Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

MOVIE REVIEW OF Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Not Rated

Cast
Director:	frank capra	Runtime: 2 hrs 9 min ( 129 min)
clarissa sanders	.....	jean arthur
jefferson smith	.....	james stewart
senator joseph harrison paine	.....	claude rains
jim taylor	.....	edward arnold
governor hubert hopper	.....	guy kibble
diz moore	.....	thomas mitchell
chick mcGann	.....	eugene pallette
ma smith	.....	beulah bondi
senate majority leader agnew	.....	h. b. warner
president of the senate henry	.....	harry carey
susan paine	.....	astrid alwyn
mrs. emma hopper	.....	ruth donnelly
senator macPherson	.....	grant mitchell
senator martin monroe	.....	porter hall
senate minority leader barnes	.....	pierre watkin
nosey	.....	charles lane
carl griffith	.....	william demarest
bill cook	.....	dick elliott
peter hopper	.....	billy watson
jimmy hopper	.....	delmar watson
otis hopper	.....	john russell
hopper boy #1	.....	harry watson
hopper boy #2	.....	gary watson
hopper boy #3	.....	baby dumpling (larry simms)
h. v. kaltenborn	.....	h. v. kaltenborn - radio announcer
sweeney farrell	.....	jack carson
barber	.....	gino corrado
reporter	.....	dub taylor

WHAT I KNOW

Senator Sam Foley has died, leaving an empty seat in congress. It is the responsibility of Governor Huber Happy Foley (Guy Kibbee) to choose a replacement.

Back west, a guy named Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) is the leader of a Boy Scout-type group of boys called the Boy Rangers.

The governer flips a coin to make his decision. Should he appoint the handpicked stooge of his corrupt political boss Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold), or a reformer named Henry Hill? The coin is no help, as it lands on its edge against the side of a local newspaper. The story on the front page of said newspaper concerns the acomplishments of the aforementioned leader of the Boy Rangers, Jefferson Smith.

Governor Foley sees this as his opportunity to worm his (and his corrupt buddies) way into the midst of congress and continue to bask in the approval of Taylor. Taylor's agenda includes a dam-building scheme to be constructed on the very spot where Smith is advised to propose a bill that would pay for the development of a national boy's camp.

Smith is taken aside by Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains), and is advised to propose a bill. Although Paine is the oldest and best friend of Smith's late father, he is nevertheless corrupted by Jim Taylor's political machine. This suggestion to propose a bill is just a scheme to keep Smith out of the way of the dam-building plans. However, since the sites of the to projects are one and the same, this just escalates the tension and the determination of Smith to actually DO something with this newly acquired seat in the government.

Taylor's political machine realizes that their plans are backfiring, and that Smith is not the doormat that Taylor thought he was going to be.

In order to avoid Smith ruining Taylor's plans, he hits below the belt by wiring all the papers to print stories (i.e. twisted and false stories) of Smith's ulterior motive to profit from his proposed boys' camp bill. Fraudulent evidence is fabricated to show that Smith already owns the land on which he is proposing to develop the camp.

Smith tries to enlist the boys back home to spread the good word of his proposal through the Boy Rangers' self-published newspaper. However, Taylor's machine quickly confiscates that publication, and attacks the boys, replacing that with his own fraudulent stories of misconduct and deception by Smith.

Not to be overthrown by this political corruption, Smith enlists the assistance and the confidence of his secretary, Clarissa Saunders (Jean Arthur) to complete his Boys Camp bill. He intends to present the bill to congress regardless of Taylor's political machine and its attempts to kill it. To do this, Saunders enlightens him to the filibuster, and Smith takes full advantage of it.

As I hope you realize by now, I am not a fan of the spoiler. That is the gist of the story. The rest concerns the conflicts that ensue when this one senator from a small town takes on the powerful forces of a corrupt congressional machine in order to do what's right.

WHAT I THINK

It is amazing just how relevant this movie is to current politics. Although it is not specified to which party the corrupt senators in the movie belong, in today's political battlefield, they would have Republican written all over them.

When this movie was made (1939), although there is no doubt that scandal existed in government, it was not usually exposed and broadcast to the public as much as it is today. Therefore, I imagine (I can only speculate, as my existence was still another 36 years away) that this story was much more of a shocker when it was first released. What is rather shocking, though, is that in that time, government (i.e. congress, mostly right-wing conservatists/tea-party extremists) has not only failed to improve, I believe it has actually gotten worse. This contradicts what I would expect to be the normal order of events (kind of like a Starburst® candy). More media coverage and exposure, as we have today, would suggest a decrease in corruption. However, all you have to do is to turn on the news (respectable shows such as The Rachel Maddow Show…NOT Fox News or The O'Reilly Factor) to see that nothing is sacred anymore in politics.

