All language subtitles for Frank.Capras.American.Dream.1997.DVDrip.x264-HANDJOB

[ Tom Brokaw ]
FRANK CAPRA, THE DIRECTOR, CELEBRATED THE AMERICAN DREAM...

ON THE BIG SCREEN, WITH SOME
OF THE BEST-LOVED FILMS--

[ Peter Jennings ]
THE MOVIE DIRECTOR FRANK CAPRA DIED THIS MORNING--

[ Jeff Greenfield ] WHAT HE
LEFT BEHIND WAS A BODY OF FILM CHARACTERIZED BY A GLORIOUS--

[ Ted Koppel ]
THE FORMULA FOR WHAT FRANK CAPRA DID SEEMED SO EASY,

UNTIL YOU REALIZE HOW FEW PEOPLE
HAVE COME EVEN CLOSE--

[ Leonard Maltin ]
SOME CALL HIS FILMMAKING "CAPRA-CORN" BUT HE DIDN'T MIND.

THE AUDIENCE WAS
ALL HE CARED ABOUT.

[ Keith Morrison ]
CAPRA, THE QUINTESSENTIAL AMERICAN, WHO WASN'T BORN HERE--

[ Koppel ]
FRANK CAPRA'S FILMS DID REFLECT THE DARKER SIDE OF THE WAY--

[ Brokaw ]
FRANK CAPRA THE MAN LIVED THAT DREAM.

[ Jennings ]
HIS CAREER WAS MARKED BY ONE HONOR AFTER ANOTHER--

[ Man's Voice, Old Recording ]
WE PRESENT TO YOU, FRANK CAPRA--

[ Man #2 ] ...THE BEST
DIRECTION FOR A MOTION PICTURE DURING THE YEAR OF 1936--

[ Jennings ]
HIS MOVIES ALWAYS REFLECTED HIS OWN FAITH IN THE AMERICAN DREAM.

HELLO, NOSY.
WHO LET YOU IN HERE ? WHY AREN'T YOU CHASING AMBULANCES ?

THAT GUY SMITH'S
PUNCHING EVERYBODY HE MEETS.

JUST GOT AWAY FROM HIM.
UH-OH ! TARZAN !

[ Reporter #1 ]
HEY, GOVERNOR ! [ Reporter #2 ] EASY, EASY.

[ Yelling,
Smashing Crockery ]

BOYS,
MEET SENATOR SMITH !

YOU ACT LIKE A MAN
WITH SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND.

WHY DON'T YOU
TELL THE PEOPLE THE TRUTH FOR A CHANGE ?

[ Man ]
OH, THE TRUTH ! THE MAN WANTS THE TRUTH !

[ All ]
THE MAN WANTS THE TRUTH !

"'WHAT IS THE TRUTH,'
SAID JESTING PILATE,

AND WOULD NOT STAY
FOR AN ANSWER."

HOW DO YOU WANT IT,
SENATOR, DISHED OUT OR IN A BOTTLE ?

[ Ron Howard ]
THE TRUTH ABOUT FRANK CAPRA AND THE FILMS HE MADE...

IS AS ELUSIVE AND CONTRADICTORY
AS THE AMERICAN DREAM ITSELF.

THIS IS THE HOME OF
THE MODERN COLUMBIA PICTURES.

IT WAS HERE
AND ON SOUNDSTAGES LIKE THEM THROUGHOUT HOLLYWOOD...

THAT FRANK CAPRA CREATED
AN ENDURING VISION...

OF WHAT AMERICA
ASPIRED TO BE.

IN A SERIES OF
HUGELY SUCCESSFUL FILMS IN THE '30s AND '40s,

HE PAINTED A PORTRAIT
OF AN AMERICA THAT WAS DECENT,

HONEST AND WILLING
TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR WHAT IT BELIEVED IN.

WHILE CAPRA MAY HAVE USED
SENTIMENT AND COMEDY...

TO DELIVER HIS MESSAGE,

THE TRUTH IS THAT THE FILMS,
LIKE THEIR DIRECTOR,

ARE COMPLEX,
AMBIGUOUS...

AND FILLED WITH DARKNESS
AS WELL AS LIGHT.

FRANK WAS BRASH,
COCKY AND ARROGANT.

HE WAS ALSO GENEROUS,
DEEPLY SENTIMENTAL...

AND RACKED
WITH SELF-DOUBT.

FOR ALMOST A QUARTER
OF A CENTURY, THE MAN AND HIS ADOPTED COUNTRY...

WERE A PERFECT REFLECTION
OF EACH OTHER.

ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS
GOT FROM THE CAPRA PICTURES WAS HIS GREAT STORYTELLING,

HIS GREAT SENSE
OF STORYTELLING.

YOU COULD TELL
HE LOVED THE AUDIENCE.

HE COULD FEEL THOSE LAUGHS,
THOSE TEARS COME UP.

HE CAN GET
THE HUMAN RESPONSE.

THAT'S WHY HE'S
A GREAT DIRECTOR.

'CAUSE THERE ARE REAL
HUMAN ISSUES AT STAKE IN THOSE MOVIES.

[ Robert Altman ]
THERE WAS TRUTH IN THEM.

THE INDIVIDUAL
SPARK-OF-LIFE PERSONALITY...

THAT HE GAVE
TO THOSE WORKS OF ART...

THAT ARE THERE.

THINGS WOULD HAPPEN
THAT YOU WOULD THINK,

"THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN
IN A ROMANTIC COMEDY."

HE ACCEPTED
THAT PEOPLE IN AMERICA...

WERE DARKER
AND DIFFERENT...

THAN HIS REP GAVE US
TO BELIEVE HE BELIEVED.

OBVIOUSLY HE WAS
AN IDEALISTIC PERSON.

HE WISHED FOR EVERYBODY
TO HAVE THE BEST...

THAT AMERICA HAD TO OFFER,

BUT AMERICA WASN'T COMING UP
WITH IT AT THAT TIME.

"CAPRA-ESQUE" TO ME
MEANS ANY KIND OF STORY THAT ENDS WITH HOPE.

"CAPRA-ESQUE" HAS TO DO
WITH WATCHING THAT MOMENT...

WHERE PEOPLE
BEGIN TO BELIEVE.

THE ABILITY
OF THE COMMON MAN...

TO ENDURE...

AND TO FIND SOMETHING NOBLE
IN THE SMALLEST OF MANKIND.

[ Announcer ] THE UNIMPOSING
FELLA NEAREST THE CAMERA MAY NOT LOOK LIKE A GREAT DIRECTOR,

BUT DON'T LET THAT FOOL YOU.

THE NAME'S CAPRA. FRANK CAPRA.

FRANK TAKES HIS FAME
VERY SERIOUSLY.

VERY SERIOUSLY.

HIS WAS NOT A WONDERFUL LIFE.

IT WAS AN AMBIGUOUS LIFE THAT
HAD ITS "WONDERFULNESSES" IN IT.

BUT IT WAS A LIFE, I THINK,
LIVED IN FULL AWARENESS...

OF HIS OWN AMBIGUITIES.

ESPECIALLY COMING
TO AMERICA AND BECOMING A GREAT MOVIE DIRECTOR,

THE ONE WHO HAD HIS NAME
ABOVE THE TITLE.

THIS IS AN AMAZING FEAT.
BUT IT COULD ONLY BE IN AMERICA, OF COURSE.

THAT'S WHY WHEN
I'M USING PHRASES LIKE "CAN ONLY BE IN AMERICA,"

I SOUND LIKE A CAPRA FILM,
BUT HE DID IT.

I THINK BEING AN IMMIGRANT,

COMING TO THIS COUNTRY
FROM EUROPE,

MAKES YOU SUPER-SENSITIVE...

TO WHAT THIS COUNTRY...

LOOKS, SOUNDS, REPRESENTS,
IS ALL ABOUT.

WHEN YOU COME TO A COUNTRY,
AS HE DID: POOR, AND MAKE YOUR WAY UP IN THE WORLD,

YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO
REPAY YOUR COUNTRY...

FOR GIVING YOU
THAT OPPORTUNITY.

[ Howard ]
IN MAY OF 1903, AFTER A MISERABLE 12-DAY JOURNEY...

IN THE STEERAGE HOLD
OF THE LINER GERMANIA,

SIX-YEAR-OLD FRANK CAPRA
AND HIS FAMILY...

ARRIVE AT THE IMMIGRATION
STATION AT ELLIS ISLAND.

ADMITTED INTO THE UNITED STATES,
THEY CONTINUED BY TRAIN TO CALIFORNIA,

WHERE FRANK'S OLDER BROTHER BEN
AWAITED THEM.

YOUNG FRANK QUICKLY ADAPTED
TO THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE STREETS OF LOS ANGELES.

IT WAS THERE THAT HE LEARNED
THAT BEING TOUGH WASN'T ENOUGH.

TO REALLY SUCCEED IN AMERICA,
YOU HAD TO BE SMART.

HE SAW RIGHT AWAY
HE NEEDED AN EDUCATION. HE WANTED AN EDUCATION.

HE WOULD GIVE ANYTHING
TO GET AN EDUCATION.

SO HE NEVER WOULD STOP.
THAT WAS THE DRIVING FORCE FOR HIM.

[ Howard ]
FRANK WOULD SELL NEWSPAPERS IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING,

RACE OFF TO SCHOOL,
AND THEN RUSH BACK TO HIS PARTICULAR CORNER...

TO HUSTLE
THE AFTERNOON EDITIONS.

ONE OF THE RUSES THEY USED
TO SELL NEWSPAPERS...

WAS HIS OLDER BROTHER TONY,
WHO WAS BIGGER THAN HE WAS,

USED TO BEAT HIM UP
AND ACCUSE HIM OF NOT SELLING THE NEWSPAPERS.

HE WOULD CRY,
AND A CROWD WOULD GATHER.

THEY WOULD TAKE PITY
AND BUY ALL HIS NEWSPAPERS. HE AND TONY WOULD GO HOME.

[ Howard ]
THE HARDER HE WORKED, THE MORE HE SUCCEEDED.

FRANK, ENCOURAGED
BY HIS TEACHERS,

BEGAN TO IMAGINE HIMSELF
AS THE HERO OF HIS OWN PERSONAL SUCCESS STORY.

THERE WERE ONLY TWO
HIGH SCHOOLS AT THAT TIME: L.A. HIGH AND MANUAL ARTS HIGH.

MANUAL ARTS WAS ALL
FOR THE MISFITS.

I INTERVIEWED A WOMAN
WHO WAS THE OFFICIAL HISTORIAN OF HIS CLASS OF 1915...

AT MANUAL ARTS HIGH SCHOOL.

SHE HAD BEEN FRIENDLY
WITH CAPRA.

SHE SAID, "HE WAS A NICE BOY
WHO WAS JUST A TERRIBLE WOP."

THERE WERE ITALIANS
AND BLACKS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PREJUDICE
AGAINST BOTH OF THEM.

HE HEARD THE WORD WOP,
AND HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT.

[ Howard ]
FRANK BEGAN TO BELIEVE HE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO ESCAPE...

THE IMMIGRANT GHETTO
HIS FAMILY WAS TRAPPED IN.

PUSHING HIMSELF THROUGH HIGH
SCHOOL, HE ENROLLED AT CAL TECH, MAJORING IN ENGINEERING.

IT WAS THERE THAT HE
BEGAN TO SEE HIMSELF AS MORE OF AN AMERICAN...

THAN AN ITALIAN IMMIGRANT.

WITH THAT KIND OF DRIVE,
IN A COUNTRY LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME,

YOU HAD TO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S FOR--
FOR PEOPLE LIKE CAPRA TO EXCEL.

THERE'S THAT CLICHE
OF IMMIGRANTS LOVING AMERICA. WELL, THAT'S WHAT HE WAS.

HE FELL IN LOVE WITH THAT IDEA,
AS LITERALLY MILLIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAD DONE.

[ Howard ]
IT WAS 1917, AND WORLD WAR I...

HAD BEEN RAGING IN EUROPE
FOR THREE YEARS.

WHEN AMERICA
ENTERED THE WAR, FRANK RACED TO FINISH SCHOOL AND JOIN UP.

HE WAS BARELY IN UNIFORM,
HOWEVER, BEFORE THE WAR ENDED.

THERE WERE A LOT
OF RETURNING SERVICE PEOPLE. THERE WEREN'T ANY JOBS.

HE KIND OF HAD THIS
FOUR OR FIVE-YEAR PERIOD OF JUST KICKING AROUND.

HE'D BEEN A TRAVELING SALESMAN
SELLING SLEAZOID BOOKS.

HE'D ALSO MADE A LIVING
AS A PROFESSIONAL POKER PLAYER.

I THINK THOSE ARE OCCUPATIONS
THAT LEAD YOU TO REALIZE...

HOW EASILY PEOPLE CAN BE
GULLED AND FOOLED AND MISLED.

ALL THIS TIME THERE WAS
A LOT OF FAMILY PRESSURE SAYING,

"OKAY, BIG SHOT,
YOU GOT THE EDUCATION.

NOW HOW ABOUT
HELPING YOUR MOTHER ?"

WHENEVER HE WAS AT HOME,
THERE WAS A LOT OF TENSION.

SO HE MOVED TO SAN FRANCISCO
TO GET AWAY FROM ALL THAT.

[ Howard ]
MANY OF THE ODD JOBS HE PICKED UP...

WERE IN CALIFORNIA'S
NEWLY EMERGING FILM BUSINESS.

HIS CAL TECH TRAINING
AND AFFINITY FOR PEOPLE...

MADE THE MOVIE BUSINESS
NATURALLY ATTRACTIVE...

TO A BRASH YOUNG MAN
ON THE MAKE.

[ McBride ]
CAPRA WORKED IN A LABORATORY UP IN SAN FRANCISCO.

HE GOT A TREMENDOUS
TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BY DEVELOPING FILM.

HE DEVELOPED
THE RUSHES FOR GREED WITH ERICH VON STROHEIM.

HE DEVELOPED A GREAT KNOWLEDGE
OF ALL THE CUTTING ROOM TECHNIQUES AND ALL THIS STUFF...

THAT WOULD HELP HIM IMMENSELY
WHEN HE WAS A DIRECTOR.

[ Howard ]
READING AN AD IN THE SAN FRANCISCO PAPER...

FOR A NEW MOTION PICTURE
PRODUCTION COMPANY,

A PENNILESS FRANK SAW A CHANCE
TO HUSTLE SOME FAST MONEY.

PASSING HIMSELF OFF
AS AN EXPERIENCED HOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR,

HE HOPED TO GRAB A QUICK
SALARY ADVANCE AND SKIP TOWN.

HE COULDN'T
GO THROUGH WITH IT.

WHETHER IT WAS AN ATTACK
OF CONSCIENCE...

OR HIS AMBITION AND CURIOSITY
THAT GOT THE BETTER OF HIM,

FRANK SHOWED UP
THE NEXT MORNING...

AND BEGAN DIRECTING
HIS FIRST MOVIE.

THE FIRST ONE WAS
FULTA FISHER'S BOARDING HOUSE.

HE MADE THIS TWO-REEL FILM
BASED ON A KIPLING POEM, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD.

IT WAS VERY ATMOSPHERIC
AND VERY BEAUTIFUL VISUALLY.

IT HAD SOME TERRIFIC LIGHTING
EFFECTS AND A VERY AVANT-GARDE APPROACH TO STORYTELLING.

[ Howard ]
FRANK CAPRA WAS FALLING UNDER THE SPELL OF THE MOVIES.

HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO
HOLLYWOOD, PICKING UP ANY JOBS HE COULD FIND IN THE INDUSTRY.

AIDED BY A FORMER
HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA TEACHER,

FRANK MANAGED TO HUSTLE A JOB
AT THE HAL ROACH STUDIOS...

AS A GAG MAN
FOR THE OUR GANG SERIES.

HE DREW FROM HIS OWN EXPERIENCE,
WRITING ABOUT TOUGH, VIOLENT STREET KIDS WHO WERE ALSO FUNNY.

ROACH WANTED
WHOLESOME SWEETNESS.

FRANK WAS FIRED.

CAPRA LANDED ON HIS FEET AGAIN
AND GOT A JOB WITH MACK SENNETT,

WHO WAS THE OTHER GREAT
COMEDY PRODUCER AT THE TIME.

CAPRA HAD A VERY FERTILE PERIOD
AT SENNETT,

WHERE HE WROTE THE SCRIPTS
FOR ABOUT 25 SHORT FILMS.

[ Howard ]
AT SENNETT, GAG MAN CAPRA WAS DETERMINED...

TO EDUCATE HIMSELF
ON EVERY ASPECT OF FILMMAKING,

AND HE NEVER STOPPED
CAMPAIGNING FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECT.

SENNETT, HOWEVER, WASN'T ABOUT
TO GIVE UP A GOOD GAG MAN.

FRANK'S BIG BREAK CAME WHEN
ONE OF SENNETT'S RISING STARS,

HARRY LANGDON,
LEFT TO JOIN ANOTHER STUDIO,

TAKING HIS DIRECTOR,
HARRY EDWARDS, WITH HIM.

FRANK, WHO HAD HELPED CREATE
LANGDON'S SCREEN PERSONA, WENT ALONG AS GAG MAN...

AND UNOFFICIAL CO-DIRECTOR.

TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP
WAS A GREAT SUCCESS.

BEFORE THE START
OF THE NEXT PICTURE, DIRECTOR EDWARDS,

WEARY OF LANGDON'S EGO,
DECIDED TO LEAVE.

FRANK LEAPED
INTO THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR.

THE FILM WAS
THE STRONG MAN.

IT MADE LANGDON
AN INTERNATIONAL STAR.

FRANK, AT LEAST IN HIS OWN MIND,

HAD BECOME A FORCE
TO BE RECKONED WITH.

FRANK, I KNOW, HIMSELF FELT
THAT HE HAD A KIND OF GIFT...

FOR DEALING WITH
HARRY LANGDON.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN
ACTUALLY SEE IN THOSE FILMS,

YOU KNOW, "THE CAPRA TOUCH,"

BUT, UM, THEY'RE KIND OF
VERY EFFICIENTLY COMEDIC.

[ Howard ]
THE EGOTISTICAL LANGDON STARTED TELLING ANYONE WHO'D LISTEN,

ESPECIALLY THE PRESS,
THAT HE ALONE WAS RESPONSIBLE...

FOR THE SUCCESS
OF THE FILMS.

