Meet John Doe (1941) User Reviews (120)

The third film in Capra's unofficial trilogy is darkly wonderful.

[hitchcockthelegend · 9/10 · 4 March 2008]

After doing Mr Deeds Goes To Town and Mr Smith Goes To Washington for Columbia, Capra quit and made this third film about an average Joe thrust into a powerful world where exploitation is high on the agenda, but in true Capra style the story unfolds to a customary flip flop triumph.

Ann Mitchell is a struggling journalist who gets fired from her newspaper job by new editor Henry Connell, by way of venting her frustrations she writes in her stinging last article about a man called John Doe who is tired of being pushed around and held back by the big bosses, she finishes the piece by claiming that Doe will commit suicide on Christmas Eve by leaping off the roof of city hall, the public react to the letter with tremendous heart and Doe becomes a champion of the people.

After Connell gets interested in the letter Ann has to confess that she made it up, they hatch a plan to turn a real unemployed drop out into John Doe so as to continue the story and sell more papers, and of course Ann gets to keep her job. This brings in ex minor league pitcher Long John Willoughby, who is down on his luck and very short of cash, and this is when the story shifts from amiable comedy on to a much darker path, the result making for a riveting watch.

Whilst not being up with the best Capra films in his armoury, it is, however, one of his smartest. The portrayal of the human spirit in many guises is stark and poignant, whilst thematically Capra got his point over about the unsavoury elements blossoming in America. The cast are nailed on watchable, Gary Cooper is John Doe, the right amount of sympathy and guts is garnered from his performance, and in one rousing speech he has the viewers in the palm of his hand. Barbara Stanwyck is Ann Mitchell and she delivers a great turn that calls for a number of emotions to be performed convincingly, while the support cast are all solid with the stand out a bizarrely unnerving Edward Arnold as D B. Norton; a man wishing to be a dictator if ever there was one. 10/10

Dark yet optimistic, beautifully realized piece of Americana as only Capra can dream up.

[gbrumburgh-1 · 8/10 · 17 January 2002]

Frank Capra's unabashed patriotism wins another pennant for Team U.S.A. with `Meet John Doe,' an Oscar-nominated feature (for original screenplay) that roots for the underdog while demonstrating the power of the people en masse. He backs up his strong, daunting ideology with sharp, crisp writing and even sharper character delineation. Capra's social piece was timely released in 1940, when Nazi sympathizers were gaining a potent voice in America, just prior to our involvement in WWII.

Struggling columnist Ann Mitchell (the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck) is one of many about to receive their walking papers as the latest casualties of a newspaper takeover. Learning that her dismissal is in part due to a writing style that lacks bite, she vents her anger on her last assignment, fabricating and printing a somber, biting `John Doe' letter. `Written' by a despairing, unemployed man, who, tired of life's indignities, has given up on an indifferent, capitalistic society, the writer vows to throw himself off the top of City Hall on Christmas Eve.

Ann's last column sparks a major outpouring of varying concern, not only from top government officials, but from newspaper competitors who claims the piece is a work of fiction designed to promote sales subscriptions, and from the public who are genuinely moved by this man's plight. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the new editor-in-chief (James Gleason, in a marvelous turn) reluctantly keeps Ann on the payroll (with a bonus) while deciding to run with the story. Auditioning indigent men to lend a face to their `John Doe,' they find their man in 'Long John' Willoughby (played to perfection by Gary Cooper), an ex-baseball player who has fallen on hard times. Willoughby becomes an instant celebrity and an identifiable symbol of integrity and humanity. `John Doe' clubs soon start sprouting up all over the place promoting `good neighbor' policies. Trouble brews, however, when a ruthless financier (played with typical malice by Edward Arnold) agrees to sponsor `John Doe' appearances for radio and the lecture circuit, then threatens the movement by using it for his own political aspirations.

Cooper and Stanwyck are ideal in their top roles. Stanwyck is peerless when it comes to playing smart, gutsy gals. Here, she shows all sorts of vibrant colors as an assertive reporter trying desperately to climb up the newspaper ladder without getting her hands too dirty, trapped on both sides of the fence and playing both sides superbly. Coop too is deeply affecting, the epitome of the `aw shucks' kind of 'everyman' who manages to find a stirring, articulate voice underneath all that awkwardness and reticence. Nobody plays this kind of role better.

It helps too that the leads are surrounded by all-star character pros. James Gleason is marvelous as the frustrated editor who must wrestle with his conscience as the hoax he orchestrated gets seriously out of hand. He has one exquisitely tipsy scene in a bar with Coop where he lays all the cards out on the table. Regis Toomey, as a prime spokesperson for the "John Doe" movement, has a touching moment as he expresses the impact the club has made on his community. Edward Arnold is exemplary as the manipulating moneybags, and Walter Brennan's straightforward Colonel is insightful as Coop's obstinate buddy who sees his friend falling into the same opportunistic trappings he is supposedly rebelling against. The one veteran, scene-stealing player not up to snuff is Spring Byington, who is stuck on the bench in a rather benign, devoted mom role.

The only foul ball I found in this fast-paced, smooth-running story takes place atop the City Hall with an overly hysterical Stanwyck punching home Capra's idealism ad nauseum. It could have been more effective with a still strong but subtler set-up and approach. So, hey, it's not quite a shutout, but why quibble when the rest of the film is way ahead of the game.

Like the equally dark `It's a Wonderful Life,' Capra's genius is that he knows how to pitch and score the important points when necessary, not only with laughter and tears, but with unyielding hope and, most significantly, with words. It's more than any home crowd can ask for.

WOW!!.....Again!

