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IMDbPro

Meet John Doe

  • 19411941
  • PassedPassed
  • 2h 2m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
14K
YOUR RATING
Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck in Meet John Doe (1941)
A man needing money agrees to impersonate a non-existent person who said he'd be committing suicide as a protest, and a political movement begins.
Play trailer2:39
1 Video
99+ Photos
ComedyDramaRomance
A penniless drifter (Gary Cooper) is recruited by an ambitious columnist (Barbara Stanwyck) to impersonate a non-existent person who said he'd be committing suicide as a protest, and a socia... Read allA penniless drifter (Gary Cooper) is recruited by an ambitious columnist (Barbara Stanwyck) to impersonate a non-existent person who said he'd be committing suicide as a protest, and a social movement begins.A penniless drifter (Gary Cooper) is recruited by an ambitious columnist (Barbara Stanwyck) to impersonate a non-existent person who said he'd be committing suicide as a protest, and a social movement begins.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
14K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Frank Capra
  • Writers
    • Richard Connell(based on a story by)
    • Robert Presnell Sr.(based on a story by)
    • Robert Riskin(screen play)
  • Stars
    • Gary Cooper
    • Barbara Stanwyck
    • Edward Arnold
  • Director
    • Frank Capra
  • Writers
    • Richard Connell(based on a story by)
    • Robert Presnell Sr.(based on a story by)
    • Robert Riskin(screen play)
  • Stars
    • Gary Cooper
    • Barbara Stanwyck
    • Edward Arnold
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 116User reviews
    • 54Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Original Trailer
    Trailer 2:39
    Watch Original Trailer

    Photos115

    Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck Meet John Doe (1941) 0033891
    Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, and James Gleason in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Pat Flaherty in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Charles R. Moore in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Walter Soderling in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Gary Cooper and Cyril Thornton in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Barbara Stanwyck and Charles C. Wilson in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Charles C. Wilson in Meet John Doe (1941)
    Edward Keane in Meet John Doe (1941)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gary Cooper
    Gary Cooper
    • 'Long John' Willoughby
    Barbara Stanwyck
    Barbara Stanwyck
    • Ann Mitchell
    Edward Arnold
    Edward Arnold
    • D.B. Norton
    Walter Brennan
    Walter Brennan
    • The 'Colonel'
    Spring Byington
    Spring Byington
    • Mrs. Mitchell
    James Gleason
    James Gleason
    • Henry Connell
    Gene Lockhart
    Gene Lockhart
    • Mayor Lovett
    Rod La Rocque
    Rod La Rocque
    • Ted Sheldon
    Irving Bacon
    Irving Bacon
    • Beany
    Regis Toomey
    Regis Toomey
    • Bert Hansen
    J. Farrell MacDonald
    J. Farrell MacDonald
    • 'Sourpuss' Smithers
    Warren Hymer
    Warren Hymer
    • Angelface
    Harry Holman
    Harry Holman
    • Mayor Hawkins
    Andrew Tombes
    Andrew Tombes
    • Spencer
    Pierre Watkin
    Pierre Watkin
    • Hammett
    Stanley Andrews
    Stanley Andrews
    • Weston
    Mitchell Lewis
    Mitchell Lewis
    • Bennett
    Charles C. Wilson
    Charles C. Wilson
    • Charlie Dawson
    • (as Charles Wilson)
    • Director
      • Frank Capra
    • Writers
      • Richard Connell(based on a story by)
      • Robert Presnell Sr.(based on a story by)
      • Robert Riskin(screen play)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Frank Capra didn't want anyone to play John Doe except Gary Cooper, who agreed to the part (without reading a script) for two reasons: he had enjoyed working with Capra on Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and he wanted to work with Barbara Stanwyck.
    • Goofs
      After "John Doe" intrudes on D. B. Norton's dinner party and tells him off, Norton calls his newspaper and orders a special edition which will reveal Doe as a fraud. Doe takes a cab from Norton's house directly to the convention hall. Within minutes of his arrival there, a horde of newsboys appear with copies of the newspaper. It would be impossible to print an extra edition in such a short period of time. Correction: There isn't a plot hole, because D.B. Norton isn't saying nor implying that the newspaper will be printed from them on. He stated, before Ann is running after John Doe's in the Rain, "that he was prepared for this" and this does imply that the papers were already prepared, printed before. D.B. was a very rich man, callous, evil man. He foresaw all the problems in his investments.
    • Quotes

      Beany: What's a helot?

