[ April 24, 2024 ]
Tonight’s Saturday Night Cinema classic is a tribute to the once great American ideal of free and fair elections, and a government by the people, of the people for the people. A quaint and archaic idea in today’s era of leftist totalitarianism, corruption and criminality.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is the story of one man who believed he could make a difference, and in doing so, stood up to the entire United State government. A great story about how the American rule of law works and how one man can bring change the course of human events.
This Washington morality tale is more prescient and pertinent than ever. Demonstrating that the greatest political evil is indifference, this appeal to a world on the verge of war has lost none of its relevance 60 years on. Indeed, the political corruption depicted in the film looks like romper room next to the Clinton pay-for-play crime syndicate.
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A naive man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the US Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn’t back down.
“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; Frank Capra’s ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ at the Music Hall Sets a Seasonal High in Comedy–‘Babes in Arms’ Opens at the Capitol
By FRANK S. NUGENT, NY Times, October 20, 1939Scorning such cinemacerated branches of the government as the FBI, the Army, Coast Guard and Department of State which, by usage, have become Warner exclusives any way, Columbia’s Frank Capra has gone after the greatest game of all, the Senate, in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” his new comedy at the Music Hall. In doing so, he is operating, of course, under the protection of that unwritten clause in the Bill of Rights entitling every voting citizen to at least one free swing at the Senate. Mr. Capra’s swing is from the floor and in the best of humor; if it fails to rock that august body to its heels—from laughter as much as injured dignity—it won’t be his fault but the Senate’s and we should really begin to worry about the upper house.
For Mr. Capra is a believer in democracy as well as a stout-hearted humorist. Although he is subjecting the Capitol’s bill-collectors to a deal of quizzing and to a scrutiny which is not always tender, he still regards them with affection and hope as the implements, however imperfect they may be, of our kind of government. Most directors would not have attempted to express that faith otherwise than in terms of drama or melodrama. Capra, like the juggler who performed at the Virgin’s shrine, has had to employ the only medium he knows. And his comedy has become, in consequence, not merely a brilliant jest, but a stirring and even inspiring testament to liberty and freedom, to simplicity and honesty and to the innate dignity of just the average man.
That may seem altogether too profound a way of looking at Mr. Capra’s Mr. Smith, who is blood brother of our old friend, Mr. Deeds. Jefferson Smith came to Washington as a short-term Senator. He came with his eyes and mouth open, with the blessing of the Boy Rangers and a party boss’s prayer that he won’t tumble to the graft clause in the bill the senior Senator was sneaking into law. But Senator Smith tumbled; dazedly, because he couldn’t quite believe the senior Senator was less than godlike; helplessly, because the aroused political machine framed him four ways from Sunday and had him up for expulsion before he could say Jack Garner. But the right somehow triumphs, especially when there’s a canny young secretary on Senator Smith’s side to instruct him in the ungentle art of the filibuster and preserve his faith, and ours, in democracy.
If that synopsis is balder than the Capitol’s dome, it is because there is not space here for all the story detail, the character touches, the lightning flashes of humor and poignance that have gone into Mr. Capra’s two-hour show. He has paced it beautifully and held it in perfect balance, weaving his romance lightly through the political phases of his comedy, flicking a sardonic eye over the Washington scene, racing out to the hinterland to watch public opinion being made and returning miraculously in time to tie all the story threads together into a serious and meaningful dramatic pattern. Sidney Buchman, who wrote the script, has his claim on this credit, too, for his is a cogent and workmanlike script, with lines worthy of its cast.
And there, finally, Mr. Capra has been really fortunate. As Jefferson Smith, James Stewart is a joy for this season, if not forever. He has too many good scenes, but we like to remember the way his voice cracked when he got up to read his bill, and the way he dropped his hat when he met the senior Senator’s daughter, and the way he whistled at the Senators when they turned their backs on him in the filibuster, (He just wanted them to turn around so he could be sure they still had faces.) Jean Arthur, as the secretary—lucky girl being secretary to both Deeds and Smith—tosses a line and bats an eye with delightful drollery. Claude Rains, as the senior Senator, Edward Arnold, as the party steam-roller, Thomas Mitchell, as a roguish correspondent, are splendid all.