FRANK CAPRA WAS JUST A GAG MAN
WHO LANGDON WAS KIND ENOUGH TO CALL THE DIRECTOR.

THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY
BROUGHT FRANK'S CAREER TO A DEAD STOP.

HE WAS DEVASTATED.

HIS BRASHNESS AND ARROGANCE
WERE SUDDENLY REPLACED BY SELF-DOUBT.

THIS WAS A TRANSFORMING
EXPERIENCE FOR HIM.

IT MADE HIM A LOT TOUGHER
IN THE WAYS OF HOLLYWOOD...

AND MADE HIM DETERMINED
NOT TO HAVE SOMEBODY TAKING AWAY HIS LUSTER AGAIN.

[ Howard ]
HUMILIATED AND BROKE,

FRANK WAS FORCED
TO RETURN TO HIS OLD JOB AS A GAG MAN AT SENNETT.

CAPRA WAS DOWN,
BUT NOT OUT.

HE WAS A TOUGH
LITTLE SURVIVALIST.

I MEAN, THIS IS A MAN
WHO MADE HIS BEST FILMS ARGUING WITH HARRY COHN.

[ Howard ]
THEN, SEEMINGLY OUT OF NOWHERE,

THERE CAME A CALL
FOR AN INTERVIEW AT A POVERTY ROW STUDIO.

THE CALL WAS FROM
A LOW-RENT HUSTLER WITH BIG AMBITIONS.

HIS NAME WAS HARRY COHN.

[ Man ]
HARRY COHN CAME OUT OF NEW YORK'S EAST SIDE,

THE HURLY-BURLY
OF THE STREETS.

HE WAS A BOUNCER IN SALOONS.

HE WAS A SONG PLUGGER.

HE WAS A STREETCAR CONDUCTOR.

THE STREETCAR COMPANY
HAD TO GET RID OF HIM...

BECAUSE HE WAS MAKING
MORE PROFIT THAN THEY WERE.

HE WAS A GREAT OPERATOR.

DURING THAT FORMATIVE
PERIOD OF FILMS,

HE MUSCLED HIS WAY
INTO THE MOVIE BUSINESS...

WITH HIS BROTHER
AND JOE BRYANT, WHO WAS A PARTNER.

THEY CALLED THEIR COMPANY C.B.C.
FOR THEIR INITIALS.

BUT THEY PUT OUT
SUCH TERRIBLE MOVIES...

THAT IT GOT TO
BE KNOWN IN THE TRADE AS "CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE."

THAT'S WHEN THEY CHANGED
TO COLUMBIA.

MY FATHER ASKED HIM,
"WHY'D YOU PICK ME ?"

HE SAID, "YOU DIDN'T LIKE
MY LAST PICTURE,

ALTHOUGH YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT IT WAS."

HE SAID,
"WE WERE LOOKING AT THE LIST OF UNEMPLOYED DIRECTORS,

AND YOUR NAME
WAS UP AT THE TOP."

[ Howard ]
COLUMBIA MAY HAVE BEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLLYWOOD LADDER,

BUT IT WAS A CHANCE
TO DIRECT AGAIN, AND FRANK GRABBED IT,

QUICKLY ESTABLISHING HIMSELF
AS A FAST WORKER...

WHO BROUGHT A LITTLE
SOMETHING EXTRA TO ANY MATERIAL HARRY COHN THREW AT HIM.

I THINK COMING IN
IN THE SILENT DAYS WHEN HE DID,

HE GOT ONE OF THOSE GREAT
ALL-AROUND EXPERIENCES...

TRAINING AS A DIRECTOR--
AS DID HIS CINEMATOGRAPHER, JOE WALKER.

[ Howard ]
JOSEPH WALKER, THEN COLUMBIA'S CHIEF CINEMATOGRAPHER,

WOULD HELP CREATE THE LOOK
OF A FRANK CAPRA FILM.

ULTIMATELY, THEY WOULD
MAKE 22 FILMS TOGETHER,

INCLUDING ALL BUT ONE
OF CAPRA'S CLASSICS.

[ Daviau ] JOE WALKER
DESCRIBES IT AS WHEN YOU STARTED AT COLUMBIA PICTURES,

THERE WAS SO LITTLE MONEY,
SO LITTLE PREPARATION,

THAT ON THE FIRST DAY EVERYTHING
WOULD BE TOTALLY DISORGANIZED--

AND THAT BY NOON,
YOU WOULD BE A DAY BEHIND, ON THE FIRST DAY OF SHOOTING.

AT THE END
OF THE PICTURE, JOE WALKER SAID HE WAS SO EXHAUSTED,

HE WENT TO THE PRODUCTION
DEPARTMENT AND SAID,

"I DON'T THINK I WANNA BE ON
THIS MAN'S PICTURES ANYMORE. IT'S VERY EXHAUSTING."

HE WAS ASSIGNED TO
ANOTHER DIRECTOR, BUT HE DID GO SEE THE PICTURE HE HAD MADE...

WITH FRANK CAPRA ON
HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD ONE NIGHT.

WHEN HE WALKED OUT
OF THE PICTURE, HE WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE RESULTS,

NEXT MORNING HE SAID, "I MADE
A MISTAKE. I WANT TO BE PUT BACK ON THE FRANK CAPRA LIST."

COLUMBIA, BEING
A POVERTY ROW STUDIO,

WITHOUT THE MONEY AND RESOURCES
AND BIG STAR ROSTERS...

OF SOMETHING, SAY, LIKE MGM,

WAS A PLACE THAT COULD
NURTURE AND DEVELOP A CAPRA.

BECAUSE THEY
DIDN'T HAVE MUCH ELSE,

THEY COULD NURTURE
A DIRECTORIAL STYLE...

THAT WAS A PERSONAL VISION.

[ Bob Thomas ]
COHN HAD A STATEMENT THAT IF YOU HAD TALENT, HE'D KISS YOUR ASS.

IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TALENT,
HE'D KICK IT ALL OVER SUNSET BOULEVARD.

[ Howard ]
ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING, THE TWO MEN FOUGHT.

IF IT WASN'T OVER STORIES,
IT WAS OVER COSTS.

COHN WAS TESTING CAPRA
TO SEE HOW MUCH HE COULD TAKE,

AND HOW MUCH COHN
COULD GET OUT OF HIM.

AND FRANK, STREET-TOUGH
AND A HUSTLER HIMSELF,

KNEW THE BEST WAY TO BEAT COHN
WAS TO NEVER BACK DOWN.

THEIR ARGUMENTS WERE...
INCREDIBLE. INCREDIBLE.

I MEAN, UH--
[ Exhales ]

YOU DIDN'T NEED A LONG-DISTANCE
CALL TO HEAR IT IN NEW YORK.

AND SOMEHOW, WHEN...

CAPRA LEFT THE OFFICE,
EVERYBODY THOUGHT THAT "THAT'S FINISHED BETWEEN THEM."

LUNCHTIME THEY SAT TOGETHER,
AND IT WAS ALL FINE AND HAPPY.

I MEAN, IT WAS
A VERY STRANGE RELATION.

[ Howard ]
THAT ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP WOULD BE THE FOUNDATION...

UPON WHICH COLUMBIA PICTURES
WAS BUILT.

WHEN COHN GOT IN TROUBLE,
HE CALLED CAPRA.

THE STUDIO HAD JUST EMBARKED
ON THE MOST EXPENSIVE FILM IN THE COMPANY'S HISTORY.

THAT FILM, THE UNDERSEA
ADVENTURE SUBMARINE,

WAS SINKING FAST.

HE HAD REPLACED
A VETERAN DIRECTOR NAMED IRVING WILLAT,

WHO WAS A SPECIALIST
IN SEA PICTURES.

BUT COHN WAS NOT SATISFIED.

THREW CAPRA INTO THE BREACH,
AND CAPRA MADE WHAT, AT THE TIME,

WAS A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL
UNDERWATER PICTURE.

CAPRA WAS THE MAN
AT COLUMBIA...

WHEN I ARRIVED.

[ Howard ]
TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD ED BERNDS WOULD JOIN FRANK'S CREW...

AS A SOUND MAN IN 1929.

[ Engine Humming ]

WITH HIS ENGINEERING BACKGROUND,
FRANK, UNLIKE MOST OF HOLLYWOOD,

WAS FASCINATED
RATHER THAN FEARFUL OF THE POSSIBILITIES...

OFFERED BY THE ADVENT OF SOUND.
ATTABOY, FRISKY !

I COULDN'T HAVE DONE
BETTER MYSELF.

GET BACK TO LAKEHURST,
AND I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE KISS.

NOW TRY THE RELEASE.
YEAH !

[ Howard ]
DIRIGIBLE WAS A HUGE SUCCESS...

AND BECAME THE FIRST COLUMBIA
FILM TO PREMIERE AT GRAUMAN'S CHINESE THEATER IN HOLLYWOOD.

FRANK'S CONFIDENCE
WAS GROWING AND, WITH IT, HIS ABILITY WITH ACTORS.

[ Peter Falk ]
THE BEST THING ABOUT FRANK CAPRA'S DIRECTING...

WAS HIS FUNDAMENTAL
APPRECIATION...

OF THE ACTORS.

HE FULL-OUT LOVED THEM.

THAT IS TRANSMITTED
TO THE ACTOR.

YOU CAN FEEL THAT.

[ Lansbury ]
HE HAD THE ABILITY TO MAKE ACTORS FEEL COMFORTABLE...

TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY
COULD DO WONDERFUL WORK.

[ Howard ]
WITH HIS NATURAL LOVE OF PEOPLE,

THE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE
OF HIS SETS...

AND HIS GENUINE FONDNESS
FOR ACTORS,

HE WOULD,
OVER THE COURSE OF HIS CAREER, CREATE MANY STARS.

ONE OF THE FIRST
WAS BARBARA STANWYCK.

AND I CAN'T SEE YOU
WITH ALL THIS CAMOUFLAGE.

OH. YOU WANT ME
TO BE HOMELY ?

I WANT YOU
TO BE YOURSELF.

[ Gunshots ]

[ Bernds ]
WHAT HE DID WITH HER YOU MIGHT CALL MIRACULOUS.

SHE HAD THE ABILITY,
OF COURSE.

HE JUST HAD THE KNACK
OF BRINGING IT OUT...

AND MADE STANWYCK
A STAR OVERNIGHT.

[ Howard ]
BETWEEN 1930 AND 1933,

CAPRA AND STANWYCK
WOULD MAKE FOUR FILMS TOGETHER.

DURING THAT PERIOD
THEY WOULD FALL IN, THEN OUT OF LOVE,

AND FRANK WOULD
MAKE HER A STAR.

♪ [ Band ]

FRANK'S YEARS SPENT ON THE ROAD
LIVING BY HIS WITS...

MADE HIM MORE THAN SYMPATHETIC
TO STANWYCK'S FAKE EVANGELIST...

WHO HUSTLES THE CROWD FOR MONEY
IN MIRACLE WOMAN.

FRANK WAS ALSO LEARNING A
FUNDAMENTAL RULE OF FILMMAKING:

NO MATTER WHAT THE MESSAGE
YOU WISH TO CONVEY,

IT STILL HAD TO BE
A MOVING PICTURE.

DURING THE PAST FEW MONTHS,
MANY OF YOU HAVE COME UP HERE TO CONFESS YOUR SINS...

AND TELL HOW YOU
WERE SAVED.

TONIGHT I'M GONNA
TELL YOU HOW I SINNED AND HOW I WAS SAVED.

I'VE WANDERED
FAR AWAY FROM GOD.

NOW I'M COMING HOME.

CUT OFF THOSE LIGHTS.
BUT, BOSS--

CUT OFF THOSE LIGHTS !

- FIRE ! FIRE !
- FIRE !

[ All Screaming ]

FRANK WAS
A CONSUMMATE FILMMAKER.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY
IN AMERICAN FILM WAS MORE LIVELY AND QUICK WITH HIS EDITING.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY
EVER IN THAT PERIOD...

STAGED MASS ACTION
AS WELL AS HE DID.

GOD'S HERE WITH US.
DON'T BE AFRAID.

[ Screaming Continues ]

[ Scorsese ]
THEY WERE STILL ABLE TO EXPERIMENT.

THEY WERE STILL
CREATING THE FORM.

THEY WERE STILL
CREATING THE ART.

AND IN A WAY, THEY WERE
CREATING A VOCABULARY.

YOU COULD SEE EXPERIMENTS--
AMERICAN MADNESS.

YOU COULD SEE HIM
EXPERIMENTING WITH THE CAMERA, WITH STORYTELLING.

[ Howard ]
AS HIS PICTURES GREW BIGGER AND MORE COMPLEX,

FRANK'S USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY,
SETS AND EDITING...

WAS BECOMING MORE ASSURED.

IT WAS 1932...

AND A FRIGHTENED AMERICA
WOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF FRANK'S NEXT FILM,

AMERICAN MADNESS.

[ Gunshots ]

WITH ITS INTENSE,
ALMOST FILM NOIR VISUAL STYLE...

AND FAST-PACED EDITING,

AMERICAN MADNESS
SHOWED THE DIRECTOR DEVELOPING A STEADILY STRONGER COMMAND...

OF FILM LANGUAGE.

[ Gunshots ]

YOU COULD SEE A GENUINE
ENJOYMENT AND ENTHUSIASM...

FOR TRYING TO FEEL COMFORTABLE
IN THE FORM...

AND CREATING A FORM
AT THE SAME TIME.

LISTEN TO THIS.
THE BANK WAS ROBBED LAST NIGHT.

YEAH, OVER
A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.

LISTEN, THEY WAS ROBBED
OF OVER $200,000.

CAN YOU BEAT THAT ?

STOLE OVER A QUARTER
OF A MILLION. CAN YOU BEAT THAT ?

WHAT BANK DID YOU
SAY THAT WAS ? UNION NATIONAL BANK.

BROKE.
HAVEN'T GOT A DIME.

JACK, YOU BETTER GET DOWN TO
UNION NATIONAL BANK AND TAKE YOUR MONEY OUT OF THERE.

DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW.
I TELL YOU, IT'S ON THE ROCKS. YOU GOT ANY FRIENDS, TELL THEM.

- UNION NATIONAL IS SUNK.
- I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE PUT IT IN THE VAULT.

- UNION NATIONAL BANK.
- CALL THE KINCADES; TELL THEM ABOUT IT.

- I DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE BANK. - I WOULDN'T TRUST ANYBODY.

- EVERYBODY'S
TAKING THEIR MONEY OUT. - UNION NATIONAL'S BROKE.

- HOLY JOHN JULIUS PRIEST !
- [ Foreign Language ]

- OUR MONEY IS ALL GONE.
- IT HASN'T A CHANCE.

- ALL RIGHT, I'LL GO RIGHT DOWN.
- YOU BETTER HURRY UP TOO.

- IF YOU DON'T HURRY--
- DON'T LOSE A MOMENT. - WHAT WILL WE DO ?

[ Howard ]
AS THE DEPRESSION DEEPENED AND BANKS BEGAN TO FAIL,

DESPERATION AND FEAR
TURNED TO PANIC,

UNDERMINING AMERICA'S
FAITH IN ITSELF.

FRANK SAW THE AMERICAN DREAM
HE SO BELIEVED IN BEGINNING TO COLLAPSE.

REPLACING DIRECTOR ALLAN DWAN,
HE FOUND IN AMERICAN MADNESS...

A PERFECT VEHICLE
TO EXPLORE THOSE FEARS.

[ Schickel ]
I THINK IT'S THE FIRST REALLY CLEAR STATEMENT OF WHAT IS...

THE MAJOR SUBTEXT
IN FRANK'S WORK,

WHICH IS HIS AFFECTION
FOR ORDINARY AMERICANS...

AND HIS FEAR OF THEM.

AFFECTION FOR THEM
AS INDIVIDUALS,

HIS FEAR OF THEM
WHEN THEY ARE MASSED...

AND MISLED IN SOME WAY.

[ Howard ] WALTER HUSTON
WOULD BE THE FIRST IN A LONG LINE OF CAPRA HEROES...

TO STAND ALONE
AGAINST THE ANGRY MOB.

YOUR MONEY IS SAFE. THIS BANK
IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.

IF YOU'VE HEARD REPORTS
TO THE CONTRARY, IT'S BASED ON MALICIOUS RUMOR.

- YEAH, MAYBE !
- AH, THAT'S A LOT OF HOOEY !

[ Angry Shouting ]
YOU'LL GET YOUR MONEY.

WE WANT IT NOW.
WE DON'T WANT NO SPEECHES.

[ Howard ]
AS THE COUNTRY'S BANKS FAILED,

CAPRA AND COLUMBIA
WERE GETTING RICH.

FOR FRANK, HOWEVER,
MONEY ALONE WASN'T ENOUGH.

HE WAS HUNGRY FOR
THE INDUSTRY'S RECOGNITION.

[ Explosion ]

[ Basinger ]
SOMETIMES DIRECTORS DECIDE THAT "I WANT THE OSCAR."

WE KNOW THAT TO GET THE OSCAR,
YOU MUST HAVE A MOVIE...

ABOUT A SUICIDE
OR A NUN OR AN ALCOHOLIC OR SOMETHING OF THAT SORT.

YOU MUST NOT HAVE A COMEDY,
BECAUSE YOU ARE DECREASING YOUR ODDS HIDEOUSLY...

WHEN YOU DO A COMEDY.

SO FRANK SET ABOUT MAKING A FILM
LIKE BITTER TEA OF GENERAL YEN,

WHICH COULD BE
AN OSCAR CONTENDER...

BECAUSE IT WAS A SERIOUS MOVIE
ABOUT SERIOUS ISSUES...

WITH LAVISH SETS AND COSTUMES,
VERY LAVISH FOR COLUMBIA.

IT'S A VERY BEAUTIFUL,
BEAUTIFUL FILM TO SEE TODAY.

IN MANY WAYS, YEN WAS
HIS FAVORITE PICTURE.

HE USED THE PHRASE,
"IT HAD MORE MOVIE IN IT THAN ANYTHING ELSE."

I BELIEVE HE MEANT THE COLOR,
THE EXCITEMENT, THE ACTION,

AND THE CIVIL WAR
IN THE STREETS OF CHINA.

[ People Shouting ]
[ Woman Screaming ] BOB !

[ Howard ]
THE BITTER TEA OF GENERAL YEN TOLD THE STORY...

OF AN AMERICAN MISSIONARY
CAPTURED AND SEDUCED...

BY AN EVIL ORIENTAL WARLORD.