      The Colonel: You've ever been broke, sonny?

      Beany: Sure, mostly often.

      The Colonel: All right. You're walking along, not a nickel in your jeans, your free as the wind, nobody bothers ya. Hundreds of people pass you by in every line of business: shoes, hats, automobiles, radios, everything, and there all nice lovable people and they lets you alone, is that right? Then you get a hold of some dough and what happens, all those nice sweet lovable people become helots, a lotta heels. They begin to creep up on ya, trying to sell ya something: they get long claws and they get a stranglehold on ya, and you squirm and you duck and you holler and you try to push them away but you haven't got the chance. They gots ya. First thing ya know you own things, a car for instance, now your whole life is messed up with alot more stuff: you get license fees and number plates and gas and oil and taxes and insurance and identification cards and letters and bills and flat tires and dents and traffic tickets and motorcycle cops and tickets and courtrooms and lawers and fines and... a million and one other things. What happens? You're not the free and happy guy you used to be. You need to have money to pay for all those things, so you go after what the other fellas got. There you are, you're a helot yourself.

    • Alternate versions
      Also available in a computer-colorized version.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 54th Annual Academy Awards (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
      (1861) (uncredited)

      Music by William Steffe

      Lyrics by Julia Ward Howe

      Performed by Hall Johnson Choir

    User reviews116

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Sensitive and intelligent picture about triumphs and agonies of a good guy
    This classic movie written by Robert Riskin (Capra's usual) concerns about a fired journalist named Ann Mitchell (excellent Barbara Stanwyck , though first choice for the role was Anne Sheridan). She thinks up an original idea and prints a false letter from an unemployed , a down-and-out John Doe who threatens to commit suicide . The editor (James Gleason) hires John Willoughby (Gary Cooper in the title role playing with natural sincerity , as usual) to embodiment Doe. Willoughby is usually accompanied by his skeptical friend (Walter Brennan who steals the show) . John Doe protests against corrupts politicians , against the shutting doors at hospitals for needy and complains about abundant injustice . Doe founds 'John Doe clubs' along the cities and Democratic and Republic headquarters are worried because everybody join to John Doe . John starts a political movement but the publisher Norton (Edward Arnold) has a secret scheme. Doe eventually realizes who he's being used and takes on corruption and win , not without coming heart-rendingly close to failure.

    An enjoyable Frank Capra film that displays drama , a love story and biting social critical ; however , being a bit slow in part for overlong dialogs and speeches . Capra's touches of sensibility and intelligence in presenting characters had his spectators sharing triumphs and flops . Frank Capra was an expert in manipulating their emotions such as proved in his films of the 1930s and 1940s , as he influenced the lives and beliefs of people of the nation with movies as 'Mr Deeds goes to town' , 'You can't take it with you' , 'It's wonderful life' and 'Meet John Doe' . The film packs a good score by Dimitri Tiomkin and nice cinematography by George Barnes , though available in a horrible colorized versión . The motion picture was well realized with realism and cleverness and wonderfully well acted at the same time. Rating : Better than average , the movie will appeal to cinema classics lovers
    helpful•6
    1
    • ma-cortes
    • Oct 16, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 3, 1941 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Frank Capra's 'Meet John Doe'
    • Filming locations
      • Wrigley Field - 42nd Place & Avalon Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Frank Capra Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 2 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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