[ April 29, 2024 ]
In the wake of today’s vote for now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, tonight’s Saturday Night Cinema classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is the obvious choice. Frank Capra’s iconic classic is considered by many to be his greatest achievement in film. The parallels to the Democrat’s monstrous attacks on the Honorable Brett Kavanaugh are undeniable.
Capra’s film received eleven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (James Stewart), Best Supporting Actor (Harry Carey and Claude Rains), Best Score (Dimitri Tiomkin), Best Sound Recording (John Livadary), Best Film Editing, Best Interior Direction (Lionel Banks), Best Screenplay (Sidney Buchman), and Best Original Story.
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corning 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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16 Comments
5 years ago
oudated movies. we need movies that reflects the new reality of these days, like “Mohammad goes to USA”, “Citizen Mohammad”, “Gone with Sharia”, “the planet of the muslims”….
5 years ago
Reply to
spacearcadian
Sarcasm, or something you believe in? Islame and muslems have no place in a free society.
5 years ago
While I’ve yet to see this acclaimed film, James Stewart will forever be a hero of mine for his character and “stand up” record when some others ducked the call. Heaven is dignified by his presence as Hollywood was by his acting.
With the vote in the Senate finally going the right way – just, it’s my contention that America dodged a bullet called a coup de’etat aimed and fired by the outraged pussy hat wearing crypto fascists led by the Democrats on the hard left..
5 years ago
Reply to
Poppey
“America dodged a bullet called a coup de’etat”
Two more bullets are being fired:
Impeaching Kavanaugh
and Impeaching Trump
The Washington Post already wrote an article titled:
“Kavanaugh Impeachment. Here’s How!”
Only one way to make sure that doesn’t happen.urge people online to vote.
5 years ago
DEMOCRAT response to the movie:
“Mr. Smith doesn’t seem to have the temperament to be in Congress. He seemed rather angry and over-passionate when confronting the senators’ corruption.”
Dump the Dems in Nov.! Dump them like tea!
5 years ago
I was going to recommend “The Crucible” about the Salem Witch Trials.
DEMOCRATS “Plan B” is to IMPEACH Kav and Trump.
Enjoy the confirmation victory for the next 2 days, but afterwards it’s back to war at the ballot box. pass the word online.
5 years ago
Reply to
TD
And don’t spare any Democrat. Even Manchin (sorry to say)
thank him, then still fire him in Nov.
I know that’s cold, but his party is planning 2 impeachments.
Don’t feel sorry for any of them. they won’t for you.
5 years ago
Reply to
TD
WASHINGTON POST already wrote an article:
“Kavanaugh Impeachment. Here’s How!”
5 years ago
Reply to
TD
The Crucible is the perfect depiction of what has been going on for the past few years. Sadly, there are still too many who are ignorant of the so obvious connection.
5 years ago
“America dodged a bullet called a coup de’etat”Two more bullets are being fired:Impeaching Kavanaughand Impeaching TrumpThe Washington Post already wrote an article titled:”Kavanaugh Impeachment. Here’s How!”Only one way to make sure that doesn’t happen.urge people online to vote.
5 years ago
Good movie and has lots of values and the dirt that tries to control
I would have loved to see an extended version but all gone now. The aftermath
Be good if the Democrats came out and said they lied.
5 years ago
Wonderful movie, and very fitting in the light of all that’s going on in politics today. Interesting to see the dems so accurately portrayed in the character of Taylor. 😉
5 years ago
Reply to
Murielle
Great movie. I have seen it many times. The only part that had me gritting my teeth was when Jimmy Stewart (as Mr. Smith) refers to the United States as a “democracy”. As most thinking people know, the United States of America was formed as a Constitutional Republic, NOT a “democracy”. That said, I still love the movie.
5 years ago
Something about that movie looks very familiar.
5 years ago
My mother’s favorite political movie!
Mom (1916-1987) was the most politically savvy woman I’ve ever known.
5 years ago
“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” is certainly an excellent film with great performances, but it is marred by one fatal flaw: why the heck should our tax dollars be used to fund camps for a youth club? That is most certainly not something the federal government should be doing.
“It’s A Wonderful Life” also had a fatal flaw: Even if the townspeople collected cash to restore the bank funds that were lost, the Jimmy Stewart character would not be out of the woods. Bank examiners would still investigate the matter. If I rob a bank and then give the money back, I would still be prosecuted for bank robbery.
