MR SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON

US, 1939, 130 minutes, Black and white.
James Stewart, Claude Rains, Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, Edward Arnold, Guy Kibbee, Eugene Pallette, Beulah Bondi, Harry Carey, H. B. Warner, Astrid Alwyn, Ruth Donnelly, Charles Lane, Porter Hall.
Directed by Frank Capra.

Mr Smith Goes to Washington was one of the great box office successes of 1939. Directed by Frank Capra, it caught up his optimistic picture of America of the '30s and the influence of the single-minded individual against bureaucracy in government. He had collaborated with writer Robert Riskin with It Happened One Night and Mr. Deeds Goes To Town as well as You Can't Take it With You (winning two Oscars for best film of the year for 'Happened' and 'You Can't ... Capra was to resume work with Riskin in such films as Meet John Doe. Here his author is Sidney Buchman and the author of the story Lewis R. Foster (director of many action adventures and musicals at Paramount in the late '40s and early '50s, Manhandled, Cross Winds, Those Redheads from Seattle).

James Stewart had starred in You Can't Take It With You and is excellent here as Jefferson Smith. He was to win the Oscar in the following year for his performance in The Philadelphia Story. He was to work with Capra in It's A Wonderful Life immediately after the war. There is an excellent supporting cast headed by Jean Arthur (also in You Can't Take It With You) and a fine performance from Oscar-nominated Claude Rains. Edward Arnold, Thomas Mitchell, Eugene Pallette and Beulah Bondi all give characteristically excellent performances. Music is by Dmitri Tiomkin. The film is earnest, a criticism of a lot of complacency in politics in the immediate post Depression era. The film is optimistically pro American. There was a remake by Tom Laughlin and his wife Delores Taylor, Billy Jack goes to Washington (1977), the third in the series of Billy Jack films. Herbert Ross's Goldie Hawn vehicle, Protocol, is a partial remake, as is Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde 2.

1. An entertaining film? The optimism of Frank Capra? His delight in film making and optimistic American stories? Tone, issues? A piece of Americana summing up attitudes of the '30s? Capra's later work?

2. The contribution of the star leads, the acting ensemble and their talent? The persuasiveness of their performances?

3. The introduction? Politics? People? Government? Corruption? Taylor, Payne and the ambiguities of politics and compromise? The seeking of power and corruption? The ironic touches? The faith in government of the '30s as well as the criticism of bad government? The good faith of the ordinary citizen?

4. Capra's and the screenplay's stand? Tour and collage? Jefferson and his style, hopes, speeches, the Senate, the Constitution? Respect for American government?

5. The balance of the optimism by the story of corruption and greed, political machines, the media, truth and lies and the destruction of individuals?

6. The theme of individuals within the system, versus the system and the machine? The ordinary man whose name was Smith? The ordinary man whose name was Smith but whose given name was Jefferson with its American traditions? James Stewart and his presence, performance, characteristic style - embodying the ordinary man American as Jefferson Smith?

7. The nomination farce. the coin etc.? The Governor and his family, the homespun style, the lies? His family background and seeing his family? Taylor calling the tune, the henchmen, the power. the papers and Public opinion?

8. Edward Arnold as Taylor: the big man, push, cruelty. handling people and manipulating them? The portrait of a corrupt man?

9. Claude Rains and his presence and performance as Senator Payne? The Silver Knight? The impression he gave, truth? Bowing at the banquet? The train and the story? His Senate life? Daughter? Control of Jeff? The project about the camp, the cover-up? Prestige, clash, repute, his place in the Senate, performance? The scenes with Taylor? His telling the truth? The inquiry and the lies? The filibuster? His shooting himself? A portrait of the corruption of ideals?

10. Jefferson Smith and the work with the boys. his relationship with his mother, his going to Washington, touring Washington, and a collage of patriotism? Being late, naive, the papers and Saunders, the rescue, the Senate, the project, working and sharing with Saunders, uncovering elements of corruption, the confrontation with Taylor, Payne and his lies, his wandering Washington? The encounters with Saunders and with Diz Moore? Communication? Place in the Senate? Respect? The President? The humour and dramatics of the filibuster? His winning? Integrity? The audience seeing Washington through his eyes? The language of American optimism? Images?

11. The contrast with Saunders and her toughness, work, single name, sequences in the bar, 'one of the boys', being spurned by Smith, sharing with him, marrying and Diz Moore, going away, his tutor?

12. Diz and the press. his mockery, punch-up, life in the gallery. the freedom of the press?

13. McCann? and his relationship with Taylor. P.R. work?

14. The senators, the sittings, the president of the Senate and his quiet wisdom, political tactics?

15. The serious themes of the Constitution, rights, integrity? The focus on Lincoln and the great American politicians? The possibilities for greatness of the United States?

16. The sentiment of the film? The picture of Middle America vs. the hard-boiled Washington group?

17. The film coming out on the eve of World War Two? Its summing up of America's experience during the Depression years? Facing the reality of Hitler and the '40s?

18. The strength of the little man. courage and endurance, power and its corruption, right and victory?