Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Dir: Frank Capra
1936
*****
You could say that Frank Capra's 1936 comedy Mr. Deeds Goes to Town was the creation of the romantic comedy as we know it, the classic format being staple in nearly every rom-com made since. Akira Kurosawa once said that there were only seven stories one could tell, each film being a variation of one of them. He said that each of his films fit into either one of the seven categories and if you re-watch them he's right. However, I would argue that Capra coined an eighth. It's an incredibly wholesome story with a clear and beautiful message of change, sociological responsibility, political greed and love concurring all. Gary Cooper's now iconic performance was miles ahead of the pack and the wonderful Jean Arthur had more character and charisma then any actress I can think of who has acted since. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town has one of cinema's greatest endings and one of the best last lines I can think of, it's influence in modern film is obvious. However, all that said, I still prefer Capra's 1939 film Mr. Smith goes to Washington which was first intended to be the sequel to Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. I believe Capra improves on what is already a fantastic story. It's much harder to say who plays the role best between Gary Cooper and James Steward, so I'm just not going to.