Monday, October 23, 2017

MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN SPECIAL EDITION: CAPRA CLASSIC




I’ve long been a fan of director Frank Capra. I can still remember seeing MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON years ago and being moved by it on some VHS station in the 60s. In college I was fortunate enough to be present when Capra made a visit to Ball State to speak and was even lucky enough to pose a question to him. Afterward he sat with the audience to view what he said was his and his close friend Jimmy Stewarts favorite movie IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. It was my first time viewing it and it’s been a favorite ever since.

Since then I’ve been blessed with the chance to see the rest of his films. The invention of video tape and then DVD has given film fans the opportunity to enjoy the films they used to have to wait to see on late night fuzzy channels on TV. Not only that, most are being brought out with extras to enjoy as well as in the clearest presentations ever. Such is the case with this film.

For those who haven’t seen the film it tells the story of Longfellow Deeds (Gary Cooper), part owner of a tallow works, greeting card poet and tuba player in a small town, who suddenly inherits $20 million from his late uncle. While this in itself doesn’t change Deeds it has a great effect on all who worked for his uncle and want to retain as much of that wealth for themselves as possible.

Deeds is convinced to move to the big city and to take over things. But this is a Capra film and when they say take over it means be a figurehead while the conniving bankers and traders retain as much control of the wealth as possible. Not only that but every group looking for a handout appears at his doorstep, too many for him to see through it all and realize which is legitimate and which is just someone looking to dip into his pocket.

While the biggest of these financial crooks, a lawyer who worked for his uncle, tries to keep as many away from Deeds as possible, reporter Louise “Babe” Bennet (Jean Arthur) makes her way into the fold playing the damsel in distress in need of assistance from Deeds. Of course while he sees through a number of the phonies around him Deeds falls for Louise. During the course of the movie she falls for him as well.

Confronted by a poor man who views him simply as another rich taker, Deeds realizes he can do something of value with his wealth and tries to establish a system to help the poor. He will offer 10 acre lands to anyone free if they are willing to work the land for 3 years. This sets him in the crosshairs of the corrupt powers that be and soon he has a fight on his hands.

As with a number of Capra films we once again have the little guy going up against the corporate big wigs whose sole concern is making and taking money. Made during the Great Depression the film resonated with so many who lost everything at the time. It solidified the status of Cooper as a leading man and Arthur, who starred in several Capra classics, shows why he often chose her.

The movie is filled with humor both in the writing and in the performances. Not all the laughs come from the dialogue and many are situational. It’s hard to find something this good these days but it happens now and then. Capra always seemed to know just which buttons to push in his films. It wasn’t that he held all corporate big wigs and bankers to a higher standard but he recognized and highlighted those that were corrupt and self-serving. In the end by sticking up for the little guy he made a career for himself and a reputation that has remained as one of the most gifted directors of all time.

This new release is a treat for fans and non-fans alike. To begin with Sony has restored the film to the best condition ever found for the film. Scratched prints had been released in the past but this edition features the film in pristine fashion with a frame by frame restoration in 4K from the original camera negative making it the cleanest and clearest version of the film to date. Extras include a feature and commentary by Frank Capra Jr. (a successful producer in his own right) and the original theatrical trailer. This release is also offered in a Digi book format which offers and essay on the film along with plenty of black and white photos from the film.

If you’re a Capra fan then this is the edition of the film you’ll want to add to your collection. If you’ve never seen the film then this is one to pick up to discover just how great Capra films were. Once you finish my guess is you’ll seek out the others he made and enjoy them just as much as this one. 

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