Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington (1939) Starring:
James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Guy Kibbee Directed by
Frank Capra. Produced by Frank Capra Screenplay by Sidney Buchman. Based on the
unpublished story "The Gentleman from Montana" by Lewis R. Foster.
Run Time: 129 minutes. U.S. Black and White, Drama, Political, Comedy.
Quick,
name the most controversial film of 1939 at the time of its release? Now I’m
sure we would all say Gone with the Wind, with its depiction of slavery and
blacks in general. But not when it was released. The answer we were looking for
is Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; but more on the controversy
later.
The
story the film was based on had been around before Columbia Pictures bought it.
Both Paramount and MGM had submitted the story to the Hays Office of the
Production Code Administration for approval in January 1938. Joseph Breen, the
director of the PCA had warned Paramount upon their submission "we would urge most earnestly that
you take serious counsel before embarking on the production of any motion
picture based on this story. It looks to us like one that might well be loaded
with dynamite, both for the motion picture industry, and for the country at
large."
Rouben
Mamoulian was supposedly interested in directing the film, but his involvement
disappeared quickly as did Paramount’s and MGM’s. Perhaps they were put off by
Breen’s reaction. Columbia Pictures became interested in the story as a vehicle
for Ralph Bellamy, with Harold Wilson slated to produce. However, when Capra
was brought on as director, the idea changed to a sequel of the very successful
of Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936), a screwball comedy directed by Capra and
starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The
plan was to call it Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington, but Cooper wasn’t available,
so Capra thought of James Stewart and Arthur. They had worked together the year
before in Capra’s Academy Award Winning Best Picture, You Can’t Take It WithYou (1938). Stewart had to be borrowed for the film from MGM, his home studio
at the time.
Like
Paramount and MGM before it, Columbia submitted the story to the Hays Office.
Once again, Breen warned Columbia that the picture needed to emphasize that
"the Senate is made up of a group of fine, upstanding citizens, who labor
long and tirelessly for the best interests of the nation," as opposed to
`"Senator Joseph Paine" and his cohorts.
Breen’s
opinion changed radically after reading Sidney Buchman’s script. He wrote a
letter to Will H. Hays, the President of the Motion Picture Producers and
Distributors of America (forerunner to today’s MPAA) in which he stated:
"It is a grand yarn that will do a great deal of good for all those who
see it and, in my judgment, it is particularly fortunate that this kind of
story is to be made at this time. Out of all Senator Jeff's difficulties there
has been evolved the importance of a democracy and there is splendidly
emphasized the rich and glorious heritage which is ours and which comes when
you have a government 'of the people, by the people, and for the people.'”
But
even though Breen’s opinion might have changed, not everyone wanted to be
associated with the project. The Boy Scouts of America wanted no part of what
they called “Mr. Capra's reform movement," and Capra therefore had to use
the fictitious name of the Boy Rangers.
Shooting
began in early April, 1939. Capra and his crew went to Washington, D.C. to film
background material and to study the Senate Chamber, which was replicated, full
scale, in precise detail on the Columbia lot. James D. Preston, a former
superintendent of the Senate press gallery, acted as Capra's technical advisor
for the Senate set and political protocol. A report at the time referred to the
production utilizing the New York Street Set at the Warner Brothers lot near
the end of their shooting schedule which wrapped on July 7th.
Political
boss James Taylor (Edward Arnold) has big plans to perpetrate a scam against at
Willett Creek by getting the federal government to build a dam there. But plans
go awry when Senator Foley dies unexpectedly. There is no time for mourning as
the spending bill, with the dam buried in it, is about to come up for a vote. Taylor
needs the Governor to appoint someone who won’t ask too many questions.
 |
| "Nosey" (Charles Lane) calls his paper to report the death of Senator Foley. |
Taylor
has all the politicians in the state in his back pocket, including Governor
Hubert Hopper (Guy Kibbee) and Senator Joesph Paine (Claude Rains). Hopper
can’t make a move without Taylor’s approval. And while Taylor has a particular
candidate, the public, represented by a citizen’s committee, wants someone else
and Hopper bends to public will, which draws Taylor’s ire.
However,
the governor’s sons have a different candidate in mind, Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), the
patriotic leader of the Boy Rangers and a hero who put out a forest fire by
himself. Hopper sees Smith as a way out and appoints him to replace Foley.
