Harry Watson

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington -- James Stewart takes on the powers-that-be in our nation's capitol in Frank Capra's timeless classic. Nominated for eleven 1939 Oscars(r), including best picture.

Astaire teams up with Burns & Allen to bring some good ol' American music and mayhem to stately England. There, lovely Joan Fontaine pines for a husband and finds Astaire. Naturally, A Damsel in Distress becomes a lady in love. Enjoy George Gershwin's last completed score,including the pensive "A Foggy Day" amd "Nice Work If You Can Get It" plus the famed Astaire-Burns-Allen fun house dance and other inspired stepping-out that earned dance director Hermes Pan an Academy Award. Renowned "Jeeves" humorist P.G Wodehouse writes and George Stevens (Giant, Shane) directs.

Jean Arthur, James Stewart and Claude Rains star in Frank Capra's MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, the award-winning 1939 classic about an idealistic, small town senator who heads to Washington and suddenly finds himself single-handedly battling ruthless politicans out to destroy him. When Frank Capra decided to film the novel "The Gentleman From Montana", he ran into an obstacle Director Rouben Mamoulian owned the rights to the story. Unwilling to sell, Mamoulian eventually traded the material to Columbia on the condition that he be allowed to direct Golden Boy. As Capra began working on the film, now called MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, it was suggested that Gary Copper, the star of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, take the lead. Capra selected Jimmy Stewart instead and the film solidified Stewart's movie career, garnering him his first Academy Award® nomination. Receiving a total of eleven 1939 Oscar® nominations (including Best Picture and Best Director), and winning one (Best Motion Picture Story), MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON is considered one of Capra's, Stewart's and Columbia's finest films. It also marked the end of an era. It was Capra's final film for the studio.

James Stewart takes on the powers-that-be in our nation's capitol in Frank Capra's timeless classic.