A naive man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn't back down.
Director:
Frank Capra
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Title: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jean Arthur | ... | Saunders | |
| James Stewart | ... | Jefferson Smith | |
| Claude Rains | ... | Senator Joseph Paine | |
| Edward Arnold | ... | Jim Taylor | |
| Guy Kibbee | ... | Governor Hopper | |
| Thomas Mitchell | ... | Diz Moore | |
| Eugene Pallette | ... | Chick McGann | |
| Beulah Bondi | ... | Ma Smith | |
| H.B. Warner | ... | Senate Majority Leader | |
| Harry Carey | ... | President of the Senate | |
| Astrid Allwyn | ... | Susan Paine | |
| Ruth Donnelly | ... | Mrs. Hopper | |
| Grant Mitchell | ... | Senator MacPherson | |
| Porter Hall | ... | Senator Monroe | |
 |
H.V. Kaltenborn | ... | H.V. Kaltenborn |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Naive and idealistic Jefferson Smith, leader of the Boy Rangers, is appointed on a lark by the spineless governor of his state. He is reunited with the state's senior senator--presidential hopeful and childhood hero, Senator Joseph Paine. In Washington, however, Smith discovers many of the shortcomings of the political process as his earnest goal of a national boys' camp leads to a conflict with the state political boss, Jim Taylor. Taylor first tries to corrupt Smith and then later attempts to destroy Smith through a scandal. Written by James Yu <jamestyu@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
Taglines:
Romance, drama, laughter and heartbreak ... created out of the very heart and soil of America ... by a great director and cast! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
19 October 1939 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington See more »Filming Locations:
Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$1,500,000 (estimated)Gross USA:
$9,600,000Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (TV)Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Governor Hopper: A star spangled banquet!
Chick McGann: Wow!
See more »
(1832) (uncredited)
Music by Lowell Mason, based on the Music by Henry Carey from "God Save the King" (1744)
Played during the opening credits and often in the score
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The U.S. Senate interior as shown in the film was an extremely accurate reproduction of the real thing. See more »Goofs
(at around 30 mins) Twice, Saunders says that Jefferson Smith is going to go "up" to Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington. Mt. Vernon is approximately 15 miles south of the Capitol in Washington [you can check that using Google maps], and is right on the Potomac River downstream from Washington, so it is not "up" in a north-south sense nor in the sense of elevation. The script should have had Saunders saying that Smith was going "down" to Mt. Vernon, which is how anyone living or working in Washington would have put it. See more »Quotes
James Taylor: Chick, turn the ballyhoo boys loose. Its the greatest appointment ever made. Give a banquet and declare a holiday.Governor Hopper: A star spangled banquet!
Chick McGann: Wow!
See more »
Soundtracks
America, My Country Tis of Thee(1832) (uncredited)
Music by Lowell Mason, based on the Music by Henry Carey from "God Save the King" (1744)
Played during the opening credits and often in the score
See more »
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Besides a brilliantly written story, and brilliant acting by James Stewart, there is one element of this movie that can't be overlooked: Jean Arthur's acting.
With her voice and facial expressions, she pulls you through the storyline. The movie may be about Mr. Smith (Stewart), but much of it is seen through Saunder's (Arthur's) eyes. When she falls in love with Smith, we can't help but do it too.
This is Capra's opus, and contains not one, but two of the best acting performances I've ever seen.