In fall 1939, Columbia Pictures courted congressional acclaim of “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” by premiering the film at Constitution Hall in Washington and inviting 45 U.S. senators. However, members of that upper chamber strongly objected to the film’s premise that legislative bodies were compromised by elite power brokers.
What is the movie Mr Smith Goes to Washington?
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Written By: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, American dramatic film, released in 1939, by director Frank Capra that angered the political establishment but won wide acclaim from the public and film industry.
Who are the actors in the movie Mr Smith?
] Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American political comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra, starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and featuring Claude Rains and Edward Arnold.
Why is Mr Smith Goes to Washington important?
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Story. Considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1989, deeming it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
How many awards did Mr Smith Goes to Washington win?
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, but won only one. [28] Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was named as one of the best films of 1939 by The New York Times and Film Daily, and was nominated for Best Film by the National Board of Review.
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Where did they film Mr Smith Goes to Washington?
The film was in production from April 3, 1939, to July 7 of that year. Some location shooting took place in Washington, D.C., at Union Station and at the United States Capitol, as well as other locations for background use.
Whose desk did Mr. Smith get in the Senate?
Jefferson Smith : [Pointing at his new desk at the Senate with great enthusiasm] This is Daniel Webster's desk. Did you know that?
Who is the other senator in Mr Smith Goes to Washington?
Smith Goes to Washington. The film starred 30-year-old Jimmy Stewart as the noble-minded "Mr. Smith," Claude Rains as the corrupt-but-redeemed senior senator, and Jean Arthur as Smith's loyal secretary.
Why was Mr Smith Goes to Washington banned in France?
Bitterly denounced by Washington insiders angry at its allegations of corruption, yet banned by fascist states in Europe who were afraid it showed that democracy works.
What is the accusation Senator Paine make against Smith?
Paine stands up in the Senate and accuses Smith of owning the land upon which he wants to create a national boys camp. Saunders convinces Smith -- at the Lincoln Memorial -- not to quit. The final minutes of Smith's 23-hour filibuster, when he confronts Paine and gives a speech about "lost causes."
When Senator FOley dies who gets to choose his replacement?
CH. 3--Bills/CongressQuestionAnswerWhen Senator Sam FOley dies, how is his Senate seat replaced?governor nomates someone then the leg must approve it39 more rows
What happens that leaves a Senate seat vacant where Mr. Smith lives?
If a vacancy occurs due to a senator's death, resignation, or expulsion, the Seventeenth Amendment allows state legislatures to empower the governor to appoint a replacement to complete the term or to hold office until a special election can take place.
What a filibuster means?
The Senate tradition of unlimited debate has allowed for the use of the filibuster, a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question.
What does Senator Paine admit at the end of the film?
Paine only admits his false accusations against Jeff because of his desire to clear his conscious, but I am having difficulty understanding the significance behind his actions or if there is any significance at all.
Did Mr. Smith keep his promise?
He had kept his promise so well that York thought he might be safely trusted to fill his place while he was away, and he was so clever and honest that no one else seemed so well fitted for it.
What is the message behind Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?
At its core, Mr. Smith is a film about how one man can make a difference, even against the impossible odds of trying to deconstruct a political machine and bring awareness to widespread corruption.
What is it called when a senator can have the floor of the Senate to make a speech for as long as he she wants as long as he she remains standing and speaking?
Filibusters proved to be particularly useful to southern senators who sought to block civil rights legislation, including anti-lynching bills. Not until 1964 did the Senate successfully overcome a filibuster to pass a major civil rights bill.
How did Mr. Smith become a senator?
Smith is appointed to the Senate after the seat's incumbent dies, and he arrives in Washington totally unaware of the unscrupulous actions of some of his new congressional colleagues. In refusing to become corrupt himself, Mr. Smith stands on the principles the United States was founded upon.
Who does Jim Taylor want to be the next senator?
4. Why do Taylor and Paine want Horace Miller to be the next Senator? 5.
Why is Willet Creek important to Mr. Smith?
Why is Willet Creek important to Mr. Smith? that is where he wants to build his Boys Camp.
What does Senator Paine admit at the end of the film?
Paine only admits his false accusations against Jeff because of his desire to clear his conscious, but I am having difficulty understanding the significance behind his actions or if there is any significance at all.
Who played Jefferson Smith in the movie?
The story concerns Jefferson Smith (played by James Stewart ), a hokey, idealistic youth leader who is appointed to the U.S. Senate by his state’s political authorities on the assumption that he will be a pliable stooge. However, when he proposes a national youth camp on the site of a crooked land deal he was expected to approve, ...
Why was the movie "The Unflattering" banned?
For its portrayal of American political corruption, it was called anti-American and communist; some deemed it propaganda that aided the efforts of the Axis countries at the start of World War II. Notably, Joseph P. Kennedy, then U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, sought to suppress its release abroad.
Why did Jefferson Smith help out the Boy Rangers?
Jefferson Smith helps out the fictitious Boy Rangers, and not the Boy Scouts, because the latter group made it clear to Capra that they didn't want to be associated with the film. Capra, having already filmed some scenes in which the Boy Scouts were mentioned, had to lose that footage.
Who sent the cable to Harry Cohn and Capra?
Joseph P. Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom (and patriarch of the Kennedy clan) sent a cable to Harry Cohn and Capra claiming, according to Capra, that Mr. Smith "ridiculed democracy" and would "do untold harm to America's prestige in Europe." He begged them to withdraw it from distribution in Europe. The two mailed Kennedy favorable reviews of the film, which appeased the ambassador enough that he backed off.
Who wrote both your houses?
As Capra was finishing final edits on the film, the legal department at Columbia discovered a Pulitzer Prize-winning play called Both Your Houses (1933) by Maxwell Anderson that was a bit too similar to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington for their comfort, legally speaking. They paid $23,093 for the rights to it so they wouldn't get in trouble later.
CAST
James Stewart (Jefferson Smith), Jean Arthur (Clarissa Saunders), Claude Rains (Joseph Paine), Edward Arnold (Jim Taylor), Guy Kibbee (Governor Hopper), Thomas Mitchell (Diz Moore), Eugene Pallette (Chick McGann) more... , Beulah Bondi (Ma Smith), H.B.
CREW
Sidney Buchman (Screenplay), Frank Capra (Producer), Joseph Walker (Director of Photography), Gene Havlick (Editor), Lewis R. Foster (Story), Dimitri Tiomkin (Original Music Composer), Lionel Banks (Art Direction) more...
CREDITS
If you love to travel and like to visit countries like United States or places like Union Station in Washington. If you want to share your love for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or movie stars like James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains. And if you love movies and series in genres like drama and comedy, then SCEEN IT is the place to be.
Film Details
The untimely death of Senator Foley presents problems for political boss Jim Taylor, who needed the senator's help to perpetrate a land swindle at Willet Creek. Taylor orders Governor Hubert Hopper, whom he controls, to appoint a yes man, but citizen committees want someone else.
Technical Specs
The untimely death of Senator Foley presents problems for political boss Jim Taylor, who needed the senator's help to perpetrate a land swindle at Willet Creek. Taylor orders Governor Hubert Hopper, whom he controls, to appoint a yes man, but citizen committees want someone else.
What state does Jefferson Smith live in?
The state that Jefferson Smith resides in is never mentioned in the movie, but the film is based off of a story entitled The Gentleman from Montana.
Why was James Stewart's scene stolen?
The scenes where James Stewart wanders around the monuments in amazement were “stolen” because the United States Park Service had denied the studio permission to film near them.