You will probably notice that this review is not quite as in-depth with regards to plot as that to which I normally strive, but I fear that expansion would send me on a rant about current politics, and that would NOT be something you would want to see. (I also apologize… I realize that that last sentence was a grammatical nightmare!) Nevertheless, I will drift your attention to one event in the movie that made me raise my eyebrows, because at the time this movie was made, this was not an issue…the filibuster.

Previously, the filibuster was a rarely used tactic to stall a bill or proposal from a vote, or an insertion to proceedings with that same goal, and to give a congressman as much opportunity to present his case as he can endure. (Yes, in days of yore, it was required that the congressman presenting the filibuster remain standing throughout his presentation. If he sat down, he relinquished the floor.)

In today's lazy and irresponsible congress, one is no longer held to that requirement. In fact, I would not be surprised to learn that it took no more effort than leaving the senate chamber for a burger to enact a filibuster! No surprise as to why very little productivity is seen in congress today. Unless, of course, the issue concerns whether or not the congressmen will be able to catch their flights to go home for vacation…then procedure flies! And there it is…I am now entering into the realm of personal political criticism…back to the movie…

I will leave you to create your own treasure hunt to find connections (intentional and otherwise) to current politics…have fun with that one! 😏

On the filmmaking end of this review, I always find it interesting to watch (and review) the movies of this era (1920s to 1970s). There are, or so it seems, a smaller pool of actors, directors, and other significant names dominating Hollywood. As this movie exhibits, you will see names repeated more often. This extends beyond pretty boy actors with little talent and huge egos.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington sees several familiar names that will probably become household names if you are a regular reader of this blog. To name a few: director Frank Capra (It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It WIth You (1938), Meet John Doe (1941), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), the list goes on…), James Jimmy Stewart (You Can't Take It With You (1938), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), It's A Wonderful Life (1946), Rope (1948), Harvey (1950), Rear Window (1954), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), The Spirit of St. Louise (1957), Night Passage (1957), Vertigo (1958), Anatomy of a Murder (1959),The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962),Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962), Harvey (1972), The Shootist (1976), again, the list goes on…), Jean Arthur (The Canary Murder Case (1929), The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929), The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (1930), If You Could Only Cook (1935), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It With You (1938), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), The Devil and Miss Jones (1941), Shane (1953) ), Claude Rains (The Invisible Man (1933), The Clairvoyant (1935), Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), King's Row (1942), Now, Voyager (1942), Casablanca (1942), Phantom of the Opera (1943), Strange Holiday (1945), Nortorious (1946), Deception (1946), Lawrence of Arabia (1942) ), Edward Arnold (Whistling In The Dark (1933), Duck Soup (1933), Diamond Jim (1935), Remember Last Night (1935), Meet Nero Wolfe (1936), You Can't Take It With You (1938), Meet John Doe (1941), The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), Three Wise Fools (1946), Annie Get Your Gun (1950) ), Harry Carey (The Last of the Mohicans (1932), Barbary Coast (1935), Beyond Tomorrow (1940),Angel and The Badman (1947) ), Thomas Mitchell (Stagecoach (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), Gone With the Wind (1939), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Swiss Family Robinson (1940), Our Town (1940), The Long Voyage Home (1940), Three Wise Fools (1946), It's A Wonderful Life (1946), Pocketful of Miracles (1941), High Noon (1952) ), Guy Kibbee (Flying High (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936),Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938), Our Town (1940), Fort Apache (1948) ), H.B. Warner (Conquest (1928), Charlie Chan's Chance (1932), The Crusader (1932), A Tale of Two Cities (1935), The Garden Murder Case (1936), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It With You (1938), The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939), Topper Returns (1941), It's A Wonderful Life (1946), Sunset Blvd. (1950), The Ten Commandments (1956) ), Charles Lane (Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take it With You (1938), The Invisible Woman (1940), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), It's A Wonderful Life (1946), The Music Man (1962), It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) ), Dub Taylor (You Can't Take It With You (1938), Them! (1954), Dragnet (1954), A Star Is Born (1954), No Time For Sergeants (1958), A Hole in the Head (1959),The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), The Wild Bunch (1969), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971), Tom Sawyer (1973), 1941 (1979) )…yeah, and that doesn't even approach exhaustive.

