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Frank Capra's 1938 populist spin on the George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart play about a family of happy eccentrics is a great deal of fun, though it significantly rewrites the original work and doesn't represent Capra (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) at his best. Jean Arthur plays a member of the blissful Vanderhof household who falls in love with a rich man's son (James Stewart) and brings him into her nutty home. Lionel Barrymore, who played such a bad guy eight years later in Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, is the wonderful Grandpa Vanderhof, who addresses God during the dinner prayer as "sir" and speaks plainly and beautifully of why it's good to be alive. Capra took this opportunity to rail against big business and champion the common man, but the overall tone of the film--typical for the director's comedies--is buoyant and snappy. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Frank Capra + Moss Hart & George Kauffman = ??
A fine Frank Capra comedy featuring Jimmy Stewart at his most boyish and gangly, and Jean Arthur as the girl of his dreams. It's a comedy of mismatched lovers: Stewart plays the son of a cold-hearted business tycoon (Edward Arnold) who looks forward to the coming world war as a way to make a killing on the stock market. In the path of Dad's capitalistic machinations lies a family of carefree bohemian kooks, whose open, life-affirming attitude holds together the neighborhood where Arnold hopes to build his next munitions factory. And guess what? Surprise...!! Jean Arthur's character also just happens to be the object of his son's affections. Into this "Dharma & Greg"-like scenario, add Lionel Barrymore as her saintly, eccentric father, who was once a businessman but then dropped out and now spends his days smiling at life, following his passions, and encouraging others to do the same.

In all honesty, although the film is charming, it isn't Capra's best work -- adapted from a stage play by George Kauffman and Moss Hart, it shouts out its kookiness, and has the feel of an off-Broadway production gone awry. The scenes that are meant to show how wacky her family is often play out too broadly, with shouting and grand gestures and a flurry of chaotic action -- dancing, xylophone playing, cooking, painting, newspaper rustling, fireworks going off -- and all of it happening at once. It's too obvious and dramatically weak... Plus, Stewart really hasn't found his feet yet as a star actor. On the other hand, both Barrymore and Arnold give delightfully strong performances, and Jean Arthur is *always* easy on the eyes. Even when slightly muddled, Capra is still better than practically anything coming out comedywise from Hollywood today. A charming 'Thirties comedy.

Classic Capra Comedy!
The rich young son of an esteemed banker (Jimmy Stewart) falls in love with his secretary (Jean Arthur). His family disapproves, but graciously agree to meet with his girlfriend's family. Jean Arthur wishes to plan the meeting as an elegant dinner with her family's eccentricities somewhat constrained. When her boyfriend and his parents show up on the wrong day, all hell breaks loose. Jean Arthur's wise grandfather and patriarch of the family (Lionel Barrymore) helps sets things aright with his harmonica and a little sound advice. This hilarious classic pits an eccentric middle class family against their snobbish upper-crust potential in-laws. You'll roll on the floor laughing at Stewart's "scream" scene, the Russian ballet teacher, the jail-cell and courtroom sequence and more. One of Frank Capra's best!

Great film, Poor DVD
First of all, this film is great, and deserves to be owned by any classic movie fan. It has some of the greatest stars that have ever been on-screen, together! This is easily a favourite of mine, with Jimmy Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore AND Frank Capra, you cant go wrong with watching this.

This film easily deserves the 5 stars, but I take one away because of this very disappointing release from Columbia on DVD. Many of Columbia's releases of classic movies on DVD have been poor ('Awful Truth' comes straight to mind) while others have great releases ('It Happened One Night' for an example).

I will start with the picture quality. It is full of scratching, throughout the film, and in all honesty, it does kind of look like a video. Still, saying this, it is actually watchable, but what a poor effort.

Now for the sound. Ok, this is the real problem. The sound is really quite bad. It is full of hissing, and becomes annoying. Its listenable, but oh, they could have done a lot better here.

The extras. Well, there isnt much to say really, is there? There are nothing for you on this disc.

This DVD is worth getting, but I only say this because of the film itself. What a poor release for such a wonderful film. Hopefully, Columbia will re-release this soon, with a better print, better sound, and some decent extras. If only this could have been more like their release of Capra's other classic, 'It Happened One Night'.

Dont avoid this DVD, but just dont expect much.

PLEASE NOTE: Since I am in England, I own the Region 2 release. It appears to be no different to this Region 1 release though.

very good movie
I'm playing a character in the play that this movie is based on, and so I watched this DVD to get a hint of what it could look like. First, the story is excellent! Do what you want in life; don't work your whole life doing something you hate! That is basically the Sycamore family's philosophy. But when the younger daughter in this household falls in love with the son of the wealthy Kirby family, trouble brews, landing the Kirbys and Sycamores both in jail! In the end, Kirby Sr. learns that maybe the Sycamores have something and gives the young couple his blessing, leaving everybody happy. The play is a little different from the movie, but with the addition of a simple harmonica, the movie is able to give the viewer a wonderful feeling in the end and reinforces the fact that everyone should do what makes him or her happy in life! I will say that the quality of the movie is not the greatest at times, but that's to be expected since it is an older movie. Other than that, it's great!

Warm & Wonderful
This is a gem of a movie. It's all madness & mayhem on the surface, and warm & cozy underneath. Like most of Frank Capra's movies, this is a morality play. The filmaker continues his favorite theme, downplaying the materalistic and embracing the things that really matter, love, both romantic & platonic, friends & family. This type of material might be a preachy bore in the hands of a person less skilled than Frank Capra, but he makes it work. Not only does it work, but the movie is hilarious. The cast is excellent, starring Lionel Barrymore, I would say at his best, but I never saw anything he was in where he wasn't great. Jimmy Stewart plays one of his nice guys here to the max & is terrific also. The rest of the cast is excellent as well. I especially loved the "mad Russian" played by Mischa Auer. Eddie Anderson steals every scene he's in whether he's speaking or not.
All in all, it's a fine ensemble cast, everyone is very good. Do yourself a favor, if you have an opportunity to see this, please do! ... Read more

Reviews (108)

Grant, 2 Old Ladies & Elderberry wine=hilarity now on DVD!!
Frank Capra delivers a great film adaptation of Joseph Kesselring's Broadway hit, "Arsenic and Old Lace". Originally filmed in 1941 just prior to WWII, but not released until 1944 because of the contract agreement to allow the play to complete its Broadway run. (The play ran for 1,444 performances.)

Cary Grant in the leading role as nephew, Mortimer Brewster is at his comedic best in this black comedy of wine, family & insanity. His 2 fabulous Aunts played by Josephine Hull & Jean Adair were encored to the screen and are perfect in their roles. Boris Karloff's obligations prevented him from doing the movie and was replaced by Raymond Massey in the movie version as Grant madcap brother. The great ensemble cast also included Peter Lorre, Edward Everett Horton, Priscilla Lane & John Alexander as a delightful zany crazy, thinking he is President "Teddy Roosevelt".

Summary: It is Halloween, Mortimers wedding day & his life is about to change forever. Visiting his 2 Aunts (Hull & Adair) with his wife (Lane - Ministers daughter!) on their way to their honeymoon to Niagara Falls discovers a body in the window seat. Thinking his crazy cousin, (Alexander) has committed the crime approaches his Aunts. They not only know about the body, but they know who he was & how he died. Their elderberry wine laced with a mixture of arsenic. Oh by the way, he is the 12th to be buried in the cellar. What is Mortimer to do & is his entire family insane? We began a very entertaining & hilarious journey to answering these & many more questions.

This DVD is an excellent Black & White Full Screen (before WideScreen) transfer. Extras include Production notes.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" film adaptation is very close to the actual Broadway play & is a great classic to have in your DVD library. Enjoy.

Arsenic & Old Lace
Plot: Mortimer, a drama critic, has just got married and is about to go on his honeymoon when he discovers insanity runs in his family. His sweet maiden aunts poison lonely old men and have a number of corpses buried in the cellar.....

