| Videos (see all 4) |
| Jean Arthur | ... | Clarissa Saunders | |
| James Stewart | ... | Jefferson Smith | |
| Claude Rains | ... | Senator Joseph Harrison Paine | |
| Edward Arnold | ... | Jim Taylor | |
| Guy Kibbee | ... | Governor Huber Hopper | |
| Thomas Mitchell | ... | Diz Moore | |
| Eugene Pallette | ... | Chick McGann | |
| Beulah Bondi | ... | Ma Smith | |
| H.B. Warner | ... | Senator Agnew - Senate Majority Leader | |
| Harry Carey | ... | Henry - President of the Senate | |
| Astrid Allwyn | ... | Susan Paine | |
| Ruth Donnelly | ... | Emma Hopper | |
| Grant Mitchell | ... | Senator MacPherson | |
| Porter Hall | ... | Senator Martin Monroe | |
| Larry Simms | ... | Hopper Boy (as Baby Dumpling) | |
| H.V. Kaltenborn | ... | Himself - Radio Broadcaster / Trailer Narrator | |
| Pierre Watkin | ... | Senator Barnes - Senate Minority Leader | |
| Charles Lane | ... | Nosey | |
| William Demarest | ... | Bill Griffith | |
| Dick Elliott | ... | Carl Cook | |
| Billy Watson | ... | Peter Hopper | |
| Delmar Watson | ... | Jimmie Hopper | |
| Johnny Russell | ... | Otis Hopper (as John Russell) | |
| Harry Watson | ... | Hopper Boy | |
| Garry Watson | ... | Hopper Boy (as Gary Watson) | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Erville Alderson | ... | Handwriting Expert (uncredited) | |
| Harry Anderson | ... | Hoodlum (uncredited) | |
| Stanley Andrews | ... | Senator Hodges (uncredited) | |
| William Arnold | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Sam Ash | ... | Senator Lancaster (uncredited) | |
| Edwin August | ... | Senator (uncredited) | |
| Frank Austin | ... | Inventor at Smith's Office Door (uncredited) | |
| Harry A. Bailey | ... | Senator Hammett (uncredited) | |
| Tommy Baker | ... | Boy Ranger (uncredited) | |
| Kathryn Bates | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| Brooks Benedict | ... | Senate Clerk (uncredited) | |
| Wilson Benge | ... | Hopper's Butler (uncredited) | |
| Wade Boteler | ... | Family Man (uncredited) | |
| Harry C. Bradley | ... | Arthur Kim (uncredited) | |
| Lynton Brent | ... | Photographer (uncredited) | |
| Ed Brewer | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Al Bridge | ... | Senator Dwight (uncredited) | |
| Harlan Briggs | ... | Mr. Edwards - Howling Citizen (uncredited) | |
| Tommy Bupp | ... | Boy Cheering for Smith in Meeting (uncredited) | |
| Frederick Burton | ... | Senator Dearhorn (uncredited) | |
| Georgia Caine | ... | Third Radio Speaker (uncredited) | |
| Ken Carpenter | ... | Announcer (uncredited) | |
| Jack Carson | ... | Sweeney Farrell - Newsman (uncredited) | |
| Burr Caruth | ... | Townsend (uncredited) | |
| Maurice Cass | ... | Handwriting Expert (uncredited) | |
| Allan Cavan | ... | Ragner - Newsman (uncredited) | |
| Eddy Chandler | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| George Chandler | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Davison Clark | ... | Committeeman (uncredited) | |
| Dora Clement | ... | Mrs. McGann (uncredited) | |
| Shirley Coates | ... | Assistant Bartender (uncredited) | |
| Edmund Cobb | ... | Senator Gower (uncredited) | |
| Eddie Coke | ... | Photographer (uncredited) | |
| Dorothy Comingore | ... | Woman at Station (uncredited) | |
| Chester Conklin | ... | Man in Press Section of Senate Gallery (uncredited) | |
| Hal Cooke | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| George Cooper | ... | Waiter (uncredited) | |
| Georgie Cooper | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| Jack Cooper | ... | Photographer (uncredited) | |
| Nick Copeland | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Anne Cornwall | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Gino Corrado | ... | Barber (uncredited) | |
| Maurice Costello | ... | Diggs - Newsman (uncredited) | |
| Alec Craig | ... | Speaker (uncredited) | |
| Beatrice Curtis | ... | Paine's Secretary (uncredited) | |
| Lew Davis | ... | Senate Clerk (uncredited) | |
| Dulcie Day | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Wally Dean | ... | Paine's Friend (uncredited) | |
| Vernon Dent | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Harry Depp | ... | Hat Salesman / Secretary (uncredited) | |
