Mr. Smith Goes to Washington [DVD]

Very impress with the packaging the DVD was protected. The package came all the way from California in perfect condition. I would give it a 10 Star if possible.The Movie picture was clear and bright. James Stewart is my favorite actor. All the actors in the movie were great.Be nice to have more old time movies for entertainment.

Awesome movie! Everyone should watch this who cares about the country and government. Very insightful. Great acting!

Very good sound quality on a wonderful movie! Stellar cast! Great lesson on justice in this light comedy and also vibrantly dramatic movie: refreshing! 🥤🍿

My first inclination was to complain that this DVD is like way overpriced and has not come down in price in some time. Yes, it is a truly great movie, and the DVD has some extra goodies, but there is no reason why it still should be way over $20 in price. That being said, there are few films that might be worth it and this is one of them. It still captures the essence of what being an American is--or what it should be. The lone man voicing his ideas against the machine, reminding us of what sanity is, of what priorities should be. At no time in American history is such a voice needed more than now: we want to send nearly $100 Billion to our enemy while people here will starve today. If that isn't the "Taylor machine" I don't know what is. This film speaks to the real war on terror--the grip that power and greed have on this country at any given time. In movies, especially Frank Capra movies, it all comes out ok in the end, even though many of his films have a suicidal crisis in them at some point. Meet John Doe, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, It's a Wonderful Life, and Mr. Smith all have a suicide that nearly happens. Why would that be,in the films of Frank Capra, considered the "feel good" director of all time? Because at some point life can become not worth living when all of its better values have been perverted, when it seems hopeless and that there is no way out of the madness,when one cannot bear all the tension and contradiction.(Gee, sorry for such a downer review). It might have something to do with the fact that the country was in the "Great Depression", economically and psychologically in the group sense, and that things really were pretty bleak. In Capra films, the response to despair is hope (that the badness will relent) and kindness (the kindness of others towards the unfortunate). And maybe that is the answer for our time as well. Where will we find it? Anyway, all this malarkey aside, Mr. Smith is a great movie, full of laughs, drama, and telling satire, a landmark performance by Jimmy Stewart, and well supported by a great cast all around--Claude Rains, Thomas Mitchell, Jean Arthur, Harry Carey, Edward Arnold. One of the most enjoyable films you will ever see and worth the high price you will pay for the DVD. And now, my filibuster ends.ADDENDUM/March 2009--looks like the price has finally come down to earth--along with the rest of the economy!!! Buy this film now, it might save you from total disillusionment in the system!!! If we needed Mr. Smith badly when I first wrote this, we surely need it now!!!

Frank Capra’s 1939 film, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” follows a naïve young senator, Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), appointed to fill a seat. Unbeknownst to him, the political machine Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold) runs in his home state plans to push through a budget bill that will have the government buy land belonging to Taylor through shell companies for a dam project. Smith, an idealist, learns of the plan and must work with his assistant Clarissa Saunders (Jean Arthur) to reveal the graft. He battles the Taylor machine and even finds himself at odds with Senator Joseph Harrison Paine (Claude Rains), an old friend of his father’s. Rounding out the cast are Guy Kibbee as Governor Hubert Hopper, Thomas Mitchell as “Diz” Moore, and Harry Carey as the President of the Senate.The production is beautiful, with plenty of on-scene filming from Washington, D.C. and a faithful recreation of the Senate Chambers, Press Club, and more. Fans of Capra’s filmmaking, in particular the fast-talking, character-driven style he used in “It Happened One Night” (1934) and “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” (1936), will find plenty of that here. The story is a bit darker as it balances the optimism of Stewart’s Jeff Smith against the corruption in politics, but it still shows the power of optimism and the ability of one person to make a difference, much like Capra’s later film, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946). There’s a certain unashamed sentimentality in Capra’s work that appeals to the best in all of us and that’s on display here.Bonus features on this Blu-ray include a commentary track from Frank Capra, Jr., a documentary hosted by Ron Howard about Frank Capra’s American Dream, trailers, and other interviews. The design of the Blu-ray packaging is also nice and includes a booklet by Jeremy Arnold about the making of the film as well as profiles on the actors and a look at the restoration process.

Very watchable with good picture and sound.