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 more on IMDbPro »
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
Edit
Governor Hopper: A star spangled banquet!
Chick McGann: Wow!
See more »
(ca 1856) (uncredited)
Music by William Steffe
In the score when Smith is at the Lincoln Memorial
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Bitterly denounced by Washington insiders angry at its allegations of corruption, yet banned by fascist states in Europe who were afraid it showed that democracy works. See more »Goofs
On the Senate floor, Mr. Smith says the "Lady on top of the Capitol that stands for liberty." The statue on top of the US Capitol building since 1863 is the Statue of Freedom, also known as Armed Freedom or simply Freedom rather than Liberty. 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
Battle Hymn of the Republic(ca 1856) (uncredited)
Music by William Steffe
In the score when Smith is at the Lincoln Memorial
See more »
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The media and those in Washington, D.C. cringed in 1939 when Frank Capra (Oscar-nominated for directing) come out with "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Capra, fresh off amazing successes like "Lady for a Day", "It Happened One Night", "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", "Lost Horizon" and "You Can't Take It With You", used his power to slap some bigwigs in the face with a powerful medium---the motion picture. The result was an immediate backlash by publications and politicians, but cheers from critics and the audience. As with society, the critics and the masses won out as the movie is a masterpiece in every way. A U.S. Senate vacancy leads to a dilemma. Who should be put in office? Everyone believes the apparently naive and gullible James Stewart (Oscar-nominated) is the logical choice because he will be easy to manipulate and he won't rock the boat. Stewart, the leader of the Boy Rangers (a local camp association for youngsters), gets blind-sided by many high-ranking officials who have alterior motives (Oscar nominees Harry Carey and Claude Rains in particular) when his idea for a national boys' camp goes by the wayside. Thus the only thing left for Stewart is to beat those in charge by beating them at their own game---creating a filibuster (a never-ending governmental argument for his cause). Stewart is solid as always here and the supporters (love interest/reporter Jean Arthur and drunk newspaper man Thomas Mitchell included with the aforementioned players) are all terrific throughout. The Oscar-winning screenplay is deceptively intelligent and Capra just had the uncanny ability to mix comedy, drama and interpersonal characterizations together to make consistently wonderful American film experiences. 5 stars out of 5.