[wretchedhive · 9/10 · 29 June 2000]

About 15 or twenty years ago MEET JOHN DOE aired on a saturday matinee program on the CBC. I watched it and absolutely loved it. In the ensuing two decades I have Studied Film History and the art of film making. I have debated Film Theory and criticisum with some of the country's most film-smart people and have worked extensively in the film industry. And very rarely through all of this was Meet John Doe mentioned. The other day I saw A copy of the film in a used video store, remembered it from my youth and promptly bought it. And after viewing it again I have to say it is definetly one of the finest motion-pictures I have ever seen. It has to be one of the most under-rated movies ever made. The social commentary exhibeted is one of the boldest that the medium has ever presented, especially considering the time it was made. A time when media propaganda was a driving force for home-shore morale at the beginning of WWII. Capra and langs techniques in this work are absoloutly astounding. The riot scene should be looked upon as ground breaking. The performances (both the lead and supporting) are among some of the finest and most endearing of the time. Needless to say I'm going to be toot this films horn for quite some time. (I think I'll go watch it again.)

Pollyanna eh?

[B&W-2 · 10/10 · 9 April 1999]

This film offers a standing rebuke to critics who use the term "Capracorn". None of Capra's films are as blindly optimistic as is often argued, but this one is a pitch-black jeremiad against manipulation by the media. The mob scene at the "John Doe" convention is one of the powerful scenes ever filmed. Stanwyck is incredible as reporter Anne Mitchell. She is one of the great actresses of the century, and she always did her best work Capra, whose female characters are generally more compelling to the women we get in the movies of our "liberated" era. Cooper is fantastic as a truly "average" guy who is "awakened" by his experience with the John Doe movement, and Edward Arnold is absolutely terrifying in the role of Fascist D.B. Norton. This film is even more relevant today than when it was made, and I would argue that it should be viewed in high schools across the continent. Capra is asking his viewers to think critically of EVERYTHING they hear on the radio or see in papers or hear from elites, and amen to that!

Who is John Doe?

[hienai · 10/10 · 25 July 2004]

This film is a classic example of a movie working effortlessly on a range of different layers. Capra weaves his well-loved everyman through a tale of both simplicity and political intrigue, taking in the American depression and Biblical references along the way, and comes up with messages that remain startlingly relevant today, over six decades after this movie's release.

Gary Cooper delivers a masterful performance, and in keeping with the film, achieves this with a deceptively easy touch. He is supported by a peerless cast which includes Barbara Stanwyck and Walter Brennan, both on top form.

Perhaps most impressive is the illustration of Capra's democratic ideal by including the views of the audience throughout the story. You can find all your views being voiced by different characters at various points in the tale, opening the question of just who is the average everyman that Capra is seeking to show? - and how do they relate to you?

This movie is ten stars all over. Even for keen Capra fans, the expectation is surpassed by the final delivery. Thoroughly recommended.

Capra and Riskin at their best

[ceals · 26 December 2000]

There is so much to recommend this film, especially in repeat viewings. I'll try to touch on things rarely mentioned. The opening credit montage that ends with a solitary newborn in a hospital ward speaks volumes, as does the opening scene: the jackhammering of the old Bulletin cornerstone. The dream that Long John tells Ann about, in which he plays a dual role, is a warm and economic device for letting us know about what he feels for her and why she could go for her. The near-monologue of Bert, the "soda jerker," is as masterful in its sustained understatement as the small-town mayor's bumbling is hilarious. All of Capra's sound films starting with "American Madness" employ an effective, trademark montage, but "Meet John Doe" overflows with three. The Colonel's joyous Three Little Pigs dance inside the freight car to the rhythm of the rails is joyous. The Jesus metaphor throughout becomes heavyhanded at the very end but is saved by the dead-on final line about "the people." Finally, the movie succeeds not just because of its attributes that can carry over to other forms of art such as books or plays, but also because it is a uniquely cinematic experience.

The film that came close to being a masterpiece, as the one "dark" Capra movie...

[ElMaruecan82 · 7/10 · 21 November 2018]

Frank Capra's "Meet John Doe" opens with a medley resonating exactly as if every facet of America tried to speak for itself through one universal language which is music, the result is both cheerful and misleading.

Indeed, the first scene establishes the context with an eloquent subtext. A young clerk comes from the new editor manager's office and indicates through playful whistles the employees who're getting fired. The necessity and value of jobs are shown through a cruel irony, notice how no one protests as if it was part of a natural cycle in these Great Depression days and even non-blue collar jobs aren't immune to the ruthless laws of capitalism.

That's for a start, now there would be no story in the status quo, the narrative takes off when one of the ill-fated employees decide to rebel (the typical Capra move: it takes one voice to be raised). As a last act of bravura, she manufactures a letter of protest with the pen-name "John Doe" menacing to throw himself off the city hall building at Christmas eve if nothing's done to help the people. In our 2010's jargon, it's called a buzz.

And it sure does spread the 40s way (word-of-mouth, newspaper and radio) and one thing leading to another, Anne (Barbara Stanwyck) gets her job back with higher wages and convinces her boss to counter-attack the accusations of fakery by hiring a man who'd pretend to be John Doe. They find in Long John Willoughby the perfect average Joe, played by the always endearing Gary Cooper. John's a former baseball player whose career was cut short after an arm injury and whose life spiraled into poverty.

Cooper plays his usual reliable and dependable average Joe, but I didn't remember how lively and captivating he was. After watching his "Sergeant York" and "Pride of the Yankees", I'm surprised he wasn't nominated for that performance. Cooper plays a normal fellow who enjoys this sudden rush of wealth and splendor and who doesn't grasp the malicious intents of his advisers... not out of naivety but from a firm belief that they're acting for the best. There are also growing feelings toward Anne, but thankfully, the romance is never played out too loud (though the film has one or two sentimental moment too many).

