Mr. Smith Goes To Washington Revisited

Recently I had the privilege of watching an old but inscrutably filmed classic that has been mentioned time and again through the decades. “Mister Smith Goes To Washington” starring James Stewart among many notable supporting actors in 1939 reveals a number of illuminating points in an era that seems far removed from the present, yet displays much of the same cynicism and lack of trust we feel about the federal government today. As a matter of fact, the movie is almost visionary in the way it speaks to future generations.

As the story unfolds

Although the movie has been mentioned many times as more of a parody or comical commentary about the goings on in Capitol Hill, “Mister Smith Goes To Washington” is much more of an observation on the toxic political machinery that converts honest well meaning men into crooks and the best intentions into criminal compromises. Jimmy Stewart is at his best as a sensitive, innocent, and idealistic young man who has vowed to contribute to America much as our greatest icons such as Abraham Lincoln. He holds such American heroes in high esteem as he unfolds his national boy's club bill proposal for legislation.

A matter of integrity

As a junior Senator James Stewart's character, Mr. Smith, is apparently taken under the wing of veteran

Senator Paine, played by Claude Raines, who plays a once honorable man who sees himself in Mister Smith but has long ago compromised himself and is part of the very corruption that will take good men and break them should they get in the way of back room deals that would not stand the light of day in an objective investigation. Senator Paine is caught between his compassion for the young brash Junior Senator Smith, and the power house bundler known as Taylor who has the power, the money, and the media influence to make or break any politician looking to serve the nation on Capitol Hill. Senator Paine owes his 20 year career in the federal government to Taylor who has been working on a dam project that will conflict with the proposed location of Mister Smith's national boy's club.

Yesterday just as today

Our emotions are quickly tugged at and our eyes are flooded watching James Stewart's portrayal of an anguished young man out of his element in Washington DC fighting the powers that be even when his enemies well recognize his integrity but can spare him nothing if he does not go along to get along as we see our leaders doing today. There is a genuine hopelessness expressed in the America of 1939 over being able to enact any measure of honest legislation representing the will of the people as it seems that

at least the film makers understood Washington for what it was and still is, a huge machine intent upon perpetuating itself and devouring any well meaning individual that gets in its way in that corrupt process.

The plot deepens

Even the Speaker of The House is touched by Mister Smith's courageous attempts at overcoming impossible opposition laid upon him by all Senators aligned with one another including veteran Senator Paine over a dam project described as graft by Jimmy Stewart's character “Mr. Smith”. A campaign of smear and false convicting evidence is perpetrated upon Mister Smith by his older and corrupt contemporaries in the Senate led by a tormented Claude Raines who is being blackmailed by the influential Taylor into drumming the junior Senator right out of Washington for daring to stand in the way of a multi-million dollar dam project that could have been built anywhere else but where Mister Smith had proposed to establish his national boys club headquarters.

The beseeched hero

To the point of collapsing under the pressure and allowing his heart to be broken by the iron fist of Washington politics, Mister Smith finds an ally in his secretary who has seen them come and go on Capitol Hill before and not only admired Smith but loves him and begins to teach him just how to survive while in the House and being called upon to observe the procedural rules. She gives him the inspiration to go on in the midst of his anguish, and so Jimmy Stewart goes to the Senate to face his detractors. There he faces down the false allegations and begins a filibuster in order to stop the dam project and defend his proposed Nation Boy's Club Bill. Exhausted after almost 8 hours on his feet the experienced Senators try everything they know of to remove his position on the floor, from ignoring him to tormenting Mr. Smith with derogatory questioning, but with the help of his secretary who signals Smith whenever he is at a loss for procedural etiquette she calls out to him even when the Speaker of the House, who is often amused, sees what is happening but refuses to call her down.

Some things never change

With newspapers being instructed across the nation by Taylor's operatives to omit coverage of Mr. Smith's filibuster in favor of demonizing him with searing critical editorials based upon lies, the young Junior Senator manages to succeed, preceded only by his integrity and heart breaking appeal to his contemporaries to do the right thing as he languishes in such fatigue that he can barely stand. Finally, the story breaks, one publication refuses to censor the news and Senator Paine (Claude Raines) can no longer maintain the facade! The veteran Senator falls apart and admits that he has been involved in the corruption and that it is Mr. Smith who deserves the admiration of Americans and not himself.

Same story different era

Such a dramatic scene and ending reminds us in the present day of the filibuster conducted by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and senior Senator Jeff Sessions who defeated President Obama's measure to allow Executive Amnesty. Senator Cruz, who was vilified by the White House and the US media for allowing the Capitol to shut down over funding in the course of his filibuster did so over principle despite the opposition he faced. “Mister Smith Goes To Washington” becomes even more poignant in view of modern day accounts of politicians we both despise and canonize in this day and age for the same exploits described in 1939 and portrayed by unforgettable performances by Jimmy Stewart, Claude Raines, and other supporting actors not mentioned here. It is often said that art is a reflection of the real world and sometimes the opposite becomes apparent in this epic cinematic classic.