Jimmy Stewart's First Great Movie

Mr. Smith goes to Washington is another one of Jimmy Stewart's great films. The theme of this movie tells us about a naive man who is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. Even with the best of intentions his plans quickly collide with political corruption but he stands his ground. The release date of this classic movie was 19 Oct. 1939.It was directed by the famous Frank Capra with the help of writers Lewis R. Foster andSidney Buchman. This is the film the made Jimmy Stewart a major movie star. It was written by Lewis R. Foster and Sidney Buchman, based on Foster's novel, The Gentleman from Montana.

Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) is appointed from an unnamed state after one of its Senators dies. He is appointed because the political fat cats need someone who will not seem like a crony, but who will not stand in the way of a graft scheme for a pork barrel dam that will make big wig Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold) millions. When the wide eyed Smith gets to Washington, he discovers the corrupt bill because the dam will stand in the way of his own proposed bill for a children's camp. When he tries to stop the project, Taylor's political machine frames him to make it seem like he is the one taking graft. This leads to the dramatic confrontation in the Senate, where Smith filibusters in an attempt to getthe truth out.

Smith is taken under the wing of the publicly esteemed, but secretly crooked, Senator JosephPaine (Claude Rains), whom he admires because he was his late father's oldest and best friend. He develops an immediate attraction to the Senator's daughter Susan Paine (Astrid Allwyn) The press in Washington quickly labels Smith as being a bumpkin, having no business inWashington. Paine, to keep Smith busy, suggests he propose a bill. Smith proposes a bill that would authorize the government to loan money to buy some land for a national boy'scamp. But the piece of land that Smith wants is part of a grand scheme by Taylor and supported by Senator Paine to build the Willet Creek Dam.

Smith is accused of trying to profit from his bill, but when Smith tries to defend himself he is betrayed by Paine and runs away. But by then his secretary Clarissa Saundrers[JeanArthur] talks him into launching a filibuster on the Senate floor before the vote to expel him could take place. But he soon finds out that the opposition is too strong. Then the Senators begin to pay attention. Paine tries to introduce letters from people in Smiths own state calling for his expulsion, but Smith is befriended by the President of the Senate [Harry Carey]. He vows to press on, but he faints and collapses. SenatorPaine leaves and overcome by guilt, tries to kill himself. He goes back to the Senate chamber and confesses to the whole scheme and proclaims Smith's innocence.

Taking into consideration the year that this film is made there is no major profanity that one would expect in such a situation. This is definitely an example of what a difference one's individual actions can make. Whenever you combine Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart in any film you can expect nothing less than a classic movie in the making. At the ripe old age of 31 Jimmy Stewart had already become a major star with the release of this movie.