Anyway, there are three characters who stand for their beliefs all through the films. John Doe and his sidekick (played by scene-stealing Walter Brennan) who enjoys the idleness of a life that doesn't hinge on any financial enslavement, his speech about the 'heelots' is still oddly relevant and I'm surprised that Capra could insert such a thought-provoking monologue in a film supposed to embrace all-American values. But perhaps behind this defiance toward the system, lies the failure of politicians to be entrusted by the people.

As D.P. Norton, Edward Arnold embodies that ordinary selfishness. The actor doesn't overplay the corrupt aspect as if lying and deception were a second nature, as if actually, there's no betrayal to blame on politicians because it's part of their plans, and we make a wrong diagnosis by labeling their policies as "failures". The clever foreshadowing of Norton's true nature comes from his interest toward the 'John Doe' concept and then his positive reaction from Anne's answer "for money" when she was asked about her motives. Money is a word that hits a chord, the man can buy power and he quickly understands that John Doe is the horse on which he should bet.

It all comes down to the central character of Anne who swims in different waters and has built a project that went beyond her own control. It just works too well and many average Joes join John's protests against the political corruption. The momentum is so great that there's room for a third political party but the man who pulls the strings is Norton and turns it into a 'grassroots' campaign. Anne's arc comes full closed when she realizes that she was as much a puppet as John, only with a higher price. She discovered at her own expenses that capitalism didn't exert its influence for the welfare of people but just as a never-ending cycle between money and power.

Interestingly, the boss who fired her in the first place, revealed himself to be a softer heart, and tells John about the scam. And I think "Meet John Doe" does more for patriotism than another flag-raising movie of the same year "Sergeant York", and it's as biting a social commentary as "Citizen Kane". Much more it's an interesting case of a story that can speak a thousand words and provide that epic vibe with just a clever use of editing and montage of newspapers, reaction shots and sign-brandishing shots. Capra proved to be a master storyteller in a territory he made his own with "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" and "Mr Smith Goes to Washington".

One was a lighthearted comedy, the second a drama, "Meet John Doe" starting like the former, evolving like the latter could have metamorphosed its narrative in a strikingly dramatic way to end with the overdue Christic climax, faithful to the spirit of the original story from Robert Presnell Jr. The current ending might be your typical Frank Capra's restoration of faith in mankind with the bells ringing (literally) and hearts singing "Alleluia" but it seemed to belong to another movie, so far from the level of grittiness and sharpness displayed before.

It has left a strong impact on me when I first saw it some ten years ago. I wasn't then the movie buff I am today, but I was underwhelmed by the conclusion, something was artificially fabricated to generate a happy ending that it failed to connect with the whole dynamics it was building up to that point. In other words, John Willoughby had to die. It would have been a rather tragic ending but with enough meaningfulness to seed bittersweet feelings and the sensation that things might get better.

A little heavy-handed, but a wonderful film

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 27 September 2018]

Director Frank Capra lays it on pretty thick here, with a message combining the love of one's fellow man, the need to defend America's freedoms, and the power of common people to stand up to the rich and powerful when they band together and act out of decency and truth. This is a film filled with big idealistic speeches and moments meant to stir the heart. Capra knew that the democracy faced threats all over the globe as WWII loomed, but also that America, like any other country, faced threats within, that it was possible that an authoritarian may rise to power here by exploiting the masses, and controlling the media. This was a real possibility in the 1940's, and of course, is still relevant today.

It's very telling that at the beginning of the movie, a newspaper is being taken over by a rich industrialist, who wants to stimulate circulation at any cost. The plaque outside the building reading "A free press means free people" is chiseled away, and replaced with one reading "A streamlined newspaper for a streamlined age." When a plucky young reporter (Barbara Stanwyck) keeps her job only by writing a fake letter from a John Doe, we're at first led to believe that the deception is for the better, because she uses the resulting column to push altruistic messages extracted from her late father's old writing. She and the newspaper editor (James Gleason) hire a local vagrant (Gary Cooper) to play the part of John Doe, and the message expands and catches on, so much so that 'John Doe Clubs' are being formed all over the country.

The message they push is one against all sorts of ills: the collapse of decency, corruption in local politics, graft in state relief, and hospitals shutting their doors to the needy. The idea is that if people could live up to Christian ideals all year round, rather than just at Christmas-time, that if they could simply 'love thy neighbor' and exercise tolerance for one another, they would not only feel better about life, but it would solve some of society's problems. All seems well, but lurking is the rich industrialist (Edward Arnold) funding the whole thing, initially for what seems to be the common good, but sure enough, he has ulterior motives. Thus, love your fellow man, but beware those seeking to control you. And for all his optimism and faith in man, Capra knew that a mob whipped into a frenzy was dangerous, and there are some dark elements in the film.

Edward Arnold is brilliant as the industrialist, and Gleason is excellent as the editor. The two of them turn in great performances in their supporting roles, with Gleason's speech while drunk ("Yep, I'm a sucker for this country...") is one of the film's strongest. He extols the idea that the freedoms enjoyed in America to speak and live freely were important, and far preferable to the totalitarian governments at both ends of the political spectrum in the world (e.g. Fascist Germany and the Communist Soviet Union). If that sounds like a nationalistic message it is, but it was appropriate for the period, and more than balanced out by the socialist and anti-materialistic messages.

