Stewart Hit His Stride in ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ 1939

James Stewart as Jefferson Smith, who's down but not out, in 1939's comedy-drama,
 "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

I never watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington until 2025 for evolving reasons. First, I was not very political in my younger years, so the subject matter didn't interest me. Later, when I did become more invested in politics, I thought a Frank Capra movie on the workings of Washington, D.C. would be too sentimental and clichéd. Finally, after the last ten years of non-stop US political turmoil, I decided to seek comfort in Mr. Smith’s political journey.

I was taken aback watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. While there was sentiment in this cinema classic, it is heartfelt. What really surprised me was how strongly the political corruption was portrayed, and how powerful still is Mr. Smith's disillusionment with the system. The latter is especially so when he collapses on the senate floor, and only then is there a positive resolution. 

In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’s last act, the naïve senator is railroaded by corrupt politicians, and it is great story telling. While some of the David and Goliath aspects of Smith and his young supporters versus the aging fat cats might be considered corny, there have been similar real life incidents in recent US election cycles that show dirty tricks haven't changed all that much: biased press inciting the masses, running the opposition literally off the road, and treating the opposition with aggressive strong arm tactics. 

James Stewart and Jean Arthur make a marvelous team in 1939's
"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

The political story of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is surprisingly in-depth and adult. The scene where Washington insider Clarissa Saunders explains the cycle of creating a bill to Jefferson Smith is snappy and priceless. The opening, with a death of a politician, the first concern is who will replace him! Young Mr. Smith’s tour of the Washington monuments might make you feel downright patriotic. The scene where Smith is thrown under the bus in the Senate to deflect blame for corruption feels very current. And when Jefferson goes to lick his wounds at the Lincoln Memorial, with Saunders touched by Smith’s tears, it is genuinely affecting. So rare for an actor of this era to show his emotions, but that was one of James Stewart’s strengths as an actor. And of course, Stewart’s great monologue, where he filibusters to make his voice heard, and innocence believed. This set piece is very powerful, which we just witnessed the power of a filibuster in real life, recently.

James Stewart gives his heart and soul to the role of Jefferson Smith in 1939's
comedy-drama, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

The entire cast of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is terrific. In the title role as Jefferson Smith, this is the embodiment of James Stewart's screen persona. Director Frank Capra cast him because he immediately saw that Stewart’s small town genuineness was perfect for everyman Smith. Jimmy is authentic throughout, as his character is put through the wringer. Movie making in 1939 was considered the peak year in film. In any other year, Stewart would have won the Best Actor Oscar. He got a makeup award the next year for The Philadelphia Story. But hey, that guy who played Rhett Butler lost out in ’39, too!

Jean Arthur plays pragmatic yet spirited reporter Clarissa Saunders, who comes to
 believe in James Stewart's new senator, in 1939's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

Jean Arthur plays the experienced, pragmatic reporter and performs in an understated style, rather than the quirky fusspots she later played. Jean’s nervous energy plays well against Stewart’s laid-back demeanor. Arthur’s Clarissa Saunders has a subtle character trajectory, going from cynical disbelief of innocent Smith to admiring his integrity, to falling in love with him. Jean plays each phase beautifully without a false note.

Frank Capra’s perennial favorites are here: This is Jean Arthur’s third time as a Capra leading lady; there’s Thomas Mitchell as Arthur’s fellow reporter; H.B. Warner as a politician; Edward Arnold, perfectly cast as charismatic but corrupt businessman named James Taylor; and Beulah Bondi’s first time out as Jimmy’s Ma. Stewart appeared in three Capra film, and like the later It’s a Wonderful Life, he's serenaded with Auld Langsyne. 

Beulah Bondi is once again Jimmy Stewart's loving Ma in 1939's comedy-drama,
"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

Capra always had marvelous ensemble casts in his films, this may be the best: Guy Kibbee as the pliable politician who surprises by picking Stewart’s Jefferson Smith as the next senator; Harry Carey, so wryly expressive as the president of the Senate; Eugene Pallette, very funny as Chick, who’s in charge of herding Smith; and best of all, Claude Rains as Senator Joseph Paine, who was best friends with Smith’s father, but is now conflicted between corruption and conscience. Rains gets to run the gamut in his juicy supporting role: subtle, grand, gentle, glib, charming, rotten—everything! My only criticism with Claude is that his hair was dyed a distractingly snow white. At almost 50, Rains was still 20 years older than Stewart, believable enough as a contemporary of Smith’s father. Finally, look for a very young Jack Carson as a reporter.

Whose idea was it to dye Claude Rains hair snow white at 50 for his role in
1939's comedy-drama, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?"

There was a fair amount of location shooting for the era in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and the images are powerful. In particular, those of James Stewart gazing at Abraham Lincoln—two lanky icons! This entire sequence evokes some powerful feelings. The meticulous reproduction of the senate chamber is striking, a most impressive and convincing set. The script is filled with memorable lines, several worth repeating today! Sidney Buchman and Myles Connolly were Mr. Smith’s screenwriters.

Two icons gaze at each other in 1939's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

I love this scene, where Jimmy Stewart looks on in awe at the Lincoln Memorial,
in 1939's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

At just over two hours, Mr. Smith sags just a bit in the middle. The Jean Arthur and Thomas Mitchell quasi-romance could have been trimmed a bit. And that cutesy bit with Stewart’s Smith continually dropping his hat in front of Senator Paine’s glamorous daughter is a bit much.

Frank Capra, an Italian immigrant who hailed America, created a great movie with Mr. Smith, about how the fight for democracy is never-ending. While the homespun aspects of this story might put some viewers off, the bigger picture of Capra’s storytelling still resonates deeply. Even for those who call his work “Capra-corn” or naively populist, well, the man had his point of view. And Frank Capra expressed it skillfully in his work.

James Stewart with director Frank Capra at the Lincoln Memorial
for a scene in 1939's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

The machinations of monopolies, big business buying politicians, and dissenters getting crushed, all seems very familiar and timely, sad to say. To get his message across, Capra wisely didn’t pin identifying labels on the crooked politicians and money men.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was promoted and hailed as Capra’s best work in 1939. For once, the Hollywood hyperbole was correct. This indeed was Frank’s last film that was both critically and commercially successful. He had more money makers later, but very few critical hits. One film that was underrated at the time later became his signature film, It’s a Wonderful Life.

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" was indeed director Frank Capra's greatest hit!

Here’s my look at Frank Capra’s American version of A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2016/12/its-wonderful-life-still-has-wonder-70.html

And here’s Jean Arthur, where this time she’s the idealistic politician, visiting war-torn Berlin, in Billy Wilder’s comedy-drama, A Foreign Affair: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2023/05/billy-wilders-adult-foreign-affair-1948.html

 

Jimmy Stewart was perfectly cast as the idealistic new senator, Jefferson Smith,
in 1939's Frank Capra classic comedy-drama, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."