Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Details

Release year: 1939

Storyline

A naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries to forge ahead despite attacks on his character.

Top credits

Awards

1 win & 10 nominations

Did you know

• The scenes where James Stewart wanders around in amazement at the Washington monuments were "stolen", since the US Parks Service had denied the studio permission to film near them.

• In 1942, when a ban on American films was imposed in German-occupied France, the title theaters chose Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) for their last movie before the ban went into effect. One Paris theater reportedly screened the film nonstop for 30 days prior to the ban.

• According to the New York Times, "the Boy Scouts of America objected to having any part in Mr. Capra's reform movement," and Frank Capra therefore had to use the fictitious name of the Boy Rangers.

Box Office

Gross (Domestic): $144,738

Opening Weekend (Domestic): $83,205 (2018-10-14)

User reviews

Technical specs

Sound mix

Mono

Aspect ratio

1.37 : 1

Color

Black and White

FAQ

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