Frank Capra readily admitted
that he thought Barbara Stanwyck wasn't good enough to be an actress
when he first met her as a young girl. During their first meeting,
she lashed out at him verbally. Having been kicked around Hollywood
for months, Stanwyck was fed up with all the mind games and empty
promises. Her tirade was the culmination of many frustrating meetings
with directors, producers and advisors. Stanwyck accused Capra of
wasting her time. She felt that he wasn't really interested in her
abilities and only took the meeting out of professional courtesy.
Her behavior only solidified Capra's opinion of her as a "loose
cannon". It wasn't until Stanwyck's husband (at the time) Frank
Fay called Capra and demanded that he see test footage of her before
making any snap decisions that he changed his mind. Capra was sold
on her and cast her in his 1930 film Ladies of Leisure.
He would direct her in a total of five films, the last being 1941's
Meet John Doe opposite Gary Cooper, who accepted the role
without reading the script because he wanted to work with Stanwyck.
Stanwyck
is Ann Mitchell, a writer for The Bulletin newspaper. When
publisher D.B. Norton (Edward Arnold) takes over, he changes the
name to The New Bulletin and demands a new format. This
prompts the managing editor, Henry Connell (James Gleason) to fire
Ann. The new paper needs stories that light a fire under people
and Connell finds Ann's writing to be anything but exciting. Though
she begs and pleads to keep her job, Connell insists that she finish
her last column, collect her final paycheck and leave. Never one
to back down easily, Ann has a brainstorm. She writes a column that
includes a letter supposedly sent in by a man named "John Doe".
In the letter, Doe rants about the state of the world and the lack
of goodwill in modern-day society. He ends his rant by vowing to
commit suicide from the City Hall on Christmas Eve as a show of
principle for his beliefs. In reality, there is no John Doe and
Ann never received any such letter. She cooked up the scenario to
give Connell the fireworks he wanted. Initially skeptical, Connell
wants no parts of the publicity stunt until scores of people respond
dramatically to the printed letter. It's then that he realizes the
gold mine in front of him. Ann, as the author of the new recipe
for success, demands her job back and $1,000 bonus. Connell complies
and the paper immerses itself in the John Doe phenomenon. Now there's
only one small detail to satisfy. Since there is no physical John
Doe, they must figure out a way to find someone willing to pose
as the mystery man. A crowd of men show up at the newspaper office,
all claiming to be John Doe. Ann and Connell bring them in one by
one to scrutinize. The majority are vagrants looking for a quick
buck or an easy meal. After hours of sifting through weathered faces,
a man named John Willoughby (Gary Cooper) presents himself. Ann
immediately perks up at the sight of the interesting prospect. Willoughby
has not come to "audition" for the role of Doe, but rather
in search of a job for himself and his friend "The Colonel"
(Walter Brennan). The two are drifters. Willoughby is a former pitcher
who lost his career to an arm injury and The Colonel is more concerned
with jumping freight trains from state to state. When Ann asks Willoughby
about his willingness to assume the identity of John Doe, his reluctance
is fueled by The Colonel's insistence that financial gain will only
ruin him and attract the attention of "heelots" (The Colonel's
term for bill collectors and salesman who prey on people with money).
After
some reassuring words, Willoughby relents and agrees to take on
the new persona. The paper continues to churn out letters supposedly
written by Doe, in which he confronts every issue plaguing the common
man. The ideal begins to catch on around the country and "John
Doe" becomes a folk hero of sorts. Bulletin publisher
Norton soon devises a plan to use this to his political advantage.
He instructs Ann to work directly with him and commissions her to
pen a radio speech for Doe. The speech, Norton believes, will put
their "discovery" over the top and grab the attention
of every Tom, Dick and Harry (also known as the real voters). Ann
has difficulty writing the speech. She toils for hours at home,
throwing away drafts and losing her confidence in the process. Her
mother (played by Spring Byington) suggests that she draw inspiration
from her late father's diary. This proves to be the winning ingredient.