He convinces Taylor that the naïve Smith
could be controlled.
 |
| Gov. Hopper (Guy Kibbee) introduces his choice to fill the vacancy, Jefferson Smith (James Stewart). |
It
is only after the fact that Paine realizes he knows Smith and was his father’s
best friend. Jeff’s father ran a small paper that fought for the lost
cause. Paine, who was a lawyer back then, would fight the good fight along with him. Then one day, the elder Smith was
killed in the fight, shot in the back at his typewriter.
When
they arrive in Washington, accompanied by Taylor’s stooge, Chick McGann (Eugene
Pallette), they are met by some reporters, including “Nosey” (Charles Lane),
who we had seen at the beginning of the film announcing Foley’s untimely
passing. But despite the best laid plans to introduce Smith to the press, they
can’t control him. As soon as Smith sees the Capitol building he is overwhelmed
and walks away from the group and finds himself on a tour bus. Seeing the
Lincoln Memorial and reading the President’s words that are chiseled into the
walls strike Smith about the importance of his job.
 |
| Smith finds the Lincoln Memorial humbling. |
Waiting
for Smith to arrive at his office are Foley’s secretary, Clarissa Saunders
(Jean Arthur), and a cynical reporter, “Diz” Moore (Thomas Mitchell). Jefferson
is five hours overdue when he finally comes through the door. Saunders almost
chases him away before realizing he’s the new Senator.
 |
| Saunders (Jean Arthur) nearly chases Smith away from his office. |
Saunders,
as she’s called, and Diz both find Jefferson’s patriotic enthusiasm hokum. To
fix his wagon, Saunders arranges for a press conference for Smith. He’s naïve,
honest and forthcoming and is consequently made fun of in the papers, with
photos and quotes taken out of context for maximum effect.
 |
| In a publicity still, Saunders, Smith and Diz (Thomas Mitchell) confer. |
The
next day, when Paine is to be sworn into office, one senator objects to his
appointment, citing the newspaper stories as proof that Smith is not fit for
office. But the President of the Senate (Harry Carey) won’t be party to the
smear job and swears Smith into office. But Smith is outraged and hurt by his
treatment in the press. He goes looking for the reporters who had made fun of
him, slugging each one he finds. When he sees Nosey, he chases him into the
National Press Club. There, Moore, Nosey and Sweeney Farrell (Jack Carson) tell
him they think he is nothing more than an “honorary stooge” and is getting the
treatment he thusly deserves.
 |
| In a publicity still, Sweeney Farrell (Jack Carson) helps hold back Smith from punching Nosey. |
Hearing
the truth hurts and Smith goes to see his mentor Senator Paine. There he makes
the acquaintance of Paine’s daughter, Susan (Astrid Allwyn), whom he’d met
briefly at the train station. She is pretty and sophisticated and makes Smith
nervous when he’s around her. Paine convinces Smith that he should write a bill
to establish the national Boy Rangers camp he’s been championing.
Excited,
Smith goes back to his office to enlist Saunders’ help in writing it up. She
tries to dissuade him with a lesson on how the Senate really works. Even if he
can jump through all the hoops necessary to get his bill to the floor for a
vote, the Senate will go into recess before the vote ever comes to pass. But
Smith is enthralled by the challenge and Saunders resigns herself to help him.
When Smith describes the 200 acres where he proposes to locate the camp
grounds, Saunders recognizes it as the same place where Taylor plans to build
his dam.
The
next morning, Smith is excited about presenting his first bill for legislation.
Saunders gives Moore a heads up about what will happen when Smith gets around
to reading his bill to the floor. And no sooner does he utter the words Willett
Creek, Chick jumps into action and calls Taylor.
 |
Mr. Smith reads his proposed bill to start a Boy Rangers
camp to the Senate. Page Boy (Dickie James) proudly watches. |
But
despite Jeff’s nervousness, the other senators are receptive to his idea, with
the exception of Paine, who is horrified. Not wanting to have Smith in the
Senate the next day when the appropriation bill with the Willet Creek dam is
discussed, Paine conspires to have his daughter Susan distract him for the day.
Susan calls Saunders to help arrange the deception and Jeff is thrilled by
Susan’s attention.
Saunders, however, is not happy with the way Jeff is being deceived and her role in that
deception and gets drunk with Diz at dinner. She vows to quit her job and asks Diz
to marry her. But when they go back to the office to get her things, Jeff is
there, happy from his day with Susan. Saunders takes the opportunity to let
Smith know what’s really going on before she leaves. Diz, realizing she’s too
drunk to get married, takes her home.
 |
| At dinner with Diz, Saunders decides to quit her job and marry Diz. |
Smith,
shocked by Saunders’ admission, goes to confront Paine, but Paine simply
smooth-talks him. Alarmed, Taylor comes to Washington to twist Smith’s arm.