Barbara Stanwyck is a delight to watch as always, and 1941 was a fantastic here for her ('Ball of Fire', also with Cooper, and 'The Lady Eve' came out that year). She's a wee melodramatic in the film's final scene though. Gary Cooper is just average in playing the bumbling everyman, and not as strong as Jimmy Stewart in similar roles for Capra. He is awkward and wide-eyed too often, especially early in the film. On the other hand, he shows a little bit of a devilish side in his subconscious, describing a dream of spanking Stanwyck at length (a scene which is a little odd). His best exchange with Stanwyck occurs when he senses she's also corrupt, and asks her "Did you write this?", referring to his next speech, she confesses yes but "I had no idea what was going on", and he pushes past her, remarking "That's a swell bracelet you're wearing," noticing the expensive gift she's received. He then proceeds to stand up to a group of powerful men, speaking for the little guy ("I'm just a mug and I know it. But I'm beginning to understand a lot of things. Why your types are as old as history. If you can't lay your dirty fingers on a decent idea, and twist it and squeeze it and stuff it into your own pocket, you slap it down! Like dogs! If you can't eat something you bury it!")

If it's not already apparent, if you're cynical by nature, this is probably not the film for you. And, I have to say, Capra uses just a teensy bit too much of a heavy hand here, among other things likening John Doe to Jesus Christ (you know, that other great socialist who preached love and tolerance). However, he also has brilliant moments when he lets everything linger, such as when the crowd is disillusioned and wonders who is telling them the truth. That moment is simply spellbinding. Solid film, with wonderful messages.

Sensitive and intelligent picture about triumphs and agonies of a good guy

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 16 October 2008]

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

Wonderful!!!~

[Elizabeth-328 · 10/10 · 9 January 2000]

This is a great movie. Gary Cooper is wonderful as John. At first, he does it for the money, but then, he feels bad because some people really have faith in him, and trust him. He feels guilty about being a fake. My favorite part is when he says:

"The John Doe idea may be the answer though! It may be the one thing capable of saving this cockeyed world. Yet you sit back there on your fat hulks and tell me you'll kill it if you can't use it. Well you go ahead and try, you couldn't do it in a million years with all your radio stations and all your power. Because it's bigger than whether I'm a fake, it's bigger than your ambitions and it's bigger than all the bracelets and fur coats in the world!"

I also think Barbara Stanwyck gives a wonderful performance as Ann. I love it when he's standing on the building, threatening to jump, and she tells him that she loves him, and the world does too, and they'll forgive him for lying. I cried so much!

I first saw this movie on Christmas Eve and I loved it. I guarantee it will be a tradition for many Christmases to come!

Craftsmanship, funny and touching.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 3 March 2009]

It's best to think of this as a Great Depression story, when it was probably conceived. Barbara Stanwyck is a reporter who tries to keep her job by concocting a letter from a nonexistent "John Doe" who is mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore. So he's going to jump off a skyscraper at midnight on Christmas Eve. When the letter is published, the public reacts with excitement. They vow support for the phantom Doe. Stanwyck's editor, James Gleason, decides that the newspaper and its owner, Edward Arnold, should go with the flow and hire some bum off the street to play John Doe.

They pick the friendly, innocent Gary Cooper, ex-minor-league baseball pitcher, accompanied by his equally crummy buddy, Walter Brennan. These two hobos are raggedy and hungry, the kind of people who at the time were called "bindle stiffs." The "bindle" was the bundle of personal effects they carried over their shoulders. A "stiff" was a person of no importance. You can still hear the word in the expression "working stiff." Where was I? These damned voices keep distracting me. Oh, yes.

So Cooper is hired to act as John Doe. After Christmas Eve, when he has his phony date with the angels, he is to be given a railroad ticket straight out of town and disappear.

Surprisingly, though, his radio speech turns the audience on. They love it. They form multitudes of John Doe Clubs all around the world. The John Doe philosophy? Nothing dangerous, don't worry. "Let's be kind to our neighbors." "Let's break down the walls separating all of us John Does."

The villainous Edward Arnold, the paper's owner, gets an idea. As the John Doe Clubs spring up all over, he sees their members not as airheaded do-gooders but as voters. This leads to a bright idea. In his next radio speech, John Doe will announce that Edward Arnold is forming a third party and running for president. All those John Does out there will vote for him -- "that's ninety percent of the vote."

And Arnold's philosophy is a little different from that of Cooper and Stanwyck, who has been writing his speeches. "Everybody's complaining," Arnold tells his cohort of corrupt goons, gangsters, politicians, and labor leaders. "What this country needs is a firm hand, some discipline." Does Arnold's scheme work? Of course it does. That's why he was elected president in 1944 and switched our allegiance to Nazi Germany and we lost the war and were occupied by the UN.

Well, the fact is that Arnold may be evil but these targets are pretty soft ones. The film is so stripped of real-life counterparts that it almost amounts to a fantasy. The private police force that Arnold has at his disposal are all dressed as State Police but their shoulder patches read "Norton Motorcycle Squad." Something else about Arnold. He probably gives the best performance in the movie. It's really quite subtle. He has to activate several latent roles -- loudmouthed dictator, thoughtful schemer, avuncular con man, and repentant fomenter of discord.

He's followed closely by Barbara Stanwyck, in one of her fine performances of the period, and by Cooper himself, who must look simultaneously stupid but sensitive. Cooper has a priceless moment near the beginning as he is shown to a fancy hotel room and allowed to order five hamburgers from room service. With a wide smile he hangs up the phone, then notices the statue of a bouquet-holding nude woman on the stand. His expression changes instantly to an exopthalmic gawk. Capra and the editor give him a full half minute to stare at it, touch it tentatively, and gulp, before Stanwyck's voice comes from behind him and he jumps. It's a small moment but an exquisitely comic one.

This was the last of three films that Frank Capra directed before entering the Army for World War II -- the others being "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town." All have in common an innocent young hero who runs into greed and corruption and through strength of will manages to overcome his adversaries. Capra was an apolitical populist and humanist, and there's a good deal of corniness in these movies, but that doesn't stop them from being successful. "John Doe", unlike the others, becomes almost tragic before the improbable end. After his war service, Capra directed one more wildly successful film, "It's a Wonderful Life," perhaps the best modern Christmas story, but it too had its moments of genuine anguish.

