I Will Not Yield: Cultural Values in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Kellie Veltri College

Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) tells the story of an idealistic young man from an unnamed Western state, Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), who is unexpectedly elected to the United States Senate. Smith attempts to do right by his position and pass a meaningful bill but is faced with the reality that Washington is often more focused on money than principles. The film’s release in 1939 places it in the Golden Age of Order, a time during which the content of films was restricted by the Motion Picture Production Code and their narratives were required to promote positive values and condemn negative ones. Capra did this in all of his films, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was no exception. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington affirms patriotism and the value of hard work while it criticizes political corruption and the belief that women do not belong in politics.

Patriotism is one of the major values that are affirmed in Capra’s film. When Smith is first selected for appointment to the Senate, Governor Hubert Hopper (Guy Kibbee) cites his wholesome American image as the head of the Boy Rangers and the man who saved Sweetwater from a wildfire. When discussing how easy the naïve appointee will be to manipulate, Hopper calls...