As Doe is preparing to make his radio debut, a columnist from competing
publication The Chronicle tries to pay him in exchange
for reading a different letter over the air. The Chronicle letter
has Doe exposing the Bulletin's hoax. Though he agrees to do it
(knowing that the payoff money will allow him to have his arm fixed),
he bails on the deal at the last minute and reads Ann's original
script instead. Doe is secretly in love with Ann and he knows that
betraying her trust would shatter any chance he may have. He begins
to deliver in a shaky voice, nervously gripping the microphone stand
and stumbling over ordinary words. However, by mid-speech he seems
to boast a newfound confidence. Meanwhile, The Colonel keeps motioning
towards an open door as a means of escape. Doe ignores his friend's
suggestions and continues speaking until every last word has been
proclaimed. The emotion overwhelms him and he bolts through the
side door to run away as soon as he finishes. Now resuming life
as John Willoughby, he and The Colonel stop off for donuts in another
town. Willoughby notices a truck driving by with a sign that reads
"The John Doe Club". Ann and Norton catch up to Willoughby
and try to persuade him to continue his artificial crusade. He claims
to want no part of the ruse or Ann's proposal of a national speaking
tour. Suddenly, members of a local John Doe Club ask to
speak with Willoughby (who they think is John Doe). He listens apprehensively
to their stories of goodwill and newly formed friendships, all based
around the ideals of his simple message of faith. When Willoughly
realizes the impact he's made, he resumes life as John Doe of his
own free will. They embark on the speaking tour.
Doe
is now completely in love with Ann and approaches her mother for
advice on how to tell her. Meanwhile, Ann has gone to Norton's home
for a meeting with various political figures who are trying to organize
a John Doe convention. The convention will pack the numerous John
Doe clubs from around the country into one venue for a speech to
end all speeches. Norton's plan is to pull the strings from behind
the scenes by way of a strategically written script in which Doe
announces his own political party. He will naturally name
Norton as his candidate of choice for the President of the United
States. Ann is turned off by the idea of cheapening the movement
but seems to have little say in the matter. Connell also disapproves
of the tactic. He gets drunk and spills the beans to Doe, who storms
off to Norton's house for a confrontation. Once there, he notices
Ann among the planning committee and promises to uphold the original
message of hope despite Norton's attempt to capitalize on it. Ann
runs after Doe and tries to go with him, but he ignores her and
goes to the convention alone. As he begins to make his speech, Norton
shows up with his committee and exposes Doe as a fraud. The crowd
of supporters becomes a crowd of disillusioned people who turn hostile.
Having no opportunity to tell his side of the story, Doe is chastised
and takes to the streets as a loner. Ann is guilt-ridden and worried
about Doe's safety. She has fallen in love with him and feels remorse
for starting the charade. In a moment of panic, it becomes evident
to all that Doe may prove his sincerity by acting out the intentions
of his first letter.
Gary
Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck would make one more film together in
1941, Ball of Fire. Cooper already had a good amount of
film work under his belt. His career began in the 1920s, playing
bit parts and doing extra work, though he went uncredited for his
first 12 roles. His first credited role was in 1926's Lightnin'
Wins, where he received third billing. He would go uncredited
for a few more roles in the latter half of the 20s, but by the end
of decade, he was making films every year and would continue to
make films every year (with the exception of 1960) up until his
death in 1961. He is often associated with western plots and cowboys,
but also remembered as Lou Gehrig in The Pride of the Yankees.
In this film, Cooper worked very well as the bumpkin-turned-activist.
He perfected a technique of keeping his eyes low and glancing around
quickly, as if confused out of innocence. The simplistic nature
of his character made for a high level of believability. Cooper
became John Doe. He was the embodiment of the ordinary
man struggling to make it in a world dominated by big business.
Director Frank Capra must have noticed those qualities in Cooper
from the beginning. He'd worked with Cooper once before in 1936's
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and wanted no one else for the role
of Doe. Stanwyck was her usual unforgettable self. She often echoed
her personal life through the characters she portrayed and Ann Mitchell
was no exception. Her first show of ambition came through immediately,
refusing to accept the loss of her job. With quick thinking, she
orchestrated a way to be needed. Stanwyck always had the ability
to command respect and make the viewer cry in the same sequence.
It's a rare quality that few have mastered over the course of film
history. She was as tough as she was fragile, though when her glass
jaw started to show, she guarded it with the fists of a champion.
Like many classic films, the supporting cast of Meet John Doe
was of particular importance. Walter Brennan as The Colonel was
annoying, but in a good way. The Colonel was supposed to
be annoying. He was paranoid, overly protective and a bit egotistical.
So, in that respect, Brennan played him in the best possible way.
The viewer wants the John Doe movement to prosper and The Colonel's
condescending attitude is anything but welcome. All in all, Meet
John Doe is a great yarn about the foundation of humanity and
how collectively, we can make the world a better place.