| Joe Devlin | ... | Waiter (uncredited) | |
| Clyde Dilson | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| John Dilson | ... | Secretary (uncredited) | |
| Neal Dodd | ... | Senate Chaplain (uncredited) | |
| Ann Doran | ... | Paine's Secretary (uncredited) | |
| Lester Dorr | ... | Taylor's Stooge (uncredited) | |
| Robert Dudley | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Edward Earle | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Helen Jerome Eddy | ... | Paine's Secretary (uncredited) | |
| Jack Egan | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Douglas Evans | ... | Francis Scott Key (uncredited) | |
| Eddie Fetherston | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Mabel Forrest | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Byron Foulger | ... | Hopper's Secretary (uncredited) | |
| Gladys Gale | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| Jack Gardner | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Frances Gifford | ... | Hopper Girl (uncredited) | |
| June Gittelson | ... | Woman at Station (uncredited) | |
| Mary Gordon | ... | Woman (uncredited) | |
| Jesse Graves | ... | Black Committeeman (uncredited) | |
| Lorna Gray | ... | Woman at Station (uncredited) | |
| Roger Haliday | ... | Senate Guard (uncredited) | |
| Wilfred Hari | ... | House Boy (uncredited) | |
| Harry Hayden | ... | First Radio Announcer (uncredited) | |
| Henry Hebert | ... | Senator (uncredited) | |
| Louis Jean Heydt | ... | Soapbox Speaker (uncredited) | |
| Fred Hoose | ... | Senator (uncredited) | |
| Philip Hurlic | ... | Boy Ranger (uncredited) | |
| Olaf Hytten | ... | Butler (uncredited) | |
| John Ince | ... | Senator Fernwick (uncredited) | |
| Lloyd Ingraham | ... | Committeeman (uncredited) | |
| Frank Jaquet | ... | Senator Byron (uncredited) | |
| John Lester Johnson | ... | Butler (uncredited) | |
| Dickie Jones | ... | Pageboy Richard Jones (uncredited) | |
| Eddie Kane | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Robert Emmett Keane | ... | Editor (uncredited) | |
| Donald Kerr | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Milton Kibbee | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Joe King | ... | Summers Newsman (uncredited) | |
| Evalyn Knapp | ... | Reporter Asking 'What Do You Think of the Girls in This Town?' (uncredited) | |
| Wright Kramer | ... | Senator Carlton (uncredited) | |
| Billy Lechner | ... | Boy Ranger (uncredited) | |
| P.H. Levy | ... | Rabbi (uncredited) | |
| Vera Lewis | ... | Mrs. Edwards (uncredited) | |
| George Lloyd | ... | Hoodlum (uncredited) | |
| Arthur Loft | ... | Chief Clerk (uncredited) | |
| Jane Loofbourrow | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| Jackie Lowe | ... | Boy Ranger (uncredited) | |
| Jack Low | ... | Hoodlum (uncredited) | |
| Jimmie Lucas | ... | Photographer (uncredited) | |
| Wilfred Lucas | ... | Pompous Man (uncredited) | |
| Stanley Mack | ... | Senator (uncredited) | |
| Mary MacLaren | ... | Head Sister (uncredited) | |
| Hank Mann | ... | Photographer (uncredited) | |
| Margaret Mann | ... | Nun with Cheering Orphan Boys (uncredited) | |
| Eric Mayne | ... | Man in Senate Building (uncredited) | |
| Philo McCullough | ... | Senator Albert (uncredited) | |
| Ralph McCullough | ... | Assistant Bartender (uncredited) | |
| Matt McHugh | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| George McKay | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Lafe McKee | ... | Civil War Veteran at Lincoln Memorial (uncredited) | |
| Sammy McKim | ... | Boy Ranger (uncredited) | |
| James McNamara | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Robert Middlemass | ... | Second Radio Announcer (uncredited) | |
| James Millican | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Howard M. Mitchell | ... | Shoe Salesman (uncredited) | |
| Charles R. Moore | ... | Porter (uncredited) | |
| Bert Moorhouse | ... | Man in Senate Building (uncredited) | |
| Gene Morgan | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Robert Morgan | ... | Senate Clerk (uncredited) | |
| William Newell | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Ray Nichols | ... | Boy Ranger (uncredited) | |
