FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
A naively idealistic new senator (James Stewart), aided by his cynical secretary (Jean Arthur), must confront an immensely corrupt political “machine” in Washington, run by Edward Arnold and fronted by two-faced Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Beulah Bondi Films
• Coming of Age
• Do-Gooders
• Edward Arnold Films
• Falsely Accused
• Frank Capra Films
• Jean Arthur Films
• Jimmy Stewart Films
• Political Corruption
• Thomas Mitchell Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary accurately labels this classic political soaper “Frank Capra at his corniest, hokiest, and most manipulative”, yet he goes on to argue that “Still, it’s a great film”, and places it a notch above Capra’s earlier take on the same general theme, 1936’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (which was originally meant to be this film’s prequel). He notes that “like other Capra heroes, Stewart’s Smith” — a “great hero” — is the “American everyman, an idealist with a tendency toward demagoguery when he wants to right a wrong”, someone who “is on the brink of giving up and allowing the people he represents to be swallowed up by corrupt influences, when someone he has inspired reminds him of his importance and all the worthy things he stands for”. Mr. Smith… is beloved by many: it’s cited as one of the most inspirational political films of all time, and the justifiably praised extended filibuster sequence during the film’s final half-hour affords Stewart a chance to truly shine (he shows definite hints of his later, more fully developed characterization as George Bailey in Capra’s true masterpiece, It’s a Wonderful Life).

However, I’m not entirely a fan of this highly sincere yet ultimately slickly contrived political exposé. While I don’t doubt for an instant that Washington, D.C. really is as corrupt as Capra depicts it here (that’s pretty much undeniable at this point), I dislike the way Sidney Buchman’s screenplay presents Mr. Smith as the ultimate in gullible naifs, someone so incredibly clueless about politics that he needs to be told (by Jean Arthur, in a conveniently calculated scene) how bills are developed and passed in Congress. We’re meant to believe that Stewart’s idealistic leader of the “Boy Rangers” of America would accept a job as temporary senator of his state without even a minimal understanding of what his job entails, simply because he purportedly has idolized his father’s “best friend” (Rains) for years (this essential detail, by the way, is merely hinted at rather than sufficiently developed).

Indeed, unlike Cooper’s Mr. Deeds (who is almost immediately shown to be infinitely smarter than the arrogant fools around him make him out to be), Stewart’s Mr. Smith remains conveniently clueless — up until the moment he’s finally convinced he needs to take action, at which point his character suddenly springs to life, and one watches with impressed astonishment at Stewart’s full-bodied characterization of a man willing to take the Senate floor for 24 hours straight. Meanwhile, the outrageously corrupt political “machine” continues to churn around him, and Capra pulls out all the stops in his depiction of the “little men” (in this case, “little” Boy Rangers, of all ages and conveniently represented ethnicities) fighting to bring Truth and Freedom to Washington.

Despite my reservations, naturally, there remains much about the film to enjoy and admire — starting with Stewart’s show-stopping performance in the final third of the film. Jean Arthur is as wonderful as ever in an even more cynical variation on her earlier role as the journalist in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town; here, she’s notoriously tippled much of the time, and she’s not quite as much of a romantic partner for Smith (Peary argues that they make “a wonderful couple”, but they technically AREN’T one). Rains — who was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor — oozes quiet corruption in his almost perfectly realized turn as Senator Paine, though I couldn’t help being irritated by his failure to lose his British accent for the role. Joseph Walker’s cinematography is typically atmospheric, and the recreated set of the Senate floor is quite impressive.

Ultimately, however, I’m too much of a cynic to fully appreciate the type of unabashed heart-thumper Capra is going for here. For a much more authentic and nuanced representation of the inner workings of Washington, D.C., watch Otto Preminger’s Advise & Consent (1962) instead.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jimmy Stewart as Jefferson Smith (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)
  
• Jean Arthur as Clarissa Saunders (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)
  
• Claude Rains as Senator Paine
  
• The undeniably stirring filibuster sequence
  
• Joseph Walker’s cinematography
  

Must See?
Yes, as one of Capra’s iconic classics. Nominated by Peary as one of the best films of the year — in a year notoriously filled with “classics” — in his Alternate Oscars.

