Spoiler Director Frank Capra gives us yet another moralistic gem in the form of Meet John Doe. With a stella cast which include Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Brennan, Edward Arnold and James Gleason. Capra delivers a movie with a message of human kindness and compassion released exactly the same time as man was killing fellow men all over the world.
In order to keep her job at a failing newspaper Ann Mitchell (Stanwyck) concocts a phoney letter from a man who is determined to end his life in protest at the state of humanity and civilization, by jumping from the tower of city hall on Christmas eve.
The plight of the non existent man known only as John Doe touches the hearts of the papers readers. The Newspapers hard edged editor Connell, (Gleason), is now in a spot as Mitchell has declared that the letter was fake. With everyone trying to save John Doe and the Newspapers circulation improving, Connell and Mitchell decide to flesh out their creation by hiring someone to be John Doe. Enter Long John Whiloughby (Gary Cooper) a failed Baseball player who's homeless and looking for a job.
In return for money for an operation to enable John to continue his baseball career, he agrees to appear on radio as John Doe, explaining his reasons for his intended suicide and explaining that mans cruelness to others should cease and loving thy neighbour is the way forward for the world. Connell and Mitchell must first explain their actions to corrupt oil magnate and paper owner D B Norton (Edward Arnold).
After the Radio broadcast, John decides that he's being made out a stooge and goes back to his nomadic lifestyle. When recognised in a small hick town, He is soon aware of how much his radio broadcast has united the towns community. The community elect a spokesman in the form of Bert Hanson (Regis Toomey) who explains that they have formed their own 'John Doe Club'. John is visibly moved by what he has caused, and agrees to do a lecture tour of all the states in the hopes of uniting others.
D B Norton however, has other plans for the John Doe clubs and that is to unite the people through the John Doe cause and then exploit them by cornering their votes for his new 'third' political party and then rule with an 'Iron Hand' (sound familiar) Whether this party is Communist or Fascist is not explained but Norton does have his own Uniformed army at the ready not to mention many crooked politicians and Labour leaders in his slimy pockets.
During the Lecture tour, John and Ann develop their romance. On the Eve of a mass John Doe Convention, Connell becomes aware of Norton's scheme and tells John that he and the whole John Doe Movement is about to be exploited, to which John confronts Norton and is determined not to let his evil new order come to fruit. Wrongly thinking that Stanwyck is in cahoots with the would be dictator, tears up the intended speech and says he's gonna tell the people the truth. Norton's henchman are prepared for this eventuality and expose John as a phoney in front of thousands of John Doe members. Doe barely escapes injury as the crowd turns nasty.
With the John Doe clubs disbanded, the myth exposed, and the girl he loves out of his life, John makes up his mind to re-ignite the fire of the John Doe Movement by the only way that will prove that he is no longer a fake and that Norton's scheme can never transpire, and that is to obey the original text of the ficitious letter and to jump from the tower of the city hall.
Arnold's performance is outstanding as is Cooper's, and as he closes his eyes in silent prayer moments before he is to make his death leap brings a lump to your throat, and one of Stanwyk's final lines is equally as Moving ' If it's worth dying for then it's worth living for' Capra's film is strong to this date, and 60 odd years on has not dated as it gives a message as prevalent today as it was then. people can debate whether or not Capra deliberately made Doe out as a Christ-like figure till doomsday for all I care, I like the movie because it demonstrates that even the most ordinary man can make a difference.
In order to keep her job at a failing newspaper Ann Mitchell (Stanwyck) concocts a phoney letter from a man who is determined to end his life in protest at the state of humanity and civilization, by jumping from the tower of city hall on Christmas eve.
The plight of the non existent man known only as John Doe touches the hearts of the papers readers. The Newspapers hard edged editor Connell, (Gleason), is now in a spot as Mitchell has declared that the letter was fake. With everyone trying to save John Doe and the Newspapers circulation improving, Connell and Mitchell decide to flesh out their creation by hiring someone to be John Doe. Enter Long John Whiloughby (Gary Cooper) a failed Baseball player who's homeless and looking for a job.
In return for money for an operation to enable John to continue his baseball career, he agrees to appear on radio as John Doe, explaining his reasons for his intended suicide and explaining that mans cruelness to others should cease and loving thy neighbour is the way forward for the world. Connell and Mitchell must first explain their actions to corrupt oil magnate and paper owner D B Norton (Edward Arnold).
After the Radio broadcast, John decides that he's being made out a stooge and goes back to his nomadic lifestyle. When recognised in a small hick town, He is soon aware of how much his radio broadcast has united the towns community. The community elect a spokesman in the form of Bert Hanson (Regis Toomey) who explains that they have formed their own 'John Doe Club'. John is visibly moved by what he has caused, and agrees to do a lecture tour of all the states in the hopes of uniting others.
D B Norton however, has other plans for the John Doe clubs and that is to unite the people through the John Doe cause and then exploit them by cornering their votes for his new 'third' political party and then rule with an 'Iron Hand' (sound familiar) Whether this party is Communist or Fascist is not explained but Norton does have his own Uniformed army at the ready not to mention many crooked politicians and Labour leaders in his slimy pockets.
During the Lecture tour, John and Ann develop their romance. On the Eve of a mass John Doe Convention, Connell becomes aware of Norton's scheme and tells John that he and the whole John Doe Movement is about to be exploited, to which John confronts Norton and is determined not to let his evil new order come to fruit. Wrongly thinking that Stanwyck is in cahoots with the would be dictator, tears up the intended speech and says he's gonna tell the people the truth. Norton's henchman are prepared for this eventuality and expose John as a phoney in front of thousands of John Doe members. Doe barely escapes injury as the crowd turns nasty.
With the John Doe clubs disbanded, the myth exposed, and the girl he loves out of his life, John makes up his mind to re-ignite the fire of the John Doe Movement by the only way that will prove that he is no longer a fake and that Norton's scheme can never transpire, and that is to obey the original text of the ficitious letter and to jump from the tower of the city hall.
Arnold's performance is outstanding as is Cooper's, and as he closes his eyes in silent prayer moments before he is to make his death leap brings a lump to your throat, and one of Stanwyk's final lines is equally as Moving ' If it's worth dying for then it's worth living for' Capra's film is strong to this date, and 60 odd years on has not dated as it gives a message as prevalent today as it was then. people can debate whether or not Capra deliberately made Doe out as a Christ-like figure till doomsday for all I care, I like the movie because it demonstrates that even the most ordinary man can make a difference.