A film adaptation of the popular stage play, Arsenic and Old Lace is a hilarious movie perfect for people of all ages. The story of Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant), the youngest of three brothers who were raised by two dear, but eccentric, spinster aunts, who have a nasty little habit of "putting poor souls" out of their misery with a little arsenic-laced elderberry wine.

It is delightful to watch Mortimer go from a nice, normal, newlywed to a nervous, neurotic mess as he tries to figure a way out of the predicament his well-meaning aunts have placed them all in. Throw in one brother who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt, another who is a psychopathic killer fashioned after Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre as Dr. Einstein, a slightly intoxicated make-shift plastic surgeon, and you'll be laughing the entire way through.

All of the performances were wonderful, but Cary Grant's facial expressions, double takes, and hilarious body language are a joy to watch. A truly classic, funny movie.

"No, I'm not drunk, madame.......but you've given me an idea!" - Mortimer, seething in frustration as he tries to get past the operator, so that he can get his family committed into the HappyDale Sanitarium.

"Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops!" - Mortimer, trying to explain to his new bride why it would be best for her to leave him and never look back.

A fun Halloween story
I have seen this movie dozens of times on TV. The problem is they always cut out a lot of the little nuances that make the movie fun; sometimes it is curtail to the story. Now you can see the whole story in its entirety. Lots of sight gags and relies on many expressions to convey what they are thinking. If this looks like a play, that is because it is a play. It was written by Joseph Kesserling and opened in New York City 10 JAN 41. It ran for 1,444 performances. Boris Karloff was an investor and the star attraction so he could not be released for the movie.

The story takes place all on Halloween night in Brooklyn. Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) a critic, that wrote a scathing book about the negatives of marriage, gets married. He soon finds out about his families past and where the bodies are buried. Soon he is to be visited by his estranged or just strange brother (Raymond Massey). Seems that his brother and his brother's friend, Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre), has some secrets of their own. Keep your eye on the elderberry wine.

Capra's Classic Black Comedy.
"Arsenic and Old Lace", starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra, is taken from the stage comedy of the same name. Although the film was released in 1944, it was actually filmed in 1941, due to the stage show was still going at the time. The film also stars Priscilla Lane, along with Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, reprising their original Broadway roles as the two aunts.

Mortimer and Elaine (Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane) play newlyweds, who are about to go on their honeymoon. Mortimer first arrives back at his aunts' house, who he had grown up living with, where he finds out that the two old ladies have been bringing lonely, elderly men into their house, and killing them by putting poison into wine, and then having them buried down in the cellar. More trouble comes when Mortimer's psychopathic murdering brother, Jonathan (Raymond Massey), and his partner, Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre) come about to make even more trouble, when they need to get rid of their own murdered victim, having escaped from jail. Jonathan comes back looking like Boris Karloff, after his partner's attempts at trying to remodel his face, as one of his many disguises. Then there's the poor new wife, who is continually being avoided by her new husband, while trying not to let her know what's going on.

The film has one of the funniest scripts, and some of the most amusing, and odd characters one could find. Ranging from the aunts who think they are doing the right thing, to the mentally insane nephew, who believes he's Teddy Roosevelt. The lines in the movie are somewhat unforgettable, and it's a great movie for many repeated viewings. Actually, I find myself liking it the more I watch it.

As for the DVD presentation from Warner Brothers, there is a serious lack of extras. Apart from the odd trailer, which you find on most DVDs, that's basically it. What can be noted though, is the very nice looking, clean print used for this decent transfer. The mono sound is very clear also, which helps when you have a film with so many jokes to be heard, on a very regular basis. So apart from the disappointing extras, this is a recommended buy, which every fan of classic movies should add to their collection.

first cary movie i saw
This is the first cary grant movie i saw. For the first one i saw i think this is a outstanding film. One of the things i thought it would not be was funny. But that changed my views from the beginning.
I can not say much else but a outstanding film. ... Read more

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Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a feel-good communal event, but it is also one of the most fascinating films in the American cinema, a multilayered work of Dickensian density. George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot (the director's optimistic vision may have darkened during his experiences making military films in World War II). Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (223)

Black & White Isn't "Too" Bland, Non?....
In fact, the black & white setting suits "It's A Wonderful Life" as perfectly as technocolor would have for this Frank Sinatra-esque cult classic. James Stewart has this "Rocky & Bugsy"-era voice and a vigourous demeanor & Donna Reed is just brung in to play the hard-to-get young girl and the reserved wife. My focus refused to stay entact while watching this movie, but the ideas I did withdraw from this movie is that George Bailey (James Stewart) is caught in the tangled web of a financial scandal... and on the brink of suicide. That is... until a cliched assigned guardian angel appears out of the sky and falls in the waters of Bedford Falls... to save George (ironically). Before this happens, George is on a bridge contemplating (supposedly) suicide (due partially to a busted-lip from a brute in Martini's bar whose wife George insulted on the phone, heh heh), and when he sees Clarence (the "quote on quote"... angel), he jumps in after him and retrieves him. Henceforth, George rebuffs the idea of an angel and wishes he was never born, and granted... he was never born. And boy, does he take the in-your-face gruff reality of having no identity for a sham, but to his shagrin... it's as serious as a heart attack. George is a non-existent would-have-been making a futile attempt to spark some remembrance in his lost friends & family. Predictably, George repents and returns to existance... with a little (or lot of) monetary help from the whole town for his business trouble (whose lives apparently were impacted greatly by him somehow). Upon the saccharine conclusion (where George, his wife, & kid are basking in the solace of christmas communion), my eyes almost started to well-spring... I haven't the faintest idea why (I'm only 17). A nice retrospective on the golden age of Christmas classics. Somebody please make "It's A Wonderful Life 2000."

It's a Wonderful Message!
Your life doesn't seem so wonderful? Suffering from depression? Then here's a pill to swallow: watch Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life". It's guaranteed to do you some good.

The screenplay of It's a Wonderful Life originated with a Christmas card short story called "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern. It revolves around the life of George Bailey, an ordinary man who falls in love, gets married, has a family, and unselfishly works hard to support his family and local community. Deep down George has the itch to escape the chains of the small town atmosphere of Bedford Falls and the family business. He longs to travel the world in search of adventure, and has visions of constructing grand buildings. His dreams however are anchored by reality: He feels morally bound to honor his commitments to his family and the family business "Bailey Building and Loan". The first three quarters of the movie slowly builds up atmosphere, as we come to understand George Bailey's character and outlook on life.

It is only towards the very end that the moment of crisis comes: On the eve of Christmas, precisely as a bank inspector is on the scene, a huge sum of money is lost by the bank, and George's entire business is threatened. At this point the lengthy build-up bears rich fruits: as viewers we are now in a position to understand the incredible and painful frustration George feels. We share the hurt and disillusionment of this broken man as he snaps at his family and loved ones, and tears well up as his uncomprehending children pray desperately for their father. It is the slow build up that enables us to share his and their emotions of grief, sorrow, pain and frustration.

When George is at the end of his road, he selfishly considers suicide. At this point heaven answers the prayers of his family by sending a guardian angel second class (AS2) named Clarence to help George renew his perspective on life. When George in his depressed state is convinced that the world would have been better off without him, the angel offers him "a chance to see what the world would be like without you." His magical heavenly touch transforms the world to the place it would have been without George Bailey's touch, so that George can discover that "each man's life touches so many other lives."

The religious aspect is not convincing: Bailey receives divine aid even though he professes himself not to be a religious man, whereas the Bible portrays heavenly help as a gift for believers. The notion of a guardian angel as presented in the movie is especially weak, particularly because of the way it often functions for comic relief in a rather trite and disrespectful manner. Spiritual matters hardly receive the serious treatment they deserve. In the end, religion (represented by the guardian angel) functions more as a backdrop and literary device to examine a serious perspective on life. It's a flimsy and unconvincing backdrop, but the matters that the guardian angel as a literary device serves to reflect on are serious indeed. By being given the opportunity to imagine he had not existed, George Bailey is confronted with the value of life, even a hard and difficult life, and learns that every person can make a difference. As George reflects on all his blessings, and the impact he has been able to have on people's lives, he comes to the conviction "I want to live again." Clarence reinforces George's desire to live: "You see, George, you really had a wonderful life. Don't you think it's a mistake to throw it away?" Life is valuable particularly when it is used in selflessness (represented by Bailey) and not in selfishness (represented by Potter). When serving others instead of mammon, life is tremendously valuable, even though it may be hard.

