Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is Frank Capra's 1939 political "dramedy" starring a then-unknown James Stewart as Senator Jefferson Smith, a naive but good-hearted Western man with the political idealism to take down corruption in Washington. The film was adapted from an unreleased story called "The Gentleman from Montana" by Lewis R. Foster. In the film, Smith fights against the corruption of the political machine to make sure that the American ideals he holds so dear are upheld. Along with Jimmy Stewart, the film stars Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, and Guy Kibbee.
Frank Capra was known throughout the 1930s as a director who wanted to make films celebrating the power of the little guy going up against the system. Films like Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington explored this topic in ways that delighted audiences and critics alike.
Upon release, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was met with poor reactions from those in Washington, D.C. (and Nazi-controlled countries like France and Germany, where it was banned), but received very good reviews from the public. Writes Jeff Beck at The Examiner, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington remains one of the quintessential films about American politics to this very day." The film was also nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Stewart), Best Screenplay, Best Original Story (which it won), Best Supporting Actor (for Claude Rains and Harry Carey), Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Music (Score), and Best Sound Recording.
