Critic Reviews
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Rank 5 Reviews
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based on (37) reviews
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Time Out (--)
Stewart's young Wisconsin senator exposing corruption and upholding true American values in a Senate House riddled with graft is quintessential Capra - popular wish-fulfilment served up with such fast-talking comic panache that you don't have time to ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Time Out (--)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Dad used to say the only causes worth fighting for were the lost causes.Remember back in the old days when there were only about six television channels and you'd marvel at your middle of the night good fortune to find a great old movie on worth ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
At-A-Glance Film Reviews
The film is a triumph. In an age where patriotism is less valued than it was, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington still has incredible power and resonance. And it's got that Capra feeling to it, too, that's so rare today. Capra's comedies have a way of blending ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at At-A-Glance Film Reviews
Movie Vault (mazzyboi)
"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" is an excellent classic, and it could be perhaps one of the most, if not the most, patriotic film ever. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Movie Vault (mazzyboi)
DVD Talk (Chris Hughes)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is an American classic that belongs in any serious film fans library. After more than sixty years the film seems just as fresh as the day it was released. The only drawback to this solid release is the sub standard condition ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at DVD Talk (Chris Hughes)
Netflix (James Rocchi)
Capra's classic of democracy, decency and faith still matters, 60 years later. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Netflix (James Rocchi)
TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)
While Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is the most moral of films, it is so artfully filled with real emotion that it never becomes heavy-handed. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)
The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
In this Frank Capra classic, James Stewart plays a man who goes to Washington as a new Senator, and runs up against political corruption. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
Film as Art
We academic writers are taught to avoid clichéd expressions, but some films embrace traditional ideas on such a bold level that only tried and true sayings could suffice to explain them. I thus shamelessly give into the temptation here: They frankly ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Film as Art
hoopla.nu
One could be forgiven for assuming a film about political corruption made in the 1930's could have nothing to say in these more sophisticated times, but that would be to downplay the significance of Frank Capra's classic. From a time when 'graft' meant ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at hoopla.nu
mazzyboi's movie page (Angelo Aquino)
A United States senator has just passed away, and a state governor scrambles to find an immediate replacement. Several candidates come into mind, but the governor cannot decide. He eventually selects Mr. Jefferson Smith (played by James Stewart), a ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at mazzyboi's movie page (Angelo Aquino)
The Life And Reviews Of Daniel Brader-Classic Review
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington is not only one of the finest feel-good films you'll ever see but it's also a meaningful motion picture which exposes the hypocrisy and corruption which can plague governments (in this case the American government). ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at The Life And Reviews Of Daniel Brader-Classic Review
Parent Previews
The film opens with Montana
Senator Sam Foley passing away just days before he and
his colleagues, Governor Hubert Hopper (Guy Kibbee) and
Senior Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains), were to
railroad a ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Parent Previews
Apollo Guide (Jamie Gillies)
Captures the inner-workings of Washington in a profound way. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Apollo Guide (Jamie Gillies)
Reel.com
A noble, naïve man suddenly finds himself in an unexpected position of power, only to become surrounded on all sides by those intent on destroying him. At the precipice of his downfall, the man redeems himself, and virtue prevails. This is the formula ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Reel.com
CinemaBlend.com (Joshua Tyler)
Stewart was the real deal, he was no sunshine patriot. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at CinemaBlend.com (Joshua Tyler)
The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
Naive Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart) is sent to Washington to serve the remaining term of a Senator who has died. The governor (Guy Kibbee), and businessman Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold) believe that Smith, the leader of a Boy Scouts-type organization ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
Cinema Blend
Frank Capra was sometimes decried as a maker of simplistic, patriotic movies that peddled "all-American values". ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Cinema Blend
TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Stellar Capra-corn Americana. This great film works on the premise that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is the inaction of good men. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
