The Influence of Film on American Society: Part 2

Fighting corruption with Mr. Smith

The second film we’ll look at is the 1939 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Don’t let the title fool you, the work is anything but naïve. The story revolves around the character of Mr. Jefferson (Jeff) Smith who is elected as a junior senator to replace one who passed away. He arrives in Washington believing in the virtues of American government. He visits the Washington memorial in deep reverence of the god that was Abraham Lincoln, and believes that the congress is in fact a body “by the people, for the people.” He soon discovers that his efforts to create social projects are thwarted by corrupt officials out for profit, and seeks to expose them against all odds.

The film was first premiered in Washington, and it is rumored that invited senators actually yelled at the screen and walked out of the film. The film was attacked by senators and reporters as being anti-American and pro-communist. One such journalist, Pere Harrison, suggested that the senate pass a bill allowing theaters to refuse to show films that “were not in the best interest of the country.” It is debated that in response some senators pushed the Neely Anti-Block Booking Bill. Joseph Breen, the head of the Hays Office which enforced the motion picture production code, warned studios upon reading the initial screenplay that “[W]e would urge most earnestly that you take serious counsel before embarking on the production of any motion picture based on this story. It looks to us like one that might well be loaded with dynamite, both for the motion picture industry, and for the country at large.”

The film was released just 2 months after World War II broke out in Europe, a time of extreme political tension and a moment when government decisions were already under scrutiny. In 1942, when German-occupied France was forced to ban American films, some theatre chose to show Mr. Smith at their last screening. It is rumored that one theatre showed the film for 30 days nonstop after the ban was announced.

TodayMr. Smith continues to be watched and critically acclaimed. It has been called the quintessential whistle blower film. It is considered one of the best works of the director and one of the best performances by the leading man,James Stewart.

Both films borrowed heavily from observed realities within American society. Their situations were based upon events the screenwriters had read in newspapers and textbooks, not mere fiction. They rang true to the situation that people were living, and those same people responded to the films because of that. The emotional reactions were strong, provoking tough critics and adoring fans. They spoke so directly to the heart of people that could relate to their content,that they actually managed to effect culture and society, instead of just being a product of the two. They are proof that a movie can influence American culture and behavior.