Frank Capra had a unique ability to change horses in midstream. He made exceptional comedies like It Happened One Night and Mr. Deeds goes to Town. He had success with these movies. The former winning best picture. Comedy wasn’t enough for the director. He wanted to deal with the human condition. He made Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, with mixed success. This didn’t stop him. He made a picture called Meet John Doe. It starred the larger than life actor, Gary Cooper. The message was the little guy against the world. Capra continued this with Its a Wonderful Life. Both films are dark movies about desperate men at the end of their rope. This movie goes a step above Cooper’s previous work in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.
Gary Cooper is Long John Willoughby, a washed up baseball pitcher. He becomes John Doe, through the craftiness of a reporter, Ann Mitchell. She is desperate to keep her job at the newspaper. She writes a piece written by John Doe. He is a man unhappy with the world situation. He threatens to kill himself on Christmas Eve because of it. Willoughby makes the cut to become John Doe. This is after many desperate people show up for the job. Capra does a great job showing the many applicants, with Ann Mitchell shaking her head in disapproval. Finally the camera focuses on Cooper. Stanwyck’s character just knows he is John Doe.
After the selection, this former rider of the rails, is transformed. Ann Mitchell’s boss, Henry, has her write speeches for Doe. He becomes a genuine man of the people. America is so swayed by him that John Doe clubs are formed. This former unsuccessful pitcher is now a celebrity. He cant even eat in secluded diners. This does not go unnoticed by the owner of the paper, D. B. Norton, (Edward Arnold). He is an oil tycoon, who branched out, and has far reaching dangerous plans, that involve Doe.
Norton first takes control of the situation. He does this by getting Ann to work directly for him. She will continue writing for John Doe, and receives a large cash bonus, a fur coat and jewelry. The plan of D. B. Norton is to have Doe support him as a presidential candidate, at a convention of his fan clubs.This plan is not something John Doe wants. He sees Norton subverting his ideals.
John Doe goes off script at the convention. Norton being a powerful and tyrannical man, has his employees cut off the microphone. His paper is passed to the crowd, headlining that John Doe is a fake. This causes a cascade of boos and chants that Doe is a fraud. This scene takes place in a rainstorm: a perfect Capra setup.
Doe was naive enough to believe his own press. Henry, the paper’s editor, sets him straight about the phoniness and Ann’s total cooperation in Norton’s scheme. This is too much and Doe decides to become Long John Willoughby again. He finds his friend, the colonel, (Walter Brennan). He continually tried to persuade Cooper to go back to the simple life. This was another fine pairing of the two actors.
The story doesn’t end there. It had various endings. The one that was chosen has deeply religious overtones. It ends up in a face off between John Doe and Edward Norton. The ending also solidifies Barbara Stanwyck as a true actress. It also brings forth what humanity is willing to believe about themselves.
Meet John Doe has suicide as its theme, and is set around Christmas. This does not make it a movie for the family to watch during the holidays. Capra made this film to show how a man could grab power and use it in the worst way. The main characters are duped into believing they serve a higher purpose. It also has people worshipping at the feet of John Doe. One of the best scenes is Bert Hansen, (Regis Toomey), telling Doe, how he became friends with his grumpy neighbor, because of his speeches. These were desperate times when the movie was made. America was coming out of the depression, and was about to enter World War 2. This movie is a depiction of how dangerous it can be to not see the world around you.
Edward Norton is able to play a good villain. He is masterful as D. B. Norton. He first appears looking out his window, at his troopers on their motorcycles. On Christmas Eve, he gives his servant money to give caroler’s so they will go away. A man like Norton isn’t really interested in the holiday. He just wants to control those who celebrate it. The character is a thinly veiled version of a fascist dictator. He will stop at nothing to gain his goal. He even keeps Ann Mitchell prisoner, so she can’t tell Doe the truth. It is only when truth and goodness confront him, that he backs away.
This was the last movie that Frank Capra made before serving his country during the war. He made the Why We Fight Films during his service. Meet John Doe was like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, heavily criticized. The movie does appear to be dated, in places. It is the Robert Riskin screenplay that helps. The speeches by Cooper stand out. The dialogue between Henry and John Doe in the restaurant help bring the film altogether. It is that moment when Cooper’s character knows he’s been betrayed. The speech that Barbara Stanwyck’s character gives at the end is a true dramatic moment. This film does entertain in parts, particularly with Cooper pitching imaginary baseballs, to a catcher. This is what Capra could do with celluloid. He could make you laugh or cry. He could also get across an impactful message. Meet John Doe accomplishes that.