Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11566 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-02-22
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Georgian, Thai
• Dubbed in: Portuguese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 129 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Political heavyweights decide that Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), an obscure scoutmaster in a small town, would be the perfect dupe to fill a vacant U.S. Senate chair. Surely this naive bumpkin can be easily controlled by the senior senator (Claude Rains) from his state, a respectable and corrupted career politician. Director Frank Capra fills the movie with Smith's wide-eyed wonder at the glories of Washington, all of which ring false for his cynical secretary (Jean Arthur), who doesn't believe for a minute this rube could be for real. But he is. Capra was repeating the formula of a previous film, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, but this one is even sharper; Stewart and Arthur are brilliant, and the former cowboy star Harry Carey lends a warm presence to the role of the vice president. Bright, funny, and beautifully paced, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is Capra's ode to the power of innocence--an idea so potent that present-day audiences may find themselves wishing for a new Mr. Smith in Congress. The 1939 Congress was none too thrilled about the film's depiction of their august body, denouncing it as a caricature; but even today, Capra's jibes about vested interests and political machines look as accurate as ever. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Classic Movie. Timeless Message About Honor & Integrity in A Corrupt Society.
Frank Capra's classic "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" was originally intended as a sequel to "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town." Unfortunately, Gary Cooper was unavailable. Capra then opted to make a movie about Frederic Chopin, but the studio protested, saying it would be too expensive. The rest is history. The messages in this excellent motion picture about honor and integrity in a corrupt society and asking for God's guidance in a troubled time ring truer now than at any other moment in history. James Stewart gives another career-defining performance as a young Boy Ranger leader unwittingly thrust into the political machine of Washington, D.C. Shame that the movie ended abruptly as it did. Excellent performances by everyone, especially Mr. Stewart, Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell (who appeared in no less than 3 movies in 1939) and Claude Rains as the manipulative Joseph Paine. Well-done script and excellent production values. The film is Not Rated.

We need another Mr. Smith
***spoilers***
I can see why the congress at the time this movie was made tended to sneer at the portrayal of them in this movie. Nearly everyone is corrupt, magalomaniacal, and more interested in personal glory than what's best for the country. They cow-tow to the special interests, the press, who in this movie is the same person.

It's a little surprising to see factors back then still having relevance, such as a more and more monolithic press that is less and less capable of good, objective journalism. I found the scam with the needless dam amusing, as it feels really tame by today's standards. I think Mr. Smith would have lost his lunch if he had to deal with the 750 billion dollar bailout bill today.

With the press, congress, and his complete inexperience against him, his only recourse is that someone still has conscience enough to stand up and fight with him. Thuis resounds in a spectacular filibuster speech and the redemption of a man long lost to the ways of the system. Strongly recommended.

This is one movie I could watch over and over and over
I only saw this movie for the very first time this week and I have to say that it is already my most favorite Jimmie Stewart movie. I, too, think that his performance was absolutely stellar. I could see that he had great talent in him early on and he should have won the Oscar. Unfortunately, his youth probably what worked against him. In any event, so much better than in The Philadelphia Story, since I saw the two movies back to back.