IT WAS COLUMBIA'S
MOST PRESTIGIOUS FILM TO DATE...

AND WOULD SERVE AS
THE OPENING FILM FOR NEW YORK'S RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL.

[ Schickel ]
I THINK IT'S A REFLECTION OF HIS, YOU KNOW,

ENORMOUS REGARD
FOR MISS STANWYCK.

I THINK HE WANTED TO
PUT HER IN A ROMANTIC CONTEXT.

IF NOTHING ELSE,
IT SHOWS THE RANGE AND QUALITY...

OF FRANK'S WORK
AS A DIRECTOR.

[ Basinger ]
ONE OF THE SHOCKING THINGS ABOUT BITTER TEA...

AND ONE OF THE THINGS
I THINK KIND OF SCARES PEOPLE ABOUT REVIVING IT TODAY...

IS THE DREAM SEQUENCE
THAT BARBARA STANWYCK HAS...

IN WHICH SHE PICTURES THE MAN
SHE'S REALLY ATTRACTED TO...

BUT KIND OF CAN'T ADMIT IT,

IN THE FORM OF A KIND OF
CLICHED OR STEREOTYPED AMERICAN PICTURE...

OF THE EVIL ORIENTAL.

WHAT HE DOES IS
HE TAKES THE CLICHE...

AND DOES NOT
SHY AWAY FROM IT.

TAKES THE STEREOTYPE,
USES IT AND MAKES IT MONSTROUS,

BUT SHOWS HER DESIRE FOR IT.

IT'S ACTUALLY
A GREAT PIECE OF WORK,

BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE THE THING
THAT MADE FRANK CAPRA THE OSCAR WINNER.

BUT THANK GOD HE LEARNED
THAT LESSON EARLY ON...

SO THAT WE DIDN'T
HAVE TO WASTE MORE TIME WITH HIM DOING HAMLET.

[ Howard ]
BITTER TEA WOULD MARK THE END...

OF HIS THREE-YEAR PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH STANWYCK...

AND THE START
OF A 52-YEAR LOVE AFFAIR WITH HIS WIFE, LOU.

[ Basinger ]
THE WOMEN THAT CAPRA PRESENTS IN HIS FILMS...

ARE REALLY KIND OF MODELS...

BASED ON FRANK'S OWN WIFE,
LOU CAPRA,

WHO, AS MY HUSBAND ONCE SAID,

IS THE WOMAN
ALL WOMEN SHOULD BE.

[ Fay Wray ]
SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.

SHE PUT HER HAIR BACK
LIKE SHE WAS ITALIAN, MAYBE FOR FRANK.

EVERYTHING WAS FOR FRANK.
I KNOW THAT.

SHE WAS WONDERFUL
WITH HER KIDS,

AND SHE USED TO
MEND SOCKS.

[ Howard ]
LOU CAPRA WOULD PROVIDE HER HUSBAND, FRANK...

WITH THE ONE STABLE ENVIRONMENT
IN AN OTHERWISE CHAOTIC SHOW-BUSINESS LIFE.

LOU WOULD ALSO GIVE FRANK
THE CHILDREN HE SO ADORED,

STARTING WITH THE BIRTH
OF FRANK, JR., THEN JOHN, THEN DAUGHTER LUCILLE,

AND FINALLY
HIS YOUNGEST SON, TOM.

IT WAS HIS FAMILY THAT PROVIDED
FRANK THE SOLACE AND RELIEF...

FROM THE ANXIETIES
AND DEPRESSIONS...

THAT WERE BEGINNING
TO EMERGE AS SMALL CRACKS IN HIS OTHERWISE IDYLLIC LIFE.

THOSE FEELINGS
WERE AGGRAVATED FURTHER BY THE FAILURE...

OF THE BITTER TEA
OF GENERAL YEN.

THE DARK STORY LINE
AND FOREIGN SETTING OF BITTER TEA...

DID NOT APPEAL
TO AN AMERICA THAT WAS BEGINNING TO LOSE HOPE...

AS THE DEPRESSION MOVED
INTO ITS THIRD YEAR.

YEN'S FAILURE CREATED
A TEMPORARY PARALYSIS OF WILL IN FRANK.

WHILE HE HAD ALREADY
CHOSEN HIS NEXT PROJECT, AT THE LAST MOMENT HE HESITATED,

SUDDENLY UNSURE
THAT WHAT INTERESTED HIM...

WOULD BE OF ANY INTEREST
TO HIS AUDIENCE.

IT WAS HARRY COHN WHO PUSHED
THE RELUCTANT DIRECTOR FORWARD.

TAKE IT EASY, GRANDMA.

AH, SHUT UP,
YOU PASTY-FACED PALOOKAS !

[ Howard ]
THAT FILM, LADY FOR A DAY,

BASED ON A DAMON RUNYON
SHORT STORY,

HAD AS ITS MAIN CHARACTER
A GIN-SOAKED STREET WOMAN.

IT WAS CLEARLY AN ODD CHOICE
FOR A MAINSTREAM HOLLYWOOD COMEDY.

THE DUDE WANTS TO SEE YOU.
HE'S OVER AT MISSOURI MARTIN.

I KNOW.
HOW'S PICKIN'S ?

TERRIBLE.
LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY'S BROKE. MUST BE TOUGH ON THEM.

STOP YAPPIN'. DIDN'T
YOU HEAR THE PRESIDENT OVER THE RADIO ?

GET OVER TO THE CASINO.
THEY GOT A HIT OVER THERE. THEY HAVE ?

SURE.
SPREAD IT AROUND.

DON'T FORGET MISSOURI MARTIN.
THE DUDE SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT. I WON'T. APPLES ?

YOU HAVEN'T MET
MY DAUGHTER, HAVE YOU ?

SHE'S COMING OVER HERE
TO VISIT ME.

ISN'T SHE LOVELY ?

SHE'S COMING OVER HERE
WITH A COUNT.

SHE'S GOING TO MARRY
THE COUNT'S SON.

THAT'S THE KIND OF PEOPLE
I ASSOCIATE WITH.

FUNNY, ISN'T IT ?

SAY, DUDE, SHE THINKS
I'M IN HIGH SOCIETY.

WAIT TILL SHE GETS
A LOOK AT ME.

IT'S GOING TO BE FUNNY
WHEN SHE FINDS OUT...

HER MOTHER
IS APPLE ANNIE.

[ Chuckling ]
WHY DON'T YOU LAUGH ?

[ Sobbing ]
WHY DON'T YOU LAUGH ?

CAPRA SAID HE HAD
MISGIVINGS ABOUT IT.

BUT HE HAD
A ROBERT RISKIN SCRIPT,

AND RISKIN WAS, I BELIEVE,
ONE OF THE GREATEST SCREENWRITERS EVER LIVED.

THEIR COLLABORATION
WAS PROBABLY THE MOST...

IMPORTANT ONE
IN MY DAD'S CAREER...

AND PROBABLY
IN BOB RISKIN'S CAREER TOO.

THEY COMPLEMENTED
EACH OTHER SO WELL. THEY WERE SUCH CLOSE FRIENDS.

YOU CAN'T TELL WHERE ONE STARTS
AND THE OTHER ONE LEAVES OFF.

THEY DID STIMULATE ONE ANOTHER.
THEY WERE QUITE DIFFERENT.

YOU MIGHT SAY THEY WERE
TOGETHER ON THE BASIS OF THEIR DIFFERENCES.

[ Howard ] ACTRESS FAY WRAY
WAS MARRIED TO SCREENWRITER ROBERT RISKIN...

UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1955.

[ Wray ]
THE FIRST PICTURE, I THINK, THAT HE WAS ATTACHED TO,

WAS, UM,
PLATINUM BLONDE, I THINK.

I SAW THAT
NOT LONG AGO IN NEW YORK, AND IT'S BEGUILING.

I THOUGHT I WAS LISTENING
TO BOB TALK,

BECAUSE HE HAD THE DIALOGUE--
AND THE STYLE WAS SO MUCH HIS--

THAT IT'S AMAZING.

IT'S AMAZING.

I'M WHITE, MALE,
AND OVER 21.

I'VE NEVER BEEN IN JAIL--
THAT IS, NOT OFTEN--

♪ [ Man Singing Opera ]
AND I PREFER SCOTCH TO BOURBON,

I HATE CARROTS,
I HATE PEAS, I LIKE BAD COFFEE...

AND I HATE GARTERS.

I MAKE
75 BUCKS A WEEK,

AND I GOT 847 BUCKS
IN THE BANK.

AND I DON'T KNOW YET
WHETHER YOUR EYES ARE BLUE OR VIOLET.

THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE
TOO FAR AWAY STILL.

HE ALWAYS LOOKED FOR
AN UNUSUAL APPROACH...

SO THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS
TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH HIM.

EACH ONE DID BETTER WHEN
THEY WERE WITH THE OTHER.

THERE'S NO QUESTION
ABOUT THAT.

AH, THERE SHE IS.

AND WHAT MATERIAL
FOR A BUNCH OF HUNGRY ARTISTS.

LOOK AT THEM.
THEIR TONGUES ARE HANGING OUT.

WHEN THEY GET THROUGH,
SHE'S GONNA LOOK AS GOOD AS ME.

THE IDEA IS TO MAKE HER
LOOK LIKE A LADY.

[ Howard ] IN THE PROCESS
OF TURNING A STREET WOMAN INTO A SOCIETY DAME,

FRANK CAPRA WAS ALSO
TRANSFORMING COLUMBIA INTO A MAJOR STUDIO.

I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU
FOR THIS, DUDE.

GOD BLESS YOU.

[ Howard ]
HARRY COHN, NO DOUBT, SHARED MAY ROBSON'S EMOTION.

LADY FOR A DAY WAS THE FIRST
COLUMBIA FILM TO BE NOMINATED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD.

IT DIDN'T WIN, BUT
IT SET COLUMBIA AND CAPRA UP AS SERIOUS CONTENDERS.

IT WAS ALSO JUST THE KIND
OF UPBEAT ENTERTAINMENT...

THAT DEPRESSION AUDIENCES
WERE LOOKING FOR.

[ Ship Horn Blows ]
FRANK WAS FINDING HIS VOICE.

HE PUSHED FORWARD IMMEDIATELY
INTO HIS NEXT PROJECT.

ELLIE ! ELLIE !

LOWER THE BOATS !
CATCH HER ! CATCH HER !

SEND A WIRELESS TO THE
LOVINGTON DETECTIVE AGENCY.

"DAUGHTER ESCAPED AGAIN.
WATCH ALL ROADS, AIRPORTS, RAILWAY STATIONS IN MIAMI."

[ Howard ]
WITH THE WORKING TITLE OF NIGHT BUS,

FRANK'S NEXT FILM CONCERNED
A WISECRACKING ROGUE REPORTER AND A RUNAWAY HEIRESS.

IT WAS SHOT IN JUST FOUR WEEKS
WITH A COUPLE OF RELUCTANT STARS AND A LOW BUDGET...

AND DESPITE
THE STRENUOUS OBJECTIONS OF COLUMBIA EXECUTIVES...

WHO POINTED TO THE RECENT
FAILURE OF TWO OTHER FILMS SET ON BUSES.

FRESH GUY, HUH ?
WHAT YOU NEED'S A GOOD SOCK ON THE NOSE.

LISTEN, PARTNER,

YOU MAY NOT LIKE MY NOSE,
BUT I DO.

I ALWAYS WEAR IT
OUT IN THE OPEN...

WHERE, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO
TAKE A SOCK AT IT, THEY CAN.

OH, YEAH ?

THAT'S A BRILLIANT ANSWER.
WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF IT ?

OUR CONVERSATION COULD HAVE
BEEN OVER LONG AGO.

OH, YEAH ?

YOU KEEP THAT UP, WE'RE NOT
GOING TO GET ANYWHERE.

OH, YEAH ?

YOU GOT ME. YEAH.

[ People Laughing ]

GABLE FELL IN LOVE WITH
COLUMBIA AND THE COLUMBIA CREW RIGHT FROM THE FIRST DAY.

THE FREE-AND-EASY ATMOSPHERE
AT COLUMBIA WAS SO DIFFERENT FROM MGM,

WHERE EVERYBODY HAD TO WATCH
HIS BACK FOR FEAR THERE'D BE A KNIFE IN IT.

HEY, DRIVER.

THESE SEATS ACCOMMODATE
TWO PEOPLE, DON'T THEY ?

MAYBE THEY DO,
MAYBE THEY DON'T.

THANK YOU.

MOVE OVER.

THIS IS A "MAYBE THEY DO."

IT DEFINED THAT ROMANTIC COMEDY
THING: YOU KNOW THESE TWO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO END UP TOGETHER.

LET'S WATCH THE DANCE.

[ Horn Honks ]

NEXT TIME YOU DROP IN,
BRING YOUR FOLKS.

IT'S THE DANCE THAT IS
SO ELUSIVE TO SCREENWRITERS AND DIRECTORS AND ACTORS.

IN ALL THE YEARS SINCE,
IT'S THE DANCE,

IT'S THE DELICIOUSNESS
OF WATCHING THEM MAKE IT HAPPEN.

[ Snoring ]

I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER SEEN
CLARK GABLE LIKE THAT.

BUT I WATCHED HIM DO IT
AND I THOUGHT, "HE'S SO GREAT.

HE'S SO GREAT IN THIS."
YOU KNOW ?

AND HE PROBABLY HAD THAT
AND KNEW HE HAD IT.

HE JUST NEVER GOT THE SHOT.

I HAVE A METHOD
ALL MY OWN.

IF YOU'LL NOTICE,
THE COAT CAME FIRST, THEN THE TIE,

THEN THE SHIRT.

NOW, ACCORDING TO HOYLE,
AFTER THAT,

THE PANTS SHOULD BE NEXT.

HERE'S WHERE I DIFFER.
I GO FOR THE SHOES NEXT.

FIRST THE RIGHT,
THEN THE LEFT.

AFTER THAT, IT'S, UH,
EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF.

♪ HE FLIES THROUGH THE AIR
WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE ♪

♪ THE DARING YOUNG MAN
ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE ♪

♪ HIS ACTIONS ARE GRACEFUL
THE GIRLS HE DOES PLEASE ♪

♪ MY LOVE
YOU STOLE HIM AWAY ♪

[ Woman ] THE FUNNY THING
ABOUT IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT IS,

I READ SCRIPTS,
AND PERIODICALLY YOU GET THESE SO-CALLED ROAD PICTURES.

TWO PEOPLE ON THE LAM,
ON THE ROAD, ON A TRIP, ON A WHATEVER,

AND THROUGHOUT THEIR ADVENTURES,
FIND THINGS AND FALL IN LOVE.

IT'S DEVELOPED
INTO A GENRE UNTO ITS OWN.

THE THING IS,
IT HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER...

THAN IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT.

THAT IS THE EXAMPLE,

AND NONE OF THESE OTHER SCRIPTS,
MOVIES EVER CAN TOUCH IT,

'CAUSE THAT WAS IT.

[ Tires Screeching ]

IT WASN'T THE PICKING UP
OF THE DRESS. IT WAS THE LOOK SHE GAVE HIM AFTER.

LIKE, YOU KNOW,
YOU KNOW SO MUCH, HUH, PAL ?

IT WAS GREAT.
IT WAS GREAT.

AREN'T YOU GOING TO
GIVE ME A LITTLE CREDIT ?

WHAT FOR ?

WELL, I PROVED
ONCE AND FOR ALL...

THAT THE LIMB IS MIGHTIER
THAN THE THUMB.

WHY DIDN'T YOU TAKE OFF
ALL YOUR CLOTHES ? YOU COULD'VE STOPPED 40 CARS.

I'LL REMEMBER THAT
WHEN WE NEED 40 CARS.

[ Bernds ]
GABLE AND COLBERT WERE SITTING IN THE BACK OF THAT...

OLD FLIVVER TOURING CAR
THAT HAD SUCH A PROMINENT PART IN THE PICTURE,

AND MY MIKE
WAS NEARBY, AND UH, I LIKED TO LISTEN IN.

I HEARD A LOT OF THINGS
THAT NOBODY ELSE HEARD.

THEY WERE DISCUSSING
THE PICTURE,

AND SHE MADE THIS KIND OF
DISPARAGING REMARK ABOUT COLUMBIA AND POVERTY ROW,

AND HE SAID, "HEY, WHAT'S
THE MATTER ? YOU'RE NUTS.

WE'RE MAKIN A DAMN FINE
PICTURE HERE. THIS LITTLE DAGO'S GOT SOMETHING."

THE WAY HE USED THE TERM
WAS NOT INSULTING, NOT DEGRADING.

GABLE KNEW THAT HE WAS
DOING A FINE JOB, AND HE--

HE WAS VERY,
VERY FOND OF CAPRA, AND TRUSTED HIM IMPLICITLY.

SO HE BAWLED COLBERT OUT,
AND SHE TOOK IT,

BECAUSE, AFTER ALL,
GABLE WAS GABLE.

[ Spits ]

[ Howard ]
THE PICTURE WAS A RUNAWAY HIT,

WINNING ALL FIVE
MAJOR ACADEMY AWARDS...

AND SETTING THE STANDARD
THAT ALL FUTURE ROMANTIC COMEDIES...

WOULD BE MEASURED AGAINST.

I DO WANT TO TAKE
THIS OPPORTUNITY...

OF EXPRESSING MY THANKS
AND SINCERE GRATITUDE...

TO MR. FRANK CAPRA, THE DIRECTOR
OF IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT,

AND MISS CLAUDETTE COLBERT,
WHO WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO CO-STAR WITH ME...

IN THAT SAME PICTURE.
THANK YOU.

[ Howard ] FRANK WOULD WIN
HIS FIRST OF THREE OSCARS AS BEST DIRECTOR,

AND HARRY COHN,
AT LEAST FOR THE EVENING,

WOULD BE A HAPPY MAN.

HE'D JUST DIRECTED
A PICTURE THAT WON ALL FIVE OF THE ACADEMY AWARDS...

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER
IN THE HISTORY OF THE ACADEMY.

HE WAS MAKING
A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.

HE WAS MAKING MORE THAN ANY
OTHER DIRECTOR AT COLUMBIA...

AND MORE THAN MOST DIRECTORS
IN HOLLYWOOD AT THAT POINT.

HE WAS RIGHT AT THE TOP.

YOU TALK ABOUT HIM
AT THAT MOMENT, AND THIS IS ONLY WHAT ONE CAN SPECULATE.

BUT THERE IS NO MOMENT
MORE FRIGHTENING...

