Meet John Doe

Play trailer

Meet John Doe

1941

2h 3m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

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. To maintain the ruse, the newspaper hires a ballplayer-turned-hobo to pose as John Doe.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

07/20/2024

6/10

Cooper and Stanwyck are entirely watchable, even if the plot grows artistically flagrant and thematically hollow, culminating in a final media ruse that is thoroughly farfetched.

Go to Full Review

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

08/11/2022

3/4

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

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

02/14/2022

4/4

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

Go to Full Review

John Kinloch

California Eagle

10/31/2019

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

Go to Full Review

Elena de la Torre

Cine-Mundial

09/17/2019

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

Go to Full Review

Leslie Combemale

Cinema Siren

07/25/2019

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Sam N

@RT61650855 12/04/2024

Meet John Doe is Frank Capra at his most cloying—an unbearable syrup-fest of moralising, sentimentality, and a plodding Gary Cooper I couldn’t wait for it to end.

See more

Micah H

@RT36741898 11/27/2024

People call Frank Capra’s films “warm and fuzzy”. Although he has hopeful endings, his films deal with dark subjects. Meet John Doe is about suicide and the barrier of lies created by the media. It charges at hard topics, but ends with the idea that goodness will prevail.

See more

Laura L

@RT26106084 11/20/2024

I watched Meet John Doe tonight. I watched it as a Christmas movie. What a surprise to find that it is so much more. Seventy years ago, people were feeling disconnected just as we are today. What began as a sensational story began a movement. It was basically a Love Thy Neighbor movement. This is something that we are sorely in need of today in America and around the world. I highly recommend watching this movie. Then, go, love your neighbor as you love yourself. Be blessed, Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

See more

Alberto Q

@RT27790002 12/03/2023

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.

See more

Steve D

@RT35616104 05/26/2023

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

See more

ed m

@RT80499164 05/17/2023

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

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Frank Capra

Director

Gary Cooper

John Doe

Barbara Stanwyck

Ann Mitchell

Edward Arnold

D. B. Norton

Walter Brennan

The Colonel

Spring Byington

Mrs. Mitchell

Citizen Kane

99%

90%

Citizen Kane

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Citizen Kane

All Through the Night

100%

71%

All Through the Night

Watchlist

TRAILER

for All Through the Night

This Land Is Mine

86%

81%

This Land Is Mine

Watchlist

Random Harvest

82%

89%

Random Harvest

Watchlist

Each Dawn I Die

50%

71%

Each Dawn I Die

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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. To maintain the ruse, the newspaper hires a ballplayer-turned-hobo to pose as John Doe.

Director: Frank Capra
Producer: 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)

Most Popular at Home Now