Since these films are so old, I'm hoping to get others to breathe new interest into these old classics, or at least, make people aware of them. And hear y'all's perspectives on these films. These won't be beat by beat recaps, but giving more a feeling about what these are about.
So, without further ado, let's start with a lesser known one.(mostly because it's public domain and y'all can watch and judge for yourselves)
Meet John Doe 1941
Can be viewed at a few websites, or on Youtube. And since it's public domain, you don't have to worry about Copyright.
Youtube link
After some opening credits showing everyday people working in their jobs across America, we start with a newspaper being bought out, and people losing their jobs.
The new owner fires a lot of its staff. Columnist Ann Mitchell, having already lost her job, writes a fake letter to herself as her last column to say that a certain "John Doe" will jump off of City Hall on Christmas Eve due to being tired of society, knowing that this will cause a stir and get her paid one way or another.
This causes quite a stir all right, and gets her job back. The newspaper gets a man to be "John Doe", and Ann writes fake speeches and columns stating his philosophy. The fake John Doe is poor bum and ex-baseball player John. He agrees to sign up for this so that they'll pay him enough to hire a doctor to fix his arm. Ann is writing these as mostly being inspired by her deceased father's letters, and emphasize showing kindness to each other, and how we can be better by helping each other. Recognizing that "The John Does of the world" is everyone around them.
This cause spreads like wildfire, and pretty soon there are John Doe clubs. With the newspaper's new owner JB Norton seeing opportunity, he funds John Doe clubs all over the nation. People are helping each other out in the name of John Doe, and the need to actually help each other out, rather than just complain how things are bad. JB Norton arranges a John Doe conference in New York City, with the leaders of each club to come there and organize. His plan is to have John Doe endorse him for President, and create the John Doe political party.
When John Doe learns of this, he plans to blow the whistle, but the whole movement is destroyed by Norton, as he can no longer profit from it. John is disgraced, and feels lower than he has before.
John Doe faces his public image, the reality of what he really is, what hope is, and what people are, what they try to be, and what they can be at their worst, especially when you're not squeaky clean yourself.
I think the real star of the show is Barbara Stanwyck as Ann Mitchell. Her portrayal of Ann as a jaded woman doing what she can to support her family, acting witty and delivery of one-liners really bolster the film. Especially in how she becomes a believer in the John Doe she created.
The film's message is really summed up by her passionate plea in the end, and is delivered wonderfully: Spoiler
It's not as good as other Capra films, and there are a few bits which haven't aged well. John's dialogue of his dream about being Ann's father is just surreal and off-putting rather than charming in the 21st century, but for the most part, the dialogue is great and wonderful to watch.
On Frank Capra films in general:
Frank Capra has a knack for this kind of story. The man who does a lot for others, gets destroyed by the world, and because of how much he has done for the others, this kindness is paid back in some form. I think it's why his stories hold up.
What has been passed down is that, "Oh, well isn't this an example of the corniness of that era of movies, you couldn't make those kinds of films today."
Which is blatantly untrue, films of that era were, if they weren't silly comedies, could be gritty noir films, war films, etc. Showing all sorts of things that were wrong with the world. Capra films embrace the corniness, allowing us to freely attach ourselves to the characters, and so when things do become real, we're so attached that we feel their pain.
To sum up, the films give you hope, even in times when it seems that everything is hopeless.
What do you think of Frank Capra films? What do you think of Meet John Doe?