THE DVD
Meet John Doe
is currently in the public domain. Having said that, there is no
one superior DVD release. Like many films without a copyright, it
has been released by various companies, mostly without any restoration
or extras. For that reason alone, one release cannot be recommended
over another. However, you will still find a link at the bottom
of this review to purchase a copy. As a side note, it should be
mentioned that Meet John Doe is a film with a powerful
message and deserves to be picked up by a studio for that reason,
if not for its entertainment value alone. This film should be preserved
for many future generations.
THE CONCLUSION
What hasn't already been said?
Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck and a story about society at its most
basic level - it could only be memorable. The public has seen horror
and tolerated violence. At the very least, we can spend a little
over two hours remembering what it means to be civil. Everyone knows
a "John Doe" and some of us are "John Doe".
There are bits of comedy mixed in to soften the harsh blow of reality,
but in reality, the message comes through loud and clear
courtesy of Hollywood's elite.
Stanwyck
is Ann Mitchell, a writer for The Bulletin newspaper. When
publisher D.B. Norton (Edward Arnold) takes over, he changes the
name to The New Bulletin and demands a new format. This
prompts the managing editor, Henry Connell (James Gleason) to fire
Ann. The new paper needs stories that light a fire under people
and Connell finds Ann's writing to be anything but exciting. Though
she begs and pleads to keep her job, Connell insists that she finish
her last column, collect her final paycheck and leave. Never one
to back down easily, Ann has a brainstorm. She writes a column that
includes a letter supposedly sent in by a man named "John Doe".
In the letter, Doe rants about the state of the world and the lack
of goodwill in modern-day society. He ends his rant by vowing to
commit suicide from the City Hall on Christmas Eve as a show of
principle for his beliefs. In reality, there is no John Doe and
Ann never received any such letter. She cooked up the scenario to
give Connell the fireworks he wanted. Initially skeptical, Connell
wants no parts of the publicity stunt until scores of people respond
dramatically to the printed letter. It's then that he realizes the
gold mine in front of him. Ann, as the author of the new recipe
for success, demands her job back and $1,000 bonus. Connell complies
and the paper immerses itself in the John Doe phenomenon. Now there's
only one small detail to satisfy. Since there is no physical John
Doe, they must figure out a way to find someone willing to pose
as the mystery man. A crowd of men show up at the newspaper office,
all claiming to be John Doe. Ann and Connell bring them in one by
one to scrutinize. The majority are vagrants looking for a quick
buck or an easy meal. After hours of sifting through weathered faces,
a man named John Willoughby (Gary Cooper) presents himself. Ann
immediately perks up at the sight of the interesting prospect. Willoughby
has not come to "audition" for the role of Doe, but rather
in search of a job for himself and his friend "The Colonel"
(Walter Brennan). The two are drifters. Willoughby is a former pitcher
who lost his career to an arm injury and The Colonel is more concerned
with jumping freight trains from state to state. When Ann asks Willoughby
about his willingness to assume the identity of John Doe, his reluctance
is fueled by The Colonel's insistence that financial gain will only
ruin him and attract the attention of "heelots" (The Colonel's
term for bill collectors and salesman who prey on people with money).
After
some reassuring words, Willoughby relents and agrees to take on
the new persona. The paper continues to churn out letters supposedly
written by Doe, in which he confronts every issue plaguing the common
man. The ideal begins to catch on around the country and "John
Doe" becomes a folk hero of sorts. Bulletin publisher
Norton soon devises a plan to use this to his political advantage.
He instructs Ann to work directly with him and commissions her to
pen a radio speech for Doe. The speech, Norton believes, will put
their "discovery" over the top and grab the attention
of every Tom, Dick and Harry (also known as the real voters). Ann
has difficulty writing the speech. She toils for hours at home,
throwing away drafts and losing her confidence in the process. Her
mother (played by Spring Byington) suggests that she draw inspiration
from her late father's diary. This proves to be the winning ingredient.