Paine, who is also in the hotel room, doesn’t want any part of it and leaves out
a side door. Taylor tries to tell Smith how things work. Taylor informs Smith
that Paine works for him and offers a similar treatment for Smith if he plays
it smart and doesn’t make waves.
 |
Political boss James Taylor (Edward Arnold) comes to Washington to educate
Smith on how things really work. Taylor's stooge, Chick McMann (Eric Pallette), looks on. |
But
Smith doesn’t want to play ball and the next day, attempts to speak against the
crooked bill. Not understanding the protocol, Smith yields the floor to Paine,
who uses the opportunity to launch into an attack on Smith’s character,
claiming Smith is using the boys camp for personal gain.
 |
| Smith's hero, Senator Paine (Claude Rains) leads the attack on him. |
The
allegations continue at a hearing before the Committee on Privileges and
Elections. Hopper, Paine and others present phony evidence and lie about Jeff
owning the land upon which he wants to build the camp. Jeff is so dumbfounded
by Paine's lies that he cannot testify on his own behalf and decides to leave
Washington.
 |
| Things get out of hand at Smith's hearing. He is dumbfounded by the lies told about him. |
Bags
packed, Jeff goes to the Lincoln Memorial, where Saunders finds him and
convinces him not to give up and to attempt a filibuster to clear his name.
 |
Saunders finds Smith, bags packed and ready to leave town at the Lincoln memorial.
She convinces him to stay and fight for his name and his cause. |
H.
V. Kaltenborn, a CBS radio correspondent in real life, is there the next
morning to explain to us the rules of a filibuster, at least in 1939. As long
as Smith remains talking on his feet and only yields for a question, he can
hold the floor. (This is a really good device since I doubt very many people
are up on U.S. Senate filibuster rules and they are important to the story.)
 |
In a nice device, H.V. Kaltenborn, a real CBS radio correspondent,
is employed to explain the rules of filibuster to the audience. |
Before
the Senate can vote to expel him, Smith gets recognized by the President of the
Senate and launches into his filibuster, using the opportunity to reveal the
truth about Taylor and Paine to the Senate, even as Paine continues trying to
condemn him. The rest of the Senate doesn’t want to listen, but Jeff intends
to talk until his news reaches his home state, and the people rise up against Taylor’s
corrupt political machine.
But
Taylor, who owns all the newspapers back home, organizes a massive campaign
against Jeff. Many hours later, Saunders cheers up Jeff with a note telling him
she loves him, and then calls his mother, telling her to enlist the Boy Rangers
to spread the truth with their little four page paper. The boys publish and
start to distribute their newspaper. There are protests on both sides, but
Taylor’s men shut down the opposition, even going so far as harming some of the
boys.
 |
| Taylor gets on the phones to lead the smear campaign against Smith back home. |
Back
at the Senate, Paine brings in 50,000 telegrams drummed up by Taylor, all of
them urging Jeff to quit. Discouraged, Jeff resolves to keep fighting, but collapses
from exhaustion after a nearly twenty-four hour filibuster. Paine breaks down, and
after attempting suicide outside the senate chamber, confesses, saying that
everything Jeff has said is true.
Everyone in the room cheers, Saunders jumps
for joy and the film ends.
 |
| Smith is confronted by the 50,000 telegrams sent from his state urging him to quit. |
Apparently,
a slightly different ending was planned, one of which saw Smith and Saunders
return to a hero’s welcome in his hometown and the implication that the two
would wed and start a family. Perhaps clocking in at over two hours, Capra
thought better of the anti-climatic ending and didn’t include it.
 |
| In an alternative ending, Smith returns home in triumph with Saunders. |
The
film had its premiere at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on October 17,
1939, sponsored by the National Press Club, an event to which 4,000 guests were
invited, including 45 senators. Apparently some senators in attendance did not
appreciate how their institution was portrayed and in his autobiography, Name
Above the Title, Capra claims several walked out of the screening. (News
reports of the day are unclear about this, or whether senators yelled back at
the screen during the film, which has also been reported. But it makes a good
story.)
