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Regular
Price $7.98
Starring:
Gary Cooper,
Barbara Stanwyck,
Edward Arnold,
Walter Brennan,
Spring Byington,
Directed By:
Frank Capra,
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Release Date: 1941-05-03
Studio: Alpha Video
Format:
Black & White,
DVD-Video,
NTSC,
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Customer Reviews for
Meet John Doe
THE OLDIES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
I LEARNED ALL I KNOW ABOUT CLASSIC MOVIES FROM MY FATHER. ON MY OWN, I KNEW OF FRANK CAPRA ONLY FROM "ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE". I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT ANY OF HIS OTHER FEATURES. "MEET JOHN DOE", WAS I THINK THE 3rD MOVIE I WAS INTRODUCED TO AND IT WAS ALSO THE ONE THE CLINCHED IN MIND, THE GENIUS OF THIS MAN WHO I BELIEVE MAKES JOHN HUGHES LOOK LIKE TOBE HOOPER(NO OFFENSE TO EITHER ARTIST). THIS MOVIE HAS MANY THINGS GOING FOR IT, MOODY AND AT THE SAME TIME EXCEPTIONALLY OPTIMISTIC, THE THEME CARRIES THROUGH-OUT THE MOVIE,WITHOUT GIVING AWAY TO MUCH, GARY COOPER PLAYS A DISENFRANCHISED SOUL, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE AN EX-BASEBALL PLAYER. HE BASICALLY ACCEPTS A ROLE"JOHN DOE" FROM A NEWSPAPER REPORTER TO BE A PHYSICAL PROTEST OF ALL THE WRONGS / EVILS IN THE WORLD, DECLARING HE WILL COMMIT SUICIDE ON XMAS EVE...PRETTY HEADY STUFF FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME.
THE ENSEMBLE CAST WHICH INCLUDES WALTER BRENNAN(PRE-REAL McCOYS),BARBARA STANWYCK AND EDWARD ARNOLD. THIS IS A TRUE CLASSIC AND A TIMELY STATEMENT OF WHAT HUMANITY TRULY MEANS WITH REGARDS TO OUR CIVILIZATION'S MEANS JUSTIFIES THE ENDS MENTALITY.Meet John Doe
Stand up for what you believe !
This is a classic. Saw it on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and loved it.Meet John Doe
"Gangway, you hee-lots!"
As a last ditch effort to blow off some steam before she is fired, reporter Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) fabricates a letter written by a disgruntled citizen who threatens to jump off the top of a building. John Doe's letter causes quite a stir, and Ann's newspaper sees it as an opportunity to sell papers. They hire her back to personally oversee the choosing of a John Doe and to build up as much publicity for the paper as possible. She picks John Willoughby (Gary Cooper), a mild mannered bum whose original ambition was to be a baseball player. He is just in it for the money, until John Doe's political speeches begin inspiring the nation. John Doe clubs pop up all over the place and begin to really make some positive changes in the world. However, the image is controlled by the money hungry newspaper who refuses to let the campaign take its course and instead attempt to use it for their own corrupt ambitions.
Meet John Doe is a surprisingly relevant story, despite its seemingly saccharine message. However, this is no happy-go-lucky Capra movie. It is much darker with a pessimistic side. Because of this, it seems more realistic. Just as the John Doe clubs are inspiring, the corruption of the paper is disheartening. It is easy to dismiss this theory for change in todays society when it seems that the poor have no say whatsoever. But if we all banded together like the John Doe clubs do, change might be more accessible. It has been shown in Labor Party victories overseas. Why not in America?
This film is in the public domain, so most prints are not pristine, but they are certainly watchable, especially because the content of the film is so wonderful.Meet John Doe
a great movie
these is a great feel good movie and its a classic with Gary Cooper and Barbara stanywick i love her movies, so i would highey recommend
Meet John Doe
Great Film Obscured by Public Domain-ism
This review refers specifically to this DVD release of Meet John Doe. What a ripoff! And an excessive price tag for such a stupendously bad copy of this great film. Apart from the obvious fog and grain and visual noise you usually get with PD releases, this one has an obnoxious hum on the audio track that is outrageously distracting. Save your money. Tape it off of the TV.Meet John Doe
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