Though religion is outwardly present in the form of the guardian angel, this affirmation of the value of human life has been stripped of any religious notions. And yet this self-reflection is itself a very religious one. It is too bad that the movie succumbs to the need to have a feel-good ending where George overcomes his troubles, because it results in a overly sentimental feel-good Christmas without the Christ-child. In that sense the movie falls short by not being sufficiently religious. The reality is that the lives of most viewers do not receive the magical solution that George receives, and that their troubles are ongoing - and only the gospel gives life a wonderful significance in the midst of ongoing troubles. By providing an overly sweet ending, the theme of "do good to others" is unchained from the gospel, and an opportunity was lost to convey a message even more profound.

But even so, the message conveyed is still profound and enduring: Life is wonderful, particularly when it is lived in selflessness for others. We might not all touch as many lives as George does, but we can all have a tremendous impact in the lives of others. Unlike so many contemporary movies, It's a Wonderful Life does not promote materialism, greed or immorality, but shows the joys and rewards of a simple and self-less life with family and friends. The concept is brilliant, and we are left to reflect for ourselves what the lives of our family and friends would be like without our touch. Not only does this movie provide enduring and powerful themes affirming the value of marriage, family and self-less human life, but it does so with warm humor and touching romance. Most importantly there is powerful emotion and lasting quality that has the capacity to renew your perspective on your own life. What more could you ask for? Few movies are worth watching more than once, but this is certainly one of them! You only live once, but watching this movie once or more might just improve that life you only have the opportunity to live once.

WAKE UP! This is a lousy movie!
This movie never won any awards. It was so bad that the studio could hardly give it away when they first puit it on tape, then they let it be colorized just so they could sell SOME copies of it, and suddenly the big war cry from the Hollywood liberals was -- "OOH! Save a classic black and white film!" Baloney! No one liked this movie when it was made. No one liked it the 1950s. No one liked it in the 1960s. No one liked it in the 1970s. No one liked it in the 1980s, then SUDDENLY! -- it's an American classic. NOT! It's Communist propaganda about the "evils" of American free enterprise from a guy who made a lot of pinko films but never thought HE should have to live like this "common man" he kept making pictures about.

Contemplating worth in Bedford falls...
"It's A Wonderful Life" is not just a Christmas classic, it's a bonafide American masterpiece of good-old-fashioned storytelling. Yeah, it's always a treat to sit around with your family and catch it on the tube the night Santa comes to town, but it's also a great movie to watch when you're feeling a little down on yourself. When George hits rock bottom, it's a pretty depressing sight to behold (thanks largely to a brilliantly subtle, yet intense, performance by Jimmy Stewart). But by the end of the film, when he finally feels like he's on top of the world, you'll understand why this film is the ultimate cinematic tear-jerker; evidence can be found in those salty drips emitting from YOUR eyes.

Indeed, a classic film. And a masterpiece. I wish real life was like Bedford Falls. HIGHLY recommended.

The Greatest Film of All Time?
How do you describe Frank Capra's style? I once called it like Orson Welles, only happy. Visually, these two film-makers were both fond of high-contrast photography and capturing emotions in the characters of their movies. But whereas Welles seemed to focus on all the terrible things that human beings can become, Capra focused on life lessons and the good that lies inside of all people.

While Capra created many masterpieces, this is probably his greatest. It's easy to see why. Rather than focusing on just one aspect of life, this film (like Citizen Kane) captures a person's whole life, with all it's ups and downs. Basically the story is a simple tale of David and Goliath relationship between the small businessman and the evil monopoly, and the internal struggle in a man between what he wants to do, and what he feels that he has to do.

Perhaps there is a bit of George Bailey in all of us. He's a perfectly normal person with perfectly normal dreams. He wants to see the world, build things, become important. But over and over again, in order to help (and in some cases save) others he is forced repeatedly to give up his dreams in order to do what he knows is right. Along the way he builds relationships with all sorts of people in the town where he is forced to spend his entire life. But was what he gave up really an unfair trade? Or did he actually attain a treasure far greater than he could ever imagine?

The emotional climax of the film at it's end (where everything comes full circle and we finally understand how George Bailey got to the point he was at in the film's beginning) has got to be one of the greatest performances in any film ever, and Jimmy Stewart's moment of moments (perhaps only rivaled by his breakdown at the end of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). I recall the first time I saw this movie, and the huge emotional reaction I had at seeing a man who has done nothing but sacrifice all his life kicked when he's down (if you remember what happens immediately after he prays for help you'll know what I mean).

Ultimately, this movie changed my life. It taught me about the importance of friends, self-sacrifice, and living your life doing what you know it right. But even more than that, this movie is an absolute tour-de-force, and stands out in my mind as one of the greatest films ever made. ... Read more

Reviews (61)

CLARK + CLAUDETTE = FUN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
What a great film ! The chemistry and dialogue that exists between Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable is amazingly BRILLIANT and FUNNY! This is the type of black and white film that can be watched forever and ever and never seem "dated" and out of touch w/recent times: after all, its been almost 7O years since this movie was made and it still ranks up there w/ some of the best comedies of today! I wasn't even born when the movie was made but I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to watch it again and again! If that doesn't convince you, this video won 5 Oscars: Best Actor (GABLE), Best Actress (COLBERT), Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay!!

Here's a little summary for those who don't know what its about. Claudette Colbert plays Ellie Andrews, a rich, spoiled heiress running away from her family. During the trip, on a bus, she meets street-smart reporter Peter Warne, played by the handsome Clark Gable. Ellie is definitely NOT street-smart, and she's having a few problems, so Peter agrees to help her out and travel w/ her in exchange for an exclusive story. They go through many adventures together, despising each other along the way, until they find that they are reluctantly falling in love and afraid to admit it to each other...besides its a little bit more complicated since she's a married woman. AN EXCELLENT FILM, WITH A PERFECT ENDING-ONE OF GABLE'S BEST!! I GIVE IT A PERFECT 5 STARS!! AAA+++++

Simply The Best
I don't claim be a movie expert, but this is the best film I have ever seen. I already owned a VHS copy, but on buying a DVD player I paid good money to have this disc shipped to me in England - and boy was it worth it! The picture quality is as good as you will find anywhere and the sound is superb too. The DVD is also jam-packed with extra features. The film's commentary is provided by Frank Capra Jr. He has a wonderfully relaxed style and doesn't just sound as if he's reading from a prepared script. Along with Ron Howard's commentary for Apollo 13, this is the best DVD commentary I have heard to date. A special feature unique amongst DVDs must be the radio version of 'It Happened One Night', first broadcast in 1939, again starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. Whoever had the idea of including this on the DVD deserves a salary rise. The disc also includes trailers, cast lists, some beautifully illustrated posters and also a Frank Capra Jr introduction. This really is an extremely impressive package of Frank Capra's masterpiece.

"Excuse me lady, but that upon which you sit is mine."
Peter Warne: Why didn't you take off all your clothes? You could have stopped forty cars.
Ellie Andrews: Well, ooo, I'll remember that when we need forty cars.

On-screen chemistry has the ability to turn a good film into something special. Look no further than Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" for proof of this. Whoever came up with the idea of pairing Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert together in this production certainly earned his or her paycheck.

Rich girl Ellie Andrews (Colbert) runs away from her father so that she can be with her one true love, King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Ellie has little knowledge of how the outside world works so she hooks up with reporter Peter Warne (Gable) who offers to help her reach New York in return for the exclusive rights to her story. The pair finds each other intolerable at the outset but as they spend more time together, their opinions of each other start to change. By the time they arrive in New York, Ellie and Peter must decide if they should act upon the newfound affection they have developed towards one another.

