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Features: DVD, Dolby, Digital Audio, Mono Audio
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.
"...superb on every level." The Motion Picture Guide
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 | Scene Access | | Interactive Menus |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Image |
| Release Date: 2/13/2001 |
| Running Time: 121 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1941 | | Catalog ID: 9449 | | UPC: 00014381944921 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: B&W |
Aspect Ratio | | 4:3 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1942) | | | Richard Connell, Robert Presnell, Nominee, Best Writing, Original Story |
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| | Professional Reviews | The Greatest Films 9 of 10
...a wonderful, but dark Frank Capra populist melodramatic tale about the common man... With all-time persuasive performances by both Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper, this film remains an important social commentary. - Tim Dirks
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