That Cow (Andrew Bradford)
Naïve Mr. Smith (James Stewart) gets appointed Senator by corrupt political machinery. After being shaken from his reverie for all things Washington, he takes a stand against the same corruption that got him there. I must admit I had to think a bit to ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at That Cow (Andrew Bradford)
Movie Magazine International (John A. Lavin)
Let me go on record as saying the following: I am disgusted with the state of American politics today. I mean, when was the last time we all actually had someone to vote for instead of vote against? As we are once again entering into that special time ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Movie Magazine International (John A. Lavin)
New York Times (Frank S. Nugent)
For Mr. Capra is a believer in democracy as well as a stout-hearted humorist. Although he is subjecting the Capitol's bill-collectors to a deal of quizzing and to a scrutiny which is not always tender, he still regards them with affection and hope as the ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at New York Times (Frank S. Nugent)
filethirteen.com
Overly long and choppily edited (which may also be due to a bad print at times), this Frank Capra film is none-the- less a classic. In the film, Jimmy Stewart stars as a naive Horatio Algier type who is sent to the senate as a patsy for a corrupt ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at filethirteen.com
DVD MovieGuide
1939's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington amply demonstrates why Frank Capra's films are known for their somewhat corny wholesomeness but it also shows why his movies endure in the public's imagination many decades after their theatrical releases. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at DVD MovieGuide
DVD Verdict (Norman Short)
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington is ranked at #29 in the top 100 AFI movies for the 20th century. This is a movie that garnered eleven Oscar nominations in a very difficult year to win. In 1939, Gone With The Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Wuthering Heights and ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at DVD Verdict (Norman Short)
Moviepie.com
Frank Capra was a genius at depicting wonderful '30s- and '40s-era, Norman Rockwell-esque, good, clean family fun. His movies are heartwarming without a hint of irony; today we can still enjoy them even in our jaded, seen-it-before times. Integral to ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Moviepie.com
The Tech (MIT) (Stephen Brophy)
Leni Reifenstahl lives in infamy because she propagandized for the German Nazi regime, but America's greatest propagandist, Frank Capra, still holds a special place in the hearts of his fellow citizens. The creator of Hollywood classics like It Happened ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at The Tech (MIT) (Stephen Brophy)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Edinburgh U Film Society (Katia Saint-Peron)
In order that they can continue with their dodgy deals, Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains) and press magnate Jim Taylor, arrange for naive, idealistic scoutmaster Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), to be appointed to the senate. However, Smith refuses to ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Edinburgh U Film Society (Katia Saint-Peron)
Michael D's Region 4 DVD Info Page
A senator from a south-western state dies. The local political machine run by Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold) tells the Governor (Guy Kibbee) to recommend a crony, but the party refuses and instead proposes a reformer. The Governor, inspired by his ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Michael D's Region 4 DVD Info Page
Classic Film Guide
Produced and directed by Frank Capra, with a story by Lewis R. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Classic Film Guide
The Greatest Films - comprehensive analysis of classic US film
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) is producer/director Frank Capra's classic comedy-drama, and considered by many to be his greatest achievement in film (and reminiscent of his earlier film, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936)). [In fact, the film project by ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at The Greatest Films - comprehensive analysis of classic US film
Doug Pratt's DVD Review
The conflict between the ideal and the real has rarely been as memorably articulated as it is in the Frank Capra classic. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Doug Pratt's DVD Review
Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review
Frank Capra's marvelous Mr. Smith Goes to Washington has been reissued by Columbia TriStar Home Video as a Columbia Classics Studio Heritage Collection title (27966, $45), having previously been available through RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (May ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review
Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review
About halfway through side two (at 0:34) the film slips sideways a bit and is then readjusted as the picture rolls merrily along. ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review
Boxoffice Magazine
A stirring preachment in patriotism is the predominant note to Frank Capra's production which stars Jean Arthur and James Stewart, whose respectively fine performances are backed by a large and unusually impressive supporting cast. The film reflects ...read the complete Mr. Smith Goes to Washington movie review at Boxoffice Magazine
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