"It Happened One Night" is effectively funny and romantic at the same time. The out-of-the-way situations Ellie and Peter find themselves involved in is screwball comedy at its finest and the love that develops between them is Hollywood magic at its most charming. Colbert and Gable show why they were two of the biggest stars of their era and the chemistry they display on screen still is magnetic to this very day. "It Happened One Night" is also a fascinating cultural text due to its suggestive sexual overtones and its vivid depiction of a woman who is determined to take matters into her own hands when the situation calls for it. Both of these aspects are especially noteworthy when one considers the period in which the film was made. Yet, if "It Happened One Night" is to be remembered for anything, it should be remembered for the classic that it is. After all, when you speak of pure cinematic bliss, you speak of scenes like the one where Ellie flashes her thigh to stop an approaching car - truly one of the greatest moments ever caught on film.

It doesn't get any better than this ...
70 years later, this movie still holds up beautifully. It's funny, smart, and, man! those sexy, charming leads! I'd ride a bus with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert anywhere ...

This ones recommended for everyone -- old people, young people ... It hasn't aged, and it'll always be a good time.

A classic that deserves to endure
A spoiled socialite (Claudette Colbert) flees her wealthy father (Walter Connolly) and heads for New York to marry a rich playboy (Jameson Thomas) against her father's will. The whereabouts of Ellie Andrews and the reward for her return become the stuff of national headlines, so when recently fired reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) recognizes her, he decides to stick close so he can write the story. Naturally, romance follows, but it's a bumpy and hugely entertaining road to get there.

This is an absolutely wonderful film. It's such a shame that so many people are not interested in watching an old black-and-white movie. Good work is timeless. Gable and Colbert have wonderful chemistry and are both hilarious and touching. The rest of the cast is excellent as well. Even though the story is set during the Great Depression, it doesn't seem dated at all. The wisecracking between characters is sharp and well-written (by screenwriter Robert Riskin); there are lots of laugh-out-loud moments during this film. It's also pretty racy and suggestive for its time, with a genuinely affecting climax. Another level of interest is added by the careful attention that director Frank Capra pays to the depression-era milieu; Colbert's character really doesn't understand the plight of the common man, but Gable's hard-bitten reporter is all too aware of the hard times that people are going through. This adds a fascinating sociological dimension. ... Read more

Product Description

Coper is at his Low key best as a naive homeless man whose declaration to kill himself to protest world conditions, causes a media frenzy an unwanted celebrity status, along with some life affirming moments. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Gary Cooper as the American Everyman in Capra's classic
"Meet John Doe" is clearly the most political of director Frank Capra's "Capracorn" films, even more than "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" or "State of the Union." Newspaper columnist Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck in a rare "good girl role") is fired and prints a phony letter in her final column about a man who is going to commit suicide on Christmas Eve to protest the misery and corruption afflicting the county. The letter is signed "John Doe." The letter causes a sensation and it becomes necessary for Ann to produce "John Doe." She basically holds auditions and settles on Long John Willoughby (Gary Cooper), a starving bush league pitcher whose arms has gone bad. Ann continues to write article in the name of John Doe, calling on everyone to love their neighbor and the like. This only increases the fan mail and the best scene of the film she writes "John Doe" a speech to read on the radio, inspired by the words of her father.

As "John" himself gets caught up in the speech and its response, Ann is totally enraptured by the moment. This all might be a giant con game, but Ann is a true believer. Then the powerful publishing magnate, D. B. Norton (Edward Arnold), throws his support behind the John Doe clubs because he wants them to hold a convention where "John" will nominate him as a third party candidate for the presidency. Obviously Norton is some sort of American fascist, and when "John" refuses to play along, Norton publicly exposes him to the mob. All that is left to "John" is to fulfill the original promise of the first letter and commit suicide on Christmas Eve.

Cooper and Capra had enjoyed success before with "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," but this is the much better film. Cooper's performance in this 1940 film is certainly Oscar worthy, but his next film was "Sergeant York" and that was the film that won the actor his first Academy Award. Stanwyck's performance is just as good, proving she could do more than film noir bad girls. Like most of Capra's great works, including "It's A Wonderful Life," the mythic structure is clearly that of the crucifixion and resurrection (think about it). The symbolic "death" of John Doe is arguably the most painful in any of Capra's films and the character's "resurrection" is definitely the most believable. Capra originally had a darker ending than what was provided, but we all know that really would have gone against his grain. Again, the supporting cast for Capra's film is absolutely stellar, with Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan, James Gleason, Spring Byington, Gene Lockhart, and Steling Holloway all getting the most out of Robert Riskin's screenplay. "Meet John Doe" is definitely a classic Frank Capra film.

Gary Cooper as the American Everyman in Capra's classic
"Meet John Doe" is clearly the most political of director Frank Capra's "Capracorn" films, even more than "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" or "State of the Union." Newspaper columnist Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck in a rare "good girl role") is fired and prints a phony letter in her final column about a man who is going to commit suicide on Christmas Eve to protest the misery and corruption afflicting the county. The letter is signed "John Doe." The letter causes a sensation and Ann gets her job back, but it becomes necessary for her to produce "John Doe" to the skeptics. She basically holds auditions for the role and settles on Long John Willoughby (Gary Cooper), a starving bush league pitcher whose arms has gone bad.

Ann continues to write article in the name of John Doe, calling on everyone to love their neighbor and the like. This only increases the fan mail and in the best scene of the film she writes "John Doe" a speech to read on the radio, inspired by the words of her father. As "John" himself gets caught up in the speech and its response, Ann is totally enraptured by the moment. This all might be a giant con game, but Ann is now a true believer in the fiction she has created. But at that point the powerful publishing magnate, D. B. Norton (Edward Arnold), throws his support behind the John Doe clubs because he wants them to hold a convention where "John" will nominate him as a third party candidate for the presidency. Obviously Norton is some sort of American fascist, and when "John" refuses to play along, Norton publicly exposes him to the mob in a devastating fashion. All that is left to "John" is to fulfill the original promise of the first letter and commit suicide on Christmas Eve.

Cooper and Capra had enjoyed success before with "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," but this is the much better film by far. Cooper's performance in this 1940 film is certainly Oscar worthy, but his next film was "Sergeant York" and that was the film that won the actor his first Academy Award. Stanwyck's performance is just as good, proving she could do more than film noir bad girls. Like most of Capra's great works, including "It's A Wonderful Life," the mythic structure is clearly that of the crucifixion and resurrection (think about it). The symbolic "death" of John Doe is arguably the most painful in any of Capra's films and the character's "resurrection" is definitely the most believable. Capra originally had a darker ending than what was provided, but we all know that really would have gone against his grain. Again, the supporting cast for Capra's film is absolutely stellar, with Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan, Spring Byington, Gene Lockhart, Sterling Holloway, and especially James Gleason as Ann's newspaper editor, all getting the most out of Robert Riskin's screenplay. "Meet John Doe" is definitely a classic Frank Capra film.

weak
This movie was a weak effort by Capra, who directed it, and the star, Gary Cooper. It's a good story, just poorly directed (Capra can't hit a home run every time). I found the acting very wooden and the movie seemed to just drag on and on. And no extra features on the dvd, at least none to speak of.

It's My All Time Favorite
This, in my opinion, is Capra at his best. If you liked (or even loved) 'It's A Wonderful Life', then this will not disappoint you. The end is the best, as in all of Capra's films, depicting the endearing belief in the goodness of the common man. He could not have ended this movie any other way, it was a perfect end to a perfect movie. Gary Cooper is superb in this role, a man pretending to be something he is not, then beginning to believe he is the part he is playing. You can't help but feel the same way. You can't help but loathe the sinister character, and you hope the girl will come to her senses, and get the guy, as well. It is very heartfelt and touches on the golden rule in the most endearing way. This is a must see, for those who need help with and for those who truly do love their neighbor.