THAN, UM, SUCCESS.

THE PROBLEM WITH SUCCESS...

IS THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE
THINK THEY DESERVE IT.

THOUGH THEY WORK HARD FOR IT,
WHEN IT COMES, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

IF YOU LOOK AT HIS BACKGROUND
AND WHERE HE CAME FROM,

IT WAS PROBABLY
SO ASTONISHING TO HIM,

IT WAS PROBABLY
SO UNREAL.

[ Howard ] THE TOUGH
LITTLE IMMIGRANT FROM SICILY HAD SPENT THE LAST 12 YEARS...

FIGHTING HIS WAY TO THE TOP
OF THE HOLLYWOOD MOUNTAIN.

THE CLIMB HAD TAKEN ITS TOLL.

THREE-QUARTERS OF THE WAY
THROUGH HIS NEXT FILM, BROADWAY BILL,

HE SUDDENLY THOUGHT UP
A NEW ENDING FOR HIS HAPPY RACETRACK MOVIE.

OH, HE DID IT ! HE DID IT !
HE DID IT !

[ Crowd Screams ]

- [ Screams ]
- BILL !

[ Howard ]
THE HORSE'S HEART BURSTS AFTER WINNING THE RACE.

IT WAS A FATE FRANK HIMSELF
MAY HAVE WISHED FOR...

AFTER THE ANXIETY
AND DEPRESSION...

THAT BEGAN TO OVERWHELM HIM
FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT.

YOU DO THE WORK.
YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN.

IT SUCCEEDS, IT FAILS.
YOU'RE DOING THE SAME THING EACH TIME.

YOU DON'T KNOW
WHY IT SUCCEEDS ONE TIME, WHY IT FAILS ANOTHER TIME.

IN SUCCESS,
WHEN THESE THINGS COME TOGETHER,

NO ONE, I THINK,
IS MORE MYSTIFIED THAN THE ARTIST HIMSELF,

UNAWARE OF HIS PROCESS.

BECAUSE IF YOU'RE DEEPLY
IN YOUR PROCESS AND IT'S AT ITS BEST,

IT'S ALSO AT
ITS MOST UNCONSCIOUS.

HE, AS AN IMMIGRANT
WHO HAD FINALLY MADE IT IN THE UNITED STATES...

AND WAS AT THE TOP
OF THE AMERICAN DREAM,

WAS FEELING VERY GUILTY
ABOUT THAT...

AND VERY GUILTY ABOUT THE FACT
THAT HIS FELLOW AMERICANS WERE NOT DOING REAL WELL...

AND THAT HE WAS.

[ Howard ]
IMMEDIATELY UPON COMPLETION OF BROADWAY BILL,

FRANK SUFFERED A SERIOUS
EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL COLLAPSE.

RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL,
HE ENDURED SEVERAL EXPLORATORY OPERATIONS.

THESE WERE FOLLOWED
BY A LONG CONVALESCENCE...

PUNCTUATED BY HIGH FEVERS
AND DEEP DEPRESSIONS.

HE TELLS A STORY IN THE BOOK
ABOUT A LITTLE MAN COMING TO HIM IN THE HOSPITAL ROOM,

TELLING HIM HE BETTER GET OUT
THERE AND MAKE SOME PICTURES OR DO SOMETHING...

INSTEAD OF WALLOWING
IN SELF-PITY.

HE SAYS THAT THAT WAS A TIME
WHEN HIS FAITH WAS TESTED.

LISTEN, PAL, I KNOW
JUST HOW YOU FEEL.

A BLONDE IN SYRACUSE
PUT ME THROUGH THE SAME PACES.

I CAME OUT WITH A SOUR PUSS,
BUT FULL OF FIGHT.

COME ON. YOU DON'T
WANT TO LAY DOWN NOW.

[ Tom Capra ]
AT THAT TIME, HE DECIDED THAT IF HE WAS GONNA MAKE MOVIES...

AND HE WAS GONNA MAKE MONEY
AND HE WAS GONNA BE FRANK CAPRA,

HE'D BETTER THINK ABOUT
WHAT WAS IN THOSE MOVIES...

AND THINK ABOUT MAYBE
TELLING SOME PEOPLE SOMETHING THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW.

♪

PERHAPS YOU DIDN'T HEAR
WHAT I SAID, MR. DEEDS.

THE WHOLE SEMPLE FORTUNE
GOES TO YOU: $20 MILLION.

OH, YES, I HEARD YOU.
TWENTY MILLION.

- THAT'S QUITE A LOT.
- OH, IT'LL DO IN A PINCH.

♪ [ Band: "Auld Lang Syne" ]

♪ [ Playing Along ]

♪

[ Howard ] PULLING HIMSELF
TOGETHER, FRANK SET ABOUT MAKING HIS MOST PERSONAL FILMS.

THEY WOULD ALSO BE
THE MOST COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL OF HIS CAREER.

THE FIRST OF THESE WAS
MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN.

THAT'S A MONKEY SUIT.
YOU WANT PEOPLE TO LAUGH AT ME ?

I'VE NEVER WORN ONE OF
THOSE THINGS IN MY LIFE. GOOD-BYE AND THANK YOU, SIR.

GOOD-BYE. HE WANTS ME
TO WEAR A MONKEY SUIT.

WE DON'T WANT TO
APPEAR GREEDY, MR. DEEDS. HUH ?

I SAY, WE DON'T
WANT TO APPEAR GREEDY. OH, THAT.

- WHAT DO YOU THINK
YOU'RE DOING ? - I'M ASSISTING YOU.

GET UP FROM THERE.
I DON'T WANT ANYBODY HOLDING THE ENDS OF MY PANTS.

GET UP FROM THERE !

HMPH. IMAGINE THAT.
HOLDING THE ENDS OF MY PANTS.

MRS. SEMPLE IS ENTITLED BY LAW
TO ONE-THIRD OF THE ESTATE.

DON'T EVER GET
ON YOUR KNEES AGAIN. NO, SIR.

[ Howard ] THE DIRECTOR
CLEARLY IDENTIFIED WITH HIS SCREEN HERO, LONGFELLOW DEEDS,

AND HIS SUDDEN RISE
TO FAME AND FORTUNE.

AS DEPRESSION AUDIENCES
WERE YEARNING TO HEAR,

THE MONEY CAUSES DEEDS
NOTHING BUT TROUBLE.

LEAVE ME ALONE !
LET HIM ALONE.

IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD
FOR YOU, YOU'LL LET ME GET THIS OFF MY CHEST.

- WHAT DO YOU WANT ?
- THAT'S ALL THAT'S WORRYING YOU-- WHAT DO I WANT.

A CHANCE TO FEED A WIFE
AND KIDS. I'M A FARMER. A JOB, THAT'S WHAT I WANT.

A FARMER, HUH ?
YOU'RE A MOOCHER.

I WOULDN'T BELIEVE YOU
OR ANYBODY ELSE ON A STACK OF BIBLES.

YOU'RE A MOOCHER, LIKE ALL
THE REST OF THEM AROUND HERE. GET OUT OF HERE.

STAY WHERE YOU ARE !
GET OVER THERE !

SEE WHAT GOOD YOUR MONEY'S
GONNA DO WHEN YOU'RE SIX FEET UNDER GROUND.

YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT,
DID YOU ? NO.

ALL YOU EVER THOUGHT OF
WAS PINCHING PENNIES, YOU MONEY-GRABBING HICK.

YOU NEVER GAVE A THOUGHT
TO ALL THOSE STARVING PEOPLE STANDING IN THE BREAD LINES...

NOT KNOWING WHERE THEIR
NEXT MEAL WAS COMING FROM,

NOT ABLE TO FEED
THEIR WIFE AND KIDS,

[ Sobbing ]
NOT ABLE TO--

GO AHEAD AND DO WHAT
YOU WANT WITH ME, MISTER.

I GUESS... I'M AT THE END
OF MY ROPE.

[ Sobbing ]

IT IS SO CONSISTENTLY
WELL-DONE, FROM FILM TO FILM,

THE DEPICTION OF THE CHANGE
IN A CHARACTER OVER TIME.

THE DEPICTION OF THE
AMBIVALENCE WITHIN A CHARACTER,

HOW ONE SIDE OF A PERSON
WILL OUTWEIGH THE OTHER IN THE BEGINNING,

AND THEN SLOWLY
OVER TIME IT SHIFTS, AND THE OTHER SIDE OUTWEIGHS.

IT'S SO REMARKABLE, AND
SO INCREDIBLY HARD TO DO.

AND HE DOES IT IN ALL
HIS FILMS. HE DOES IT AS IF IT'S EASY.

AND IT'S-- IT'S
THE HARDEST THING.

[ Howard ]
DEEDS' DECISION TO GIVE AWAY HIS MONEY...

WAS A FAIRY-TALE ALTERNATIVE
TO AMERICA'S GRIM REALITY.

I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S
EVER REALLY, EXCEPT IN ONE OR TWO FILMS--

HAS EVER REALLY BEEN ABLE
TO CAPTURE THE DEPTH...

OF THE NIGHTMARE
OF THE DEPRESSION,

THE SHOCK OF IT ALL.

ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
CAN NEVER DO IS RECONSTRUCT AN AUDIENCE OF THE PAST...

WHEN YOU WEREN'T THERE.

WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME, "WHAT WAS IT
ABOUT THE AUDIENCES OF THE '30s THAT LOVED HIS FILMS ?"

WHAT I WOULD PRESUME
TO IMAGINE...

IS THAT THEY GAVE THEM
A GROUNDING...

IN THE WORLD AND THE LIFE
THEY KNEW AND WERE UNDERGOING...

AND RESPONDING TO AND FEELING
IN THEIR DAILY LIVES,

BUT THEY LIFTED THEM UP
OUT OF IT JUST ENOUGH...

TO HAVE SOME LAUGHS,
TO BE ABLE TO DREAM OF A BETTER TIME.

THEY BOTH REAFFIRMED
THE EXPERIENCES THEY WERE HAVING IN THE DEPRESSION...

AND GAVE JUST
AN EXTRA DIMENSION OF HOPE, BETTER TIMES FOR THE FUTURE,

AND ALLOWED EVERYBODY
TO LAUGH AT THE SITUATION AND GET THAT ESCAPE.

[ Howard ]
MR. DEEDS WAS A HUGE HIT.

FRANK HAD FOUND,
IN A MIXTURE OF SENTIMENT,

REALISM AND COMEDY,

HIS SIGNATURE STYLE.

HIS CONFIDENCE HAD RETURNED
STRONGER THAN EVER.

SPEAKING FOR THE ACADEMY
OF SCIENCE AND ARTS...

AND AFTER CAREFUL
DELIBERATION,

THE COMMITTEE
HAVE VOTED...

THAT THE BEST DIRECTION
FOR A MOTION PICTURE DURING THE YEAR 1936...

IS AWARDED TO YOU,
FRANK CAPRA,

FOR YOUR DIRECTION
OF THE PICTURE, MR. DEEDS COMES TO TOWN.

RETAKE, BOYS.
IT'S GOES TO TOWN.

CAN'T HAVE THAT.
THE HELL WITH IT.

HIS OWN NEED FOR RECOGNITION
HE PUT TO GOOD USE...

IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THINGS
LIKE THE MOTION PICTURE ACADEMY.

YOU COULD MAKE A CASE
THAT FRANK CAPRA...

WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PRESIDENT
IN ACADEMY'S HISTORY.

[ Howard ]
THE ACADEMY, WHICH WAS FORMED AND RUN BY THE STUDIOS,

WAS TRYING TO
STALL THE FORMATION OF THE LABOR GUILDS...

BY INSISTING IT COULD ACT
AS AN ARBITRATOR...

BETWEEN LABOR
AND MANAGEMENT.

[ Hiller ]
HE REALLY WAS THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE...

FOR THE CHANGES THEN
IN THE BYLAWS...

THAT TOOK IT OUT OF
THE LABOR ARBITRATION SCENE...

AND MADE IT INTO THE ACADEMY
THAT IT IS TODAY.

WHAT ALWAYS FASCINATED ME
WAS THAT HE NOT ONLY SAVED THE ACADEMY,

HE NOT ONLY BROUGHT ABOUT
THE FIRST CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS...

WITH THE STUDIOS...

ON BEHALF OF
THE SCREEN DIRECTORS GUILD,

MINIMUM WAGES
AND CONDITIONS,

HE ALSO DIRECTED FILMS
DURING THAT TIME.

[ Engine Sputtering ]

[ Howard ]
HIS NEXT FILM WOULD SET HIM...

ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH
BOTH COLUMBIA AND HIS AUDIENCE.

[ Woman Screams ]

WITH LOST HORIZON, FRANK
DEPARTED WITH THE AMERICANA OF MR. DEEDS...

AND SET OUT TO MAKE
AN EPIC ADVENTURE...

THAT WAS ALSO
A DEEPLY FELT PERSONAL FILM.

[ Bob Thomas ]
HE JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH THAT PICTURE.

THIS WAS AT A TIME WHEN FRANK
WAS FEELING VERY CONFIDENT,

PERHAPS OVERCONFIDENT.

THERE'S A GENIUS SYNDROME
IN THIS TOWN,

SO IT WAS ONLY NATURAL
THAT HE MIGHT HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO IT...

FOR A WHILE, AT LEAST.

WELCOME TO SHANGRI-LA.

[ Howard ]
THE FILM TELLS THE STORY OF SHANGRI-LA,

A MONASTERY THAT WILL BE
THE LAST REFUGE...

FOR A WORLD ABOUT TO
BE TORN APART BY WAR.

LOST HORIZON
IS JUST GREAT.

IT'S, YOU KNOW--
THAT'S EVERYBODY'S FANTASY.

LOST HORIZON LIVES
IN EVERYBODY'S HEART.

HIS FILMS, YOU CAN SPOT 'EM.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, "THAT'S A CAPRA FILM."

EVEN LOST HORIZON,
WHICH WAS PHYSICALLY NOT ABOUT AMERICA IN ANY WAY,

AND YET IT WAS ABOUT
THIS IDEALISTIC DREAM KIND OF THING.

[ Man ]
I DETERMINED TO GATHER TOGETHER ALL THINGS...

OF BEAUTY AND OF CULTURE
THAT I COULD...

AND PRESERVE THEM HERE...

AGAINST THE DOOM...

TOWARD WHICH
THE WORLD IS RUSHING.

[ Dreyfuss ]
THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE STORY IS...

WE ARE ABOUT TO ENTER
A TIME OF SUCH BLOOD AND VIOLENCE...

THAT, LIKE SHAKESPEARE SAYS,

"MEN WILL BUT LAUGH WHEN THEY
SEE THEIR CHILDREN SLAUGHTERED WITH THE HANDS OF WAR."

AND WE WILL RETAIN
OUR PURITY HERE,

AND WE WILL HELP THE WORLD.

[ Bob Thomas ] HE SAW THIS
AS A TREMENDOUS EPIC.

COLUMBIA POURED MORE MONEY
INTO IT THAN IT EVER HAD BEFORE.

HARRY COHN'S SCREAMING
ALL THE WHILE.

[ Laughing ]

[ Laughing ]
I'M SORRY. SORRY, SORRY.

WHEN MR. COHN
WOULD COME ON THE SET,

FRANK WOULDN'T BOTHER
TO ARGUE WITH HIM OR DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

HE'D JUST SAY "CUT."
THERE WASN'T ANY "AND," "IF" OR "BUT."

HE JUST CUT
THE WHOLE THING DOWN.

HE SAT IN THE CORNER, SMOKED
A CIGARETTE TILL HARRY LEFT.

YOU CAN IMAGINE HARRY COHN.
THE MINUTES GOING BY AND THE MONEY GOING UP.

NOTHING WAS HAPPENING
ON HIS SET.

SO HE WOULD LEAVE IN A FURY.
THEN FRANK WOULD SAY, "NOW WE'LL CONTINUE."

[ Bernds ]
HE SHOT LOST HORIZON MUCH LONGER THAN COULD POSSIBLY BE RELEASED.

THAT, TO MY MIND--

WHO AM I TO QUESTION
A GREAT DIRECTOR LIKE CAPRA ?

BUT I WILL QUESTION IT.

IT IS WASTEFUL
OF NOT JUST MONEY,

BUT THE EFFORTS OF THE CAST
AND EVERYBODY CONCERNED...

FOR SOMETHING
THAT CAN'T BE USED.

[ Bell Tolling ]

[ Howard ]
FRANK AND HIS CINEMATOGRAPHER JOSEPH WALKER...

PUSHED THEMSELVES
AND COLUMBIA TO THE LIMITS OF THEIR RESOURCES.

AS THE COSTS SOARED,
SO DID THE PRESSURE.

[ Daviau ] EVEN WHEN YOU
GET TO AN "A" PICTURE LIKE LOST HORIZON,

THERE WERE THINGS
THAT HAD TO BE OVERCOME.

WHERE THEY BUILT THE SET,
WHEN THEY WENT OUT IN THE DAYTIME,

THEY FOUND THAT IF THE CAMERA
WAS TOO HIGH, YOU'D SEE PHONE POLES AND WIRES...

FROM THE CITY OF BURBANK,
I THINK, THAT WAS BEYOND.

IT WAS JOE WALKER
THAT SUGGESTED TO FRANK,

"WHY DON'T WE MAKE
THESE SCENES OF THE CITY AT LARGE AT NIGHT ?"

THIS IS SOMETHING, BECAUSE
A CINEMATOGRAPHER WAS PROPOSING A LOT MORE WORK FOR HIMSELF.

IT'S GONNA INCREASE THE BUDGET,
BUT IT WORKED.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ?
YOU REMEMBER THAT CITY AT NIGHT.

BOB !

WHEN COLMAN HAD TO
MAKE UP HIS MIND TO LEAVE, THERE'S NOT A WORD.

THERE'S NOBODY TO TALK TO.

YOU SEE IT ALL IN HIS FACE
AND HIS EYES.

[ Daviau ]
HE PAUSES TO TAKE THAT LAST LOOK BACK AT SHANGRI-LA.

MY HEAVENS. THE EMOTION
IN THAT CLOSE-UP.

THE SIZE OF THE SHOT
AND COLMAN'S PERFORMANCE--

THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

THAT'S ONE OF THE BEST
CLOSE-UPS IN THE HISTORY OF MOTION PICTURES.

[ Man ]
BOB !

BOB !

[ Milius ]
EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE THAT GUY.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO OUT
AND SAY, "THE HELL WITH IT. I'M GOING BACK."