The Forgotten And Anonymous Get A Voice

[bkoganbing · 10/10 · 23 August 2006]

Meet John Doe was rudely jerked back into relevance in the Nineties by the emergence of a third party presidential candidate, wealthy enough to finance his own campaign, who ran in two presidential elections.

H.Ross Perot and Edward Arnold's D.B. Norton have some definite similarities. Both men of wealth, both ego maniacal enough to try and eschew the normal political route to the White House. Both firmly convinced they are what the USA needs.

Perot for all those graphs and charts didn't have much going for him in his candidacy other than a grudge against the Bush family. Although his platform isn't spelled out in Meet John Doe, Arnold says quite bluntly there's a new order of things coming and America needs a firm hand in the leadership. 'New Order' in 1941 meant fascism.

There's a marvelous bit of imagery that Frank Capra give us right at the beginning, it's one of my favorite moments in his films. The image of the old Daily Bulletin sign being sandblasted away about a free press guaranteeing a free people and vice versa. Replacing it is something about the new Daily Bulletin being a streamlined paper for the modern era.

Streamlining involves layoffs and the new editor James Gleason is giving out pink slips a plenty. One goes to Barbara Stanwyck who writes an innocuous chatty column. Gleason won't listen to her pleas so she fakes an anonymous letter from a man who signs it John Doe who threatens to jump off the City Hall Tower on Christmas Eve.

Stanwyck gets more than she bargained for and she and Gleason have to come up with a real John Doe. A sore armed former baseball pitcher, Gary Cooper, fills the bill.

This gets bigger and bigger and soon Arnold sees possibilities in it. Cooper goes on radio and delivers some homilies about love thy neighbor and being kind to others. He puts it over and a John Doe movement on these principles commences.

Homilies and bromides they may be. But love thy neighbor is a concept that should never go out of style. As is proved it's quite a bit bigger than the political aspirations of a snake.

This was the first teaming of Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. They followed it up with Ball of Fire another classic. Said to say that their third film, Blowing Wild, from the fifties hardly lived up to the first two.

Capra used a whole lot of familiar faces from his previous films in Meet John Doe. Also one new face who made his one and only Capra film, Cooper's good friend on screen and in life, Walter Brennan. He's Coop's cynical traveling companion on the open road, the Colonel.

Edward Arnold is one cold and sinister force in this film. I'm not sure but that this may be his penultimate role as a screen villain. His ambitions here would warrant that appraisal.

One performance I like is that of Regis Toomey. He plays a soda jerk who starts a John Doe Club in his small town. He has some great lines that he delivers simply and eloquently about how Cooper's first radio speech inspired him to really get to know some of the neighbors he had not bothered with before.

The lessons of Meet John Doe are simple and profound. Love Thy Neighbor and be kind to others are taught in all major religions and philosophies and the power is there when its focused. The other lesson I like is that the ordinary common people have a lot more in common than the things that divide them, be it race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, you name it.

Meet John Doe is a profound and moving film, but I be it's not one of H. Ross Perot's favorites.

Another Capra "fantasy" about the "everyman" vs. greedy businessmen....

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 7 May 2007]

Once again GARY COOPER is "everyman"--a man who has to fight mob mentality and show that he has the stuff to win the girl over to his side at the last moment--in time for the usual happy ending. Only here the ending is the least convincing five minutes in the whole story.

We've all seen this story before--usually under different Frank Capra titles. This time the heavy is EDWARD ARNOLD (instead of Claude Rains), the girl is BARBARA STANWYCK (instead of Jean Arthur), and for the finale we have a snowy winter scene reminiscent of some of the most dramatic moments from IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE...and it's New Year's Eve.

Capra rounded up a fine supporting cast to surround his stars with their usual competent performances--people like SPRING BYINGTON, JAMES GLEASON, WALTER BRENNAN and GENE LOCKHART--but his story is overlong and heavy on the social commentary.

The dramatic ending is spoiled by the dialog given Stanwyck as she tearfully pleads with Cooper not to take his life. Her speech is so full of wordy idealism and she plays it with such soap opera intensity that she had me cringing as I watched her clutching desperately at Cooper's sleeves before slipping to the floor. Stanwyck is an actress who never missed an opportunity to play a big scene with all she had, but it doesn't work here.

I never have seen a good print of MEET JOHN DOE--and the one being shown on TCM is occasionally murky and marred by soft focus. But to be honest, I don't think it's a film that I'm keen about viewing again.

Monologues galore

[xan-the-crawford-fan · 5/10 · 21 August 2021]

I should start off my review by politely pointing out that I am not overly fond of Frank Capra- let's use It's A Wonderful Life, for instance. He focuses way too much on the story behind George and Mary, and why George is the way he is. Pretty much nothing happens in the first hour. George becomes an unlikeable character, and you just want him to go away. Then Clarence the angel comes on-screen and is on-screen for too short of a time (about twenty minutes) to make an impact, you would think, based on how long the film is versus how much screen time he gets, but- his character is overwritten (is that a word?) Capra's pacing is too choppy, is what I'm trying to say. You care about characters that you're not meant to care about.

Meet John Doe has similar pacing problems. The story is too preachy, and whoever wrote the screenplay focused too much on the long-winded speeches and not the feeling behind them. Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck do what they can with their roles- they were both quite good actors, but I'm not sure why Gary Cooper was always cast as a bumbling idiot. Maybe he was a bumbling idiot. But also, to be honest, he was still kind of cute in the early 1940s.