Great Movie--BAD copy
The movie (story, actors, actresses, etc) was SUPER! Another great Capra movie but the quality is awful. Don't expect good, clear Turner Classic Movie Channel quality. In some spots the background is so bright you can't even see the faces of the actors. I'm going to buy a good version of this eventually because it is worth the extra money! BUY BETTER QUALITY!! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

An Underappreciated Capra Classic
I love this movie. All of Frank Capra's films are great, but this is the one I like the most(this and YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU). It's a wonderful story of a "woman of the street" trying to put on a good show for her daughter when she comes to visit(and introduce her fiance). It's a touching and funny film and goes sadly unheralded(at least Criterion released in on laserdisc). I often think of it in the same class with the Barbara Stanwyck classic, STELLA DALLAS. A must for any classic film fan, an absolute must.

The 1933 Columbia Pictures logo
LADY FOR A DAY is worth seeing if only to see that 1933 Columbia Pictures logo which introduces the film. This movie deserves a cluster of stars, the Frank Capra 50 star rendition of Damon Runyon's wonderfully Broadway story of Apple Annie. The characters are in the tradition of the Lemon Drop Kid--Moose Moran, and Oxford Charlie; in this movie it's Dave the Dude. Dude, played by Warren William, is portrayed as Runyon would have expected him to be portrayed. And what a supporting cast to "Apple Annie," May Robson; cast including Walter Connolly as the Spanish Count, and Ned Sparks, with his monotone delivery, is Dude's mobster sidekick. Of course the brassy, nightclub bombshell, moll-to-be Glenda Farrell rounded out the bunch of Broadway mugs. It just wouldn't have been a 1930s Manhattan movie without the New York celebrities including Irish cops, the Mayor and Governor. Their evening police escort with motorcycle sirens and headlamps blazing was in the Grand B movie tradition for a Grand A movie. It was a fairy tale as weren't all of Damon Runyon's tales? Well written, well cast, well done. Take it from Dude's muscle-man, Shakespeare, "Ee-say, is-thay, ovie-may-- Or else! Yer may find yerself takin' a ride up tah 42nd Street.

The rating is for the DVD
I should have listened to the other person who mentioned scratches on the movie. However, while he found them only slightly distracting...I found them to be so disruptive that I lost track of the movie. This print was transferred from a copy that had severe sprocket tooth scratches. These scratches lasted for almost 20 minutes.

While my rating of the movie itself would be 3-4 stars, I cannot recommend...even to fans of the movie...to buy this copy. I wouldn't even be happy if I had bought it for under 10 bucks....but at this steep price, I advise against it.

A Good Capra DVD
Lady for a Day is a fine Capra film. The story concerns a street vendor Apple Annie (May Robson) who has deceived her daughter that she is a High Society lady. The daughter, who has been living in Spain, decides to visit and what's more brings along her prospective fiancé plus his father, a Spanish count. So as not to scupper her daughter's marriage, Annie must enlist the help of her underworld friends to continue the deception. The film is at times very funny with a tone which looks ahead to the Screwball comedies of the later thirties. It is also often rather moving, with May Robson's terrific performance eliciting a great deal of sympathy. The rest of the cast is equally fine. Warren William as Dave the Dude is that most unusual of characters a gangster with a heart of gold. Guy Kibbee, familiar from so many thirties films, is always fun to watch. This time he plays a pool shark who agrees to pretend he is Apple Annie husband. Jean Parker, as Apple Annie's daughter Louise, will be familiar to anyone who has seen the 1933 version of Little Women in which she plays Beth. Her role in Lady for a Day could hardly match that role, but she still performs well with her memorably unusual voice. She also looks absolutely stunning. It's even possible to glimpse a young Ward Bond, as a policeman on a horse, obtaining an apple from Annie.

The print used for the Image DVD is not perfect. The main problem is that towards the end of the film, the right hand edge of the picture has been damaged so that white marks appear on the print. This only affects a small portion of the picture, but it is a little bit distracting. For the most part however, the print is clear and sharp. Even when there is some damage, the rest of the picture is fine. I have seen any number of thirties and forties films which have survived in worse condition than Lady for a Day. Moreover the sound quality on this DVD is above average for a film from this period. The wonderful dialogue is easily audible and the soundtrack has very little background noise. As an extra the DVD includes a commentary by Frank Capra Junior. This is a DVD which Capra fans should enjoy.

stay away
This wonderful film is a total disaster in its DVD format. Frank Capra Junior calls it a restored print which is a joke. The film is often dark, details are hard to see and there are sprocket holes, white spots and all kinds of detractions in the film. How could Image and Capra release this mess on DVD! This outstanding film deserves much better than is offered. ... Read more

Reviews (108)

Grant, 2 Old Ladies & Elderberry wine=hilarity now on DVD!!
Frank Capra delivers a great film adaptation of Joseph Kesselring's Broadway hit, "Arsenic and Old Lace". Originally filmed in 1941 just prior to WWII, but not released until 1944 because of the contract agreement to allow the play to complete its Broadway run. (The play ran for 1,444 performances.)

Cary Grant in the leading role as nephew, Mortimer Brewster is at his comedic best in this black comedy of wine, family & insanity. His 2 fabulous Aunts played by Josephine Hull & Jean Adair were encored to the screen and are perfect in their roles. Boris Karloff's obligations prevented him from doing the movie and was replaced by Raymond Massey in the movie version as Grant madcap brother. The great ensemble cast also included Peter Lorre, Edward Everett Horton, Priscilla Lane & John Alexander as a delightful zany crazy, thinking he is President "Teddy Roosevelt".

Summary: It is Halloween, Mortimers wedding day & his life is about to change forever. Visiting his 2 Aunts (Hull & Adair) with his wife (Lane - Ministers daughter!) on their way to their honeymoon to Niagara Falls discovers a body in the window seat. Thinking his crazy cousin, (Alexander) has committed the crime approaches his Aunts. They not only know about the body, but they know who he was & how he died. Their elderberry wine laced with a mixture of arsenic. Oh by the way, he is the 12th to be buried in the cellar. What is Mortimer to do & is his entire family insane? We began a very entertaining & hilarious journey to answering these & many more questions.

This DVD is an excellent Black & White Full Screen (before WideScreen) transfer. Extras include Production notes.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" film adaptation is very close to the actual Broadway play & is a great classic to have in your DVD library. Enjoy.

Arsenic & Old Lace
Plot: Mortimer, a drama critic, has just got married and is about to go on his honeymoon when he discovers insanity runs in his family. His sweet maiden aunts poison lonely old men and have a number of corpses buried in the cellar.....

A film adaptation of the popular stage play, Arsenic and Old Lace is a hilarious movie perfect for people of all ages. The story of Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant), the youngest of three brothers who were raised by two dear, but eccentric, spinster aunts, who have a nasty little habit of "putting poor souls" out of their misery with a little arsenic-laced elderberry wine.

It is delightful to watch Mortimer go from a nice, normal, newlywed to a nervous, neurotic mess as he tries to figure a way out of the predicament his well-meaning aunts have placed them all in. Throw in one brother who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt, another who is a psychopathic killer fashioned after Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre as Dr. Einstein, a slightly intoxicated make-shift plastic surgeon, and you'll be laughing the entire way through.

All of the performances were wonderful, but Cary Grant's facial expressions, double takes, and hilarious body language are a joy to watch. A truly classic, funny movie.

"No, I'm not drunk, madame.......but you've given me an idea!" - Mortimer, seething in frustration as he tries to get past the operator, so that he can get his family committed into the HappyDale Sanitarium.

"Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops!" - Mortimer, trying to explain to his new bride why it would be best for her to leave him and never look back.

A fun Halloween story
I have seen this movie dozens of times on TV. The problem is they always cut out a lot of the little nuances that make the movie fun; sometimes it is curtail to the story. Now you can see the whole story in its entirety. Lots of sight gags and relies on many expressions to convey what they are thinking. If this looks like a play, that is because it is a play. It was written by Joseph Kesserling and opened in New York City 10 JAN 41. It ran for 1,444 performances. Boris Karloff was an investor and the star attraction so he could not be released for the movie.