As Doe is preparing to make his radio debut, a columnist from competing
publication The Chronicle tries to pay him in exchange
for reading a different letter over the air. The Chronicle letter
has Doe exposing the Bulletin's hoax. Though he agrees to do it
(knowing that the payoff money will allow him to have his arm fixed),
he bails on the deal at the last minute and reads Ann's original
script instead. Doe is secretly in love with Ann and he knows that
betraying her trust would shatter any chance he may have. He begins
to deliver in a shaky voice, nervously gripping the microphone stand
and stumbling over ordinary words. However, by mid-speech he seems
to boast a newfound confidence. Meanwhile, The Colonel keeps motioning
towards an open door as a means of escape. Doe ignores his friend's
suggestions and continues speaking until every last word has been
proclaimed. The emotion overwhelms him and he bolts through the
side door to run away as soon as he finishes. Now resuming life
as John Willoughby, he and The Colonel stop off for donuts in another
town. Willoughby notices a truck driving by with a sign that reads
"The John Doe Club". Ann and Norton catch up to Willoughby
and try to persuade him to continue his artificial crusade. He claims
to want no part of the ruse or Ann's proposal of a national speaking
tour. Suddenly, members of a local John Doe Club ask to
speak with Willoughby (who they think is John Doe). He listens apprehensively
to their stories of goodwill and newly formed friendships, all based
around the ideals of his simple message of faith. When Willoughly
realizes the impact he's made, he resumes life as John Doe of his
own free will. They embark on the speaking tour.
Doe
is now completely in love with Ann and approaches her mother for
advice on how to tell her. Meanwhile, Ann has gone to Norton's home
for a meeting with various political figures who are trying to organize
a John Doe convention. The convention will pack the numerous John
Doe clubs from around the country into one venue for a speech to
end all speeches. Norton's plan is to pull the strings from behind
the scenes by way of a strategically written script in which Doe
announces his own political party. He will naturally name
Norton as his candidate of choice for the President of the United
States. Ann is turned off by the idea of cheapening the movement
but seems to have little say in the matter. Connell also disapproves
of the tactic. He gets drunk and spills the beans to Doe, who storms
off to Norton's house for a confrontation. Once there, he notices
Ann among the planning committee and promises to uphold the original
message of hope despite Norton's attempt to capitalize on it. Ann
runs after Doe and tries to go with him, but he ignores her and
goes to the convention alone. As he begins to make his speech, Norton
shows up with his committee and exposes Doe as a fraud. The crowd
of supporters becomes a crowd of disillusioned people who turn hostile.
Having no opportunity to tell his side of the story, Doe is chastised
and takes to the streets as a loner. Ann is guilt-ridden and worried
about Doe's safety. She has fallen in love with him and feels remorse
for starting the charade. In a moment of panic, it becomes evident
to all that Doe may prove his sincerity by acting out the intentions
of his first letter.
Gary
Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck would make one more film together in
1941, Ball of Fire. Cooper already had a good amount of
film work under his belt. His career began in the 1920s, playing
bit parts and doing extra work, though he went uncredited for his
first 12 roles. His first credited role was in 1926's Lightnin'
Wins, where he received third billing. He would go uncredited
for a few more roles in the latter half of the 20s, but by the end
of decade, he was making films every year and would continue to
make films every year (with the exception of 1960) up until his
death in 1961. He is often associated with western plots and cowboys,
but also remembered as Lou Gehrig in The Pride of the Yankees.
In this film, Cooper worked very well as the bumpkin-turned-activist.
He perfected a technique of keeping his eyes low and glancing around
quickly, as if confused out of innocence. The simplistic nature
of his character made for a high level of believability. Cooper
became John Doe. He was the embodiment of the ordinary
man struggling to make it in a world dominated by big business.
Director Frank Capra must have noticed those qualities in Cooper
from the beginning. He'd worked with Cooper once before in 1936's
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and wanted no one else for the role
of Doe. Stanwyck was her usual unforgettable self. She often echoed
her personal life through the characters she portrayed and Ann Mitchell
was no exception. Her first show of ambition came through immediately,
refusing to accept the loss of her job. With quick thinking, she
orchestrated a way to be needed. Stanwyck always had the ability
to command respect and make the viewer cry in the same sequence.
It's a rare quality that few have mastered over the course of film
history. She was as tough as she was fragile, though when her glass
jaw started to show, she guarded it with the fists of a champion.
Like many classic films, the supporting cast of Meet John Doe
was of particular importance. Walter Brennan as The Colonel was
annoying, but in a good way. The Colonel was supposed to
be annoying. He was paranoid, overly protective and a bit egotistical.
So, in that respect, Brennan played him in the best possible way.
The viewer wants the John Doe movement to prosper and The Colonel's
condescending attitude is anything but welcome. All in all, Meet
John Doe is a great yarn about the foundation of humanity and
how collectively, we can make the world a better place.