Wonderful Movie

Too much of everything

Masterful Movie

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Columnist Ann Mitchell has just been made redundant by her newspaper. She has one more column to write and in a fit of pique her final column is a fake letter from a John Doe, saying that, due to the state of society, he intends committing suicide on Christmas Eve. The column sparks an immediate backlash, with local politicians claiming it is a hoax letter aimed at them. With the publicity, Ms Mitchell sees an opportunity and convinces the newspaper to take her back, turning the John Doe story into a series of articles. To convince the public that John Doe is real she finds a down-and-out drifter to play him. The owner of the newspaper, media tycoon DB Norton, gets behind the idea, resulting in John Doe becoming a household name and starting a social revolution.Wonderful, emotional movie from the master of feel-good movies, Frank Capra (It's A Wonderful Life, Mr Deeds Goes To Town, Mr Smith Goes To Washington, It Happened One Night, You Can't Take It With You). Idealistic and unashamedly schmaltzy (as with many of his movies) yet it works. There's a warmth to it all and the idealistic story actually has a lot of practical merit.Some very funny moments too.Great performance by Gary Cooper as John Doe. Quite understated and subtle delivery, a Cooper trademark, and perfect for the part. Good work too by Barbara Stanwyck as Ann Mitchell.

City hall wouldn't be my choice as where to jump off a roof on Christmas Eve. A highly guarded tower in mid Manhattan would be my choice if I was inclined to do something like that. A big wealthy blowhard proves that corruption is king, and with political ambitions decides to run for President. But it's not quite time for the Antichrist to take over, and no amount of journalistic manipulation will change that, whether it's through social media or their own newspaper. Edward Arnold is the ruthless D.B. Norton whose obsession with power causes him to take over a dying newspaper, turning it around with sensation, but underestimating the power of the people: the real people. That's where the stars of this Frank Capra classic comes in, them being fired journalist Barbara Stanwyck and jobless baseball player Gary Cooper, hired by rehired Stanwyck and editor James Gleason to represent the average American man who will fulfill Stanwyck's column to represent the man who intends to jump off the roof on Christmas eve.There's been constant discussion over this film for its message and especially over its conclusion. It's a masterpiece in many ways, certainly nor flawless, and exceptionally well acted. It's a reunion for Capra and Stanwyck, their first together in 8 years, coming at the height of her popularity, with three classics in one year, and one of two she starred in that year with Cooper. Stanwyck is feminine but tough, no namby pamby broad, ruthless in her ambitions, and yet with a strong ethical code that the promise of a ton of cash cannot buy. Cooper continues his continuation of the all American hero. Supporting the two are imperious Arnold, wise cracking Gleason, and ornery Walter Brennan, giving his all as Cooper's sidekick. Spring Byington, Regis Toomey, Sterling Holloway and Gene Lockhart are secondary players who stand out amongst the usual assortment of Capra's regular ensemble players. It dies get a bit corny at times, but there are many moments that are really truth telling and honest. It's a movie that still provides hope in a difficult time and reminds us who really is running the show. Even in the most difficult times, it will be the real people who "trump" the tyrants.

Sadly Meet John Doe appears to be an uncared about film falling into the public domain. I've previously wondered if this film could have the power to inspire real life John Doe clubs, like Fight Club inspiring real life fight clubs. Meet John Doe is the ancestor to film's like A Face in the Crowd and Network, chronicling the rise and fall of a media built character. Meet John Doe is not thought of as a conspiracy/paranoia film but is a few actions scenes away from being a conspiracy thriller. After watching you'll start feeling more like tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist untrusting of government and the establishment. John Doe is a Christ like figure; he preaches loving thy neighbour, when he is disgraced a newspaper editor proclaims "chalk one up for the Pontius Pilates of the world" and even plans to sacrifice himself on Christmas day. On top of that, Barbara Stanwyck's speech at the end in which she tells John he doesn't have to die for the idea of the John Doe movement - that somebody else already did - the first John Doe and he has been keeping the idea alive for 2000 years, all while the Christmas bells ring. Classic Hollywood films sure love their hard hitting symbolism and metaphors. Barbara Stanwyck is a phenomenon here with so much life and energy she can make any bit of exposition entertaining. As for Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan in of their many film pairings; what is it makes them a great duo? Perhaps it's just the humorous interactions of two folksy Americans. Cooper's boyish charm is on full display here, such his baseball pitching in a hotel room to his curious on look at a naked statuette. Meet John Doe is one of the finest performances he ever gave with his outburst at the dinner meeting making the hairs on my neck stand up. Walter Brennan's The Colonel on the other hand doesn't trust any media, authority or society in general. He's comically cynical in the extreme and probably be a conspiracy theorist if he had lived in later decades. Throughout the film he refers to others as "helots"; state owned serfs of the ancient Spartans ("When you become a guy with a bank account, they got you, yes sir, they got you").Although the John Doe movement claims the John Does are inheriting the Earth, the movement is funded by a corporation; so did they not see someone like D.B Norton taking advantage of them? Edward Arnold as D.B Norton is one scary, menacing guy who is complete with his own personal army force. He defiantly gives of the Hitler vibes and yes, as I write this in 2016 I also get the Donald Trump vibes. When he sees his servants listening to Doe's speech on the radio and applauding, he realises the political power he can have if he can get John Doe on his side. Under a scheme to buy his way to power he uses the John Doe movement to further his own agenda, to create a political party of which he leads in order to become President of the United States. His description that he plans to create "a new order of things" and "the American people need an iron hand and discipline" sounds like he has the intent of turning the country into a fascist dictatorship. There's no doubt that Meet John Doe among other things was an argument against American isolationism in the war.Another striking moment of Meet John Doe is the monologue given by Bert Hanson, the soda jerker (Regis Toomey) on how little we know about our neighbours and how a failure to get the whole picture leads to misconceptions of other people. It's true in real life, people you live next to for years and you never contact them: perhaps the guy next door isn't a bad egg.Many of Capra's films showcase the people's need for a leader (Mr Deeds, Mr Smith or George Bailey) and in turn they appear to be clueless and misguided with one (think of Pottersvillie in It's a Wonderful Life) in a showcase of Capra's darker side. Here the public buying up what the media tells them such as when Norton exposes John Doe for being an apparent fraud in one of the movie's most powerful scenes as the movie captures so vividly the destruction of a dream. As dark as the movie's ending is, it still remains optimistic in which the fight goes on ("there you are Norton, the people!").

This is the story of a fired newspaper reporter, Ann Mitchell, who make up a fake letter from an unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. She manages to get the letter published in the paper and she is rehired. Ann must find a John Doe for her letter and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement. The bosses take the made up story and the hired John to the brink. At the last everyone, even Ann, takes her creation seriously...but publisher D.B. Norton has a secret plan.This movies shows us why Gary Cooper is the consummate actor that he came to be. Paired with legendary actress Barbara Stanwyck, this picture is a lesson on their acting techniques. Nominated for Best Writing Original Story in 1942, the story can't help but remind you of Citizen Kane or Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Standing up to the bigger than life acting of these heros of the screen is Edward Arnold as publisher DB Norton. His performance as the old rich man in charge is sparked with realism and is a heartfelt but flawed character. The story has over tones ranging from the political to the religious. Though the story may be hokey at times it still can resonate with today's times and some of the subject matter seems to come straight from the headlines of some of today's newspapers. Directed by Frank Capra, the sets and visuals are what you want from a movie like this that can rip your heart wide open. Capra's skills are as apparent here as other Capra work. The movie gets so real at times that during the riot you'll wonder how Capra kept control on the set.