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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
19 October 1939 (USA) moreTagline:
Capra at his greatest! morePlot:
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. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 10 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(14 articles)
Ten greatest Films about America (From SoundOnSight. 4 July 2009, 6:48 PM, PDT)
Hollywood’s Golden Year
(From Twitch. 1 July 2009, 10:17 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Want to Get Your View Across? Why Not Filibuster? moreUS TV Schedule:
| Fri. July 24 | 2:00 AM | TCM |
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Jean Arthur | ... | Saunders | |
| James Stewart | ... | Jefferson Smith | |
| Claude Rains | ... | Senator Joseph Paine | |
| Edward Arnold | ... | Jim Taylor | |
| Guy Kibbee | ... | Governor Hopper | |
| Thomas Mitchell | ... | Diz Moore | |
| Eugene Pallette | ... | Chick McGann | |
| Beulah Bondi | ... | Ma Smith | |
| H.B. Warner | ... | Senator Agnew - Senate Majority Leader | |
| Harry Carey | ... | President of the Senate | |
| Astrid Allwyn | ... | Susan Paine | |
| Ruth Donnelly | ... | Emma Hopper | |
| Grant Mitchell | ... | Senator MacPherson | |
| Porter Hall | ... | Senator Monroe | |
| Larry Simms | ... | Hopper Boy (as Baby Dumpling) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
129 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Certification:
Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #5370) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U | Australia:GFun Stuff
Trivia:
In 1941 Columbia was sued by Louis Ullman and Norman Houston, both of whom claimed that this film was plagiarized from their respective written works. Screenwriter Lewis R. Foster testified that he wrote the story specifically for Gary Cooper, and director Frank Capra testified that he had seen only the synopsis of Foster's story and had intended to use it as a sequel to Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). Columbia won the case. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When the governor enters the Smith's home (with the band playing) we see, from the outside, Ma closing the door almost shut. When the scene shifts to inside the house, Ma is again closing the same door. moreQuotes:
[when Smith is announced as the newly appointed Senator]James Taylor: I want you to let the ballyhoo boys loose, plan a celebration, and declare a holiday.
more
Soundtrack:
Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair moreFAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersIs "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" based on a novel?
What was the original ending?
more
more
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The media and those in Washington, D.C. cringed in 1939 when Frank Capra (Oscar-nominated for directing) come out with "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Capra, fresh off amazing successes like "Lady for a Day", "It Happened One Night", "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", "Lost Horizon" and "You Can't Take It With You", used his power to slap some bigwigs in the face with a powerful medium---the motion picture. The result was an immediate backlash by publications and politicians, but cheers from critics and the audience. As with society, the critics and the masses won out as the movie is a masterpiece in every way. A U.S. Senate vacancy leads to a dilemma. Who should be put in office? Everyone believes the apparently naive and gullible James Stewart (Oscar-nominated) is the logical choice because he will be easy to manipulate and he won't rock the boat. Stewart, the leader of the Boy Rangers (a local camp association for youngsters), gets blind-sided by many high-ranking officials who have alterior motives (Oscar nominees Harry Carey and Claude Rains in particular) when his idea for a national boys' camp goes by the wayside. Thus the only thing left for Stewart is to beat those in charge by beating them at their own game---creating a filibuster (a never-ending governmental argument for his cause). Stewart is solid as always here and the supporters (love interest/reporter Jean Arthur and drunk newspaper man Thomas Mitchell included with the aforementioned players) are all terrific throughout. The Oscar-winning screenplay is deceptively intelligent and Capra just had the uncanny ability to mix comedy, drama and interpersonal characterizations together to make consistently wonderful American film experiences. 5 stars out of 5.