Frank Capra's Why We Fight Film Series and Our American Dream

Abstract

General George C. Marshall, President Roosevelt's trusted Chief of Staff, knew a good show when he saw one, and he liked movies of Frank Capra. Indeed, Frank Capra was Hollywood's champion of the forgotten man-the little fellow in American crowd often referred to by President Roosevelt during his fireside chats. Passing over award-winning documentary filmmakers of time, Marshall asked leading Hollywood director to speak for John Does and Mr. Smiths of America in a time of crisis. seven feature-length films of Why We Fight series would be Capra's most important artistic contribution to his adopted country, a paean to democracy and a powerful indictment of oppression. David Culbert has praised series as the most comprehensive set of war aims released by U.S. government in any medium during WWII (187). Certainly, programs aroused wartime audiences, but they continue to inspire today as statements of America's mission in a violent world. Frank Capra and American Dream Frank Capra was living evidence of American Dream. His impoverished family moved from Sicily to California in 1903 where three-year-old Frank was placed at bottom rung of ladder of success. Through intelligence and hard work, Capra worked his way through college and then into movie industry, beginning as a technician in a developing house. At next rung of ladder, he worked at an editing table. True to Horatio Alger formula, a benefactor came along in person of Will Rogers. Rogers boosted Capra up next few rungs; clever young man began writing gags and scripts for Harry Langdon and then directing films at Columbia Pictures. By 1930s, Frank Capra was Columbia's-and Hollywood's-leading Director. Capra's comedy entitled It Happened One Night (starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert) won five Academy Awards in 1935. In a famous scene aboard a bus bound from Florida to New York City, passengers (symbolizing American Society) joined in singing The Daring Young Man on Flying Trapeze. Viewers went away from film reassured that search for individual fulfillment did not contravene America's sense of community. Capra's gift as a filmmaker was to evoke this serious idea within context of dramatic conflict leavened by humor. Capra had a strange reaction to unprecedented success of It Happened One Night. He feigned illness to avoid resulting publicity. (Evidently, top rung of success ladder was a dizzy place to be all alone.) After a few days, his imaginary sickness turned real, developing into a debilitating fever. Now stricken and lying in a hospital, Capra claims that he was visited by a little man who will remind viewers of Clarence, novice Angel in It's A Wonderful Life: With radio tuned in to a Hitler speech, man castigated me for my selfishness. An evil man like Hitler could reach fifteen million people for twenty minutes, he argued, but a movie director like me could communicate with hundreds of millions for two hours. was wasting my god-given talents, making me an offense not only to God, but to humanity. (176) After his chastisement, Capra sought higher meaning for his work: I knew that down to my dying day, down to my last feeble talent, would be committed. Beginning with Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, my films had to say something. Whether an actual experience or an histrionic bit of Capracorn, result was same: Frank Capra became a spokesman for democracy. His next few message films would be good basic training for Why We Fight. Mr. Deeds (1936) places a rural naif, Longfellow Deeds of Mandrake Falls, in conflict with fallen values of Gotham. Deeds triumphs in end, but along way he communicates an important message for Depression America. Our heritage is rich in uplifting role models and we could be inspired by them if we took time to reflect. …