Review of Frank Capra's, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Starring Jimmy Stewart

One of the best actors from Hollywood's Golden days, Jimmy Stewart, provides a hero to cheer for in the Frank Capra classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Jimmy Stewart plays a naïve hometown hero who turns Washington upside down after being chosen to fill the seat of a deceased Senator. Jefferson Smith, Jimmy Stewart's character, reluctantly accepts the appointment to the Senate and soon finds that he has a providential role to play in his capacity as Senator.

The party bosses urged the Governor to choose a political lackey for the position, but due to outside influences the Governor decides that he cannot risk a political appointment and he decides to ask the local hero who had just put out a forest fire single-handedly.

Mr. Smith, at the advice of his colleague, decides to try to pass a bill through the Senate. He draws up a bill to help the Boy Rangers (the film's spinoff of the Boy Scouts). The party bosses soon discover that Mr. Smith's bill will expose a huge pork project that they are working on. When they attempt to get Mr. Smith to drop his bill he finds out that Washington does not have the idyllic ethics and principles of middle America that he is accustomed to. He decides that it is up to him to expose the system of corruption and graft rather than to go along to get along.

With help from Clarissa, the beautiful young reporterette covering the Washington bureau for the local newspaper, Jefferson Smith learns Senate rules and procedures in order to stop the political machine. For those of you who are involved in the fight against the corruption, graft and more serious problems with 21^st century American politics you will want to own Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Pop this film into your DVD player for that periodic humorous lift as you continue your battle against the modern day Joe Paines and boss Taylors.