimi Florence Arliss as Marie's Aunt (credited as Mrs. George Arliss) Edmund Lowe as Paul de Veaux Fredric March as Bal Masque Participant (uncredited)
Preservation status A copy of The Devil is preserved in the Library of Congress collection and the Archives Du Film Du CNC, Bois d'Arcy.The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Devil
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