Meet John Doe

Released May 3, 1941

2h 3m

Drama

List

92%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A reporter writes a fictitious column about a man named "John Doe," who claims to despair at America's neglect of the little people and plans to kill himself. The newspaper then hires a ballplayer-turned-hobo to pose as John Doe. In a series of radio addresses written by a publisher with fascist leanings, Doe captures the public's imagination. When he finally realizes he has been used, Doe comes to his senses and becomes the man he never knew he could be.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Frank Capra was fond of speeches - and Meet John Doe is stuffed with them.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 11, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Meet John Doe is perhaps Capra's most self-reflective film.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 14, 2022

Full Review

John Kinloch

California Eagle

A smooth. Capracareful film replete with social preachment and a magnificent portrayal by Gary Cooper.

Oct 31, 2019

Full Review

Elena de la Torre

Cine-Mundial

The movie is superb, dynamic, masterful. [Full review in Spanish]

Sep 17, 2019

Full Review

Leslie Combemale

Cinema Siren

Like Stewart's Mr. Smith, Gary Cooper's acting choices, while more subtle than Stewart, deeply connect you with his character's plight and therefore solidly hook you into hopes for his happy ending, his redemption.

Jul 25, 2019

Full Review

Sherilyn Connelly

SF Weekly

It's a stronger and far less dated film than his overpraised It's a Wonderful Life.

Mar 22, 2018

Full Review

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Alberto Q

Frank Capra's lesser-known Christmas classic. If you haven't seen it or haven't seen in a while, give it a watch. It's always worth it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/03/23

Full Review

Steve D

Too sentimental and preachy to work anymore. I used to love it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/26/23

Full Review

ed m

Another Capra classic. Who's better than Barbara Stanwyck?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A local newspaper, The Bulletin, is under new management, with columnist Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) being one of the staffers dismissed to "streamline" the paper, but not before being told to write one final column. Infuriated, Ann prints a letter from a fictional unemployed "John Doe" threatening suicide on Christmas Eve in protest of society's ills. When the letter causes a sensation among readers, and the paper's competition, The Chronicle, suspects a fraud and starts to investigate, editor Henry Connell is persuaded to rehire Ann, who schemes to boost the newspaper's sales by exploiting the fictional John Doe. From a number of derelicts who show up at the paper claiming to have written the original letter, Ann and Henry hire John Willoughby (Gary Cooper), a former baseball player and tramp in need of money to repair his injured arm, to play the role of John Doe. Ann starts to pen a series of articles in Doe's name, elaborating on the original letter's ideas of society's disregard for people in need... Bosley Crowther, the film critic for The New York Times wrote that John Willoughby was just the latest of the everyman that Frank Capra had portrayed in earlier films: With an excellent script by Mr. Riskin—overwritten in many spots, it is true—Mr. Capra has produced a film which is eloquent with affection for gentle people, for the plain, unimpressive little people who want reassurance and faith. Many of his camera devices are magnificent in the scope of their suggestion, and always he tells his story well, with his customary expert spacing of comedy and serious drama. Only space prevents us from enthusing loudly about individual "touches". In the Variety review, there was a more critical look at the plot: The synthetic fabric of the story is the weakness of the production, despite the magnificence of the Frank Capra-directed superstructure. But Robert Riskin, who wrote the screenplay from an original story by Richard Connell and Robert Presnell, leaves the audience at the finale with scarcely more than the hope that some day selfishness, fraud and deceit will be expunged from human affairs." (Via Wikipedia) "Meet John Doe" is another fine Frank Capra film from 1941 handling the subject matter of human spirit trying to survive in the midst of the collapse of decency, corruption in local politics, disbelief in the state and the shutting of doors to the needy. Capra communicates the message of exercising tolerance for one another for a better world simply. Both Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper are shining throughout the running time and this being a Capra film we do get an ending on a positive note, even if he did film several darker endings, he did choose the hopeful one in the end. Triva: It became a box-office hit and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story. Frank Capra didn't want anyone to play John Doe except Gary Cooper, who agreed to the part (without reading a script) for two reasons: he had enjoyed working with Capra on Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and he wanted to work with Barbara Stanwyck. Four different endings were filmed, but all were ultimately deemed unsatisfactory during previews. A letter from an audience member suggested a fifth ending, which Frank Capra liked and used in the finished film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Liam D

One of Frank Capra (Pocketful of Miracles, Broadway Bill) most underrated movies it's a nicely warm Romcom with its Oscar nominated script and stars Gary Cooper (For Whom the Bell Tolls, Man of the West) and Barbara Stanwyck (Titanic, Clash by Night) have great chemistry

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Mark A

One of the best. Great story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/03/23

Full Review

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Frank Capra

Director

Gary Cooper

John Doe

Barbara Stanwyck

Ann Mitchell

Edward Arnold

D. B. Norton

Walter Brennan

The Colonel

Spring Byington

Mrs. Mitchell

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Synopsis

A reporter writes a fictitious column about a man named "John Doe," who claims to despair at America's neglect of the little people and plans to kill himself. The newspaper then hires a ballplayer-turned-hobo to pose as John Doe. In a series of radio addresses written by a publisher with fascist leanings, Doe captures the public's imagination. When he finally realizes he has been used, Doe comes to his senses and becomes the man he never knew he could be.

Director: Frank Capra
Screenwriter: Richard Connell, Robert Riskin
Distributor: Madacy Entertainment Group Inc. [us], Warner Bros., Reel Media International [us], Take 2 Video, Hollywood Classics
Production Co: Frank Capra Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 3, 1941, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 26, 2011
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)

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