State of the Union (1948)

State of the Union (1948)

Liberty Films

April 30, 1948

Comedy
DVD
C-

Not as clever as it thinks it is.  Capra directed.  I tuned out before Katharine Hepburn showed up.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Columbia

October 19, 1939

Dramedy?

DVD
C-

Surprisingly flat, and it doesn't help that Jimmy S doesn't show up until a dozen minutes in.  (And I didn't even get to Jean Arthur this time.)  Capra's Mr. Deeds wasn't great but at least it had real momentum.

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Columbia

April 12, 1936

Dramedy, Romance

DVD

C+

I've of course heard of this Capra movie for decades but had never actually watched it before today.  I found it didn't live up to its potential and definitely had muddled messages (like about socialism and hitting people), but there is a certain charm to it, and, yes, it introduced the word "doodle."  This is based on the short story "Opera Hat" by Clarence Budington Kelland, which is why there's the running joke about Deeds trying to find a rhyme for "Budington."