HE'S DISAPPEARED.
HE'S GOING BACK TO FIND THAT PAST OR WHATEVER IT IS.

THAT'S A WONDERFUL--

THAT'S A PRIMAL MYTH--
LOST HORIZON.

THEY TOOK IT TO SANTA BARBARA,
AND IT WAS JUST DISMAL.

THEY HAD WALKOUTS.

OF COURSE, CAPRA
WAS CRESTFALLEN...

AND COHN WAS FURIOUS.

HARRY COHN TOOK OVER THE PICTURE
AND RECUT THE FILM.

HE CUT LIKE ANOTHER HOUR
OUT OF THE FILM.

CAPRA WAS EXCLUDED FROM THIS
AND HE WAS EXTREMELY ANGRY AND BITTER.

HE WOULDN'T EVEN ATTEND
THE PREMIERE OF THE FILM.

THE FILM DID PRETTY WELL,
BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE A PROFIT FOR FIVE YEARS.

THAT REALLY WAS
THE BEGINNING OF THE END...

FOR CAPRA AND COHN.

[ Howard ]
WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON, FRANK LEARNED THAT COHN...

HAD PUT THE DIRECTOR'S NAME
ON THE ENGLISH PRINTS OF A COLUMBIA "B" PICTURE,

IN ORDER TO CAPITALIZE
ON CAPRA'S POPULARITY.

FRANK SUED COLUMBIA,
AND WITHDREW IN ANGER TO HIS MALIBU HOME.

FRANK WAITED
FOR ALMOST A YEAR.

BUT FINALLY, HAT IN HAND,
COHN BEGGED CAPRA TO RETURN.

FRANK AGREED, BUT DESPITE
THE OUTWARD BRAVADO...

OF A CONQUERING HERO,
HIS CONFIDENCE HAD AGAIN BEEN SHAKEN...

BY THE PAINFUL EXPERIENCE
OF LOST HORIZON.

IN A PATTERN CAPRA WOULD REPEAT
TWICE MORE IN HIS CAREER,

HE TURNED TO THE RELATIVELY
RISK-FREE CHOICE...

OF AN ESTABLISHED
BROADWAY HIT.

[ Man ]
I GOT A NEW PIECE. CAN I PLAY IT ?

THERE ARE NO NEW PIECES.
PLAY THE DRUMS, HUNGARIAN DANCE.

I FEEL SO GOOD, LIFE
IS RUNNING INSIDE OF ME LIKE A SQUIRREL.

[ Bob Thomas ]
CAPRA CONVINCED COHN TO BUY THE KAUFMAN-HART PLAY...

YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU,
WHICH WAS A HUGE HIT ON BROADWAY.

AGAIN HE GOT
THE CAST HE WANTED.

[ Narrator ]
EDWARD ARNOLD ON THE WAY TO THE SET WITH HIS STAND-IN...

TRADES GREETINGS WITH JIMMY
THE RAVEN, WHO DID HIS STUFF IN YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.

FRANK CAPRA AND JIMMY STEWART
STROLL BY, AND JIM FLASHES A GRIN AT HIS NAMESAKE.

♪

[ Bob Thomas ]
IT BORROWED JIMMY STEWART...

AND GOT LIONEL BARRYMORE
FROM MGM ALSO.

USED HIS FAVORITE LEADING LADY
AT THE TIME, JEAN ARTHUR.

IT WAS A BIG HIT AND
A BIG ACADEMY WINNER AS WELL.

[ Howard ]
IN YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, FRANK ONCE AGAIN SHOWED...

HIS LOVE FOR BOTH ECCENTRIC
CHARACTERS AND CHARACTER ACTORS.

OVER THE COURSE OF HIS CAREER,
FRANK CAPRA MAY HAVE CREATED...

MORE MEMORABLE SCENES
WITH MINOR CHARACTERS...

THAN ANY DIRECTOR
IN SCREEN HISTORY. [ Giggles, Gasps ]

♪ [ Harmonica Plays
"Polly Wolly Doodle" ]

WELL, BON VOYAGE !

PAL, LOOK. HOW WOULD
YOU LIKE TO GO ON A REAL OLD-FASHIONED BINGE ?

BINGE ?
YEAH, I MEAN THE REAL McCOY.

YOU PLAY SALOON WITH ME,
AND I'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO EVERY WIT,

EVERY NITWIT
AND EVERY HALF-WIT IN NEW YORK.

WE'LL GO ON A TWISTER
THAT'LL MAKE OMAR THE SOUSE PEROUSE RUPERSIA...

LOOK LIKE AN ANEMIC
ON A GOAT'S-MILK DIET.

I GUESS THAT OUGHT
TO BE FUN, HUH ? FUN ? SAY--

[ Laughs ] LISTEN.
I-I-I'LL TAKE YOU ON A BENDER THAT WILL LIVE IN YOUR MEMORY...

AS A THING OF BEAUTY
AND A JOY FOREVER !

BOY ? BOY, MY HEADPIECE !
O TEMPORA ! O MORES ! OH, BACCHUS--

OH, YOU'RE DRUNK !
OH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

WHAT'S THE MATTER, SISTER ?
YOU AIN'T SAYIN' MUCH.

SEEMS TO ME
YOU'RE DOING EXCELLENTLY WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE.

[ Laughs ]
THAT'S PRETTY GOOD !

"SEEMS TO ME
YOU'RE DOING EXCELLENTLY WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE."

WELL, SHUT
MY BIG, NASTY MOUTH.

LOOKS LIKE
YOU'RE ONE UP ON ME.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING
I LIKE BETTER THAN TO MEET A HIGH-CLASS MAMA...

THAT CAN
SNAP BACK AT YA ! [ Clicks Fingers ]

'CAUSE THE COLDER THEY ARE,
THE HOTTER THEY GET.

THAT'S WHAT I ALWAYS SAY.
YES, SIR.

WHEN A COLD MAMA GETS HOT,
BOY, HOW SHE SIZZLES !

CAPRA ALLOWED
CHARACTER ACTORS TO SHINE,

BECAUSE HE LOVED
WHAT CHARACTER ACTORS BRING TO MOVIES.

HE LOVED THOSE
LITTLE MOMENTS OF LIFE.

GOOD AFTERNOON,
MR. BAILEY. HELLO, VIOLET !

HEY, YOU LOOK GOOD.
THAT'S SOME DRESS YOU GOT ON THERE.

WH-- THIS OLD THING ?
WHY, I ONLY WEAR IT WHEN I DON'T CARE HOW I LOOK.

[ Herskovitz ]
IN IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, THERE'S A MOMENT WHERE...

GLORIA GRAHAM IS WALKING DOWN
THE STREET, AND AN OLD GUY...

STOPS TO WATCH HER
AND ALMOST GETS HIT BY A CAR.

AND THERE'S WARD BOND
AND FRANK FAYLEN,

AND WARD BOND SAYS,
"I THINK I'LL GO HOME AND SEE WHAT THE WIFE'S UP TO."

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO--
YES.

WANT TO COME ALONG, BERT ?
WE'LL SHOW YOU THE TOWN. NO, THANKS.

I, UH--
THINK I'LL GO HOME AND SEE WHAT THE WIFE'S DOIN'.

- FAMILY MAN.
- HE LOVED THESE GUYS.

HE LOVED WHAT THEY HAD
TO OFFER. HE LOVED THESE LITTLE MOMENTS OF LIFE.

TO HAVE A GOOD ACTOR
DO A LITTLE BIT-- IT'S ALL PART OF THE MOSAIC.

WHEN WE WERE SHOOTING
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, YOU'LL REMEMBER THE SCENE...

WHERE THEY
PRETEND TO QUARREL...

IN ORDER TO DECEIVE
SOME DETECTIVES.

[ Both Laughing ]
OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR DID THE ULTIMATE SIN.

HE DISMISSED
THE MOTEL PROPRIETOR BEFORE HE WAS FINISHED.

CAPRA SAID TO HIM,
"DON'T WORRY. ANYBODY CAN DO IT. GO OUT THERE--"

AND HE POINTED TO THE
DIRECTION OF GOWER GULCH,

WHERE OUT-OF-WORK COWBOYS
WAITED TO BE PICKED UP.

A FEW MINUTES, HE WAS
BACK WITH A CHARACTER NAMED "BLACKJACK WARD."

HE TOLD BLACKJACK
TO OPEN THE DOOR, SAY,

"YOUR BUS LEAVES
IN FIVE MINUTES,"

AND WHEN GABLE SAYS,
"WHAT ?" SAY IT AGAIN, FASTER AND LOUDER,

"YOUR BUS LEAVES
IN FIVE MINUTES."

[ Knocking ]
[ Screaming ] QUIT BAWLING ! QUIT BAWLING !

YOUR BUS LEAVES
IN FIVE MINUTES. WHAT ?

- YOUR BUS LEAVES
IN FIVE MINUTES. - OHH !

HOLY SMOKE, WE'RE
NOT EVEN PACKED YET.

A METHOD ACTOR
COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT ANY BETTER.

WELL, THAT WAS BLACKJACK WARD.
THERE'S A FOOTNOTE TO THAT--

A LOT OF THOSE MOVIE COWBOYS
HAD THEIR OWN WESTERN GEAR, INCLUDING PISTOLS.

BLACKJACK WARD GOT
INTO A QUARREL WITH ANOTHER MAN,

AND SHOT AND KILLED HIM.

SO, THAT WAS BLACKJACK WARD.
NEVER SEEN HIM ON GOWER GULCH AGAIN.

EVERY TIME I THINK
HOW LUCKY I AM,

I FEEL LIKE SCREAMING.

DARLING, PROMISE
YOU'LL INVITE THEM. OH-OH.

I FEEL A SCREAM
COMING ON RIGHT NOW.

IT'S STARTING DOWN IN MY TOES,
SORT OF A TINGLING SENSATION.

IT'S COMING UP
AROUND MY KNEES.

IT'S TRAVELING FASTER.
TONY, YOU'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO SCREAM ?

IT'S GOT ME, ALICE.
NOW IT'S GOING UP AND UP. NOT WITH YOUR MOTHER HERE.

IT'S ALL OVER MY BODY NOW.
TONY, PLEASE DON'T. NO.

IT'S AT MY THROAT NOW.
IT'S FIGHTING TO GET OUT. I CAN'T HOLD IT ANY LONGER.

HERE IT GOES.
[ Screaming ] NO !

I THINK HE PROBABLY
HAD MORE TO DO WITH HELPING JIMMY STEWART...

INVENT HIS ACTING...

PERSONA AS ANYBODY.

AT LEAST, MAYBE HE JUST
ALLOWED HIM TO DO IT.

[ Howard ]
IN JIMMY STEWART, FRANK AGAIN TOOK AN ESTABLISHED ACTOR...

AND MADE HIM
NOT ONLY A STAR,

BUT OVER THE COURSE
OF THEIR THREE FILMS TOGETHER,

THE QUINTESSENTIAL CAPRA HERO.

AND HEROES WERE JUST
WHAT AMERICA AND A WORLD DESCENDING INTO WAR...

WERE DESPERATELY IN NEED OF.

THE GERMAN ARMIES HAD ALREADY
MARCHED INTO THE SUDETENLAND...

AND WERE THREATENING
THE OTHER COUNTRIES ON THE CONTINENT.

IN THE FAR EAST,
JAPAN HAD INVADED MANCHURIA...

AND WOULD SOON MARCH INTO KOREA
AND BRITISH HONG KONG.

AS THE DANGER GREW
AROUND THE WORLD,

AMERICA WAS FAST BECOMING
THE ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY.

BUT SHIPS AND SUPPLIES WERE ONLY
PART OF WHAT MADE THE U.S....

THE BEACON OF LIGHT
IN A WORLD DARKENING UNDER THE SHADOWS OF WAR.

IT WAS 1938
AND THE AXIS POWERS WERE ON THE MOVE,

AS FRANK,
SPURRED ON BY HIS OWN...

DEEPLY FELT SENSE
OF PATRIOTISM,

BEGAN ONE OF HIS
GREATEST FILMS.

[ McBride ]
THEN HE MADE MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON,

WHICH HE KNEW WAS GOING TO BE
HIS LAST PICTURE FOR COLUMBIA.

I THINK THAT'S
HIS GREATEST FILM.

IT WAS PROFOUNDLY MOVING AND
A GREAT PIECE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP.

I THINK CAPRA WAS OPERATING AT
THE HEIGHT OF HIS POWERS THEN.

[ People Cheering ]

[ Whistling,
Cheering Continues ]

AND HOW DID YOUR GOVERNOR
CONFER THAT HONOR ?

DID HE GIVE IT TO SOME
WEALTHY, INFLUENTIAL CITIZEN MERELY TO CURRY FAVOR ?

[ People ]
NO ! [ Man ] NO !

DID HE GIVE IT TO SOME
UNWORTHY POLITICAL HIRELING ? NO !

NO. WHAT DID HE DO ?

HE WENT DOWN AMONG THE PEOPLE,

AND THERE HE FOUND...

A NUGGET.

[ Gags ]
[ Applause ]

LOOK ! THE CAPITOL DOME.
IT'S ALL LIGHTED UP. LOOK AT IT !

UM, YOU BETTER RELAX,
SENATOR.

YOU'LL GET YOURSELF
PLUMB WORE OUT.

GEE WHIZ, SO MANY THINGS
HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE.

UH, MISS SAUNDERS,
WHAT TIME DOES THE SENATE-- CONVENE ?

CONVENE, CONVENE.
YEAH. WHAT TIME ? 12:00 NOON.

BOY, OH, BOY,
THAT'LL BE SOMETHING.

YOU KNOW WHAT I BETTER DO
IN THE MORNING ? NO, MR. SMITH.

WHAT'D YOU BETTER ?
I'D BETTER GO OUT TO MOUNT VERNON.

BE SORT OF
A FINE THING TO DO.

VISIT WASHINGTON'S HOME
BEFORE WALKING INTO THE SENATE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

DON'T YOU THINK
THAT'D BE A GOOD IDEA ? WONDERFUL.

PUTS YOU RIGHT
IN THE MOOD. UH-HUH.

WHAT'S THAT ?
OH.

MOVIE HOUSES.

[ Howard ]
IN MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, CAPRA TAKES HIS NAIVE HERO...

INTO AMERICA'S
CORRIDORS OF POWER...

AND SHOWS HOW INNOCENCE
AND BELIEF HAVE A POWER ALL THEIR OWN.

INNOCENCE LEADS
TO BELIEF.

AND BELIEF IS THE ONE THING
WHICH CAN DEFEAT CYNICISM.

AND THOSE WHO ARE CYNICAL
FEAR BELIEF. THEY FEAR PASSION.

[ Men Laughing ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES...

THAT THERE-- THAT THERE BE
APPROPRIATED AS A LOAN...

A SUM SUFFICIENT TO CREATE
A NATIONAL BOYS' CAMP...

TO BE PAID BACK TO THE
UNITED STATES TREASURY BY CONTRIBUTIONS...

FROM BOYS OF AMERICA.

THIS CAMP, TO BE SITUATED ON
THE LAND AT AND ADJACENT TO...

THE HEADWATERS OF A STREAM
KNOWN AS WILLET CREEK IN TERRA CANYON--

[ Herskovitz ]
A LONE FIGURE WHO... BELIEVES...

BUT WHO DOESN'T HAVE
A LOT OF RESOURCES...

UP AGAINST FATE
OR ANTAGONISTS WHO WOULD DESTROY HIM.

I THINK THAT'S VERY MUCH
AT THE HEART OF...

THE DILEMMA OF EACH ONE
OF THOSE FILMS.

IF YOU THINK I'M
GOING BACK THERE AND TELL THOSE BOYS IN MY STATE...

AND SAY, "LOOK, FELLAS,
FORGET ABOUT IT.

"FORGET ALL THIS STUFF I'VE BEEN
TELLIN' YOU ABOUT THIS LAND YOU LIVE IN. IT'S HOOEY.

THIS ISN'T YOUR COUNTRY.
IT BELONGS TO A LOT OF JAMES TAYLORS."

OH, NO. NOT ME.

AND ANYBODY HERE THAT THINKS
I'M GONNA DO THAT, THEY GOT ANOTHER THINK COMIN'.

IN A WAY, THE CAPRA PICTURES
PICTURED AMERICA...

IN THE WAY IT WANTED ITSELF
TO BE PICTURED.

IT'S LIKE A-- A REAL DEMOCRACY.

IT WAS IDEOLOGICAL...

AND CERTAINLY A DEMOCRACY WHERE,
BASICALLY, MOST PEOPLE...

AGREED ON THE CORE OF IT.

YOU COULD DISAGREE ABOUT
OTHER THINGS AROUND IT, THE DETAILS,

BUT YOU HAD TO AGREE ON
THE DECENCY OF DEMOCRACY.

[ Loud Whistle ]

- [ Laughter ]
- THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

- I JUST WANTED TO FIND OUT
WHETHER YOU STILL HAD FACES. - [ Laughter Continues ]

WE ASPIRED TO BE MR. SMITH.

WE ASPIRED TO ALL OF
THOSE MOMENTS IN THE FILM...

THAT SPOKE
TO THAT INTENSE...

INNOCENT AND
MORAL INTEGRITY.

CAPRA FOUND
AMERICA IN HIMSELF...

AND BROUGHT IT OUT
AS NEEDED.

THERE'S A REASON WHY,
IN EUROPE,

THE FRENCH THOUGHT
SO HIGHLY OF MR. SMITH.

BECAUSE IT MEANT
AMERICA TO THEM. IT MEANT VICTORY.

IT MEANT THAT THE NAZIS
WERE NOT GOING TO ULTIMATELY WIN THIS WAR.

AND THAT'S WHY
THOSE THEATER OWNERS PLAYED THAT MOVIE--

BECAUSE IT SPOKE
THOSE THOUGHTS SO CLEARLY.

I GUESS THIS IS JUST ANOTHER
LOST CAUSE, MR. PAYNE.

ALL YOU PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
ABOUT LOST CAUSES.

MR. PAYNE DOES.

HE SAID ONCE
THEY WERE THE ONLY CAUSES WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

AND HE FOUGHT
FOR THEM ONCE...

FOR THE ONLY REASON ANY MAN
EVER FIGHTS FOR THEM.

AND YOU KNOW YOU FIGHT FOR
THE LOST CAUSES HARDER THAN FOR ANY OTHERS.

YES, YOU EVEN
DIE FOR THEM.

YOU THINK I'M LICKED ?

