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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