Mr. Smith Goes to Washington • The Next Reel

“You’re not a Senator, you’re an honorary stooge." It’s rare to find a film from 75 years ago that feels relevant still in today’s world, but Frank Capra’s 1939 “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” is one of those films. Corruption in the Senate? Check. Corporate interests secretly working their own machinations behind the scenes to get their political puppets to do their bidding? Check. Cynical office staff who are only interested in making a buck? Check. Sad to say that the only thing that doesn’t feel modern is that a politician like James Stewart’s titular character could actually exist. Or at least survive in today’s political world. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue with our great films from 1939 series with Capra’s fantastic film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” We talk about how much we love this film and why, highlighting everything aforementioned. We chat about Stewart and Jean Arthur as the perfect leads for this film, aided by the wonderful supporting cast including Edward Arnold, Harry Carey, Claude Rains, Thomas Mitchell and more. We discuss how the Washington, D.C. press and the real Senators received the film compared with the general public. And we discuss the people behind the cameras with Capra and what they bring to the table — Joseph Walker, Lionel Banks, Dimitri Tiomkin, Sidney Buchman, Lewis R. Foster and more. It’s a top notch film that still speaks to its audiences, all while avoiding being cheesy while full of honesty. We love it. Make sure you watch this one and then tune in! Film Sundries

• Script Transcript
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
• Flickchart
  Trailers of the Week
• Andy’s Trailer: The Finest Hours — “It looks like thrilling but safe true story Disney fare, but everything about it draws me in. The disaster at sea. Chris Pine. Casey Affleck. Even Abraham Benrubi. Even though it’s a January release, count me in!"
• Pete’s Trailer: Creed — “This may just be the sequel to Rocky that we need. I’m a fan of Ryan Cooler. I’m a fan of Michael B. Jordan. I’m a fan of Rocky. In the words of General George Armstrong Custer, what could possibly go wrong?"

Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!!

• The Next Reel on iTunes
• The Next Reel on Facebook
• The Next Reel on Twitter
• The Next Reel on Flickchart
• The Next Reel on Letterboxd
• Guess the Movie with The Next Reel on Instagram
• Check out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest

And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts:

• Follow Andy Nelson on Twitter
• Follow Pete Wright on Twitter
• Follow Steve Sarmento on Twitter
• Check out Tom Metz on IMDB
• Justin "JJ" Jaeger
• Chadd Stoops
• Follow Steven Smart on Letterboxd

Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year
• Join our Discord community of movie lovers

The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
• The Film Board
• Movies We Like
• The Next Reel Film Podcast
• Sitting in the Dark

Connect With Us:

• Main Site: Web
• Movie Platforms: Letterboxd | Flickchart
• Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | Pinterest
• Your Hosts: Andy | Pete

Shop & Stream:

• Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & more
• Watch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussed
• Originals: Source material from our episodes
• Special offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible