Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is an
American comedy/
drama film starring
James Stewart and
Jean Arthur, about one man's effect on
American politics. It was directed by
Frank Capra – his last film for
Columbia Pictures, the studio where he made his name
– and written by
Sidney Buchman, based on
Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story.
[ "Notes." TCM. Retrieved: June 26, 2009.] Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was controversial when it was released, but also successful at the box office, and made Stewart a major movie star.
[Brenner, Paul. "Overview." Allmovie. Retrieved: June 26, 2009.] Aside from Stewart and Arthur, the film features a bevy of well-known supporting actors, among them
Claude Rains,
Edward Arnold,
Guy Kibbee,
Thomas Mitchell and
Beulah Bondi.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was nominated for 11
Academy Awards, winning for Best Screenplay.
[" Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." NY Times. Retrieved: June 26, 2009.]
In 1989, the
Library of Congress added
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to the United States
National Film Registry, for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
