Silver John is a fictional character from a series of fantasy stories by American author Manly Wade Wellman. Though fans refer to him as Silver John or as John the Balladeer, the stories call him simply John. He is an example of the loner hero. The stories are set in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. The historical period is never explicitly indicated, but appears to be the middle 20th century. The film's plot incorporates two of the John stories: "The Desrick on Yandro" and "O Ugly Bird".
The title song, The Devil, is sung by Hoyt Axton.
Special effects created by Harry Walton.
One of the enslaved workers having his cotton weighed is called "Manly Wade," after John's creator, Manly Wade Wellman.
Grandpappy John dies for not knowing that Kennedy half dollars had no true silver content. Silver was eliminated entirely from US half dollars in 1971, suggesting the story is set in that year or later.