This is John Doe

Movie
German title	This is John Doe
Original title	Meet John Doe
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	1941
length	122 minutes
Age rating	FSK 6
Rod
Director	Frank Capra
script	Richard Connell Robert Presnell Sr. Robert Riskin
production	Frank Capra
music	Dimitri Tiomkin
camera	George Barnes
cut	Daniel Mandell
occupation
Gary Cooper : John Doe / Long John Willoughby Barbara Stanwyck : Ann Mitchell Edward Arnold : DB Norton Walter Brennan : the Colonel James Gleason : Henry Connell Spring Byington : Mrs. Mitchell Gene Lockhart : Mayor Lovett Rod La Rocque : Ted Sheldon Irving Bacon : "Beanie" J. Farrell MacDonald : "Sourpuss" Harry Holman : Mayor Hawkins Warren Hymer : "Angelface" Regis Toomey : Bert Hansen Ann Doran : Bert's wife Sterling Holloway : Dan, barman

Here's John Doe is a 1941 American film directed by Frank Capra .

action

Ann Mitchell is a columnist for the New Bulletin newspaper . When a new owner takes over the newspaper, employees are laid off, and so is Ann Mitchell. As a final act, she writes an imaginary letter to the editor, signed John Doe , into which she lets all frustration flow. This John Doe writes about his anger at the treatment of the common people in the USA and announces that he will throw himself off town hall on Christmas Eve. The letter becomes a public sensation and Ann is able to convince editor-in-chief Connell that sequels to this story would delight the readership. The newspaper makers decide to turn the fictional John Doe into an actual John Doe. They hire the poor, unemployed former baseball player Long John Willoughby. He is dressed in new clothes and introduced into his new role. Together with his old comrade The Colonel , he is quartered in a luxury hotel. Ann Mitchell now accompanies the life of John Doe with her articles as he travels across the country.

DB Norton, the editor of Ann's newspaper, recognizes the value of John Doe's enormous popularity and tries to use it for his political ambitions. The fascist Norton wants to become a presidential candidate and establish a party as the third political force in the American system. John Doe is to be harnessed as a draft horse before the campaign. Ann Mitchell becomes his ghostwriter . Nothing stands in the way of your career and the threat of unemployment is forgotten. John Doe travels the country with Norton's slogans and the National John Doe Movement comes into being - until John learns from Ann's editor-in-chief Connell what dictatorial plans Norton has and what cart he has been harnessed to. He makes the genesis of John Doe public. Although he can thwart Norton's power plans, he is now hated by all of America. Like the fictional John Doe, John decides to take his own life on Christmas Eve. Norton and his men are already waiting for him and encourage him to finally jump. But Ann and a small part of his following also come and keep him from jumping. They argue that John Doe's idea was actually a good one. Now Ann and John want to start a second, independent John Doe movement.

Reviews

"A lively, but at times also badly sentimental comedy that exercises restrained criticism of capitalism and spreads democratic pathos, but lets the satirical attacks end in forgiving-sentimental optimism."

- Lexicon of international film

“75 years ago, in 1941,“ This is John Doe ”came out, a film that seems very topical today. Half a century ago there was a lot of debate about “fascism theories”. Did Frank Capra's “This is John Doe” ever play a role in this? The horror of the film is that what is good, or at least what is well-meant, can turn into the worst without you noticing. One can appeal to the best in people in order to bring out what is worst. (...) The film does not construct any cultural difference that explains to the US viewer why the mass movement for mass destruction in Europe is gaining more and more supporters. On the contrary, the insights into the mechanisms of the totalitarian order are made usable in order to make one's own situation and the developing potential for destruction visible. "

- Arno Widmann , Frankfurter Rundschau , 2016

Awards

The film was nominated for an Oscar in the category of best original story in 1942 .

Web links

• Here is John Doe in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ This is John Doe. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed April 22, 2017 .  
2. ↑ Critique by Arno Widmann at the Frankfurter Rundschau ( Memento from April 7, 2016 in the web archive archive.today )