Meet John Doe

Meet John Doe

By

  • Genre: Comedy, Drama
  • Release Date: 1941-03-14
  • Runtime: 122 minutes
  • : 7.298
  • Production Company: Frank Capra Productions
  • Production Country: United States of America
    • Watch it NOW FREE
7.298/10
7.298
From 261 Ratings

Description

As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement.

Trailer

Reviews

  • CinemaSerf

    7
    By CinemaSerf
    Anyone else think there is a shade of “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939) about this? Journalist “Ann” (Barbara Stanwyck) is shown the door when a new owner decides to sack just about everyone at the paper she works at, but as a parting shot she creates a letter that suggests that a hapless member of the public - one “John Doe” - is so fed up with his lot that he intends to commit suicide from the city hall on Christmas Eve. The article attracts lots of attention and so she hits on the idea of keeping her job and creating a real person. Enter Gary Cooper, an itinerant man with few prospects, no commitments and an interest in making a quick buck. Immediately, he strikes a chord with the working people of the city and seems to inspire the aspirational with a character that is fictional in fact but attractive in nature. Meantime, local political bigwig “Norton” (Edward Arnold) sees an opportunity to capitalise on this popularity and to manipulate it’s rather gullible frontman with a view to forming his own political party and ending up sitting in the Oval Office. Blissfully unaware that his strings are being pulled, “Doe” does as he is told but by now “Ann” has taken a shine to him and lost enthusiasm for the plotting and scheming. Snag is, with the momentum now built up - can she, he or they do anything to stop “Norton” before he either wins or shames the complicit “Doe” out of all of his credibility and sympathy. Stanwyck and Cooper deliver well here with a story of strong but not over-cooked morals but it’s the accompanying turpitude from Arnold whose avuncular duplicity really works here as his planning and plotting reach a poignant, if maybe a little disappointing, denouement. The writing is sharply observant and there is plenty of humour as the story bubbles along amiably and thoughtfully.

Recommended Movies

keyboard_arrow_up