MAGIC TOWN
US, 1947, 103 minutes, Black and white.
James Stewart, Jane Wyman, Kent Smith, Regis Toomey, Donald Meek.
Directed by William A. Wellman.
Magic Town was written by Robert Riskin, who had written several significant screenplays for Frank Capra films in the '30s and early '40s: It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, You Can't Take it With You, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Meet John Doe. The combination of Riskin and Capra made for good entertainment, the light comic touch as well as serious critique of America and Americans. However, their touch was always optimistic. The same ingredients are here but the film is a bit heavy-handed at times and the points misfire. Direction this time is by William Wellman, more noted for his action adventures from Wings to such westerns as Buffalo Bill and Yellow Sky and The High and the Mighty.
James Stewart is quite at home in this kind of role and Jane Wyman was at the peak of her career, winning an Oscar for Johnny Belinda at this time. The film is interesting in its optimistic presentation of the United States as well as its critique of the so-called typical town. However, the film is rather dated in its impact now.
1. An entertaining film? A didactic film? An American social fable? An image of the United States and its people in the '40s? The average American?
2. The value of didactic cinema? The goal of such cinema, the explicit message? The necessity of it being bound into the plot and characterisation? How well were they integrated here? The danger of such material dating?
3. Audience interest in Americana? The picture of America and its image of itself in the '40s? The post-war period and the experience of the war and fellowship of soldiers? People settling down and trying to build up a post-war United States? Grandview as the average American town ? mathematically perfect for statistics? The humour of this conception of the average town and the way that this was illustrated? The importance of opinion polls, the gaining of opinions? Their backing? The effect of the town on its self-consciousness about its being the average American town ? wisdom, foolishness? The contribution of the stars and their styles?
4. The necessity of a contrived screenplay: serious tones, whimsy, observation of human nature and social behaviour, critique?
5. Audience response to opinion polls, the people behind them, their purpose, the way opinions are sought? The value of such polls? Statistics, mathematics, science, the abstract average American?
6. James Stewart as star? His presence, style? Our introduction to him, sleeping, absent-minded, yet his intense personal drive, ambitions.. hope to make money? The ruthlessness in his motivation and behaviour? The personalities of his team and their work for him? The decision to go to Grandview, the arrival and Rip's ingratiating himself into people's goodwill? The importance of his visit to the Mayor, the interruption to the meting and his advocating of no change? His using the town and its people? The gaining of the poll and the success of his work? The repercussions on the town itself, his own life? The moral of the story in the effect of all this on Rip himself?
7. The portrait of the Mayor, the councillors? Their conservatism, their meetings, the importance of the city square and their reactions? Their help towards Rip? The overreaction of enthusiasm to publicity? Their foolishness in their schemes? Their depression when everything went wrong? Their being galvanised into action at the end? Nickleby as the focus of dissent. selfishness, opportunism?
8. Jane Wyman as Mary? Her plans for the town square, the heritage from her father, the paper, her mother and her guiding presence? The listening to Rip's voice and the reminder of Mary's father? The attack of the article and the reaction from Rip? Their going about together, the scene in the milk bar, on the hill, the basketball? The growing bonds and love?
9. Rip's skill as basketball player. impact on the boys, coaching them, their win? Friendship with Hoopendecker ? and meeting him on the school playground? Hoopendecker's warnings about people's reaction? Rip and six weeks of becoming popular in Grandview? The build-up to the dance and Mary's mother's speech?
10. The aftermath and the dramatics of Mary's discovery of the truth, Rip on the phone? The split between them and Mary's reaction in publishing the article?
11. The strange repercussions with the boom, the crowds, the exploitative media usage? The money pouring in? The satirical touches of showing this great change? The selling of opinions, the motives for people moving etc.?
12. The irony of the collapse and the townspeople becoming so self conscious that they became untypical? The humour at their expense? The decline of the town, the media condemning the town, Rip and his drinking and dejection, Mary and the rest of the townspeople unable to do anything?
13. The new plan for the pride of the town, the rebuilding of the square? The challenge to Nickleby? The newspaper article and the nationwide media coverage and praise of Grandview? The dynamics of the meeting ? the boys persuading their parents, the rising to the occasion, American optimism about building a future?
14. Themes of American foolishness, American wisdom, American pride? An example of self-critique and positive satire?
