Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

19391939
PassedPassed
2h 9m

James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Beulah Bondi, Guy Kibbee, Thomas Mitchell, and Eugene Pallette in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar

Play trailer1:37

A naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries... Read allA naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries to forge ahead despite attacks on his character.A naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries to forge ahead despite attacks on his character.

Director
- Frank Capra
Writers
- Sidney Buchman(screen play)
- Lewis R. Foster(story)
- Myles Connolly(contributor to screenplay construction and dialogue)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Top rated movie #197

Won 1 Oscar
- 6 wins & 16 nominations total

Videos1

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

James Stewart and Jean Arthur in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

James Stewart, Beulah Bondi, Ruth Donnelly, and Guy Kibbee in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" Frank Capra, James Stewart 1939 Columbia

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" Beulah Bondi, Guy Kibbee, James Stewart 1939 Columbia

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" James Stewart, Jean Arthur 1939 Columbia

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Thomas Mitchell 1939 Columbia

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" James Stewart 1939 Columbia

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" Claude Rains, James Stewart, 1939 Columbia

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" James Stewart, Claude Rains and Cast 1939 Columbia

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Frank Capra 1939 Columbia

Director
- Frank Capra
Writers
- Sidney Buchman(screen play)
- Lewis R. Foster(story)
- Myles Connolly(contributor to screenplay construction and dialogue) (uncredited)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

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. —James Yu <jamestyu@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>

united states capitol building u.s. senator place name in title washington d.c.filibuster 153 more

Taglines
- OUR OPERATOR SAYS.."IT'S GOING TO BE A PLEASURE TO RUN "MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON" 5 DAYS STARTING SUNDAY, NOV.7) (print ad - Lubbock Morning Avalanche - Cactus Theatre - Lubbock Texas - November 2, 1938 - all caps)
Genres
- Comedy
- Drama
Certificate
- Passed
Parents guide

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.

Goofs
Under the Standing Rules of the Senate governing debate, Senator Paine would not technically have been allowed to attack Senator Smith's character and accuse him of graft. The rule states: "No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator."

Quotes
Jefferson Smith: You see, boys forget what their country means by just reading The Land of the Free in history books. Then they get to be men they forget even more. Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books, Miss Saunders. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: I'm free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't, I can, and my children will. Boys ought to grow up remembering that.

Connections
Edited into High Hopes: The Capra Years (1981)

Soundtracks
Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean
(1843) (uncredited)
Written by David T. Shaw
Played during the opening credits and often in the score

Top review

9/10

A 40ft Dive into a Tub of Water...

Accomplished, honest and heartfelt, this will reinspire you to believe in the goodness of people even though the messages conveyed by those in power these days suggest anything but. James Stewart plays the innocence and naivety required for the role to perfection while you can genuinely believe that Jean Arthur has actually fallen for him for real. The great Claude Reins fills the boots of the corrupt senator with aplomb while Edward Arnold reminds us of a few of his type that are still around today. Probably the best film you'll ever see with the most mundane of titles.

helpful•19

3

Xstal
Sep 27, 2020

Release date
- October 19, 1939 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Filming locations
- Lincoln Memorial, National Mall, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Production company
- Columbia Pictures
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $1,900,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $144,738
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $83,205
- Oct 14, 2018
Gross worldwide
- $144,738

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
2 hours 9 minutes
Color
- Black and White
Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1

‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’: THR’s 1939 Review

‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’: THR’s 1939 Review

Oct 17The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV

Timothée Chalamet could make Oscars history by starring in three Best Picture nominees

Timothée Chalamet could make Oscars history by starring in three Best Picture nominees

Sep 9Gold Derby

James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Beulah Bondi, Guy Kibbee, Thomas Mitchell, and Eugene Pallette in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Top Gap

By what name was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) officially released in India in English?

More to explore

View image

Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples

See the entire gallery

Image caption not available

What to Watch in December

Watch the video

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.