John Doe, Dynamite (1941)
"Meet John Doe" (original title)

A man needing money agrees to impersonate a nonexistent person who said he'd be committing suicide as a protest, and a political movement begins.

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Richard Connell (based on a story by), Robert Presnell Sr. (based on a story by),

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Cooper	...	John Doe
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Ann Mitchell
Edward Arnold	...	D.B. Norton
Walter Brennan	...	The 'Colonel'
Spring Byington	...	Mrs. Mitchell
James Gleason	...	Henry Connell
Gene Lockhart	...	Mayor Lovett
Rod La Rocque	...	Ted Sheldon
Irving Bacon	...	Beany
Regis Toomey	...	Bert Hansen / Radio Commentator After John Doe's First Speech (credit only)
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	'Sourpuss'
Warren Hymer	...	Angelface
Harry Holman	...	Mayor Hawkins
Andrew Tombes	...	Spencer
Pierre Watkin	...	Hammett

Storyline

As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement. At last everyone, even Ann, takes her creation seriously...but publisher D.B. Norton has a secret plan.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | reporter | publisher | plot | patsy | 

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Taglines:

ALL AMERICA WANTS TO MEET THE "MR. DEEDS" OF 1941! (original print media ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frank Capra's 'Meet John Doe'

Filming Locations:

Stage 22, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Frank Capra Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first film Frank Capra produced independent of the Hollywood studios.

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Goofs

The collar of John Doe's coat is alternately up and down between shots when Ann is persuading him not to jump off the roof.

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Quotes

Long John Willoughby: [addressing the public] Why can't that spirit, that warm Christmas spirit, last all year long?

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Connections

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Chicago"
(1922) (uncredited)
Written by Fred Fisher
Played in the score

User Reviews

Dark, Sweet and Powerful

There's an Italianate "cinema verite" in Capra's work, perhaps genetic . . . I find this film so powerful, and its characters so sympathetic, that I can hardly watch the riot scene. It's almost too terrifying.

Cooper's performance at first seems wooden, but he's an actor whom you need to watch, like a pond, to see the emotions swimming beneath the surface. Barbara Stanwyck is one of my favorite actresses--she never makes a false move and is beautiful to watch from any angle.

I find some lines of dialogue chilling in this age of Patriot Acts I and II and corporate globalism/global corporatism: "The American people need an iron hand," declares D. B. Norton, whose sneer looks like Cheney's.