Categories

• Important Director
• Noteworthy Performance(s)
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Greatest Films Review
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Articles
• Another Old Movie Blog Post
• History of the Academy Awards Review (scroll down)

Synopsis:
A wooden puppet (Dickie Jones) hoping to become a real boy relies on the help of his “conscience”, Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards), to prove himself “brave, truthful, and unselfish”.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Animated Features
• Carnivals and Circuses
• Coming of Age
• Con Artists
• Father and Child
• Puppets and Ventriloquism
• Talking Animals

Response to Peary’s Review:
Like most critics, Peary rightfully labels this early Disney classic (the studio’s second feature-length film after its 1937 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) a “supreme” picture, arguing that it “has no flaws”, given that it’s “beautifully paced, funny, [and] has outstanding songs, marvelous characters, and the best animation in all of Disney”. He accurately notes that the “characters and sets are impressively and imaginatively drawn”, pointing out that one should watch (just for instance) “Pinocchio’s face change when he smokes a cigar”. Indeed, there are countless visual treats throughout the entire film, as demonstrated immediately during the marvelous opening scenes taking place in the woodcutter Gepetto’s house; I defy you not to chuckle with delight while watching the enchanting “dance of the cuckoo clocks”, displaying clocks with “a hunter shooting a bird, a woodsman chopping a turkey’s neck, a mother spanking the boy’s bottom, and two classical dancers”.

Pinocchio — like Snow White — is yet another astonishingly bold Disney adaptation of a “children’s tale” which is simply far too scary for the littlest of audience members. Peary drolly states that the “film has a lot of visuals that could scare a young child (but that’s okay)” — italics mine (!!). Countless fans have shared anecdotes about the most frightening scenes they recall from their own childhoods, with some citing the culminating sea-battle with Monstro the whale (“fabulously animated” with meticulous care; Peary refers to it as “absolutely terrifying”), and many others — including myself — noting that the most personally terrifying scenes were those in which the little boys at “Pleasure Island” are gradually turned into braying donkeys, to be sent off to work in the salt mines or at carnivals. Ouch. (And — minor spoiler alert — there’s no final resolution to this dilemma, by the way; as far as audience members know, the boys’ metamorphoses are permanent.)

Indeed, Pinocchio unapologetically presents the world as the big, bad place it often is, full of temptations and evil, in which it’s really each man — or child — for himself. Pinocchio’s father, while kind-hearted, is presented as utterly clueless, from the moment he sends his “newly born son” out into the world to go to school (why not walk him there on the first day, for goodness sake??? he’s the ultimate ANTI-helicopter-parent), to the final episode of the film, in which we see him mysteriously trapped in a whale, essentially in need of rescuing by Pinocchio himself, rather than the other way around. Meanwhile, it’s a good thing Pinocchio has more reliable “adults” to count on — though both the Blue Fairy (animated via rotoscoping, she truly is “exceptional” looking) and Jiminy Cricket (ukelele-playing Cliff Edwards is “perfect” as his voice) are equally “hands off” at critical moments. Ultimately (spoilers here again), when Pinocchio is granted the wish he’s longed for during his entire short existence, he’s proven he truly deserves it.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Masterful early animation
  
• A strong sense of whimsical visual detail
  
• A refreshingly no-holds-barred coming-of-age tale
  
• Several memorable, Oscar-winning songs

Must See?
Of course. Nominated by Peary as one of the Best Pictures of the Year in his Alternate Oscars book.

