• Tour-de-force from Jimmy Stewart- especially in the last 30 minutes with the filibuster sequence
  • Capra and Stewart sure are the normal rockwell of cinema- Definition of wholesome with his “gee whiz” sayings and naivety- it will test people but you can’t be too cynical- this film will win those over much like they do the jaded (at the beginning) jean arthur
  • Rumor is Arthur wanted deeds star gary cooper for Jefferson Smith but cooper couldn’t have pulled off the intelligence (nor the passion in the last half hour) stewart gives the character
  • Fast-paced wipe editing- 7 different characters speak in the first 60 seconds
  • A few actors here from the Preston Sturges battery of actors including Eugene Pallette and William Demarest
  • Edward Arnold plays- Jim Taylor—a very evil Potter-like from it’s a wonderful life character
  • Best screenplay win- justifiably so
  • Newspaper headline montage as transitions
  • Another montage is the tour of DC monuments montage
  • A really strong ensemble- Arthur is great as the “wised up” jaded insider- she’s completely won over, over the course of the film, like the audience, by Stewart/smith
  • Thomas Mitchell is wonderful as the drunk “I gotta go out and drink this over” (he won best supporting Oscar same year for stagecoach– also playing a drunk)
  • I don’t fully understand the Harry Carey Oscar nom- he mostly just smirks
  • An almost comic-strip-like montage of stewart punching reporters
  • Broad edges- A few too many quickly cheering applauds, parades
  • Top 5 of the year quality film
  • Must-See