Have we forgotten to mention it? “Mr. Smith” is one of the best shows of the year. More fun, even, than the Senate itself.
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, screen play by Sidney Buchman based on a story by Lewis R. Foster; directed and produced by Frank Capra for Columbia Pictures. At the Radio City Music Hall.
Saunders . . . . . Jean Arthur
Jefferson Smith . . . . . James Stewart
Senator Joseph Paine . . . . . Claude Rains
Jim Taylor . . . . . Edward Arnold
Governor Hopper . . . . . Guy Kibbee
Diz Moore . . . . . Thomas Mitchell
Chick McGann . . . . . Eugene Pallette
Ma Smith . . . . . Beulah Bondi
Senate Majority Leader . . . . . H. B. Warner
President of the Senate . . . . . Harry Carey
Susan Paine . . . . . Astrid Allwyn
Mrs. Hopper . . . . . Ruth Donnelly
Senator MacPherson . . . . . Grant Mitchell
Senator Monroe . . . . . Porter Hall
Senate Minority Leader . . . . . Pierre Watkin
Nosey . . . . . Charles Lane
Bill Griffith . . . . . William Damarest
Carl Cook . . . . . Dick Elliott
The Truth Must be Told
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20 Comments
7 years ago
i think it’s time to make a movie “mohammad goes to washington” or “muslims go to usa”, to fight islamophobia and make people get used to the new normal of coexistance with islam
7 years ago
Reply to
spacearcadian
If only they were willing to coexist with us… “Submit, pay the jizya or die” doesn’t leave a whole lot of wiggle room.
D
7 years ago
A great classic.Two thumbs up!
7 years ago
How fitting after this last week, whew! I’ll be glad when its over.
7 years ago
Harry Carey for president. In the role of president of the senate he was positively oozing real old-fashioned American values that we can only imagine now.
7 years ago
Pam has a sense of humor.
7 years ago
James Stewart gave up his lucrative career in Hollywood to fly combat missions over Germany w/the 8th Air Force in B-24’s. How many major Hollywood stars can say that?
7 years ago
Reply to
IzlamIsTyranny
And he STAYED in Air Force Reserve until 1968 (!) retiring as a two star General. In WWII he flew numerous missions over Germany often as lead plane to inspire his men and won a chestful of medals including the Croix de Guerre for great heroism from the French government. He had to fight to fight though, they wanted him behind the lines raising money and making training films and he had to BEG for combat flight.
7 years ago
Reply to
s;vbkr0boc,klos;
I’ve read that. Clark Gable was a senior officer as well — his job was to guard the nurses and the Officers’ Clubs.
7 years ago
One movie all people should watch on what values are and enjoy a movie the family can watch over and over.
I see so much in this film in how people can be brought to destroy freedom of the media and rights to protest against the powers of ruling political parties as Obama and Hillary
7 years ago
Another wonderful classic movie with James Stewart is “It’s A Wonderful Life” A good movie for Christmas and for those going through a bad time
D
7 years ago
I pray Donald Trump becomes this type of man when he is elected. A man that will fight the corruption and stand for the PEOPLE.
7 years ago
A another movie with James Stewart and Doris Day of how dangerous Islam is and how one obeys their ways.
“The Man Who New Too Much”
7 years ago
The Invisible Front (2014) documentary tells the true story of the heroism of an ultimate patriot. Moreover, it displays what our future maybe like if we let it happen!
The Nazis were bad, the Soviets were worse; and the Jihadists will be beyond measure.
Freedom is never free, you must fight for it. There are worse things than death.
7 years ago
That’s my uncle.
7 years ago
This is one film to remind one of the corruption in politics and government, where one man makes a stand and fights the corruption
Reminds me of the corruption we have today and Trump fights for justice