Senate
Majority Leader Alben W. Barkley, a Democrat from Kentucky who would serve as
Truman’s Vice-President, is quoted as calling the film "silly and
stupid," and that it "makes the Senate look like a bunch of
crooks." He also remarked that the film was “a grotesque distortion” of
the Senate, “as grotesque as anything ever seen! Imagine the Vice President of
the United States winking at a pretty girl in the gallery in order to encourage
a filibuster!” Barkley thought the film “...showed the Senate as the biggest
aggregation of nincompoops on record!” Thou seems to protest too much.
The
Senate is said to have gotten retaliation as only a legislative body can with
the punitive Neely Anti-Block Booking Bill (which in the late 1940s led to the
breakup of the studio-owned theater chains and led to the decline of the film
industry.) Punishing your critics is another great Senate tradition, I guess.
But
outrage wasn’t limited to elected officials. Capra also claims in his book that
after the film's general release, he and Harry Cohn, the President and
Production Director at Columbia Pictures, received a cablegram from Joseph P.
Kennedy, then the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. Kennedy claimed that the
film would damage "America's prestige in Europe" and should therefore
be withdrawn from European distribution.
Pete
Harrison, a respected journalist and publisher of the motion picture trade
journal, Harrison's Reports, suggested that the Senate pass a bill allowing
theater owners to refuse to show films that “were not in the best interest of
our country”.
Across
the Atlantic, the film seemed to have the opposite effect. The film was banned
in some countries, like Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's Italy, Franco's Spain and
Stalin's USSR, not places considered bastions of democracy. When a ban on
American films was imposed in German occupied France in 1942, some theaters
chose to show Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as the last movie before the ban
went into effect. One theater owner in Paris reportedly
screened the film nonstop for 30 days. So much for damaging American prestige,
rather it showing it was the last act of rebellion against those who didn’t
appreciate free speech.
Film
critics didn’t go along with the condemnation. Frank S. Nugent, the film
critic for the New York Times, wrote that Capra “is operating, of course, under
the protection of that unwritten clause in the Bill of Rights entitling every
voting citizen to at least one free swing at the Senate. Mr. Capra’s swing is
from the floor and in the best of humor; if it fails to rock the august body to
its heels — from laughter as much as from injured dignity — it won’t be his
fault but the Senate’s, and we should really begin to worry about the upper
house."
The
film, made on a budget of $1.5 million, had a respectful boxoffice. While the
numbers from back then are not considered as reliable as they are now, Mr.
Smith Goes to Washington is ranked as the 5th biggest film of 1939,
behind the juggernaut of films, Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and in
line with The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Jesse James.
Mr.
Smith Goes to Washington would be nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including
for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting
Actor (one each for Harry Carey and Claude Rains), Best Art Direction, Best
Music, Best Editing and Best Sound, winning only one for Best Original Story.
The film is also considered to be one of Capra’s best films.
The
film represents a darker view of the human condition for Capra as a filmmaker.
The crazy optimism of You Can’t Take It With You has been replaced by a more
sinister view of the world. One in which people will lie, cheat and steal to
get what they want; a world view that is unfortunately more realistic. This
dark view can also be seen in It’s A Wonderful Life (1946); George Bailey does try to
kill himself when he sees no way out from his predicament and feels that his
life has been a waste up to the moment Clarence, the Angel, arrives on the
scene. Suicide as a premise for a Christmas film is pretty dark you have to
admit.
But,
like It’s A Wonderful Life, Capra still has a sense that the individual can
make a difference; that a lost cause can be won if the individual is persistent
enough. Jefferson Smith goes on a filibuster that somehow changes Senator
Paine’s attitude and he breaks down and confesses all on the verge of getting
away with it. I wish I could share this
sentiment. My opinion of politicians is that they skate as close to the edge of
corruption and deceit as they can and will, even if their hand is caught in the
cookie jar on video, deny the truth in order to stay in office. But to
paraphrase Woody Allen in Annie Hall, you try to make right in art what isn’t
in real life.
James
Stewart and Jean Arthur are reunited again, having been paired only the year
before in You Can’t Take it With You. They seem to have good screen chemistry,
but they would never be paired again on the big screen. While Stewart would go
onto be the bigger star, Arthur was the more established actor at the time and
received top-billing.
 |
| Despite their chemistry on screen, Stewart and Arthur never appeared again on screen. |
Arthur
had been in films since being discovered by Fox in the 1920s. She made her
film debut in Cameo Kirby (1923), a film directed by John Ford. But she wasn’t
at the time considered a good actress and was even replaced on The Temple of
Venus (1923), a film that she was supposed to star in. But Arthur did not give
up on acting.
