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Frank Capra is one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of the medium. So much so, he ultimately became an adjective... "capra-esque"... describing a story in which an idealistic individual overcomes overwhelming odds in the face of systemic opppression, expressing the depression-era American mythology of tragedy defeated by optimism and good ole American morality.
His greatest films were all made during a 20-year period, mostly concentrated in the mid-late 1930s. It was a relatively short peak, as great careers go, but it was extraordinarily high one.
He began in the silent era, idolizing John ford. He worked on Mack Sennett's "our gang" comedy shorts, and wrote and directed the early work of Harry Langdon. "The Strong Man" (1926) is Langdon's best film, and still worth seeing today.
But it isn't until AMERICAN MADNESS (1932) that Capra finally starts to becomes "Capra"... an artist commenting on the social conditions of his time. Still, with this film and the subsequent BITTER TEA OF GENERAL YEN (1933), LOST HORIZON (1937), MEET JOHN DOE (1941), ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) and STATE OF THE UNION (1948), Capra works in a darker, moodier, more tragic, less comic mode than we generally think of when characterizing his work, and it was a style that never resulted in much commercial success for him, despite resulting in some brilliant films.
Instead, it's Capra's romantic comedy IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) that launched his career as one of the top directors of his time. Beyond commercial success, however, its not until MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (1936) that you see the melding of the romantic, the comic and the populist threads in the style known as "Capra-Corn" in its fully developed form. It is the signature style of DEEDS, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (1938), MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939) and MEET JOHN DOE (though this one is less comic than the rest). These films came to represent America in the 1930s, both to the audiences of the time and subsequent generations. It was about the defeat of totalitarian institutions and cynicism by a brave and pure christ-like individual who redeems us all.
An Italian immigrant, Capra loved his adopted country, so after serving in WWI, Capra now wanted to serve in WWII. He did so by using his skills for propaganda in creating the documentary series called WHY WE FIGHT. During the war, he also managed to churn out a delightful adaptation of the play ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944).
After the war, he made 2 flops, including his last great film ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) and the DOE-like STATE OF THE UNION (1948), which showed his formula to have run its course.
He went to work in TV in the 50s, without creating much of significance. His final film, Damon Runyon's POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES (1961) is a ham-fisted remake of his original LADY FOR A DAY (1933), but it does have a terrific Peter Falk performance and its the first film of the incredibly beautiful Ann-Margret. For those facts alone, its worth seeing.
It seems no coincidence that Capra's career was at its best during FDR's extended presidency. Like FDR, Capra offered hope in a dark time, and like FDR, said we are in fact our brother's keeper.
He became unhip and outdated at some point (probably the 1970s), but its unfair and his films are still important, moving documents that record the idealized America that exists in the immigrant's dream.
And if you can't dream it, you can't be it.
A dozen to see:
The Strong Man (1926)
Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)
It Happened One Night (1934)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
Lost Horizon (1937)
You Can't Take It with You (1938)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Meet John Doe (1941)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
State of the Union (1948)
Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
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