As my continuing efforts to expose you to quality and true entertainment and talent moves on, I encourage you to take the suggestions listed, along with any others you might find, and really watch them with interest. And if…I'm sorry…WHEN you find another movie you enjoy that features these people, jot a note, either at the end of the post here, or in an email to me, or in the suggestion question in the weekly survey, suggesting it as a possible subject of review. Don't be discouraged if you don't see your suggestion appear in the survey right away or for quite some time. I keep all suggestions for future consideration…i.e. no expiration datel

Finally, a few examples of these connections to which I made reference that come from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington…

First, Auld Lang Syne is heard near the beginning of this movie…it is also sung in the final scene of It's A Wonderful Life. Both movies are directed by Frank Capra and feature James Stewart (Jeff Smith/George Bailey), H.B. Warner (Senate Majority Leader Agnew/Mr. Gower), Thomas Mitchell (Diz Moore/Uncle Billy), and Charles Lane (Nosey/Mr. Potter's Real Estate Salesman).

Before I go on, I apologize for the lack of specificity in this next connection, but I thought it too good to completely ignore. There is a point near the end of Mr. Smith… where the Senate President (Harry Carey - yes, an unfortunate name - rather cruel parents if you ask me) is attempting to call order to the Senate chamber by banging his gavel. After a sustained banging for quite some time produces no response, he gives a priceless expression with a smile attached, and gives up, tossing the gavel aside. The connection, (again, I apologize for being vague and seemingly clueless here, but it was too good to ignore) : there is another movie in which this scene is almost duplicated. In this other movie, the setting is a legal courtroom, and different actors and specific situations are involved. I just cannot, for the life of me, remember whiich movie this is! If you know, I would really appreciate a heads-up so I can sleep. Some possibilities include: A Miracle on 34^th Street (1947), You Can't Take It With You (1938), or A Smokey Mountain Christmas (1986). See my sneaky ways of getting you to sit on your duff to watch movies instead of engaging in physical activity?…You're welcome!

REMARKABLE DIALOGUE
Finally, a short list of quotes I think are worth repeating. You may recognize some of you've seen the movie, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• Mr. Smith : I suppose, Mr. Paine, when a fella bucks up against a big organization like that, one man can't get very far, can he?
  Paine : Nope.
• Mr. Smith : There was a bus outside, and I just naturally got aboard.
  Saunders :[sarcastically] Most natural thing in the world.
• Diz : I'll see ya' later, Saunders. I gotta go out and think this over.
• Paine : Jeff, these bills are put together by legal minds after long study. I can't understand half of them myself, and I used to be a lawyer. Now come on, forget it. When the time comes, I'll advise you how to vote.
  Mr. Smith : Yes, I know you will, sir. But that's just the point. There's no reason for me to be here at all.
• Paine : At the expense of some of the furniture, Susan, you've made another conquest.
  Susan : Not old Honest Abe?
  Paine : And with Honest Abe's ideals. A rare man these days, Susan.
• Mr. Smith : Dog-gone-it…you ever have so much to say about something, you just couldn't say it?
  Saunders : Try sitting down.
  Mr.Smith : I did…I got right back up again.
• Saunders : Father was a doctor. He thought more of ethics than he did of collections. Speaks well for Father, but it wasn't so…now look, we'd better get back to this.
• Paine : This is a man's world, Jeff, and you've got to check your ideals at the door, like you do your rubbers.
• Paine : Mr. President, will the senator yield?
  Senate President : Will the senator yield?
  Mr. Smith : No, sir, I'm afraid not. No, sir. I yielded the door once before if you'll remember, and I was pracitically never heard of again. No, sir. And we might as well all get together on this yielding business right off the bat now.
• Mr. Smith : If I yield for only a question or a point of order or a personal privilege, that I can hold this floor almost until doomsday.
• Mr. Smith : I call the chair's attention to uh…rule 5 of the standing rules of the Senate, section…section 3…‘If it shall be found that a quorum is not present, a majority of the senators present’…and that looks like me…‘may direct the sergeant at arms to request, and if necessary, compel the attendence of the absent senators,’ Well, Mr. President, I so direct.
• Diz : This is the most titanic battle of modern times. A David without even a slingshot rises to do battle against the mighty Goliath, the Taylor Machine, allegedly crooked from the inside and out…and for my money, you can cut out the ‘allegedly.’
• H.V. Kaltenborn : This is H. V. Kaltenborn speaking. Half of official Washington is here to see democracy's finest show, the filibuster, the right to talk your head off, the American privilege of free speech in it's most dramatic form. The least man in that chamber, once he gets and holds that floor, by the rules, can hold it and talk as long as he can stand on his feet…providing always, first: that he does not sit down, second, that he does not leave the chamber or stop talking.
• [Mr. Smith is talking extensively on the floor of the congress. He pauses, puts his fingers into his mouth, and whistles. Startled, all the senators jump in their seats, and turn to look at Smith.]
  Mr. Smith : Ah, that's alright. I just wanted to find out if you still had faces.

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
¹⁰ /₁₀

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