Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

source

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Rated: G
1939 Starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Raines, Thomas Mitchell, Beulah Bondi
Directed by Frank Capra

In honor of what would have been my favorite actor, James Stewart's 104th birthday, we are doing Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I'm going to be honest, I have yet to find a James Stewart movie that I didn't like. This movie is definitely in my top 5 of his movies.

James Stewart plays Jefferson Smith, a patriotic man who is a leader of the Boy Rangers, and is appointed to the senate for his home state. When he arrives in Washington, he is awe of his surroundings, wants to see all of the sights and is eager to make a difference for the people of his home state. When he goes to report for his called duty, he is viewed as a country bumpkin who is out of his comfort zone.  Many are wondering why and how he is in Washington D. C. He was set up by his secretary for a press conference, where they make up stories that upset him, since he's not used to the scrutiny.

He gets to meet the other senator from his home state, Joseph Paine, played by Claude Raines, whom he thought highly of. What Jeff doesn't know about Paine is that he is part of a scandalous plan to rip off the state for personal financial gain.

Jean Arthur plays Clarissa, his secretary who at first views Jeff as someone who is not fit for D.C. and feels like she has to babysit him. As she gets to know him, she can't help but to fall for his charm and sees his genuine heart of gold.

Thomas Mitchell plays Diz, one of the members of the press that spends time with Clarissa to get the stories about senators first.

Frank Capra's directing of this movie earned him an Oscar nomination for best director, in 1939. Capra captures the idea of how one honest person can change the world around him, which makes the movie so great. In my opinion, this movie is definitely worth owning on DVD.

If you are interested in viewing this movie, it's available on Amazon here.