Barbara Stanwyck I have only ever heard good things about, and this was my first film with her in it. To be honest, she doesn't quite live up to the expectation I had of this shiny goddess woman with a country twang (always pictured her having a country twang- don't know why- perhaps because she was in a lot of Westerns when she was older), but she didn't disappoint me, either. She does what she can with her character, even if her character did get so hammy at the end (specifically IN the ending scene) I wanted to give her an ol' smackeroo in the kisser.

Walter Brennan has a good supporting role as Cooper's sidekick- he makes his character, who is perhaps the most preachy of the lot, seem almost like a normal person. The rest of the cast is good, too, but stuck in stereotypical Capra roles.

And, of course, Capra has to add his signature touches. He, first, takes a story that would make a good 45-minute TV special and stretches it into a two-hour movie. He has to show shots of all the people. He also likes montages, but so do I, so I don't mind that part. The story has to be of one common, insignificant man who rises up against the system (or in this case, one John Doe), complaining of corruption and demanding change, uniting the people against the system.

Don't get me wrong- I thought it was much better than It's A Wonderful Life. I'm just not fond of Frank Capra as a director, nor am I fond of having propaganda shoved down my throat- I understand that there was a war going on, but Capra did these kinds of stories even before the war.

If you can handle getting preached at for two hours, it's pretty good film. Could have been shorter, but Cooper and Stanwyck had nice chemistry. See Ball Of Fire after this one and compare the two.

uplifting and moving and a message for all

[MartynGryphon · 14 August 2004]

Spoiler Director Frank Capra gives us yet another moralistic gem in the form of Meet John Doe. With a stella cast which include Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Brennan, Edward Arnold and James Gleason. Capra delivers a movie with a message of human kindness and compassion released exactly the same time as man was killing fellow men all over the world.

In order to keep her job at a failing newspaper Ann Mitchell (Stanwyck) concocts a phoney letter from a man who is determined to end his life in protest at the state of humanity and civilization, by jumping from the tower of city hall on Christmas eve.

The plight of the non existent man known only as John Doe touches the hearts of the papers readers. The Newspapers hard edged editor Connell, (Gleason), is now in a spot as Mitchell has declared that the letter was fake. With everyone trying to save John Doe and the Newspapers circulation improving, Connell and Mitchell decide to flesh out their creation by hiring someone to be John Doe. Enter Long John Whiloughby (Gary Cooper) a failed Baseball player who's homeless and looking for a job.

In return for money for an operation to enable John to continue his baseball career, he agrees to appear on radio as John Doe, explaining his reasons for his intended suicide and explaining that mans cruelness to others should cease and loving thy neighbour is the way forward for the world. Connell and Mitchell must first explain their actions to corrupt oil magnate and paper owner D B Norton (Edward Arnold).

After the Radio broadcast, John decides that he's being made out a stooge and goes back to his nomadic lifestyle. When recognised in a small hick town, He is soon aware of how much his radio broadcast has united the towns community. The community elect a spokesman in the form of Bert Hanson (Regis Toomey) who explains that they have formed their own 'John Doe Club'. John is visibly moved by what he has caused, and agrees to do a lecture tour of all the states in the hopes of uniting others.

D B Norton however, has other plans for the John Doe clubs and that is to unite the people through the John Doe cause and then exploit them by cornering their votes for his new 'third' political party and then rule with an 'Iron Hand' (sound familiar) Whether this party is Communist or Fascist is not explained but Norton does have his own Uniformed army at the ready not to mention many crooked politicians and Labour leaders in his slimy pockets.

During the Lecture tour, John and Ann develop their romance. On the Eve of a mass John Doe Convention, Connell becomes aware of Norton's scheme and tells John that he and the whole John Doe Movement is about to be exploited, to which John confronts Norton and is determined not to let his evil new order come to fruit. Wrongly thinking that Stanwyck is in cahoots with the would be dictator, tears up the intended speech and says he's gonna tell the people the truth. Norton's henchman are prepared for this eventuality and expose John as a phoney in front of thousands of John Doe members. Doe barely escapes injury as the crowd turns nasty.

With the John Doe clubs disbanded, the myth exposed, and the girl he loves out of his life, John makes up his mind to re-ignite the fire of the John Doe Movement by the only way that will prove that he is no longer a fake and that Norton's scheme can never transpire, and that is to obey the original text of the ficitious letter and to jump from the tower of the city hall.

Arnold's performance is outstanding as is Cooper's, and as he closes his eyes in silent prayer moments before he is to make his death leap brings a lump to your throat, and one of Stanwyk's final lines is equally as Moving ' If it's worth dying for then it's worth living for' Capra's film is strong to this date, and 60 odd years on has not dated as it gives a message as prevalent today as it was then. people can debate whether or not Capra deliberately made Doe out as a Christ-like figure till doomsday for all I care, I like the movie because it demonstrates that even the most ordinary man can make a difference.

As timely in 2016 as it was 75 years ago.

[mark.waltz · 9/10 · 25 December 2016]

City hall wouldn't be my choice as where to jump off a roof on Christmas Eve. A highly guarded tower in mid Manhattan would be my choice if I was inclined to do something like that. A big wealthy blowhard proves that corruption is king, and with political ambitions decides to run for President. But it's not quite time for the Antichrist to take over, and no amount of journalistic manipulation will change that, whether it's through social media or their own newspaper. Edward Arnold is the ruthless D.B. Norton whose obsession with power causes him to take over a dying newspaper, turning it around with sensation, but underestimating the power of the people: the real people. That's where the stars of this Frank Capra classic comes in, them being fired journalist Barbara Stanwyck and jobless baseball player Gary Cooper, hired by rehired Stanwyck and editor James Gleason to represent the average American man who will fulfill Stanwyck's column to represent the man who intends to jump off the roof on Christmas eve.

