Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Washington DC, in the late '30s were surrounded by its emblems & statues dedicated to the ethics of power, noble ideals, and solemn integrity toward the American dream as promised in the US Constitution. Americans were tuning in to the Fireside Chats of Franklin Roosevelt (who was essentially explaining what was happening in government with the New Deal and how it works), and reading in their newspapers of "My Day"-a column penned of the FIrst Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Countering this, Americans were also being bombarded with news bulletins of the turmoil in Europe, where freedom and liberty was in short supply, and homegrown radio despots with slick personalities who were wannabe demagogues trying to manage the public perceptions of "America." In this steeped environment Frank Capra and his screenwriter Robert Riskin craft a tale of the little guy and his standing up to power.
The idealistic Mr. Jeff Smith, who is under wing by fellow Senator of his home state (and an institution in his own right) Sen. Joseph Paine (Claude Rains). Jeff gets his ideals put into perspective by the functioning reality of Washington life, and he's given support of a helpmate in his office of a pretty but very cynical secretary, Saunders (Jean Arthur), who's not too sure if Jeff is stupid, naive, or bit of both. The Washington press cuts him down to size, reminding him he's just decorating a chair in the interim.
But Jeff Smith isn't delusional, he knows his limits as person, but he has feelings about what's right and he feels Washington is doing it wrong. It's at this point that Saunders comes in, helping him get his commitment to ideals back on track. Soon, after proposing a bill of his own, young Mr. Smith gets the crap beaten out of him by the real power structure of his state, tycoon Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold) while alleged statesman Sen. Paine first throws Jeff Smith under the bus, then when Jeff is down, watches in totally emasculated non-support.
How Mr. Smith's fares in his battle against Taylor makes up the dramatic climax, that takes place in a meticulous recreation of the US Senate created on Sound Stages 8 and 9 at Columbia in Hollywood, CA.
Jeff Smith says things like this: 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.
-and Saunders says things like this: I know, it was a wonderful party, and your suit went over big, and she looked beautiful, and when you left she said, "Thank you, Mr. Smith," but it was the way she said it, you nearly fell through the floor. . . Horseradish!
How these two find each other romantically is charmingly Hollywoodesque.
It is filled with "Capra-corn" -as the cynical movie reviewers would declare about Capra- but the word-smithing is pretty impressive. Kudos again to Robert Riskin. If you are wondering, many of "official DC" including lawmakers and the press hated the movie and their portrayals onscreen. It was a commercial and popular success with audiences, in spite of Washington DC.
The scene in the dark of night at the Lincoln Memorial is as moving as they come and, dammit, they are doing their own version of civics class on why its important to be an American and have allegiance -not to a person- but to a concept, an ideal, employing honesty, ethics and integrity. Audiences loved it and we have a glimpse of our past that still echoes in our own idealistic heart.