The story takes place all on Halloween night in Brooklyn. Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) a critic, that wrote a scathing book about the negatives of marriage, gets married. He soon finds out about his families past and where the bodies are buried. Soon he is to be visited by his estranged or just strange brother (Raymond Massey). Seems that his brother and his brother's friend, Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre), has some secrets of their own. Keep your eye on the elderberry wine.

Capra's Classic Black Comedy.
"Arsenic and Old Lace", starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra, is taken from the stage comedy of the same name. Although the film was released in 1944, it was actually filmed in 1941, due to the stage show was still going at the time. The film also stars Priscilla Lane, along with Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, reprising their original Broadway roles as the two aunts.

Mortimer and Elaine (Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane) play newlyweds, who are about to go on their honeymoon. Mortimer first arrives back at his aunts' house, who he had grown up living with, where he finds out that the two old ladies have been bringing lonely, elderly men into their house, and killing them by putting poison into wine, and then having them buried down in the cellar. More trouble comes when Mortimer's psychopathic murdering brother, Jonathan (Raymond Massey), and his partner, Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre) come about to make even more trouble, when they need to get rid of their own murdered victim, having escaped from jail. Jonathan comes back looking like Boris Karloff, after his partner's attempts at trying to remodel his face, as one of his many disguises. Then there's the poor new wife, who is continually being avoided by her new husband, while trying not to let her know what's going on.

The film has one of the funniest scripts, and some of the most amusing, and odd characters one could find. Ranging from the aunts who think they are doing the right thing, to the mentally insane nephew, who believes he's Teddy Roosevelt. The lines in the movie are somewhat unforgettable, and it's a great movie for many repeated viewings. Actually, I find myself liking it the more I watch it.

As for the DVD presentation from Warner Brothers, there is a serious lack of extras. Apart from the odd trailer, which you find on most DVDs, that's basically it. What can be noted though, is the very nice looking, clean print used for this decent transfer. The mono sound is very clear also, which helps when you have a film with so many jokes to be heard, on a very regular basis. So apart from the disappointing extras, this is a recommended buy, which every fan of classic movies should add to their collection.

first cary movie i saw
This is the first cary grant movie i saw. For the first one i saw i think this is a outstanding film. One of the things i thought it would not be was funny. But that changed my views from the beginning.
I can not say much else but a outstanding film. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Stanwyck and Capra outdo themselves
This was the first film to open at Radio City Music Hall in 1933, and it was so far ahead of its time it was a popular failure. It will probably remind of you nothing like Frank Capra's later films, but it's probably his most lyrical and sensitive work--there's no question that it's a masterpiece. Set in China during the "warlord period" of the late 20s and early 30s, the film concerns the strange abduction of a New England missionary (played by Barbara Stanwyck) and a cruel but highly cultured Chinese general (played by a Nils Asther, of all people, a Scandinavian). As the general tries to woo the missionary, her conflicted feelings for him come to the forefront--while all the while the warlord's political fortunes begin to crumble.

Stanwyck was never so subtle as she is here--she plays Megan as moral, tender, and conflicted, but not in the least bit prissy (she is that rarest of creatures, a genuinely virtuous woman). As Asther manages to breathe real depth into what could have otherwise been a racial caricature: although the film still wince-inducingly reminds us, at times, that it is a product of its period in some ways (as in its depiction of the treacherous Mah-Li), nonetheless it confronts head-on the racist stereotypes of white colonialists in China. The final scene between the two leads is absolutely stunning--you won't be prepared for where the film takes the characters, and yet in a strange way it all makes a wondrous kind of dream-like sense. Do yourself a favor and watch this film--it's really one-of-a-kind.

A very different Frank Capra film...
Frank Capra's groundbreaking story of an interracial romance between a Catholic missionary in wartorn China (played by a gorgeous young Barbara Stanwyck) and a cruel, haughty Chinese warlord, played -- in the style of the time -- by a white guy. It's a very unusual film, and much different than most other Capra classics. To begin with, the story takes place outside of the director's usual Middle-America tromping grounds, and his dramatizations of the bloodshed and chaos taking place in Asia are pretty amazing... Hard-hitting stuff for a still-isolationist nation to sit through, but material Capra would sucessfully revisit in his WWII propaganda films. The main story, though, is about two people struggling to bridge a deep racial divide -- although the film is rife with sterotypes, Capra clearly meant to project a progressive image onto his characters. It may be a little difficult for modern audiences to passively sit through some of the dialogue, but the film's still a fascinating snapshot of its times, worth considering on a variety of levels. The cinematography and set design are also both quite stunning.

Capra's unforgettable masterpiece!
The Bitter Tea of General Yen is one of the greatest love stories to ever come out of Hollywood. Moody and mystical. Haunting and poetic. Sensitive and seductive. Unpredictable and utterly unforgettable. Nils Asther gives the performance of a lifetime as the arrogantly gorgeous and sophisticated General Yen. If only there were more men in the world like this. Sigh. Barbara Stanwyck as the lovely missionary Megan Davis never looked as innocently beautiful again as she does in this film. Capra fills the screen with lavish sets, dreamy lighting and rich romantic action. His very best film ever! My favorite movie of all time! Watch and be enchanted!

A mysterious, hauntingly beautiful film ahead of its time
This film will always mystify me as it doesn't seem to fit into any real period of Hollywood history. Barbara Stanwyck herself said in later years that the whole idea of the film was years ahead of its time upon release. This does go part of the way towards explaining why it was banned in England and Australia upon release and strongly criticised for its content. Time has luckily redeemed this wonderful production and today it is much more respected for its own merits.

I appreciate the film not only for the very very daring subject matter that it tackled for the time but also for the absolutely beautiful sets and costumnes . Indeed the whole production has a rich, other worldly quality to it that makes the film a memorable viewing experience.

The cast of this production is top notch. Barbara Stanwyck, always one of my favorite actresses has one of her very early memorable roles as the young missionary abducted by the mysterious and sensual General Yen, played by silent star Nils Asher. He is particularly effective in his role turning Yen from being just a one dimensional villian into someone who you almost start to feel for. Asher didn't seem to do too much work in the sound era but he is very effective in this characterisation.

Like the other reviewers I was stunned by the very original dream sequence which first reveals Stanwyck's secret passion for General Yen. Considered shocking in it's time today it simply strikes me as being very originally done and very different to anything that would appear in a film of that time.

"The Bitter Tea of General Yen" is a lyrical, hauntingly beautiful production that continues to intrigue me. I strongly recommend it as a great piece of early 30's film making done on a very adult and sensitive level

STANWYCK AND CAPRA
Stanwyck plays her victimized role with aplomb and shines most brightly in the dream sequences where she envisions Asther as her lover. The subject of interracial love was taboo when Capra made this unusual film; miscegenation was a real bugbear then. It was unthinkable for a white woman to wind up in the arms of a Chinese even one as sophisticated as Asther portrays. This film was banned in England because of it's racial issues and Asther, once a silent star, did very few films and none of any consequence after this one. Walter Connolly, who is seen on crutches, played with them because he actually broke his leg when he fell out of a boxcar during production! ... Read more

Reviews (67)

The Little Guys Triumphs
I have to admit that I have never been a big fan of Frank Capra's directing or the stories he chose. But this movie scores for me. James Stewart is simply amazing as Jefferson Smith, the naive young man who discovers that Washington and politicians are not what they seem to be. Jean Arthur, an actress who seems to be forgotten these days, is excellent as the secretary who has seen it all. Claude Rains and Harry Carey do well in supporting performances as a senator and the president of the Senate. The underlying themes about political corruption and the power of the people still work today. The scenes surrounding the filibuster are unforgettable, and you'll find yourself routing for the little guy, something I thought I was too cynical to do myself.

