The Idea That DEMANDED A FRANK CAPRA PRODUCTION!

Starring: Gary Cooper, Barba Stanwyck, Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan, Spring Byington, James Gleason, Gene Lockhart, Rod La Rocque, Irving Bacon, J. Farrell MacDonald, Harry Holman

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I've seen plenty of fellas start out with fifty bucks and wind up with a bank account... and let me tell you, Long John, when you become a guy with a bank account, they gotcha! Yes sir, they gotcha!" – The Colonel

Why watch this? Its message is as pertinent today, as it was in 1941... maybe more so.

Plot Summary: An ambitious journalist fabricates a story about a disillusioned "John Doe" planning suicide, sparking a nationwide grassroots movement. A down-on-his-luck ex-baseball player is then hired to impersonate the fictional hero, but the scheme is hijacked by the newspaper's wealthy, politically motivated owner. As the "John Doe" movement grows, the genuine idealism it inspires clashes with the cynical manipulation of its creators.

Dad's Preview: Famed director Frank Capra was a master as spinning up a yarn about the common man, an honest soul at the mercies of the government, and big business tyrants who control the politicians. His favorite actors to portray said common men were James Stewart and this film's star Gary Cooper. The parallels to the America we live in today are shocking. History is repeating itself. The star who shines brightest is the spunky Barbara Stanwyck. She plays the redemption-girl (she starts the whole mess, but by the end, realizes her mistakes and makes it right) better than most. In this classic, you will notice the seeds of It's a Wonderful Life (1946): the topic of suicide, the evil businessman. etc. Finally, I have to end with: "They just don't make 'em like this any more."

Frank Capra Productions; Warner Bros.