Categories

• Genuine Classic

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• Moria Review
• TV Guide Review
• DVD Savant Review
• Q Network Review

Synopsis:
When an eccentric poet (Gary Cooper) inherits a large sum of money from his wealthy uncle, he suddenly finds himself the laughing stock of New York, thanks to a series of articles written by an undercover journalist (Jean Arthur).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Do-Gooders
• Frank Capra Films
• Gary Cooper Films
• George Bancroft Films
• Inheritance
• Jean Arthur Films
• Journalists
• Nonconformists

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary describes this (relatively) early Frank Capra film as the first in the director’s oeuvre “to really attack the city, to show that it has deprived its people of their basic human values”. He argues that it “never reflects the cynicism” of Capra’s later, similarly themed films — Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe, or It’s a Wonderful Life — and contends that “it is the only one of the four films where the happy ending seems completely natural.” Ultimately, though, while he finds Mr. Deeds… “enjoyable”, he argues that “it’s not on the level of the Jimmy Stewart films” — though he clearly finds it preferable to Cooper’s later collaborative effort with Capra, Meet John Doe (1941), which we both agree is a highly over-rated bore.

Indeed, having just recently rewatched Meet John Doe (also scripted by Capra’s frequent collaborator, Robert Riskin), I was pleasantly surprised to find this earlier comedy so much fresher on every count. Riskin’s script — while occasionally showing evidence of “Capra-corn”-ish tendencies — never strays too far in this direction, and offers plenty of humorous delights. Unlike in John Doe, Cooper’s home-spun title character here possesses a refreshing amount of sass and eccentric gumption; while we may be tempted at first to laugh at him (along with the rest of New York), we very quickly realize he has his finger on the pulse of what’s truly important in life. Meanwhile, Jean Arthur’s performance as the opportunistic journalist who jumps at the chance to earn a month’s vacation (with pay) by scooping Longfellow’s story never hits a false note — we can literally see her falling for him moment by moment, and her gradual remorse at the critical role she’s playing in his humiliation is palpable. You’re guaranteed to choke up during their final romantic scene together.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Gary Cooper as Longfellow Deeds (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)
  
• Jean Arthur as Babe Bennett (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)
  
• Fine supporting performances
  
• Joseph Walker’s cinematography
  
• Robert Riskin’s humorous, incisive script

Must See?
Yes; this one represents Capra at his peak. Nominated by Peary (and the actual Academy) as one of the best pictures of the year.

Categories

• Genuine Classic
• Important Director
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Greatest Films Review
• History of the Academy Awards Review (scroll down)
• TCM Articles

Synopsis:
When a “John Doe” letter concocted by a reporter (Barbara Stanwyck) hits a nerve with the public, her oily newspaper editor (Edward Arnold) decides to hire an out-of-work baseball player (Gary Cooper) to impersonate Doe, with the intention of building a mass political movement.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Barbara Stanwyck Films
• Edward Arnold Films
• Folk Heroes
• Frank Capra Films
• Gary Cooper Films
• Journalists
• Media Spectacle
• Naive Public
• Political Corruption
• Walter Brennan Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary is pretty much accurate in his scathing review of this “self-congratulatory, pretentious, gloomy, [and] heartless” film, which remains one of Capra’s most iconic movies (and was “shamelessly calculated to become a commercial success”) but simply hasn’t held up well at all. Peary argues that it feels like it was “made by someone who always climbs out of the wrong side of the bed”, given that it “shows an America perpetuated solely by corrupt individuals and simpletons who’ll believe anything told to them and accept anything done to them”. He says he “can’t stand how Capra lines up his common folk, has them talk in humble, hushed tones, and shines a light on their well-scrubbed faces so that we may think they have angels sitting on their shoulders”.

He specifically calls out the seemingly endless “discourse” narrated by a soda jerk (Regis Toomey) about “his town’s people coming together after being inspired by John Doe’s help-your-neighbor speech” (which never rings true, not for a minute):

… and notes that Cooper’s speeches “could have been delivered to a junior-high civics class” (I’ll admit to nearly falling asleep in the middle of the first interminable one).

