| | | Hal Roach Studios Film Classics.
Features: DVD
Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck star in Frank Capra's popular social commentary on the common man. Stanwyck is a newspaper reporter who sends a fake letter upon her firing, signing it John Doe. When the letter becomes a rallying cry for all the little people, Cooper, a man in need of money, agrees to impersonate the nonexistent person who claimed he'd commit suicide because of the problems of society. And thus a political movement begins...but the newspaper publisher has a secret plan.
"...Cooper captures the heart and soul of the every man in this political drama...engaging and entertaining." Crazy for Cinema
"...superb on every level." The Motion Picture Guide
"...wonderful...persuasive performances by both Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper..." Tim Dirks, The Greatest Films
Editor's Note
Reporter Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) is fired from her job by an unscrupulous newspaper tycoon and retaliates by printing a fake suicide note to the editor signed by a fictional "John Doe." The letter is picked up by the public as a rallying point, as Mr. Doe claimed to be so distraught by the problems of society that he'd rather end his own life in protest. But the tycoon uses the publicity as part of a secret plan, hiring a down-on-his-luck unemployed man (Gary Cooper) to impersonate Doe--establishing him as an American symbol and creating a new political movement in the process. Frank Capra's endearing classic also stars the great character actors Walter Brennan and James Gleason.
Plot Summary
A spunky journalist, fired by the paper's new owners, hatches a clever scheme to get her job back. On her last day of work, she "discovers" a letter written by a man lamenting the selfishness and injustice of the world--and announcing his plans to kill himself on Christmas Eve as a protest.The fraudulent missive proves to be a terrific public relations stunt, creating an incredible wave of public support for the man while pushing the paper's readership to an all-time high. But now they need someone to play his role, and they find their reluctant hero in the form of a handsome, naive vagabond. The soft-spoken tramp wants only to make it back to baseball's big leagues, but the common folk love his homespun ways and he soon becomes a candidate for political office.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital Mono | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Access |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: KC SALES |
| Release Date: 12/19/2006 |
| Running Time: 122 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1941 | | UPC: 00877694005334 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Video: B&W |
Aspect Ratio | | Standard 1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Nominee (1942) | | | Oscar, Richard Connell, Robert Presnell, Sr., Best Writing, Original Story |
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| | Professional Reviews | The Flick Filosopher 10 of 10
Christmas Eve in black-and-white. Snow falls softly over a picture-postcard American town. A man, thoroughly despondent and unaware of the extent of his influence to the good on the people around him, contemplates suicide in the midst of this peaceful scene...No, it's not It's a Wonderful Life. I'm talking about Frank Capra's classic Meet John Doe, released five years earlier in 1941. It's not traditionally considered a Christmas movie, and yet it's at least as deserving of that status as Life -- and maybe even more deserving. And while It's a Wonderful Life feels dated, Meet John Doe is still startlingly relevant today, nearly 60 years after it was first released...Meet John Doe could be remade today, and you'd barely need to change a word to have it still strike home. - MaryAnn Johanson
DVD Verdict 9 of 10
Meet John Doe is an example of Frank Capra at his best, pulling full-steam for the U.S. of A. and all the little guys - the John Does - who make this country great. The common Capra themes like unabashed patriotism and faith in the American system and small-town decency are all here in force, but make no mistake: This is also Capra at his darkest and most cynical...The excellent supporting cast is another powerful part of this Capra gem. Walter Brennan is marvelous as John the Baptist cast in the part of a wandering hobo; he is the voice of truth and censure, denouncing the deception and worrying that John has become swayed by the promise of wealth...Meet John Doe, although it was made nearly seventy years ago, still resonates with its universal themes and strong performances. - Maurice Cobbs
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