Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town  (1936) – Longfellow Deeds (Gary Cooper) is a simple hearted small town man who inherits 20 million dollars from a distant relative.  He moves to New York City and is confronted with a very different and far more cynical world view that will try to deprive him of his inheritance.  Little does he know that the young woman he falls in love with (Jean Arthur) is orchestrating the mocking coverage he’s getting in the press.

Directed by Frank Capra                                  Starring – Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur,

Here’s another Capra classic, marked by his optimism, belief in the common man and light touch mixing comedy and drama.  Cooper is perfect as the small town “hick” who isn’t as dumb as the big city slickers would like to believe.  Arthur has been acclaimed by film historians as one of the greatest comic actresses in the movies.  Here, she’s called upon to reel in the screwball comedy just a little to play some serious moments as her character begins to realize what she’s doing to a truly nice person.  The interplay between the two stars is wonderful.

According to legend, this movie was originally intended to be played much more for laughs.  Just before he began shooting, Capra decided to temper the comedy and bring in just a bit more dramatic.  I think the script would have played beautifully either way, but the carefully navigated line between the two really propels this movie to another level.

Arthur was notoriously nervous about performing and disliked the spotlight on or off the screen.  But when she’s on the screen, her performance is just stellar.  She gives us the perfect level of confidence for the tough female reporter who succumbs to the small town sincerity of Deeds.

It’s also an interesting commentary, eighty years later, about what our culture values.  Deeds faces an insanity hearing because he wants to give away his money to help people less fortunate than he is.  It’s classic Capra, with a message that spans the generations about what is good and decent in America.

Why I Liked It – I’m a sucker for Capra’s optimism and idealism.

Why You Will Like It – Cooper’s performance is amazing and the interplay with Arthur is a winner.

Rating – ***** Highest Recommendation