YOU ALL THINK
I'M LICKED ?

WELL, I'M NOT LICKED.

AND I'M GONNA STAY
RIGHT HERE AND FIGHT FOR THIS LOST CAUSE...

EVEN IF THIS ROOM GETS FILLED
WITH LIES LIKE THESE,

AND THE TAYLORS
AND ALL THEIR ARMIES COME MARCHING INTO THIS PLACE.

SOMEBODY'LL LISTEN TO ME.

SOME--

- [ Woman Screams ]
- [ Crowd Gasping ]

[ Howard ]
MR. SMITH PREMIERED IN WASHINGTON...

WITH OFFICIAL CELEBRATIONS
AND EXCLUSIVE SCREENINGS FOR WASHINGTON'S ELITE.

RESPONSE TO THE FILM,
HOWEVER, WAS OUTRAGE.

CAPRA AND COHN
WERE SHOCKED.

OFFICIAL WASHINGTON
HATED MR. SMITH.

HOW DARE HOLLYWOOD SUGGEST
THAT A SENATOR OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS...

COULD POSSIBLY BE CORRUPT.

EDITORIALS AND LETTERS
WERE WRITTEN AGAINST THE FILM.

EXPEL ME, NOT HIM.
WILLIE CABOT'S A FRAUD.

IT'S A CRIME AGAINST
THE PEOPLE WHO SENT ME HERE, AND I COMMITTED IT.

EVERY WORD THAT BOY SAID
IS THE TRUTH,

EVERY WORD ABOUT TAYLOR
AND ME AND GRAFT...

AND THE ROTTEN POLITICAL
CORRUPTION OF MY STATE.

[ Howard ]
A STUNNED COLUMBIA QUICKLY MOVED THE FILM INTO GENERAL RELEASE.

THE PUBLIC'S REACTION
TO THE MOVIE, HOWEVER,

WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE
OF WASHINGTON'S.

[ Announcer ]
BY FAR, THE GREATEST PICTURE OF FILMDOM'S TOP DIRECTOR,

THREE-TIME WINNER
OF THE COVETED ACADEMY AWARD.

[ Howard ]
FOR GENERAL AUDIENCES, IT WAS NO SURPRISE...

THAT LIES AND CORRUPTION
WERE THE ORDER OF THE DAY IN WASHINGTON.

BUT IT ALSO SHOWED
A WORRIED AMERICA THAT THE PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY...

WERE STRONGER THAN THE MEN
WHO MIGHT DESTROY IT.

ULTIMATELY, MR. SMITH WOULD BE
A MAJOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS FOR COLUMBIA.

IT WOULD ALSO MARK THE END...

OF FRANK CAPRA'S
CAREER THERE.

CAPRA REALIZED THAT HE HAD
COME TO THE END OF THE ROAD AT COLUMBIA.

COHN WAS BEING
MORE AND MORE ANTAGONISTIC.

CAPRA LOVED FREEDOM,
AND AT THAT TIME EVERY STUDIO...

WOULD HAVE SIGNED UP FRANK CAPRA
FOR ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND WARNER BROTHERS GAVE HIM
AN OFFER HE COULDN'T REFUSE.

[ Howard ] WARNER BROTHERS
OFFERED TO PUT UP ALL THE MONEY FOR MEET JOHN DOE...

WHILE LEAVING OWNERSHIP TO FRANK
AND HIS PARTNER ROBERT RISKIN.

IT WOULD SET A NEW STANDARD
FOR RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIRECTORS AND STUDIOS,

ALLOWING DIRECTORS TO MAKE
A STUDIO FILM...

WITHOUT INTERFERENCE
FROM THE FRONT OFFICE.

IN THE FILM,
REPORTER BARBARA STANWYCK TRIES TO SAVE HER JOB...

BY MAKING UP A PHONY LETTER
TO THE EDITORS...

FROM A FICTIONAL CHARACTER
SHE CALLS JOHN DOE.

DOE IS PROTESTING AGAINST
THE PLIGHT OF THE LITTLE MAN...

IN AN INCREASINGLY CORRUPT
AND TROUBLED WORLD.

USING COMEDY, SENTIMENT AND
HOLLYWOOD'S MOST LIKEABLE STARS,

CAPRA LED HIS
UNSUSPECTING AUDIENCE...

INTO THE DARKEST CORNERS
OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.

NOW YOU'VE GOT YOURSELF
A MEAL TICKET AND YOU HATE TO LET GO.

IT'S A MEAL TICKET, BUT IT'S
ALSO A WINDFALL FOR MR. NORTON WHO'S TRYING TO CRASH POLITICS.

THAT'S WHAT YOU BOUGHT THE
NEWSPAPER FOR, ISN'T IT ? YOU WANT TO REACH A LOT OF PEOPLE.

WELL, PUT JOHN DOE ON THE AIR
AND YOU CAN REACH 130 MILLION OF THEM.

HE CAN SAY ANYTHING HE WANTS,
AND THEY'LL LISTEN TO HIM.

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL FORGET
THE GOVERNOR AND THE MAYOR AND ALL THE SMALL FRY LIKE THAT.

THIS CAN AROUSE
NATIONAL INTEREST.

IF HE MADE A HIT AROUND HERE,
HE CAN DO IT EVERY PLACE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.

AND YOU'LL BE PULLING
THE STRINGS, MR. NORTON.

WHO OWNS AMERICA ?
WHO RUNS AMERICA ?

IN THE 1930s, HE SAW CLEARLY
THAT IT WAS EDWARD ARNOLD AND HIS FACTION--

THE BANKS, THE POWER OF MONEY,
THE POWER OF SPECIAL INTERESTS.

MEET JOHN DOE IS BRILLIANT.

IT'S A BRILLIANT MOVIE,
THE WAY HE SHOWS THAT THE MEDIA...

CAN REACT IN THIS HYSTERICAL
AND SENTIMENTAL FASHION.

THEY ARE THE SENTIMENTAL ONES.
IT'S NOT FRANK CAPRA.

I KNOW A LOT OF YOU ARE SAYING,
"WHAT CAN I DO ?

I'M JUST A LITTLE PUNK.
I DON'T COUNT."

WELL, YOU'RE DEAD WRONG.
THE LITTLE PUNKS HAVE ALWAYS COUNTED...

BECAUSE, IN THE LONG RUN,
THE CHARACTER OF A COUNTRY...

IS THE SUM TOTAL
OF THE CHARACTER OF ITS LITTLE PUNKS.

WE'RE NOT LITTLE PEOPLE.

WE'RE VERY BIG THINGS.

CAPRA TOLD US
WE'RE HELD TOGETHER...

NOT BY OUR DIFFERENCES
AND NOT BY OUR COMMONALITY.

WE'RE HELD TOGETHER
BY THESE IDEAS.

NO COUNTRY HAS EVER BEEN
HELD TOGETHER BY IDEAS LIKE THAT.

AND THESE ARE
WHAT THEY ARE.

AND I'LL TELL YOU A TALE
ABOUT THESE IDEAS.

[ Howard ]
FRANK, THE ONE-TIME FORMER CON MAN,

KNEW ALL TOO WELL
HOW EASILY THE CROWD CAN BE FOOLED AND DUPED...

BY USING THEIR OWN INNOCENCE
AGAINST THEM.

[ Herskovitz ]
THE NOTION OF CREATING A MOVEMENT...

AND THE SENSE OF DESPERATION
OF THE PEOPLE IN THE MOVEMENT--

IT'S VERY,
VERY TELLING OF THAT PERIOD AND WHAT WAS GOING ON.

THE IDEA OF
A MEDIA-BUILT CHARACTER...

IS SUCH A DANGEROUS--
I MEAN, HE'S DEALING WITH THAT WHOLE IDEA...

OF MEGALOMANIACAL FASCISM
IN THAT MOVIE.

BUT I THINK HE SEES IT
WITHIN US.

WE'RE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER
WE'RE TOLD TO SOME DEGREE. HE'S ALWAYS FASCINATED WITH THAT.

I NEVER THOUGHT MUCH
ABOUT PEOPLE BEFORE.

THEY WERE ALWAYS JUST SOMEBODY
TO FILL UP THE BLEACHERS.

THE ONLY TIME I WORRIED
ABOUT THEM IS IF THEY--

IS WHEN THEY DIDN'T
COME IN TO SEE ME PITCH.

YOU KNOW,

LATELY I'VE BEEN WATCHIN' 'EM
WHEN I TALK TO 'EM.

I COULD SEE SOMETHING
IN THEIR FACES.

I COULD FEEL THAT...

THEY WERE HUNGRY
FOR SOMETHING.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN ?
MAYBE THAT'S WHY THEY CAME.

MAYBE THEY'RE
JUST LONELY...

AND WANTED SOMEBODY
TO SAY HELLO TO.

I KNOW HOW THEY FEEL.

I'VE BEEN LONELY
AND HUNGRY FOR SOMETHING PRACTICALLY ALL MY LIFE.

THAT'S CAPRA, YOU KNOW,
THAT THIS GUY FINDS HIMSELF ON A NATIONAL STAGE...

WITH PEOPLE
LISTENING TO HIM.

'CAUSE WASN'T IT CAPRA
WHO SAID THAT LINE ABOUT, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW,

FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE
ALONE IN THE DARK FOR TWO HOURS, YOU KNOW ?

IT'S NOT SO DIFFERENT
FROM WHAT THIS GUY WAS DOING IN THE FILM WHERE, SUDDENLY,

JUST SPEAKING WHAT WAS
ON HIS MIND WAS MOVING PEOPLE IN THIS REMARKABLE WAY.

[ Crowd Cheering ]

- THREE CHEERS FOR JOHN DOE !
- HURRAY !

[ Schickel ]
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THERE IS IN AMERICAN MOVIES...

ANYTHING MORE POWERFUL
THAN, UH,

THE RALLY IN THE RAIN
IN MEET JOHN DOE.

I THINK IT'S
A MASTERFUL ORCHESTRATION...

OF ALL THE ELEMENTS
OF FILMMAKING ON A GRAND SCALE.

- [ Crowd Yelling ]
- NEWSBOYS, HUNDREDS OF YELLING NEWSBOYS,

ARE SWARMING INTO THE PARK
LIKE LOCUSTS.

THEY'RE YELLING,
"JOHN DOE'S A THIEF." THIEF ?

[ Schickel ]
YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THE RALLY IN THE RAIN...

AND SEE HOW QUICKLY
THAT MASSED CROWD...

IS TURNED 180 DEGREES...

IN ITS FEELINGS
FOR JOHN DOE...

BY THE SIMPLEST
OF MEANS.

AND SUDDENLY,
THIS VOLATILE MASS HAS REVERSED ITSELF COMPLETELY.

THE IDEA IS STILL GOOD.

BELIEVE ME, FOLKS.

[ Angry Shouting ]

LISTEN, JOHN DOE'S STILL
THE HOPE OF THE WORLD.

I THINK MEET JOHN DOE IS
A KIND OF BROKEN MASTERPIECE.

IT'S A BUSTED-BACK
MASTERPIECE OF SOME KIND.

BECAUSE IT IS...
THE MOST DIRECT CONFRONTATION...

WITH ALL FRANK'S
DARKEST IMPULSES-- AND YOU KNOW WHAT ?

MAYBE ALL
OF OUR DARKEST IMPULSES.

IDIOT.
LIAR.

CHEAT.
IMPOSTOR.

HENRY HATHAWAY TOLD ME
HE WAS OFFERED MEET JOHN DOE TO DIRECT.

HE TURNED IT DOWN BECAUSE HE
SAID THE ENDING WAS IMPOSSIBLE. HOW DO YOU DO IT ?

YOU EITHER HAVE THE GUY
COMMIT SUICIDE, OR YOU DON'T HAVE A FILM.

AND IF YOU HAVE THE GUY
COMMIT SUICIDE, WHO'S GONNA WANT TO SEE THE FILM, YOU KNOW ?

SO CAPRA WAS IN
THIS TERRIBLE STORY-TRAP.

- JOHN, FORGET THIS FOOLISHNESS.
- STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE, MR. NORTON,

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GO
OVERBOARD WITH ME.

I'M GLAD YOU GENTLEMEN ARE HERE.

YOU KILLED THE JOHN DOE
MOVEMENT, ALL RIGHT,

BUT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT
BORN ALL OVER AGAIN.

NOW, TAKE A GOOD LOOK,
MR. NORTON.

JOHN !

JOHN ! OH, JOHN,
DON'T DO IT !

I LOVE YOU, DARLIN'.
OH, PLEASE !

PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP !

WE'LL START ALL OVER AGAIN,
JUST YOU AND I.

IT ISN'T TOO LATE.
THE JOHN DOE MOVEMENT ISN'T DEAD YET.

OF COURSE HE HAD TROUBLE
ENDING IT. THIS MOVIE FAMOUSLY HAD THREE DIFFERENT ENDINGS.

AND FINALLY,
HE HAD SOME STORY THAT SOME HUMBLE CITIZEN...

CAME FORWARD
AFTER A PREMIERE AND WROTE A LETTER OR SOMETHING...

AND SAID, "THIS IS HOW
IT MUST END."

MR. DOE,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO--

WE'RE WITH YOU,
MR. DOE.

WE JUST LOST OUR HEADS
AND ACTED LIKE A MOB.

WHAT BURT'S TRYING TO SAY IS
THAT WE NEED YOU, MR. DOE.

[ Milius ]
HE BELIEVES IN THE INDIVIDUAL,

THAT THE INDIVIDUAL,
WHEN HE IS AN INDIVIDUAL, IS BASICALLY GOOD.

[ Man ]
GO, JOHN ! MR. DOE !

HERE, WE'LL HELP YOU WITH HER.
SHE'LL BE ALL RIGHT.

MR. DOE, TAKE HER
RIGHT DOWN TO THE CAR.

THERE YOU ARE, NORTON:
THE PEOPLE. TRY AND LICK THAT.

[ Schickel ]
I FIND THE ENDING EXTREMELY MOVING MYSELF.

IT IS NOT INTELLECTUALLY
NECESSARILY,

YOU KNOW, THE MOST
DELICATELY NUANCED RESOLUTION...

TO THAT STORY
THAT WE CAN IMAGINE.

BUT, YOU KNOW,
AGAIN, LOOK.

YOU CAN SAY, "WELL, HE'S
A FILMMAKER. HE HAS TO MAKE SOME KIND OF A POPULAR ENDING."

BUT HE WAS ALSO A MAN
WHO, I THINK, NEVER WANTED TO ENTIRELY FACE UP...

TO ALL THE CONSEQUENCES
OF HIS DARKER THOUGHTS.

IT'S WHAT TAKES YOU
IN THAT ARC THAT TAKES YOU FROM DEEDS TO DOE.

DEEDS, SMITH AND DOE
REALLY DO ALL BELONG TOGETHER...

BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL ABOUT
RELATIVELY INNOCENT MEN...

WHO ARE TOUCHED BY POWER,
AND FINALLY,

IN THE CASE OF JOHN DOE,

COME VERY CLOSE TO
TOTAL CORRUPTION.

TO UNDERSTAND THAT
INNOCENCE IS IN ITSELF A DANGEROUS QUALITY IN PEOPLE...

BECAUSE IT'S SO MALLEABLE...

IS NO SMALL INSIGHT.

IT'S NO SMALL INSIGHT
TO MAKE A MOVIE CAREER OUT OF.

[ Howard ]
AS MEET JOHN DOE ROLLED OUT ACROSS AMERICAN MOVIE SCREENS...

IN MAY AND JUNE OF 1941,

FRANCE HAD ALREADY FALLEN,
AND THE GERMAN PANZERS WERE RACING ACROSS RUSSIA.

IT WAS NOW ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
BEFORE THE UNITED STATES JOINED THE FIGHT.

JOHN DOE HAD BEEN ANOTHER HIT.

AND WHILE THE STUDIOS
WERE OFFERING CAPRA THE MOON AND THE STARS TO JOIN THEM,

FRANK WAS SIGNING UP
WITH UNCLE SAM.

CAPRA DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT
FOR ENLISTING IN THE ARMY.

AT THE TIME HE WAS
A MIDDLE-AGED MAN WITH CHILDREN. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO.

A LOT OF HOLLYWOOD PEOPLE
STAYED IN HOLLYWOOD AND MADE A LOT OF MONEY,

AND CAPRA GAVE UP SOME OF
THE PRIME YEARS OF HIS CAREER...

TO MAKE $333 A MONTH
AS AN ARMY OFFICER.

[ Howard ]
FRANK WAS COMMISSIONED AS A MAJOR IN THE ARMY SIGNAL CORPS.

WHILE WAITING TO BE CALLED
TO ACTIVE DUTY, HE SCRAMBLED TO MAKE ONE MORE FILM.

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE WAS MADE
FAST AND RELATIVELY CHEAP.

LIKE HIS PREVIOUS TWO FILMS,
IT WAS A SMASH.

THE FILM, BASED ON
A HUGE BROADWAY SUCCESS,

WAS MADE, AS HE PUT IT,
"TO TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY'S FINANCIAL NEEDS...

FOR AS LONG AS THE WAR LASTS."

FOR A GALLON
OF ELDERBERRY WINE,

I TAKE ONE TEASPOONFUL
OF ARSENIC,

THEN ADD HALF
A TEASPOONFUL OF STRYCHNINE,

AND THEN, JUST A PINCH
OF CYANIDE.

MM. SHOULD HAVE
QUITE A KICK.

DURING THE LAST WEEK
OF SHOOTING, THE JAPANESE ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR,

AND MAJOR FRANK CAPRA
WENT OFF TO WAR. CHARGE !

CHARGE THE BLOCKHOUSE !

GENERAL GEORGE MARSHALL
HAD ASSIGNED FRANK...

TO RUN A SEPARATE UNIT
OF THE SIGNAL CORPS.

HE WOULD MAKE A SERIES OF FILMS
THAT WOULD EXPLAIN TO THE AVERAGE JOE...

WHY HE SHOULD FIGHT.

[ Film Narrator ]
MEN FROM THE GREEN HILLS OF NEW ENGLAND,

THE SUN-BAKED PLAINS
OF THE MIDDLE WEST,

THE COTTON FIELDS
OF THE SOUTH,

THE CLOSE-PACKED STREETS
OF MANHATTAN.

MEN FROM THE HILLS
AND FROM THE PLAINS,

FROM THE VILLAGES,
AND FROM THE CITIES.

BOOKKEEPERS, SODA JERKS,

MECHANICS, COLLEGE STUDENTS.

RICH MAN, POOR MAN,

BEGGAR MAN, THIEF,

DOCTOR, LAWYER,

MERCHANT, CHIEF,

FIGHTING FOR THEIR COUNTRY
WHILE HALF A WORLD AWAY FROM IT.

FIGHTING FOR THEIR COUNTRY
AND FOR MORE THAN THEIR COUNTRY.

FIGHTING FOR AN IDEAL.

[ Basinger ]
THE WHY WE FIGHT SERIES GAVE FRANK CAPRA,

A PERSON WHO BELIEVED IN AMERICA
AND IN THE AMERICAN WAY,

THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRIP AWAY
THE NARRATIVE...

AND SAY DIRECTLY
TO AMERICAN AUDIENCES OR TO THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MAN...

WHAT HE BELIEVED
ABOUT THE SYSTEM.

AND, OF COURSE, HE WAS
A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PROPAGANDIST. WHO BETTER ?

[ Howard ] IT WAS
FRANK'S IDEA TO USE THE ENEMY'S OWN PROPAGANDA FOOTAGE...

AS THE MAIN ELEMENTS
OF THE FILMS,

IN EFFECT TURNING
THE ENEMY'S PICTURES AGAINST THEMSELVES.

THE WAR RAGED ON
FOR FOUR YEARS.

FRANK CONTINUED PRODUCTION
ON THE WHY WE FIGHT SERIES...

AS WELL AS PRODUCING AND
SUPERVISING OTHER TRAINING...

AND EDUCATIONAL FILMS
FOR THE TROOPS.

THE FILMS WOULD WIN HIM
MORE HONORS,

INCLUDING A SPECIAL
ACADEMY AWARD...

AS WELL AS THE
ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, PERSONALLY AWARDED TO HIM...

BY WINSTON CHURCHILL.

HE WOULD, IN THE COURSE OF
MAKING THESE FILMS,

SEE ALMOST ALL OF
THE UNEDITED FOOTAGE SHOT BY COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHERS...

ON BOTH SIDES
OF THE CONFLICT.

IT LEFT AN INDELIBLE SCAR.

[ Basinger ]
WHENEVER I SEE THAT MATERIAL--

AND A DEEP SHUDDER GOES
THROUGH ME JUST TO THINK OF IT--

I OFTEN THINK,
"HOW COULD YOU RETURN...

"TO HOLLYWOOD...

TO MAKE EASY MOVIES
AFTER THIS ?"

THE CHANGE HAD TO BE
DEEP AND PROFOUND.

THOSE IMAGES STAY WITH YOU
A LONG TIME.

THE WAR IS
AN INTENSE EXPERIENCE, AND IT MAKES YOU...

VERY INTENSE AS A PERSON
AS A RESULT.

AND I THINK THAT
YOU TEND TO STRIP THINGS OF THEIR SURFACES...

BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEN
THE DOG-EAT-DOG NATURE OF REALITY,

AND I THINK IT'S
A VERY HARSH PICTURE.

[ Basinger ]
THE WAR ENDS. THEN YOU SEE A DIFFERENT STORY...

OF FRANK CAPRA'S LIFE
AND, OF COURSE, HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE
COME BACK FROM THE WAR...

AND FIND THAT THEY FEEL
DIFFERENTLY ABOUT FILMMAKING.

THEY FEEL DIFFERENTLY
ABOUT BEING ACTORS, ABOUT BEING DIRECTORS,

ABOUT TELLING
FANTASY STORIES.

OF COURSE, THE AUDIENCE
ALSO CHANGED, AND EVERYTHING PRIOR TO THE WAR IS ONE THING.

EVERYTHING AFTER THE WAR
IS REALLY SOMETHING ELSE.

[ Howard ]
IN LATE 1945, FRANK CAPRA WAS RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY.

JOINING TWO OF HOLLYWOOD'S
GREATEST DIRECTORS,

GEORGE STEVENS
AND WILLIAM WYLER,

FRANK HELPED CREATE
A NEW PRODUCTION COMPANY.

THE NEW COMPANY WOULD
GIVE THEM TOTAL ARTISTIC AND FINANCIAL FREEDOM.

THEY CALLED IT
LIBERTY FILMS.

AFTER FOUR YEARS
AWAY AT WAR,

FRANK WONDERED
IF HE COULD STILL CONNECT TO THE MOVIEGOING PUBLIC.

HOW DO YOU TRANSLATE
YOUR VISION OF TEXT...

IN A WAY THAT EVERYBODY,

NO MATTER WHAT
THEIR GENDER IS,

NO MATTER WHAT
THEIR RACE IS, THEY GET SOMETHING ?

THEY COME AWAY WITH A COMMON
EXPERIENCE-- THEIR OWN-- THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO.

THAT'S THE CHALLENGE
OF NOT A GOOD BUT A GREAT FILMMAKER.

[ Howard ]
IN MAY OF 1946, THE NEW COMPANY BEGAN THEIR FIRST PRODUCTION.

IT WOULD BECOME FRANK CAPRA'S
UNQUESTIONED MASTERPIECE.

ONE NIGHT I COULDN'T SLEEP,
2:30 IN THE MORNING,

WANDERED DOWN,
TURNED ON THE TV...

AND HAD ACTUALLY MISSED
THE CREDITS, SO I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF THE FILM.

I CAME ON JUST WHEN
THE TWO STARS ARE COMING TOGETHER IN THE BEGINNING,

AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
GEORGE BAILEY.

AND JUST GOT MESMERIZED
BY THIS FILM.

[ Heckerling ]
I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I SAW IT. SOMEBODY TOLD ME,

"YOU'RE GOING TO GO CRAZY
OVER THIS MOVIE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE CRYING YOUR EYES OUT."

AND I THOUGHT, "YEAH, YEAH.
WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT."

MARY, I KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO
TOMORROW AND THE NEXT DAY...

AND NEXT YEAR
AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT.

I'M SHAKIN' THE DUST OF THIS
CRUMMY LITTLE TOWN OFF MY FEET, AND I'M GONNA SEE THE WORLD !

THE PICTURE ITSELF WAS SUCH
A TURNING POINT IN HIS LIFE.

I BELIEVE THAT HE THOUGHT
HE HADN'T BEEN AFFECTED BY THE WAR AS MUCH AS HE HAD.

[ Man ]
CONGRATULATIONS ! [ Laughter ]

HARRY !
WHY DON'T YOU TELL SOMEBODY ?

[ All Chattering ]

YOU'RE REALLY
MARRIED ? WHY, YES.

WHAT'S A PRETTY GIRL LIKE YOU
DOING MARRYING THIS TWO-HEADED BROTHER OF MINE ?

I TELL YOU,
IT'S PURELY MERCENARY. MY FATHER OFFERED HIM A JOB.

OH, HE GOT YOU AND
THE JOB. WELL !

HARRY'S CUP
RUNNETH OVER !

UH, GEORGE,
ABOUT THAT JOB-- RUTH SPOKE OUT OF TURN.

I NEVER SAID I'D TAKE IT.
YOU'VE BEEN HOLDIN' THE BAG HERE FOR FOUR YEARS.

WELL, I WON'T
LET YOU DOWN, GEORGE. I WOULD LIKE TO T--

WAIT A MINUTE.
I FORGOT THE BAGS. I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

[ Man ] THIS IS
THE NEW MRS. BAILEY, MY NEPHEW'S WIFE.

[ Herskovitz ]
THE INEVITABLE LOSS OF YOUR DREAMS,

LOSS OF YOUR POWER,
FEELING A SENSE OF FAILURE--

IT'S SOMETHING
VERY UPSETTING TO REALIZE...

THAT, IF YOU HAVE DREAMS,
YOU'RE EVENTUALLY GONNA HAVE TO GIVE 'EM UP IN SOME WAY.

♪ [ Orchestra ]
[ Train Horn Blowing ]

THIS IS A MOVIE
ABOUT SUICIDE.

IT'S A MOVIE JUST LADEN
WITH THOUGHTS OF MORTALITY, OF DEATH.

IT IS AN EXTREMELY
ANGRY MOVIE.

AND THE SCENE
THAT I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF THAT ANGER...

IS THE SCENE IN WHICH
GEORGE PROPOSES TO THE DONNA REED CHARACTER.

IT IS THE CRAZIEST PROPOSAL
EVER PUT ON FILM.

- HI, SAM.
- WELL ! GEORGE BAILEY-OFSKY !

HEY, A FINE PAL YOU ARE.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYIN' TO DO, STEAL MY GIRL ?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN ?
NOBODY'S TRYIN' TO STEAL ANYBODY'S GIRL.

HERE.
HERE'S MARION. WAIT A MINUTE !

THE BEST SCENE IN THE WHOLE
MOVIE-- MAYBE THE BEST SCENE IN ALL MOVIES--

IS WHEN THEY'RE ON
THE TELEPHONE TOGETHER.

WE CAN BOTH HEAR.
COME HERE.

W-WE'RE LISTENING,
SAM.

[ Sam ] WELL, LOOK.
I HAVE A BIG DEAL COMING UP THAT'S GONNA MAKE US ALL RICH.

THAT SCENE IS A SCENE
WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON,

BUT YOU'RE NEVER LOST BECAUSE
HE HOOKS YOU EMOTIONALLY.

HE AND DONNA REED ARE, LIKE,
JUST BREATHIN' ON EACH OTHER.

SHE CAN'T MOVE FOR A SECOND.
AND THERE'S NOTHIN' SAID, NOTHIN' DONE.

JUST TWO PEOPLE, THE IDEA THAT
SOMEBODY ELSE WILL HAVE HER, HOW MUCH HE WANTS HER--

THERE IS NOTHING
MORE SEXUAL THAN THAT.

I-I'M HERE.

[ Sam ] WILL YOU TELL
THAT GUY I'M GIVING HIM THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME ?

DO YOU HEAR ?
THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME !

HE SAYS IT'S
THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME.

NOW, YOU LISTEN
TO ME !

I DON'T WANT ANY PLASTICS
AND I DON'T WANT ANY GROUND FLOORS.

AND I DON'T WANT TO
GET MARRIED EVER TO ANYONE ! YOU UNDERSTAND THAT ?

I WANNA DO
WHAT I WANNA DO.

AND YOU--
MARY ! GEORGE !

HE IS OUTRAGED
BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO REALLY MARRY HER...

BECAUSE HE KNOWS IF HE DOES
IT'S THE END OF HIS DREAM...

OF TRAVEL, OF THE GREAT WORLD,
OF ESCAPING...

THIS DREADFUL
LITTLE PROVINCIAL TOWN THAT HE'S STUCK IN.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO FALL IN LOVE,
AND HE FOUGHT IT,

WHICH MOST OF US,
I THINK, DO.

THAT'S THE SIDE OF US
THAT DOESN'T WANT TO SAY,

"THINGS ARE NICE.
THINGS ARE LOVELY."

HE ALWAYS PLAYED
AGAINST THE SENTIMENT.

HE DID NORMAN ROCKWELL,
BUT "LOOK AT THIS SIDE OF THE PAINTING."

[ Crowd Chattering ]

HEY, ERNIE. YOU GOT ANY MONEY
IN THE BANK, YOU'D BETTER HURRY.

[ Mary ] GEORGE,
LET'S NOT STOP. LET'S GO. JUST A MINUTE, DEAR.

UH-OH.
PLEASE, LET'S NOT STOP.

I'LL BE BACK
IN A MINUTE, MARY.

THE MOVIE DOESN'T STOP
FOR A SECOND.

IT'S LIKE,
BOOM-- IT'S SIX MONTHS LATER. BOOM-- THEY'RE MARRIED.

BOOM--
THERE'S A RUN ON THE BANK. HE DOESN'T WAIT.

AND THE AUDIENCE
IS RIGHT THERE THAT'S KNOWING THAT THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN...

FASTER THAN REAL LIFE,
IT HAS TO BE MORE CRAMMED WITH DETAIL THAN REAL LIFE,

THE RICHNESS OF IT--

ALONE, THAT STUFF WOULD
MAKE HIM ONE OF THE GREAT, GREAT FILMMAKERS.

LOOK AT YOU.
YOU USED TO BE SO COCKY.

YOU WERE GOING TO GO OUT
AND CONQUER THE WORLD.

YOU ONCE CALLED ME
A WARPED, FRUSTRATED OLD MAN.

WHAT ARE YOU BUT A WARPED,
FRUSTRATED YOUNG MAN ?

MISERABLE LITTLE CLERK
CRAWLIN' IN HERE ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES...

AND BEGGIN' FOR HELP.

NO SECURITIES, NO STOCKS,
NO BONDS.

NOTHIN' BUT A MISERABLE
LITTLE $500 EQUITY...

IN A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY.
[ Chuckles ]

YOU'RE WORTH MORE DEAD
THAN ALIVE.

FRANK PROBABLY SUFFERED
A GREAT DEAL IN LIFE...

IN MANY DIFFERENT INSTANCES.

A LOT OF TRAGEDY
OCCURRED IN HIS LIFE.

HE SUFFERED FROM GUILT,
HE HAD DEPRESSION,

HE HAD FAILURES.

YOU CANNOT MAKE
THE KIND OF FILM HE MADE IT...

WITHOUT THAT COMPLEXITY.

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THIS THING WITH AN ANGEL...

IS THIS HIDEOUS
AND VERY DISTURBING PORTRAIT...

OF WHAT LIFE
COULD HAVE BEEN,

MIGHT EVEN HAVE BEEN,
OR REALLY WAS INTERNALLY FOR THIS CHARACTER.

THAT'S THE DARK DREAM
OF AMERICA, ISN'T IT ?

IT'S ALSO, CONSIDERING
WHEN IT WAS MADE AND WHAT AMERICA LOOKS LIKE NOW--

IT'S ALSO A REMARKABLY
PRESCIENT VISION.

THERE'S SOME PART, AGAIN,
OF GEORGE...

WHO MAY REALIZE THAT
WHATEVER HE'S DONE...

IS IN VAIN.

THIS AMERICA IS
GOING TO COME...

AND IT'S NOT
GONNA BE PRETTY.

YOUR BROTHER HARRY BAILEY
BROKE THROUGH THE ICE...

AND WAS DROWNED
AT THE AGE OF NINE.

THAT'S A LIE !
HARRY BAILEY WENT TO WAR !

HE GOT THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL
OF HONOR. HE SAVED THE LIVES OF EVERY MAN ON THAT TRANSPORT.

EVERY MAN
ON THAT TRANSPORT DIED.

HARRY WASN'T THERE
TO SAVE THEM BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T THERE TO SAVE HARRY.

YOU SEE, GEORGE,
YOU REALLY HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE.

DON'T YOU SEE WHAT
A MISTAKE IT WOULD BE TO THROW IT AWAY ?

IN SOME WAY,
ALL OF OUR LIVES...

ARE BOUND IN
BY THE OBLIGATIONS WE HAVE TO OTHERS,

THAT THAT'S PART
OF BEING A GROWN-UP AND PART OF BEING A MAN.

AND THAT THERE IS
INEVITABLE PAIN ABOUT THAT.

AND THERE'S SUCH TRUTH TOLD
IN THAT MOVIE...

ABOUT...
THAT HUMILIATION.

AND YET,
WHAT YOU GET IN RETURN FOR THAT HUMILIATION--

I THINK THAT'S THE STORY
OF EVERY MARRIAGE, FINALLY.

IT'S THE STORY OF MOST CAREERS,
IN SOME SENSE.

AND, UM,
HE TOLD THE TRUTH.

[ Screams ]
HELLO, BEDFORD FALLS !

MERRY CHRISTMAS !
[ Heckerling ] IT'S NOT THAT HE WINS,

BECAUSE HE'S NOT REALLY
IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE.

HE'S STILL GOING TO HAVE
ALL THE SAME PROBLEMS.

BUT YOU REALIZE
THAT'S WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT.

YOU DO WHAT'S RIGHT
FOR YOUR FAMILY, WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU,

WHAT'S RIGHT
FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.

LET ME TOUCH YOU.
ARE YOU REAL ?

WHAT THEY CALL
HIS SENTIMENTALITY I DON'T AGREE WITH AT ALL.

I THINK THAT HE WAS
AN IDEALIST ABOVE ALL.

SO HIS ENDINGS,
FOR ME, WORK,

BUT SOMETIMES THEY
ARE FORCED ENDINGS...

IN THE SENSE THAT HE
WANTS IT TO WORK OUT...

BECAUSE HE KNOWS BETTER.

AND HE KNOWS THAT
THE DARKER SIDE OF NATURE OFTEN TRIUMPHS.

TO MY BIG BROTHER GEORGE,
THE RICHEST MAN IN TOWN.

[ Crowd Cheering ]

[ Howard ]
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE OPENED IN LATE DECEMBER OF 1946.

ITS CRITICAL RECEPTION WAS,
CONTRARY TO MYTH, EXTREMELY GOOD,

WINNING FIVE
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS.

FOR FRANK, HOWEVER, THE REVIEWS
HARDLY COMPENSATED...

FOR THE FILM'S
LACKLUSTER PUBLIC RECEPTION.

IN THE END, IT'S A WONDERFUL
LIFE WOULD BARELY RECOUP ITS PRODUCTION COSTS.

IT RAN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS
AND THEN WAS QUICKLY FORGOTTEN.

WHAT REALLY WAS INTERESTING
WAS HOW IT WAS REDISCOVERED.

IT WAS REDISCOVERED
WITH A PASSION.

UNBELIEVABLE.
NEVER HAS A FILM BEEN REDISCOVERED LIKE THAT.

NEVER WAS A FILM...

GRASPED WITH
SUCH YEARNING.

HE NEVER MADE
ANOTHER PICTURE OF THAT LEVEL.

BUT THEN, WHO HAS ?

[ Howard ]
LIBERTY FILMS WAS ALREADY IN DANGER OF IMMINENT COLLAPSE.

FRANK AND HIS PARTNERS
FACED ONEROUS TAX LAWS...

AND THE SLOW BOX-OFFICE RETURNS
THAT COULD CRIPPLE A SMALL INDEPENDENT LIKE LIBERTY.

CAPRA WANTED TO BE...

WHAT HARRY COHN WAS,
SO HE HAD TO HAVE A COMPANY.

WELL, THANK GOD,
CAPRA WASN'T HARRY COHN.

AND AS BIG AS CAPRA IS,

HE STILL NEEDED
A HARRY COHN.

AND THAT'S THE MYSTIQUE
OF MAKING MOTION PICTURES.

