MR DEEDS GOES TO TOWN

US, 1936, 118 minutes, Black and white.
Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, Raymond Walburn, Lionel Stander, Walter Catlett, George Bancroft, Douglass Dumbrille, H. B. Warner, Ruth Donnelly, Margaret Seddon, Margaret Mc Wade.
Directed by Frank Capra.

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is one of the classic optimistic tables of American cinema.

Director Frank Capra and writer Robert Riskin collaborated on several of these tables during the '30s and early '40s. They won Oscars for It Happened One Night. They collaborated on You Can't It With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe. They both had a belief in human nature, a genial optimism, a delight in the honest straightforward, even naive, hero clashing with the selfishness of big business and the unscrupulous methods of the press. Their films often had a broad, financial and political background which made them tables for Americans during the Depression and on the eve of World War Two.

Gary Cooper was ideal as the strong, gentle and naive hero, Longfellow Deeds. He was also to play John Doe. Jean Arthur is a tough heroine - who naturally begins to understand Deeds. She was the heroine of Mr. Smith, and You Can't Take It With You. Barbara Stanwyck, in like vein, was with Cooper in Meet John Doe.

There is a good supporting cast and, though the film was made on a somewhat small budget, it makes the most of its opportunities visually and verbally. Capra won an Oscar for Best Director.

1. The status of the film as a classic? its durability even though in many ways it is dated? The perennial values of human nature? The value of the attack on exploitation?

2. The work of Frank Capra and Robert Riskin? The Depression, the United States and its problems, human nature, good and bad, honesty and naivety, hope? A genial popular table?

3. Black and white photography, Columbia production values? The traditions and styles of screwball comedy? The strength of the cast?

4. The opening and the situation of the death of the millionaire, the search tor the heir, the availability of millions of dollars? In the background of the Depression? Greedy financiers wanting to control the money? Their crooked dealings? The newspapers wanting to exploit the heir? Cobb and his work as protecting the heir?

5. The visit to Mandrake Falls? The humour at the expense of the isolated small town, and yet the audience feeling guilty for laughing at the town? Longfellow Deeds' poem about Mandrake Falls? The comedy at the station with the slowness of the porter? The visit to Deeds' home, the encounter with the landlady and her homeliness? The meal, the easy taking of the news? The atmosphere of the small town, the farewell to Deeds? and his playing the tuba? Naive, nice? The verse that he wrote for the cards? Arrival in New York, reaction, the new clothes, not wanting servants to kneel to him? The opera meeting and his being made Chairman of the Board, his commonsense criticisms? His meeting with Mary/Babe out side his house? Rescuing a lady in distress? His enjoyment of the outings, his meeting the celebrities and their poking fun at him, his stating that his verse was the best he could do? The fights, going on the bender, feeding the horse doughnuts, his sore-headedness? The irony of all this coming back at the court hearing ? and his comments on them later? Falling in love with Mary, enjoying the outings? the visit to Grant's Tomb etc.? His shrewdness, his trying to be fair? Going on the fire brigade truck? Locking the bodyguards in the cupboard? His shrewdness in not allowing Ceder to take over the finances? The growing friendship with Cobb? The sequence of testing the echoes in the house with all the servants in harmony? Sending people away from the party so that he could meet Mary? The Cinderella tag and his response? His being criticised in the papers?

6. Babe and her work at the paper, the editor, her smart moves, the tainting, the lady in distress, seeing him as a sucker, writing him up? Leading him on? The gradual change, her caution, the worry of the editor? The talks with her roommate? Being in love and determining to tell Deeds the truth?

7. Cobb and his work, telling Deeds the truth? The elaborate dinner preparations, Deeds hurt? The phone call? The change of pace with the poor farmer confronting him in his house, threatening to shoot him? His decisions about the money? Setting up the distribution of the money, the farmers all coming to the house? The reality of the Depression? Cobb helping?

8. His arrest, the trial, Ceder trying to get Power of Attorney, the relations trying to get the money? Crooked means? The threat to the economy, according to Ceder?

9. The trial and Deeds remaining silent? The range of evidence and its being twisted? Babe trying to speak, declaring her love? Ceder and his continued attacks? The two old ladies from Mandrake Falls? The old lady saying he was 'pixilated'? The judge being pixilated? The European psychologist with his charts and explanations of manic depression?

10. The farmers and their appeal, Babe and her declaration of love, Cobb urging him on? The importance of Mr. Deeds' long speech, his homely explanation of his origins, his background, the impact of New York, his being tricked, his being out on the town, his being drunk - the first time in his life, the impression of the farmers? His telling the truth? The strong verdict in his favour? The happy ending?

11. The impact on the audience of Capra's optimism, his belief in human nature? The fact that audiences might not follow in fact what was presented to them but nevertheless have found it inspiring over the decades?