She
was signed by Action Pictures in 1924 and made over twenty westerns in two
years there, making $25 a film. She also appeared in an uncredited part in
Buster Keaton’s Seven Chances (1925). She kept getting acting jobs in films,
but she wasn’t happy with the direction her career was going. Her break came in
Warming Up (1928), Famous Players-Lasky’s first sound film, starring Richard
Dix. The film was heavily promoted and Arthur received praise and a three year
contract with the studio, which would soon become Paramount.
She
started to get positive reviews for her acting in films like Party Wire (1935),
Public Hero No. 1 (1935) and If Only You Can Cook (1935), but her big break
came when Capra cast her in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). Her roles in such
films as You Can’t Take it With You made her so popular that she was one of
the four finalists for the coveted role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the
Wind.
She
would follow up Mr. Smith with performances in Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
and Talk of the Town (1942) and The More the Merrier (1943), the latter for
which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She would
retire when her contract with Columbia expired in 1944, coming back to star in
A Foreign Affair (1948) and Shane (1953). In
Mr. Smith, she is vivacious and funny, charming the audience with her presence
as she does Dix Moore and, more importantly, Jefferson Smith.
While
Stewart and Arthur carry the movie, one of the joys of watching older films is
to see the supporting cast and character actors and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
has one of the better collections of such talent. Thomas Mitchell, who we wrote
about in our review of Stagecoach (1939), is one of many who give superb
performances in little roles. Mitchell seems to excel at playing drunks and
heavy drinkers, something he would do to great effect as Uncle Billy in It’s A
Wonderful Life.
Mitchell
is one of several actors who would also appear in that classic film, besides
Stewart. Beulah Bondi, who plays Ma Smith, would go onto to portray Ma Bailey.
She would also play Stewart’s mother in two other films as well. H.B. Warner,
the Senate Majority Leader, would play the drunken druggist Mr. Gower. And
Charles Lane, who plays the reporter, Nosey, was Potter’s rent collector.
Claude
Rains is one of my favorite supporting actors. While I’m very partial to his
performance in Casablanca (1942), I also have enjoyed his work in such films as
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Notorious (1946), The Unsuspected (1947) and
Lawrence of Arabia (1962). He appeared in one British film, Build Thy House
(1920), before emigrating to act on Broadway in 1920 at the age of 31.
In
his next film, Rains was cast in the lead as The Invisible Man (1933), directed
by James Whale, the director of Frankenstein. It was his distinctive voice that won him the part, since most of the film he is either wrapped in bandages or is
invisible. The film, based on a novel by H.G. Welles, is a bit over the top with
its special effects and frankly Rains’ laugh gets to be like fingernails on the
chalkboard before the film is through.
Rains
would find steady work in Hollywood, usually in a supporting role. He played
the father, Adam Lemp, in the Four Daughters/Wives/Mothers series of films with
the Lane Sisters. He portrayed Sir John Talbot in The Wolf Man (1941), as well
as a string of films including Moontide (1942), Now, Voyager (1942),
Casablanca. He would also appear in the Casablanca redux, Passage to Marseille
(1944). But he wasn’t always cast to
show off his talent, including what I thought was a dud, Phantom of the Opera (1943).
While
the role of the President of the Senate is small, the actor, Harry Carey, had
been one of cinema’s first superstars. He made his debut in D.W. Griffith’s
Bill Sharkey’s Last Game (1909). He was one of the earliest Western film
heroes, appearing as the character Cheyenne Harry in a series of films that ran
from A Knight of the Range (1916) to Acres Wild (1936). He starred in John
Ford’s first feature, Straight Shooting (1918). One of his last films was Red
River (1948), in which he played Mr. Melville, who buys the cattle at the end of
the drive. The film was released posthumously, as Carey had died in 1947 at the
age of 69.
The
film features some of the heavyweights of supporting actors: Edward Arnold, Guy
Kibbee and Eugene Pallette. All three are those faces you see in films from
this era, but whose names you might not know.
Arnold,
who plays James Taylor, had once been considered a leading man in Hollywood.
Despite being labeled "box
office poison" in 1938 by an exhibitor publication along with the likes of Joan Crawford, Greta
Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Fred Astaire and Katharine Hepburn. Arnold
never seemed to lack work, as he appeared in over 150 films usually in a
supporting role. Politically active, Arnold lost a closely contested election
for Los Angeles County Supervisor and said at the time that perhaps actors were
not suited to run for political office.