IT IS NOT
A ONE-MAN OPERATION.

HOLD IT ! FIVE SECONDS !
[ Howard ] FRANK, STILL REELING FROM THE DISAPPOINTMENT...

OF IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE,
DECIDED TO PUSH FORWARD WITH HIS NEXT PROJECT.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
WE INVITE YOU TO HISTORY.

[ Howard ]
STATE OF THE UNION, ADAPTED FROM A PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PLAY,

WOULD BE, IN MANY WAYS,
THE LAST FRANK CAPRA MOVIE.

LIKE THE PROTAGONISTS OF MANY
OF HIS CLASSIC FILMS,

STATE OF THE UNION CONCERNED
A HERO'S FALL FROM GRACE.

IT WAS A SUBJECT
AND FEAR NEVER FAR FROM FRANK'S OWN HEART.

FUNNY WORLD.

I WANT YOU TO BE PRESIDENT, SO I
GO BACK TO NEW YORK, AND YOU TOUR THE COUNTRY WITH YOUR WIFE.

POLITICS MAKES
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS.

[ Tom Capra ]
IT'S ABOUT A GUY, A SORT OF A LATTER-DAY ROSS PEROT,

WHO WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT
FOR THE WRONG REASONS...

AND THEN FINALLY
COMES TO HIS SENSES NEAR THE END OF THE FILM.

IT'S JUST A REMARKABLE
PIECE OF WORK...

BECAUSE IT'S SO TRUE
TO WHAT THE COUNTRY'S LIKE,

WHAT WAS HAPPENING
WITH TELEVISION AND THE USE OF MEDIA AT THAT TIME,

WHICH WAS REALLY SORT
OF PRESCIENT, REALLY AMAZING.

THIS IS GRANT MATTHEWS.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT,

BUT I CAN'T TAKE
ANY MORE OF THIS.

DON'T YOU SHUT ME OFF !
I'M PAYING FOR THIS BROADCAST.

DON'T CUT HIM OFF.
GIVE HIM A CHANCE. IT'LL COST ME MY JOB !

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THAT SPEECH YOU JUST HEARD--

[ Howard ]
FRANK CAPRA'S PASSION FOR USING MOVIES...

TO EXPLORE COMPLEX EMOTIONAL
AND POLITICAL IDEAS...

WAS BEING MET
WITH GROWING INDIFFERENCE...

BY A COUNTRY MORE INTERESTED IN
CLOSING DOWN POLITICAL DEBATE...

THAN EXPLORING IT.

I KNOW THIS COUNTRY.
I KNOW IT INSIDE OUT.

I KNOW ALL OF
ITS SIMMERING HATES.

I KNOW THE PETTY WARFARE
UNDERMINING OUR UNITY,

AND I THINK I KNOW
WHAT CAUSES IT.

IT'S FEAR.
IT'S NOTHING BUT FEAR.

FEAR OF THE FUTURE,
FEAR OF THE WORLD, FEAR OF COMMUNISM.

[ Scorsese ]
THE COUNTRY, UM, BECOMES FRAGMENTED.

AND THERE'S DOUBT
IN THE LATE '40s, EARLY '50s, HEAVY PARANOIA,

WHICH IS NOT PART OF
THAT CANON OF WORK, YOU SEE.

THE MOOD CHANGES.
HE NEEDED, LIKE, A UNIFIED PUBLIC FOR HIS MOVIES,

A UNIFIED PUBLIC THAT
WERE ALL FOR THE SAME THING.

THIS IS A GREAT COUNTRY. WE'RE
GONNA MAKE IT WORK. AFTER THE WAR, IT'S NOT UNIFIED ANYMORE.

[ Basinger ] THE TIMES WERE
VERY DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE IN THE POSTWAR PERIOD.

THE WHOLE
HUAC INVESTIGATIONS, THE BLACKLISTING.

AND EVEN PEOPLE LIKE
FRANK CAPRA, WHO PRESUMABLY WOULD NOT BE SOMEONE...

ANYONE WAS WORRIED ABOUT BEING
A NEGATIVE COMMUNIST INFLUENCE,

WAS INVESTIGATED.

[ Tom Capra ]
THE CONGRESSIONAL WATCHDOGS DIDN'T LIKE THAT FILM.

SO THEY DECIDED
HE WAS SUSPECT SOMEHOW.

TO ACCUSE HIM OF
BRINGING DAMAGE TO THE COUNTRY THAT HE LOVED...

WAS A VERY SAD THING
FOR HIM TO SEE.

HERE'S THIS GUY
WHO HAS SHAPED...

AMERICA'S VIEW
OF ITSELF.

ALL OF A SUDDEN,
HE'S BEING SUSPECTED BY THE VERY GOVERNMENT...

THAT HE'D BEEN WORKING FOR
DURING WORLD WAR II,

THAT HE HAD TRAINED
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS WITH HIS FILMS.

HE WAS VERY OUTRAGED
THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN.

AND IT WENT AWAY WITH--
NOT WITH A BANG, BUT WITH A WHIMPER.

[ Howard ]
CHARGES WERE NEVER OFFICIALLY BROUGHT AGAINST FRANK.

AND THE INVESTIGATION WAS
FINALLY CLOSED, BUT NOT WITHOUT DEEPLY SCARRING THE MAN...

WHO HAD SO FIERCELY LOVED
AND BELIEVED IN HIS COUNTRY.

[ Basinger ]
AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT COMING ALONG...

CONTRIBUTES TO PAIN,
AND TO DISILLUSIONMENT,

AND TO THE LACK OF ENERGY
AND COMMITMENT...

TO THE CONTINUATION
OF MAKING A FRANK CAPRA MOVIE.

DURING THE SHOOTING OF
STATE OF THE UNION,

LIBERTY FILMS WAS FINALLY SOLD
TO PARAMOUNT PICTURES.

IT WAS A DEVASTATING BLOW
TO FRANK WHO, DUE TO CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS,

HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO
SIGN ON WITH PARAMOUNT...

AS A CONTRACT DIRECTOR.

THAT FIRST FILM,
RIDING HIGH,

A REMAKE OF BROADWAY BILL,
WAS AN EFFICIENT IF UNDISTINGUISHED PICTURE.

IT WAS FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY
HERE COMES THE GROOM,

ANOTHER BING CROSBY VEHICLE
WHICH FRANK DIRECTED...

AT LEAST PARTLY
TO ATTAIN RELEASE FROM HIS PARAMOUNT CONTRACT.

THE FILM WAS A COMMERCIAL
AND CRITICAL SUCCESS,

BUT FRANK HIMSELF
WAS EXHAUSTED.

THE WAR, THE BITTER FAILURE
OF LIBERTY FILMS...

AND HIS CONTRACT DIRECTOR
STATUS AT PARAMOUNT...

LEFT HIM DRAINED.

HE DECIDED TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF
AND TRY HIS HAND AT BEING A GENTLEMAN FARMER.

IT DIDN'T TAKE HIM LONG
TO GET BORED.

WITHIN A YEAR, HE WAS RESTLESSLY
SEARCHING FOR A NEW PLACE...

TO INVEST
HIS BOUNDLESS ENERGY.

[ Tom Capra ]
HE TURNED TO TELEVISION, AND HE HAD A REALLY GOOD TIME...

DOING THE BELL TELEPHONE
SCIENCE SERIES.

[ Narrator ]
THE PACEMAKER SPEEDS UP THE HEARTBEAT.

[ Tom Capra ]
IT PUT TOGETHER FOR HIM...

HIS SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS
AND TALENT...

AND HIS DESIRE TO EDUCATE,
WHICH HE'D ALWAYS HAD-- HE'D ALWAYS WANTED TO TEACH.

AND FOR THE KIDS WHO SAW THE
BELL TELEPHONE SCIENCE SERIES--

I MEAN,
HEMO THE MAGNIFICENT IS, LIKE--

IT'S IN ALL OF OUR BRAINS--
THOSE LITTLE GUYS PUSHING THE HEART.

- WHAT'S THE MATTER ? PUSH !
- SOMETHIN'S WRONG. NOTHIN' GOES 'ROUND.

[ Howard ]
BY 1958, BUOYED BY THE SUCCESS OF HIS SCIENCE SERIES,

FRANK CAPRA RETURNED TO FILMS.

HE FOUND A HOLLYWOOD
THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED...

BY HIGH-POWERED AGENTS
AND THEIR POWERFUL STARS.

FINALLY, HIS AGENCY,
WILLIAM MORRIS, PUT TOGETHER WHAT THEY CALL A "PACKAGE."

SWEETIE.

[ Howard ] A CO-PRODUCTION OF
FRANK CAPRA AND FRANK SINATRA'S PRODUCTION COMPANIES,

THE FILM WAS A COLLISION
OF STYLES--

SINATRA'S SWINGING LOSER ADRIFT
IN A HIP FRANK CAPRA MOVIE.

[ Announcer ]
STEP UP AND MEET FRANK SINATRA AS THE BACHELOR OF THE YEAR...

ABOUT TO LOSE
HIS TITLE.

[ Howard ]
FRANK FOUND IT A DIFFERENT BUSINESS,

A BUSINESS DRIVEN BY
THE STARS, NOT THE STUDIOS AND NOT THE DIRECTOR.

DESPITE HIS MOUNTING
FRUSTRATION AND BITTERNESS,

FRANK STEELED HIMSELF
TO TRY ONE MORE TIME.

AGAIN IT WAS A REMAKE--
HIS OWN LADY FOR A DAY.

IT WAS CALLED
POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES.

HE HAD A TERRIBLE
EXPERIENCE ON THAT FILM.

IT WAS MORE OR LESS
PRODUCED BY GLENN FORD,

WHO WAS THE STAR.

AND HE WAS RATHER COZY
WITH HIS CO-STAR, HOPE LANGE, AT THE TIME.

AND HE WANTED MORE SCENERY
FOR HIM AND HER TOGETHER.

AND HE WAS TELLING
FRANK CAPRA WHAT TO DO.

THIS NEVER HAPPENED TO FRANK
IN HIS WHOLE CAREER.

[ Stone ] I WAS STUNNED TO SEE
HOW MUCH ABUSE HE TOOK IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE TWO FILMS,

BECAUSE AT THAT TIME,
IN THE 1950s, HE ACCURATELY DESCRIBED THE STAR SYSTEM...

WHEREIN A GLENN FORD
OR A FRANK SINATRA REALLY RAN THE SHOW.

THE DIRECTOR WAS BASICALLY
HIRED BY THE ACTOR TO KEEP HIM HAPPY.

HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE
IN THAT SITUATION, I GATHER.

HE WAS SO SOURED
ON THAT EXPERIENCE THAT, UH,

HE FINISHED IT
AS SOON AS HE COULD AND... NEVER WENT BACK.

HE WAS A WINNER...

AT ALL TIMES
AND AT ALL PRICES.

AND THAT'S WHY,
WHEN HE LOST...

LIBERTY, PARAMOUNT
IN THE LAST YEARS,

DESTROYED HIM.

AND AT THAT POINT
HE JUST DECIDED, "THAT'S IT.

I'M FINISHED
WITH THIS BUSINESS. I'M OUT OF HERE."

I THINK IF YOU'RE
MAKING FILM OR MAKING ANY KIND OF ART...

AT THE INTENSITY
THAT FRANK WAS MAKING IT IN HIS BEST YEARS,

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN
HOPE TO SUSTAIN THAT FOR A LIFETIME.

HONESTLY, IF YOU LOOK AT
MOST GREAT DIRECTORS,

IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR
LATE MOVIES, THEY DON'T EVER HAVE QUITE WHAT THEY HAD...

AT THAT MOMENT WHEN THEY WERE--
WHEN THEY WERE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE.

[ Howard ]
DEPRESSED AND RESTLESS, HE FOUND HIMSELF AT A LOSS.

FRANK CAPRA,
THE CONSUMMATE FILMMAKER, WAS UNABLE TO WORK...

IN THE MEDIUM THAT HAD
ALWAYS BEEN HIS VOICE.

FINALLY, IN FRUSTRATION,
HE TURNED TO WRITING.

PRODDED BY VARIOUS FRIENDS
AND FAMILY, HE DECIDED TO TELL HIS OWN STORY.

HE CALLED HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY
THE NAME ABOVE THE TITLE.

SO HE-- HE WROTE
ANOTHER CAPRA PICTURE.

I MEAN, HE WROTE A STORY
ABOUT A KID THAT MAKES IT...

ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP.

AND HE WROTE HIS OWN ENDING
TO HIS OWN LIFE.

HE WROTE HIS OWN
HAPPY ENDING, WHICH WAS GREAT.

THE BOOK WAS
A HUGE BEST-SELLER,

THE HIGHEST-SELLING BIOGRAPHY
OF A FILMMAKER EVER.

HE BECAME FAMOUS AGAIN.

HE AND MOM WERE IMMEDIATELY
INVITED TO EVERY UNIVERSITY IN THE COUNTRY.

FOR HIM, THAT WAS JUST
THE BEST THING THAT COULD'VE EVER HAPPENED TO HIM...

BECAUSE HE DISCOVERED
THAT WHILE HE COULDN'T MAKE MOVIES ANYMORE...

IN HOLLYWOOD
FOR ALL OF THOSE REASONS THAT ARE THERE,

THAT THE KIDS LOVED HIS FILMS
AND WANTED TO HEAR WHAT HE HAD TO SAY...

AND THOUGHT HE WAS,
LIKE, THE MASTER.

[ Howard ]
FRANK CAPRA DIED IN HIS SLEEP...

ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1991,
AT THE AGE OF 94...

AND WAS BURIED
NEXT TO HIS WIFE, LOU, IN INDIO, CALIFORNIA.

THE REASON WHY
CAPRA'S FILMS ENDURE...

IS BECAUSE THEY
TRUTHFULLY TALK ABOUT...

THE AMBIVALENCE
OF MODERN LIFE.

THEY ARE SO
INTERESTING, FINALLY, AT A DEEP EMOTIONAL LEVEL...

BECAUSE THEY CONVEY
TWO SIDES OF A PROBLEM ALWAYS.

MOVIES ARE CAPABLE
OF DOING THAT, AND WHEN YOU...

GO OUT AND TRY
TO MAKE A MOVIE,

THAT'S PART OF
WHAT'S IN YOUR HEAD, OF WHAT THE WHOLE ART IS CAPABLE OF.

CLEARLY, HE HAD A VARIETY
OF CONCERNS...

AND A DESIRE, A NEED,
EVEN, TO MOUTH OFF ABOUT THESE CONCERNS.

HE FACED A LOT OF OBSTACLES AND,
WITHOUT THAT PASSION, I DON'T THINK HE COULD'VE MADE IT.

THE BEST THING
ABOUT FRANK CAPRA'S DIRECTING...

WAS THAT HE KNEW A LOT...

AND SAID VERY LITTLE.

HE JUST DID IT
WITH TREMENDOUS PATIENCE...

AND HUMOR,
ALWAYS WITH HUMOR, ALWAYS WITH A LAUGH.

I ALWAYS SEE FRANK...

WITH A WONDERFUL
KIND OF EXPRESSION OF GLEE AND FUN,

AND HE-- HE REALLY LOVED
WHAT HE WAS DOING.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT
THE HAPPINESS AND THE JOY...

THAT HE HAD THERE
IN THOSE PICTURES...

THAT'S SO GENUINE,
THAT YOU CAN'T-- IT JUST KEEPS WORKING.

NOW, AS I SAY,
WE'RE HERE IN 1997 TALKING ABOUT IT.

CAPRA CAME INTO HIS OWN
AT A TIME...

WHEN ALL OF HIS STRENGTHS
AND ALL OF HIS STORYTELLING...

AND ALL OF HIS
INTERIOR ARTISTRY...

HAD EXACTLY
THE RIGHT PLATFORM...

AND EXACTLY
THE RIGHT AUDIENCE.

LONG BEFORE THE WORD AUTEUR
GOT INTO PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS,

HE WAS AN AUTEUR.

HE CALLED IT
"ONE MAN, ONE FILM."

AND YOU KNOW WHAT ?
IT'S TRUE.

IT WAS A FRANK CAPRA FILM.

IT WASN'T ANYBODY ELSE'S FILM.

IT POINTS OUT LOUD AND CLEAR
THE INDIVIDUALITY OF HIS WORK.

[ Stone ]
IT'S A SEARCH FOR TRUTH, AND TRUTH HAS ITS OWN LIGHT.

AND IF YOU SET OUT TO SAY
THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT AND TO DO IT,

THEY MAY DENIGRATE YOU,
THEY MAY SAY THAT YOU'RE FALSE,

BUT IN THE END,
I THINK THERE'S SOME LIGHT...

THAT SHINES
AROUND THAT PERSON.

I DO BELIEVE THAT.

IT'S BEEN SOME 60 YEARS
SINCE FRANK CAPRA MADE MOST OF THESE FILMS...

AND YET THEY STILL AFFECT US,
STILL SPEAK TO US.

PART OF THAT IS
THEIR NOSTALGIC VIEW OF THE WAY WE WERE.

BUT MOSTLY, FRANK'S MOVIES
CONTINUE TO BE A VISION...

OF WHAT AMERICA WANTS TO BE.

AND IN THAT WAY,
FRANK AND THE ADOPTED COUNTRY HE LOVED SO WELL...

CONTINUE TO BE
A PERFECT REFLECTION OF EACH OTHER.

[ Men Chattering ]

♪ [ Fiddle ]

♪ ONCE I WAS HAPPY
BUT NOW I'M FORLORN ♪

♪ LIKE AN OLD COAT
THAT IS TATTERED AND TORN ♪

♪ LEFT IN THIS WIDE WORLD
TO WEEP AND TO MOURN ♪

♪ BETRAYED BY
A MAIDEN PRETTY ♪

♪ OH, THIS MAID THAT I LOVED
SHE WAS HANDSOME ♪

♪ AND I TRIED ALL I KNEW HOW
TO PLEASE ♪

♪ BUT I NEVER COULD PLEASE HER
ONE QUARTER SO WELL ♪

♪ AS THE MAN
ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE ♪

♪ HE FLIES THROUGH THE AIR
WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE ♪

♪ THE DARING YOUNG MAN
ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE ♪

♪ HIS ACTIONS ARE BRAVE
OH, ON AIR HE DOES SPEED ♪

♪ AND MY LOVE
HE PURLOINED AWAY ♪

CLOSED-CAPTIONED BY
CAPTIONS, INC. LOS ANGELES