Meet John Doe is a 1941 absorbing, and incredible comedy drama film from Director Frank Capra, starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward Arnold.
The movie is written by Robert Riskin and became a box-office hit and was nominated for an Oscar nominated for Best Story.
The movie will keep you glued to the screen right til the end, with a terrific ending on a snowy rooftop at midnight.
It was ranked No. 49 in AFI's 100 Years ..
PLOT:
A local newspaper, The Bulletin, is under new management, with columnist Ann Mitchell being one of the staffers dismissed to "streamline" the paper, but not before being told to write one final column. Infuriated, Ann prints a letter from a fictional unemployed "John Doe" threatening suicide on Christmas Eve in protest of society's ills. When the letter causes a sensation among readers, and the paper's competition, The Chronicle, suspects a fraud and starts to investigate.
Editor Henry Connell is persuaded to rehire Ann, who schemes to boost the newspaper's sales by exploiting the fictional John Doe. In short, the film is about a "grassroots" political campaign created unwittingly by a newspaper columnist with the involvement of a hired homeless man and pursued by the paper's wealthy owner. Ann, pens a series of articles in Doe's name, elaborating on the original letter's ideas of society's disregard for people in need.
REVIEW :
There is some great acting in here, almost mesmerizing at times. The story is a typical Capra-esquire populist one in which the average man is elevated to high status, his worth and valued boosted in a cynical world.
Director Frank Capra wanted Cooper to be the part, and he succeeds on every level. Capra's essay on human nature at its worst is mesmerizing and requires multiples viewings as you always seem to miss something.
Riskin's script is crackerjack, and accolades to one outstanding cast, the proverbial who's who of Hollywood at the time, foremost Barbara Stanwyck as Ann, the newspaper columnist who brings John Doe to life and may also end it.
Cooper's shy and earnest, matching Stanwyck's boldness and passion. Supporting character actors are noteworthy; James Gleason's hardboiled as Stanwyck's editor; Cooper's longtime chum Walter Brennan ("The Real McCoys") is a hole-infested misanthropism sack as Willoughby's pal, the Colonel (his "Heelots" speech is funny, sad and thought-provoking); Irving Bacon ("Deeds") provides goofiness as newspaper gopher Beany and Spring Byington ("Take It") is warm and wise as Ann's mom.
The banter between Cooper and Edward Arnold is memorable. Then there is Daisy, the dog (from the BLONDIE series) sitting next to Cooper. Writing and acting at its very best.
The John Doe convention scene is one of the most powerful scenes to be perhaps ever filmed. It will stick with you. Capra earned his stripes with that scene alone.
Capra's previous hit was MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, which would make a dynamic double feature. Cooper followed this with SERGEANT YORK, for which he won an Oscar.
Some people today have hijacked elements of Capra's work, emphasizing on moral values while crucifying those who aren't like them. They, like Norton, have forgotten a sense of humility. With humor and drama, "Doe" has that.The first speech, and the final speech by Stanwyck are compelling, especially in a world that was witnessing the deaths of 80 million people in World War II.
Marvellous Movie by Capra.
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION :
It is a common misconception that the colors in this movie are the original source color, or that the original source material had audio, or that these enhanced faces are genuine. When it comes to colorizing a black and white movie, the AI app can only speculate on colors and introduce new pixels, resulting in artificial but visually appealing colors, and facial contours, based on the coding set.
If injustice and atrocities are to be overcome and averted, one needs to absorb the message so powerfully presented in this movie - that the common men and women need to unite to struggle against the evils in our society, including greed, absolute power in the hands of a few, violence, discrimination, injustice, inequality, and crimes against humanity
Watch and share this movie and its message with your children, family, and friends. If we fail to adopt the philosophy of the John Doe Society, soon we all may be doomed to a world of totalitarianism, if not destruction.
