Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

Even if you haven’t seen the superb Mr. Smith Goes To Washington yet, it’s more than likely that you know the basic story. James Stewart plays Mr. Smith, a beloved leader of the boy rangers who somehow gets picked to be a senator thanks to his popularity mixed with his naivete. All would be well and good if Mr. Smith was as dumb as he appeared but he isn’t. He soon, inadvertently, interferes with some well-laid plans and upsets a lot of people.

Directed by Frank Capra, from a screenplay by Sidney Buchman (based on the story by Lewis Foster), this is a delightful movie with a lot of sincerity and pertinent points being made amidst the numerous moments of pure cinema. A lot of people consider this a bona fide classic and I’m not going to try and argue against it, as it really is a delight to watch from start to finish, but it falls slightly short for me simply due to the fact that the character played by Stewart is SO child-like and innocent at times. Perhaps that’s just a sign of our cynical times when all the (mis)information you could ever need/want is available at your fingertips but it’s a factor, nonetheless.

The script is smart but it never loses the audience. All you need to remember is that Mr. Smith is the good guy standing up to the evil and corruption he finds in the democratic system. If you come close to forgetting that then, never fear, the movie easily keeps reminding you via the reactions of others onscreen and, well, the fact that Mr. Smith is played by the earnest James Stewart.

The rest of the cast are just as good. Jean Arthur as Clarissa Saunders is often amusing but also embodies the cynicism of the viewer – a cynicism that wears down as the movie progresses. Claude Rains is superb as Senator Joseph Paine, a man who compromised his ideals a long time ago and is reminded by Mr. Smith of just what great work he once did. Edward Arnold is the true villain of the piece, Jim Taylor, and makes his character easy to dislike while support from Guy Kibbee, Thomas Mitchell, Astrid Allwyn, Eugene Pallette and Harry Carey adds greatly to the whole experience.

It’s a shame to watch this movie nowadays and think of how much of it still rings true (just watch the scenes in which news of Mr. Smith’s stand against the system is withheld from the majority of the press without thinking of recent protest movements) but that also just reminds you of what a timeless movie it is. Well worth two hours of your time.

DIRECTOR: FRANK CAPRA
WRITER: SIDNEY BUCHMAN (STORY BY LEWIS FOSTER)
STARS: JAMES STEWART, JEAN ARTHUR, CLAUDE RAINS, EDWARD ARNOLD, GUY KIBBEE, THOMAS MITCHELL, HARRY CAREY, ASTRID ALLWYN, EUGENE PALLETTE
RUNTIME: 129 MINS APPROX
COUNTRY: USA

Film Rating:

Popularity: 1%