Indeed, it’s actually difficult to argue that this film IS must-see, and I went back and forth in my vote — ultimately deciding that film fanatics will probably be too curious not to check it out at least once for themselves (I’ve now seen it twice, and that’s enough for me). With that said, I do find Barbara Stanwyck’s performance to be worth a watch — though her character, as written, is somewhat inconsistently motivated (it’s difficult to believe that the daughter of two such noble parents would be willing to perpetuate such an elaborate hoax on the public), this is no fault of Stanwyck’s, and she does the best she can with her role.

Meanwhile, Edward Arnold is quietly menacing as the film’s Big Baddie (he’s eerily effective, especially in earlier scenes):

… and Walter Brennan, while typecast in a tiny supporting role, adds some much needed cynicism to the proceedings.

Unfortunately, Cooper himself merely comes across as an uninteresting “bore”, someone without much charisma at all; I guess that’s part of the point (he’s supposed to be the ultimate “every man”, after all), but he makes for an awfully dull protagonist.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Barbara Stanwyck as Ann Mitchell
  
• Edward Arnold as D.B. Norton
  

Must See?
Yes — but only as a one-time must-see, for its historical notoriety as prime “Capra-Corn”.

Categories

• Historically Relevant
• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• FilmSite Review
• Combustible Celluloid Review
• Greatest Films Review
• TCM Articles
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A cynical Vietnam vet (Michael Moriarty) convinces his buddy (Nick Nolte) to smuggle heroin back to his wife (Tuesday Weld) in the United States — but two hitmen (Ray Sharkey and Richard Masur) working for a crooked cop (Anthony Zerbe) are soon on their tail, forcing Nolte and Weld to flee.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Drug Dealers
• Fugitives
• Karel Reisz Films
• Michael Moriarty Films
• Nick Nolte Films
• Tuesday Weld Films
• Veterans
• Vietnam War

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary notes that while Karel Reisz’s adaptation of Robert Stone’s 1974 novel Dog Soldiers may “not [be] as sordid in its depiction of Vietnam-U.S. drug trafficking”, it “still packs a wallop” in its portrayal of a “fascinating true-to-life storyline that other directors wouldn’t touch because there is no ‘hero’ fighting for what we’d think is a worthy cause.” He notes that while it’s “not for the squeamish”, given that the “characters are extremely brutal” and the “action scenes are frightening”, it nonetheless possesses many strengths, given that the “characters are memorable, casting is perfect, dialogue is sharp, and direction of actors strong”. The final shoot-out in the hills of New Mexico (reminiscent of a western) is particularly exciting, and makes creative use of sound and music. (As Peary notes, the “picture has an excellent, eclectic score”.)

While it’s essentially a crime thriller, Who’ll Stop the Rain? is heavily driven by a core set of noteworthy performances. Nolte, “looking fit, is an action hero to rival Rambo”, and is eminently believable in his role — though one can’t help wishing a bit more of his personality was revealed or explained; at one point he’s referred to as a psychopath, but, despite his propensity towards violence, this clearly isn’t an accurate assessment. Meanwhile, Moriarty (who Peary notes it’s nice to see “in a non-neurotic role”) perfectly captures the quiet, jaded cynicism of a man who has seen far too much violence and “lunacy” during the war to remain idealistic; and Weld’s portrayal as his wife — a seemingly milquetoast bookstore employee and mother who becomes addicted to heroin during her nightmarish ordeal — is both brave and memorable (though again, one wishes the screenplay provided a bit more insight into who she is and what makes her tick). Another minor quibble: while Masur and Sharkey are appropriately menacing as the two thugs chasing after Nolte and Weld, they somehow come across a bit cartoonish at times; however, this is easy enough to overlook, as the story continues to propel us towards its bleak, violence-ridden finale.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Nick Nolte as Ray
  
• Tuesday Weld as Marge
  
• Michael Moriarty as John
  
• The exciting final shoot-out
  

Must See?
Yes, for the fine performances throughout.

Categories

• Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Time Out Capsule Review