Guy Kibbee was known for playing jovial and
slightly daft characters in such earlier 30s
films as The Crowd Roars (1932); 42nd Street (1933);
Footlight Parade (1933); and The Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933). He would also
appear in Captain Blood (1935); Our Town (1940); Girl Crazy (1943); Fort Apache
(1948) and 3 Godfathers (1948).
Eugene
Pallette began his career as a thin and athletic actor, appearing in such films
as Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), but success didn’t come until
he gained weight. He appeared in Hal
Roach films, including a few Laurel and Hardy films. His distinctive raspy
voice served him well with the coming of sound and he appeared in supporting
roles throughout the 30s and 40s, appearing in such films as My Man Godfrey
(1936), Topper (1937), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Young Tom Edison
(1940), The Lady Eve (1941) and The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941).
In
1946, he sort of shot his career in the foot; when fearing the world was about
to come to an end, he retreated to a fortress he had built on a mountain side
in Oregon. Stocked with cattle, a canning plant and a lumber mill, Pallette was
waiting for the atomic bomb to be dropped and waited two years before deciding
it wasn’t going to happen. He returned to Hollywood, but never appeared in
another film.
William
Demarest, Uncle Charley to a generation of TV viewers, had a career that
spanned back to silent films. Perhaps best known for being one of Preston
Sturges’ stock company, appearing in some of that filmmaker's better known
films: The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels (1942) and The Miracle of
Morgan's Creek (1944). He also had a
part in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and Viva Las Vegas (1964). But
Demarest is still perhaps best known for his role on My Three Sons (1965 –
1972).
Ruth
Donnelly has a small, but familiar part in Mr. Smith. She plays Guy Kibbee’s
wife, something she did before in Footlight Parade and again in Wonder Bar
(1934). Originally a Broadway actress, Donnelly was discovered by George M.
Cohan, who cast her in some of his productions. During her career she had
several memorable roles: Mary Brian's
domineering mother in Hard to Handle (1933); and Edward G. Robinson's wife in A Slight Case of Murder (1938). She would also appear in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936) and later The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) and The Snake Pit (1948).
One
last name to mention, Dickie James, who played the page boy who helped Smith
get settled when he first got to the Senate and latter displayed his Boy Ranger
pin to show his support for Jeff’s filibuster. A successful child actor, James
is perhaps best remembered as the voice of Pinocchio in that Walt Disney film
from 1940, which proved to be that year’s biggest film.
Mr.
Smith Goes to Washington is a mix of romantic comedy and political drama,
depicting corruption at the highest levels of the Legislature. Every politician
in Smith’s home state seems to be in debt to James Taylor’s political machine.
And that influence allows him to place a piece of legislation on a spending
bill that the nation desperately needs passed for the other provisions included
in it. This is a very dark view of the U.S. government for 1939, though the
premise seems quite believable now and has no doubt happened many times in real
life. Sadly, over my lifetime, I have watched as the government has gone from
always being right to being doubted, mocked and stymied. If it worked half as well
as what is depicted in this film, corrupt as it may be, then it would still be
working much better than it does today.
The
speed at which the political machine gets the smear campaign going seems a
little fast. Even in this age of instant communication and flash mobs, it takes
a little time to get banners printed and marches organized. The film would have
us believe that these can be pulled together in a matter of hours. James
Taylor’s power is portrayed like a dictator, keeping all news reports out of
his state as if nameless state was an island which radio waves could not reach.
I know this is done for effect and is no doubt sped up due to the twenty-four hour time frame
of Smith’s filibuster, but I doubt such organization could be mobilized as
quickly today, which makes me doubt it could be done so back when the film is
set. The same is true for the publishing of the Boy Rangers paper, which is an
attempt to get the real news out to the masses through a grassroots
organization. This is a very well-funded organization to have the resources to
print so many papers and distribute them, again, overnight without the benefit
of the internet or FedEx. I only have to believe audiences of the day were more
accepting of such anomalies.
That
said, I must admit I really enjoyed so much of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
that I would heartily recommend it. Perhaps a bit long, the film maintains your
interest throughout. The writing, acting and directing are all solid. Any other
year, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington may have won Best Picture. As it stands
though, it is one of the better films in a year that saw so many great ones.
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