Jimmy Stewart's Finest Performance in Capra Gem!
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a timeless, brilliant parable of Good Vs. Evil, played out in the U.S. Senate. Good is represented by Jimmy Stewart, in the film he SHOULD have won an Oscar for (MGM, trying to bolster 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' at the box office, influenced it's Academy members to award Robert Donat with the statue; the following year, Stewart appeared in 'The Philadelphia Story', for MGM, and won Best Actor!). He is magnificent as Jefferson Smith, an idealistic youth leader, who is offered up as an innocent and gullible replacement for a Senate vacancy. Evil is personified by Claude Rains, as the suave and corrupt senior Senator, and Edward Arnold, brilliant as a ruthless party boss.

In many ways, 'Smith' is cut from the same cloth as Capra's earlier masterpiece, 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town', and both films costar the radiant Jean Arthur, here cast as Smith's secretary. She is an old hand at understanding political wheelings and dealings, and at first, she considers her new boss a total idiot! But Smith's integrity wins her over, and with the help of reporter Thomas Mitchell (1939's busiest actor!), the three manage to outlast the forces of Evil, in the most rousing filabuster Hollywood has ever filmed!

Two supporting characters deserve special attention; Harry Carey, one of Hollywood's most beloved Western stars, plays a warm, sympathetic Vice President, in a small but very crucial role; and Beulah Bondi is terrific as Stewart's mother (she would play his mother again in the Capra/Stewart classic 'It's A Wonderful Life').

The new DVD edition offers the insights of Frank Capra, Jr., son of the legendary filmmaker, as well as trailers, vintage material, and a whole lot more!

If you've seen 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' before, treat yourself with this lavish new edition! If you haven't seen it, you are in for one of the most wonderful cinema experiences you'll ever have, from the best year Hollywood ever had!

Simply put, this film is a masterpiece!

An All-American Film
This movie is perfect for July 4th..in fact, I watched this movie for the first time on this day! If you want to see how a bill is passed, what the Senate consist of in the government, how people in politics are after, great monuments like the Capitol and Lincoln, and a great storyline, this is the movie for you.
Jimmy Stewart played Jeff Smith, a Boy Scout ranger who loves America, was picked as a Senator. His honesty and rookie nature made him a ruse for the experienced Senators who are out to get him and throw him out of office with their lies. Meanwhile, he did find a friend who went with him all the way...his secretary, Clarissa (who falls in love with him). You will have to find out the rest of the movie what happens when people found out that Smith was telling the truth all along, and the bad guys.
This is a great movie!! Go watch it!

THE LAST "CONSERVATIVE" MOVIE?
In 1939, Frank Capra made "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", starring Jimmy Stewart. I have sources that tell me a film was made 10 years later that depicted the Republican as a good guy, but I could not verify it. To the best of my knowledge, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" is the last big screen film in which the Democrat was the bad guy, and even then it is only inferred. In Capra's classic, a Midwestern political machine based on the corrupt Democrat organization in Kansas City that Harry Truman rose to power in, is exposed by an idealistic young Senator (Stewart). Claude Rains plays the Truman character. He looked just like him, and in end gives a Senate floor mea culpa of his complicity with Democrat crimes, which is highly, precisely and to quintessential effect the same one "Give 'em hell Harry" should have given, but never did. All is not lost for the Democrats, however, because Stewart is still a Democrat, and the hope for the future. In reality, the Democrats just got more corrupt, and Hollywood would be their willing ally.

STEVEN TRAVERS
Author of "Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman"
STWRITES@aol.com

The movie will not yield.
Frank Capra captures the heart of american patriotism without ever becoming preachy. Mr. Smith is equal parts civics lesson, romance, tense drama and at its heart: the perfect fish out of water comedy.

Jimmy Stewart is fantastic as Jefferson Smith an honorory senator who accidentally stumbles on corruption. Stellar performances were turned in by Jean Arthur, Claude Raines, Edward Arnold and Thomas Mitchell, but it is Stewart who dominates this film.

The phrase Capraesque gets bandied about with too much regularity these days when describing recent films. I would strongly reccomend Mr. Sith goes to Washington as Capra at his most Capraesque. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Mr. Capra Goes Overboard
Director Frank Capra's work doesn't hold up as well today as some of his contemporaries' because of his habit of over-inflating his scripts. "Deeds" starts out wonderfully well when the tuba-playing small-town yeoman Gary Cooper inherits a fortune and heads for the big city to look into it. But Capra can't leave well enough alone and transforms the funny contrasts into a ridiculously overblown sanity hearing. Capra repeated the same missteps in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Meet John Doe", straining for social commentary and ending up with pomposity. Still, I would recommend Deeds and those other two pictures for all the scenes Capra got right. Cooper serenading the townspeople by playing "Auld Lang Syne" on his tuba from the back of a departing train is a real classic.

Moving Capresque flick
MY RATING- 7.8

This is quite a moving tale a la american by the master of socio drama, Frank Capra in which he uses one of his fave actors Gary Cooper as the country man who inherits a fortune from a rich uncle and is double crossed in the city. I never enjoyed the first roles of Cooper in MOROCCO, yet it looks like he's been improving his acting over the years and his eyes seem to be brighter and emotional with Capra efforts. Jean Arthur is very good too with her sexy voice and tender love. The cast also includes H. B. Warner as the judge and Lionel Stander as Deeds gardian angel with that frog voice.
Maybe a bit overlong, however it's moving (not as much as It's a Wonderful Life"), , love triumphs at the end, with the Capraesque final act at the court.

better than the sandler version
This is a great movie. The Adam Sandler version might be funnier in a silly, mindless way, but this movie makes a point that too many people forget. People who criticize this movie as naive or propaganda have bought into too much capitalist propaganda. The only people who wouldn't like the message this movie makes are slaveholders and feudal barons. Beautiful movie making a point that we should all remember in our daily life. When Deeds' assistant comments on the difficulty of feeding all of the farmers ("there's 2000 of them"), Deeds replies "that doesn't make them any less hungry." This movie isn't naive. It should simply remind us of how to be human. Its a shame that the message even needs to be said or that the Sandler version would suck the beauty out of it for a cheap lines from a hispanic butler.

I'm sure this was GREAT sixty some-odd years ago.
...But today I found it as bland as a glass of water, however not pure or refreshing. In fact reading a dull, damp B&W newspaper is just as entertaining and very similar. Classic or not I just found the remake with Adam Sandler & Winona Ryder very funny and fresh. So I wanted to see where it came from. My great grandma loved the original when she was my age.. I'm guessing. But being that the only B&W film I liked was "Psycho", I'm glad that they remade this film just for me.

just to naive to be true
This kind of social comedy, with its naive eulogy of the simple man, the inocent farmers and the small american town, just gives me the creeps. Look out for the way it is satyrized in Preston Sturges' "Sullivan Travels". ... Read more

Reviews (223)

Black & White Isn't "Too" Bland, Non?....
In fact, the black & white setting suits "It's A Wonderful Life" as perfectly as technocolor would have for this Frank Sinatra-esque cult classic. James Stewart has this "Rocky & Bugsy"-era voice and a vigourous demeanor & Donna Reed is just brung in to play the hard-to-get young girl and the reserved wife. My focus refused to stay entact while watching this movie, but the ideas I did withdraw from this movie is that George Bailey (James Stewart) is caught in the tangled web of a financial scandal... and on the brink of suicide. That is... until a cliched assigned guardian angel appears out of the sky and falls in the waters of Bedford Falls... to save George (ironically). Before this happens, George is on a bridge contemplating (supposedly) suicide (due partially to a busted-lip from a brute in Martini's bar whose wife George insulted on the phone, heh heh), and when he sees Clarence (the "quote on quote"... angel), he jumps in after him and retrieves him. Henceforth, George rebuffs the idea of an angel and wishes he was never born, and granted... he was never born. And boy, does he take the in-your-face gruff reality of having no identity for a sham, but to his shagrin... it's as serious as a heart attack. George is a non-existent would-have-been making a futile attempt to spark some remembrance in his lost friends & family. Predictably, George repents and returns to existance... with a little (or lot of) monetary help from the whole town for his business trouble (whose lives apparently were impacted greatly by him somehow). Upon the saccharine conclusion (where George, his wife, & kid are basking in the solace of christmas communion), my eyes almost started to well-spring... I haven't the faintest idea why (I'm only 17). A nice retrospective on the golden age of Christmas classics. Somebody please make "It's A Wonderful Life 2000."