There's been constant discussion over this film for its message and especially over its conclusion. It's a masterpiece in many ways, certainly nor flawless, and exceptionally well acted. It's a reunion for Capra and Stanwyck, their first together in 8 years, coming at the height of her popularity, with three classics in one year, and one of two she starred in that year with Cooper. Stanwyck is feminine but tough, no namby pamby broad, ruthless in her ambitions, and yet with a strong ethical code that the promise of a ton of cash cannot buy. Cooper continues his continuation of the all American hero.

Supporting the two are imperious Arnold, wise cracking Gleason, and ornery Walter Brennan, giving his all as Cooper's sidekick. Spring Byington, Regis Toomey, Sterling Holloway and Gene Lockhart are secondary players who stand out amongst the usual assortment of Capra's regular ensemble players. It dies get a bit corny at times, but there are many moments that are really truth telling and honest. It's a movie that still provides hope in a difficult time and reminds us who really is running the show. Even in the most difficult times, it will be the real people who "trump" the tyrants.

The keys to a reinvented world

[ALauff · 8/10 · 16 March 2005]

Capra once again examines American society's unholy collusion of big business, media, and politics as a force toxic to the interests of the common man, here represented by a vagrant minor league baseball washout (Gary Cooper) elevated to working-class hero in an opportunistic newspaperwoman's (Barbara Stanwyck) fabricated story. Vividly emerging from his stark critique of money-mad power brokers and the well-intentioned docility of the masses is a sense that Capra is giving the proletariat a stiff dose of tough love: the thematic fulcrum of the film is the scene in which corrupt D.B. Norton uses misinformation to persuade and plainly manipulate a stadium throng of supporters into turning on their hero. In evidence is Capra's clear frustration with administered peoples for their naivety and lack of strong principles that makes them implicit in their own subjugation, even as he praises their potential for constructive social change—in essence, affirming the power of the people even as he casts doubt on their ability to break free from corruptive influences. What could have been in lesser hands a one-sided, didactic rail against corruption and lack of virtue in a modern age is instead a rallying call for strength in numbers; a caution to the John Does of the world to resist becoming pawns to their avaricious subjugators and conspirators against themselves; and a lament for a future age in which commonplace imagination and faith are the catalysts for social change, the key to a reinvented world.

In the parlance of snide critical dismissal, is there "sentimentalism" in his vision? Sure, but it's beside the point—when an artist does the commendable work of doing no less than presenting an alternative model for a better human existence, a penchant for overdramatizing the matter is bound to creep into the conception. But this is not a filmmaker compromised to intellectual short-cutting or base heart-tugging, and if you find James Gleason's final words evidence of a "corny" sensibility, then I implore you to take a closer look, for reasons I've attempted to elucidate above. For me, Capra's artistic reputation is safe on evidence of this film, as well as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life, and It Happened One Night, and I'm sure many others I'll have the pleasure of discovering in the future.

Oddly dated yet timely social 'dramady'

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 22 June 2020]

Journalist Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) concocts a story about 'John Doe', a down-and out 'regular guy' who plans on jumping off the roof of city hall on Christmas Eve to protest social inequality. The story strikes a nerve in readers and soon the paper has to produce John Doe, who promptly becomes a symbol to 'average Americans'. Friction between the 'have' vs 'have nots' ('powerful' vs. 'the hoi polloi', 'elites' vs. 'deplorables', etc.) is no less relevant now than in 1941, so despite the dated look, complete lack of irony and somewhat simplistic world-view, the film will likely still resonate with modern viewers. Stanwyck is fine as the reporter who unexpectedly triggers a populist landslide but her sudden epiphany at the story's end is a bit strained (and wholly predictable) and Gary Cooper is great as "Long John Willoughby", the former ball-player who ends up as a proxy for every 'regular American' who just wants their fair share of the dream. The best character is John's loyal hobo-pal 'The Colonel' (Walter Brennen). Always in the background, he's a one man 'Greek chorus', constantly warning John against the seduction of money and railing against the 'heelots' - a neologism that seems to include most fiscally-successful people (whether you see the Colonel as a 'free man' or a 'freeloader' likely depends on where you lie on the political spectrum). Production values and cinematography are impression, especially the massive 'John Doe' rally scene. Typical of director Capra, the film wears its heart on its sleeve and the message is not subtle: the 1%ers are either self-serving villains (as represented by industrialist and presidential hopeful D.B. Norton (Edward Arnold)) or corrupt and inept such as Mayor Lovett (Gene Lockhart). Despite the entire story starting with a deliberately manipulative lie by a reporter ('fake news' in today's parlance), 'the media' comes out looking sympathetic and on the side of the people. While the whole film soft-pedals a saccharin social revolution, the ending is especially schmaltzy (and improbable). Entertaining albeit somewhat simplistic, socially-conscious sugar-pill.

Powerful, Involving Story - Maybe Capra's Best

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 23 October 2006]

This was a very absorbing story and one of director Frank Capra's best efforts. There is some great acting in here, almost mesmerizing at times. The story is a typical Capra-esquire populist one in which the average man is elevated to high status, his worth and valued boosted in a cynical world.

Yes, it's a far-fetched story but it's fun to watch and has some powerful messages, leading with "Love thy neighbor." I was very impressed with Barbara Stanwyck's speech near the end, noting Jesus' words to that effect while pleading to Gary Cooper. By the way, having Cooper and Stanwyck as the leads isn't all bad, either! Adding actors like Walter Brennan, James Gleason and Spring Byington make it all the better.

Photography-wise, the film has an almost-eerie look to it in parts and is very interesting to view. I have yet to see this on DVD, but I plan to soon, I hope. Script- wise, it has a very good mixture of drama, comedy and romance. The story and the convincing actors all make it an involving experience and an emotional film.

