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Starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, James Gleason, Walter Brennan and Edward Arnold. From The Criterion Synopsys: Facing the prospect of unemployment, newspaper reporter Ann Mitchell, (Stanwyck), tries saving her job with a series about John Doe - a mythical idealist who threatens to commit suicide to protest the sad state of American Society. When John Doe's threat captures the public's imagination, Ann and her editor seek to boost her career and the papers' circulation by hiring broken-down ex-ballplayer John Willoughby (Cooper), to give him a face and a voice. But when the newspaper's publisher uses him to fuel his own political ambitions, John realizes he's being played for a stooge, and strikes back, exposing everyone involved and forcing Ann to choose between her love for him and her job.
The genuine basic goodness of people is put on display in the scene where Cooper meets the very first group of 'The John Doe Club', just average Americans with a kind heart. This scene when viewed will not leave the viewer without a dry eye, nor without a, 'catch in the throat'.
Frank Capra's distinctive brand of populist humanism is on rousing display in this 'up-with-the-everyman' classic. Criterion has managed to acquire the very best print I've ever seen of this seldom seen film. Robert Riskin's script was nominated for an Oscar. A film not to be missed!
The film remains my very favorite Frank Capra film, and tied for my favorite Gary Cooper role.
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Here's a rare acetate of the last two cues from the score. Most of it is not in the film due to re-cuts, re-shoots etc.
http://www.chelsearialtostudios.com/meet_john_doe.mp3
Thank you, Ray, for going to the trouble of finding this music! I do remember a beautiful choral arrangement at the end of the film, but I don't recall the Beethoven theme, though I'm probably wrong. Since you're THE expert regarding these classic films, do you have any thoughts regarding the film? Few actors around this time could do 'sinister' quite like Edward Arnold does here. But I was really delighted by the supporting work of actor James Gleason. He has a monologue where he relates what his long dead father was like that was quite unexpectedly touching.
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I love MEET JOHN DOE. I've gone through several 16mm prints before I got a perfect one struck from an original negative (with the original Vitagraph credit). And unlike the cynics, I do NOT think that John should have jumped at the finish. The performances are truly outstanding, with Edward Arnold's underplaying making him even more menacing. Probably my favorite scene is Cooper and Gleason in the saloon.
Sony provided a beautiful transfer (Columbia owns the film) to TCM but because it's PD I doubt that it will get a blu-ray release any time soon.
And PS there never was a Warner Bros. shield at the beginning of the film.
I think that we both viewed the same print, Ray. I've seen Public Domain prints (I think years ago on Amazon?), that were truly unwatchable. The print viewed on The Criterion Channel was very good indeed, and after the final credits ended, the SONY TELEVISION logo came up. I'm not clamoring for a Blu-ray, I'm glad that after all these decades of P.D. prints, Sony finally gave us what may well be the best transfer the film will ever get.
Also, I agree with you about the ending up on the top floor of City Hall. I don't know of what you spoke of earlier about the cynics wanting him to jump(?). Do you mean film critics at the time of the films' release, or are you referring to Capra critics over the years? I found the ending to be absolutely perfect!
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