It's a Wonderful Message!
Your life doesn't seem so wonderful? Suffering from depression? Then here's a pill to swallow: watch Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life". It's guaranteed to do you some good.

The screenplay of It's a Wonderful Life originated with a Christmas card short story called "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern. It revolves around the life of George Bailey, an ordinary man who falls in love, gets married, has a family, and unselfishly works hard to support his family and local community. Deep down George has the itch to escape the chains of the small town atmosphere of Bedford Falls and the family business. He longs to travel the world in search of adventure, and has visions of constructing grand buildings. His dreams however are anchored by reality: He feels morally bound to honor his commitments to his family and the family business "Bailey Building and Loan". The first three quarters of the movie slowly builds up atmosphere, as we come to understand George Bailey's character and outlook on life.

It is only towards the very end that the moment of crisis comes: On the eve of Christmas, precisely as a bank inspector is on the scene, a huge sum of money is lost by the bank, and George's entire business is threatened. At this point the lengthy build-up bears rich fruits: as viewers we are now in a position to understand the incredible and painful frustration George feels. We share the hurt and disillusionment of this broken man as he snaps at his family and loved ones, and tears well up as his uncomprehending children pray desperately for their father. It is the slow build up that enables us to share his and their emotions of grief, sorrow, pain and frustration.

When George is at the end of his road, he selfishly considers suicide. At this point heaven answers the prayers of his family by sending a guardian angel second class (AS2) named Clarence to help George renew his perspective on life. When George in his depressed state is convinced that the world would have been better off without him, the angel offers him "a chance to see what the world would be like without you." His magical heavenly touch transforms the world to the place it would have been without George Bailey's touch, so that George can discover that "each man's life touches so many other lives."

The religious aspect is not convincing: Bailey receives divine aid even though he professes himself not to be a religious man, whereas the Bible portrays heavenly help as a gift for believers. The notion of a guardian angel as presented in the movie is especially weak, particularly because of the way it often functions for comic relief in a rather trite and disrespectful manner. Spiritual matters hardly receive the serious treatment they deserve. In the end, religion (represented by the guardian angel) functions more as a backdrop and literary device to examine a serious perspective on life. It's a flimsy and unconvincing backdrop, but the matters that the guardian angel as a literary device serves to reflect on are serious indeed. By being given the opportunity to imagine he had not existed, George Bailey is confronted with the value of life, even a hard and difficult life, and learns that every person can make a difference. As George reflects on all his blessings, and the impact he has been able to have on people's lives, he comes to the conviction "I want to live again." Clarence reinforces George's desire to live: "You see, George, you really had a wonderful life. Don't you think it's a mistake to throw it away?" Life is valuable particularly when it is used in selflessness (represented by Bailey) and not in selfishness (represented by Potter). When serving others instead of mammon, life is tremendously valuable, even though it may be hard.

Though religion is outwardly present in the form of the guardian angel, this affirmation of the value of human life has been stripped of any religious notions. And yet this self-reflection is itself a very religious one. It is too bad that the movie succumbs to the need to have a feel-good ending where George overcomes his troubles, because it results in a overly sentimental feel-good Christmas without the Christ-child. In that sense the movie falls short by not being sufficiently religious. The reality is that the lives of most viewers do not receive the magical solution that George receives, and that their troubles are ongoing - and only the gospel gives life a wonderful significance in the midst of ongoing troubles. By providing an overly sweet ending, the theme of "do good to others" is unchained from the gospel, and an opportunity was lost to convey a message even more profound.

But even so, the message conveyed is still profound and enduring: Life is wonderful, particularly when it is lived in selflessness for others. We might not all touch as many lives as George does, but we can all have a tremendous impact in the lives of others. Unlike so many contemporary movies, It's a Wonderful Life does not promote materialism, greed or immorality, but shows the joys and rewards of a simple and self-less life with family and friends. The concept is brilliant, and we are left to reflect for ourselves what the lives of our family and friends would be like without our touch. Not only does this movie provide enduring and powerful themes affirming the value of marriage, family and self-less human life, but it does so with warm humor and touching romance. Most importantly there is powerful emotion and lasting quality that has the capacity to renew your perspective on your own life. What more could you ask for? Few movies are worth watching more than once, but this is certainly one of them! You only live once, but watching this movie once or more might just improve that life you only have the opportunity to live once.

WAKE UP! This is a lousy movie!
This movie never won any awards. It was so bad that the studio could hardly give it away when they first puit it on tape, then they let it be colorized just so they could sell SOME copies of it, and suddenly the big war cry from the Hollywood liberals was -- "OOH! Save a classic black and white film!" Baloney! No one liked this movie when it was made. No one liked it the 1950s. No one liked it in the 1960s. No one liked it in the 1970s. No one liked it in the 1980s, then SUDDENLY! -- it's an American classic. NOT! It's Communist propaganda about the "evils" of American free enterprise from a guy who made a lot of pinko films but never thought HE should have to live like this "common man" he kept making pictures about.

Contemplating worth in Bedford falls...
"It's A Wonderful Life" is not just a Christmas classic, it's a bonafide American masterpiece of good-old-fashioned storytelling. Yeah, it's always a treat to sit around with your family and catch it on the tube the night Santa comes to town, but it's also a great movie to watch when you're feeling a little down on yourself. When George hits rock bottom, it's a pretty depressing sight to behold (thanks largely to a brilliantly subtle, yet intense, performance by Jimmy Stewart). But by the end of the film, when he finally feels like he's on top of the world, you'll understand why this film is the ultimate cinematic tear-jerker; evidence can be found in those salty drips emitting from YOUR eyes.

Indeed, a classic film. And a masterpiece. I wish real life was like Bedford Falls. HIGHLY recommended.

The Greatest Film of All Time?
How do you describe Frank Capra's style? I once called it like Orson Welles, only happy. Visually, these two film-makers were both fond of high-contrast photography and capturing emotions in the characters of their movies. But whereas Welles seemed to focus on all the terrible things that human beings can become, Capra focused on life lessons and the good that lies inside of all people.

While Capra created many masterpieces, this is probably his greatest. It's easy to see why. Rather than focusing on just one aspect of life, this film (like Citizen Kane) captures a person's whole life, with all it's ups and downs. Basically the story is a simple tale of David and Goliath relationship between the small businessman and the evil monopoly, and the internal struggle in a man between what he wants to do, and what he feels that he has to do.

Perhaps there is a bit of George Bailey in all of us. He's a perfectly normal person with perfectly normal dreams. He wants to see the world, build things, become important. But over and over again, in order to help (and in some cases save) others he is forced repeatedly to give up his dreams in order to do what he knows is right. Along the way he builds relationships with all sorts of people in the town where he is forced to spend his entire life. But was what he gave up really an unfair trade? Or did he actually attain a treasure far greater than he could ever imagine?

The emotional climax of the film at it's end (where everything comes full circle and we finally understand how George Bailey got to the point he was at in the film's beginning) has got to be one of the greatest performances in any film ever, and Jimmy Stewart's moment of moments (perhaps only rivaled by his breakdown at the end of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). I recall the first time I saw this movie, and the huge emotional reaction I had at seeing a man who has done nothing but sacrifice all his life kicked when he's down (if you remember what happens immediately after he prays for help you'll know what I mean).

Ultimately, this movie changed my life. It taught me about the importance of friends, self-sacrifice, and living your life doing what you know it right. But even more than that, this movie is an absolute tour-de-force, and stands out in my mind as one of the greatest films ever made. ... Read more