As I said, I think this is one of Capra's best films, if not THE best.

John Doe = Big Bucks

[writers_reign · 7/10 · 24 June 2014]

Capracorn it may be but it's still hard to resist this anti-fascist message simply because of the sheer professionalism on display from all departments beginning, of course, with the screenplay. Arguably Robert Riskin's finest hour was when - smarting from all the PR that spoke of the 'Capra touch' whilst completely ignoring the screenplays - he marched into Capra's office, tossed an unopened box of typing paper on the director's desk and said 'let's see you put the Capra touch on THAT', but this screenplay, like most of the others he supplied Capra with, is solidly constructed albeit manipulative, so that actors like Cooper, Stanwyck, Gleason, Brennan, Arnold, Byington, and the rest, could more or less have phoned it in. Working as an ensemble they add a high gloss to what boils down to little more than a sampler,love thy neighbour, but, as someone probably said, it's not the arrival, it's the journey, and this is a swell trip.

A very good film from Frank Capra

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 2 August 2011]

I like Frank Capra's films a lot, my favourites being It's a Wonderful Life and Mr Smith goes to Washington. Meet John Doe is not quite a classic for me, but it is still very good. Some of the characters could have done with more colour and the film's messages and warnings while appropriate and relevant do have a tendency to preach. That said, it is gorgeously filmed, Dmitri Tiomkin's score is outstanding, the dialogue is funny, touching and intelligent and the story is moving while having a dark centre to it. Capra does a solid job directing, while there is a divine cast with Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyk and Edward Arnold particularly outstanding. In conclusion, very good if not quite a classic. 8/10 Bethany Cox

As Current As Today

[treadwaywrites · 7/10 · 6 January 2009]

This is the story of a fired newspaper reporter, Ann Mitchell, who make up a fake letter from an unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. She manages to get the letter published in the paper and she is rehired. Ann must find a John Doe for her letter and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement. The bosses take the made up story and the hired John to the brink. At the last everyone, even Ann, takes her creation seriously...but publisher D.B. Norton has a secret plan.

This movies shows us why Gary Cooper is the consummate actor that he came to be. Paired with legendary actress Barbara Stanwyck, this picture is a lesson on their acting techniques. Nominated for Best Writing Original Story in 1942, the story can't help but remind you of Citizen Kane or Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Standing up to the bigger than life acting of these heros of the screen is Edward Arnold as publisher DB Norton. His performance as the old rich man in charge is sparked with realism and is a heartfelt but flawed character. The story has over tones ranging from the political to the religious.

Though the story may be hokey at times it still can resonate with today's times and some of the subject matter seems to come straight from the headlines of some of today's newspapers. Directed by Frank Capra, the sets and visuals are what you want from a movie like this that can rip your heart wide open. Capra's skills are as apparent here as other Capra work. The movie gets so real at times that during the riot you'll wonder how Capra kept control on the set.

More contemporary than ever

[palmiro · 10/10 · 17 September 2010]

This movie couldn't be more salient and relevant to our times. The "John Doe Clubs" had the appearance of embodying the disgruntled sentiments of the "Little Man", just like the "Tea Party Movement" today (which one quipster rightly has called "an exercise in mass false consciousness"). These movements of the "little man" have a long history in the US and Europe (in the US, the "Know-Nothings" of the 1850s & Father Coughlin of the 1930s, in France, the "Poujadistes", in Italy the "Qualunquisti"); and all of them end up diverting attention away from the real enemies of little people, the fat cats at the top--in Capra's movie wonderfully incarnated in Edward Arnold's character, D.B.Norton (the real-life counterparts today to D.B. Norton, and who've done a fab job of manipulating "the little people", are the Koch brothers). Capra rightly sensed that the little man's rage at being buffeted about by forces bigger than himself was exploited by the fascist movements of Europe to create right-wing mass parties which, in the end, served to protect the privileges of the wealthiest social classes from revolutionary egalitarian movements.

meet john doe

[mossgrymk · 7/10 · 20 January 2023]

This is Frank Capra's half hearted attempt to excoriate fascism following his half ass embrace of it in "Mr. Deeds". The other big difference in the two films is that "Deeds" is funnier. Robert Riskin, who wrote both, allowed his preachiness to overcome his wit somewhere in the middle of this very long movie. The result is that the second half becomes a series of protracted speeches to which only one, James Gleason's drunken ode to democracy, is worth listening. And as usual one wearies of Gary Cooper's "aw shucks-ism" way before one tires of Riskin's soap box dialogue (which is really a monologue). Saving the picture are the supporting performances of Gleason, Irving Bacon as the ultimate yes man, Walter Brennan's eternal cynic, whose "heelots" diatribe is the film's other decent soliloquy, and Edward Arnold, one of the great dead voiced villains of 1930s/40s Hollywood. Give it a B minus.

Eh. Not Capra's best

[TumnusFalls · 5/10 · 11 January 2005]

"Meet John Doe" epitomizes the topsy-turvy world (a favorite of Capra). A bum is pulled from the masses to become the unique "John Doe"; his speeches are written by another but they eventually define him; a fake persona and movement becomes a rallying point for the masses; a fake threat of suicide becomes the only reason to live, and so on.

Too many scenes are static. The baseball scene in the hotel is a waste of time. Barbara Stanwyck's attempts to create a news story from a fake letter is eerily reminiscent of today's headlines, but any good editor would have fired her. Gary Cooper plays an inarticulate man who speaks the words of others. Somehow Babs, an articulate writer, finds him irresistible.

The ending is vague. Why is Norton (Arnold) on the roof? Is is hoping Doe (Cooper) will jump? The film ends with ringing bells.