| Field Norton | ... | Pompous Man (uncredited) | |
| Alex Novinsky | ... | Foreign Diplomat (uncredited) | |
| Frank O'Connor | ... | Senator Alfred (uncredited) | |
| Frank Otto | ... | Fisk (uncredited) | |
| Joe Palma | ... | Hoodlum (uncredited) | |
| Blanche Payson | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| Frank Puglia | ... | Handwriting Expert (uncredited) | |
| Ed Randolph | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Charles Regan | ... | Hoodlum (uncredited) | |
| Jack Rice | ... | Lang (uncredited) | |
| Jack Richardson | ... | Senator Manchester (uncredited) | |
| Henry Roquemore | ... | Senator (uncredited) | |
| Walter Sande | ... | Newspaperman with Pipe (uncredited) | |
| Russell Simpson | ... | Kenneth Allen (uncredited) | |
| Walter Soderling | ... | Senator Pickett (uncredited) | |
| Harry Stafford | ... | Senator Atwater (uncredited) | |
| Wyndham Standing | ... | Senator Ashman (uncredited) | |
| Paul Stanton | ... | Flood - Newsman (uncredited) | |
| Larry Steers | ... | Committeeman (uncredited) | |
| Count Stefenelli | ... | Foreign Diplomat (uncredited) | |
| Robert Sterling | ... | Undetermined Role (uncredited) | |
| Craig Stevens | ... | Senate Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Landers Stevens | ... | Committeeman (uncredited) | |
| Carl Stockdale | ... | Senator Burdette (uncredited) | |
| Charles Sullivan | ... | Cab Driver (uncredited) | |
| Ben Taggart | ... | Pompous Man (uncredited) | |
| Emma Tansey | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| Dub Taylor | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Ferris Taylor | ... | Senator Carlisle (uncredited) | |
| Arthur Thalasso | ... | Doorman (uncredited) | |
| Edward Thomas | ... | Butler (uncredited) | |
| Frank M. Thomas | ... | Hendricks (uncredited) | |
| Layne Tom Jr. | ... | Boy Ranger (uncredited) | |
| Fred 'Snowflake' Toones | ... | Porter (uncredited) | |
| Victor Travers | ... | Senator Grainger (uncredited) | |
| Laura Treadwell | ... | Mrs. Taylor (uncredited) | |
| John Tyrrell | ... | Undetermined Role (uncredited) | |
| Frederick Vroom | ... | Paine's Friend (uncredited) | |
| Bess Wade | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| Max Waizmann | ... | Photographer (uncredited) | |
| Robert Walker | ... | Senator Holland (uncredited) | |
| Myonne Walsh | ... | Jane Hopper (uncredited) | |
| John Ward | ... | Photographer (uncredited) | |
| Billy Wayne | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Lloyd Whitlock | ... | Schultz - Newsman (uncredited) | |
| Dave Willock | ... | Senate Guard (uncredited) | |
| Florence Wix | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| Eleanor Wood | ... | Committeewoman (uncredited) | |
| William Worthington | ... | Committeeman (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Frank Capra | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Sidney Buchman | (screenplay) | |
| Lewis R. Foster | (story) | |
| Myles Connolly | contributor to screenplay construction and dialogue (uncredited) | |
Produced by | |||
| Frank Capra | .... | producer (uncredited) | |
Original Music by | |||
| Dimitri Tiomkin | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Joseph Walker | (director of photography) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Al Clark | |||
| Gene Havlick | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Lionel Banks | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Robert Kalloch | (gowns) (as Kalloch) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Faye Hanlin | .... | hair (uncredited) | |
| Helen Hunt | .... | hair (uncredited) | |
| William Knight | .... | make-up (uncredited) | |
| Fred B. Phillips | .... | make-up (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Arthur S. Black Jr. | .... | assistant director (as Arthur S. Black) | |
| Rex Bailey | .... | second assistant director (uncredited) | |
| Richard McWhorter | .... | second assistant director (uncredited) | |
| Charles Vidor | .... | second unit director (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| Walter Holscher | .... | set designer (uncredited) | |
| George Montgomery | .... | set dresser (uncredited) | |
| Cary Odell | .... | assistant art director (uncredited) | |
| Jack Wrenn | .... | prop master (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Edward Bernds | .... | sound engineer (uncredited) | |
| John P. Livadary | .... | supervising sound editor (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Fred Jackman Jr. | .... | special effects (uncredited) | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Slavko Vorkapich | .... | montage effects | |
| John Hoffman | .... | montage effects (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| George Hager | .... | head electrician (uncredited) | |
| William Jolley | .... | assistant camera (uncredited) | |
| George F. Kelley | .... | second operative camera (uncredited) | |
| Al Layter | .... | assistant electrician (uncredited) | |
| Irving Lippman | .... | photographer: production stills (uncredited) | |
| Irving Lippman | .... | still photographer (uncredited) | |
| James Lloyd | .... | head grip (uncredited) | |
| Enzo A. Martinelli | .... | second assistant camera (uncredited) | |
| Adolph L. Schafer | .... | special portrait art (uncredited) | |
| Victor Scheurich | .... | first operative camera (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Forrest T. Butler | .... | wardrobe: men (uncredited) | |
| Ray Howell | .... | head of wardrobe (uncredited) | |
| Roselle Novello | .... | wardrobe: women (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Morris Stoloff | .... | musical director (as M.W. Stoloff) | |
| R.H. Bassett | .... | composer: stock music (uncredited) | |
| Ben Oakland | .... | composer: stock music (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| James D. Preston | .... | technical advisor (uncredited) | |
| Joseph Sistrom | .... | production assistant (uncredited) | |
| Harold Winston | .... | dialogue director (uncredited) | |
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| They Won't Forget | Strangers on a Train | The Majestic | Fury | 8½ |
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
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Frank Capra's knack for getting the best out of JAMES STEWART and JEAN ARTHUR is demonstrated here with both stars giving superb performances. Ironically, Stewart would not win the Oscar for this role but was awarded one the following year for a lesser role in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY.
As a bumbling, naive senator who is a lamb thrown to the wolves in Washington, D.C., Stewart does a fabulous job--although there are moments when his bumbling awkwardness looks a bit staged. Jean Arthur is a natural for the role of the wise secretary who at first scorns his innocent ways but soon comes to realize he's the real thing.
All of the supporting players are excellent--especially CLAUDE RAINS as a mentor to Stewart who finally has a conscience about deceiving him, and Harry Carey (the western actor) as the man with the gavel who soon realizes that Stewart is not to be underestimated. His reaction shots, grinning and sometimes stifling a grin, say more than words. He and Rains both deserved their supporting role nominations.
But, as usual in a Capra film, you have to be willing to forgive some obvious plot contrivances or overall schmaltz. The ending (when it finally comes after some excessive length in running time) is rather abrupt as though the director suddenly realized he'd gone overtime on the story. And some of the sentimentality (such as the scene where Arthur joins him at the Lincoln Memorial where she knew she'd find him), is hard to swallow until you remind yourself that--hey, this is Capra-corn.
Nevertheless, despite some flaws, it's the kind of comedy-drama about Washington, D.C. that only a director like Capra could make. And the replica of the Senate is amazingly detailed, as are all the interiors which were shot on a soundstage at Columbia. It's also a nice lesson in how the Senate works, how bills have to go through committees, the rules of behavior, filibustering, etc. It will leave you with a warm glow--somewhat like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE in that respect.
Summing up: It's Stewart's show all the way. He's at his peak here.