How can you go wrong with a doco about a great Yankee humanitarian like Capra and having the likes of Scorsese, Dreyfuss, Oliver Stone and so on, praise the man himself? This conservative structured doco takes us from A to Z of Capra's career.
7 Reviews
Solid, interesting, informative documentary
runamokprods23 August 2013
Solid, interesting, informative documentary on Frank Capra both the man and his improbable journey from immigrant poverty to being one of the best known directors of all time.
One of the most interesting aspects is the way the documentary shows Capra's best work was often darker and less corny or sentimentalized than it's remembered. Heroes earn any happy endings they get, and there is often pain, self-doubt and loss along the way. It makes the valid point that emotional and ultimately hopeful is far different from sentimental and corny, and Capra knew and fought for that difference.
For the most part the interviews with other directors, actors, friends and family are very effective. Although there are a few Hollywood types who's connection to Capra and his work seems tenuous at best, and sometimes analysis gives way to gushing.
While not quite deep, emotional or revelatory enough to be a great film, it is a very good one, that any film buff should certainly see.
One of the most interesting aspects is the way the documentary shows Capra's best work was often darker and less corny or sentimentalized than it's remembered. Heroes earn any happy endings they get, and there is often pain, self-doubt and loss along the way. It makes the valid point that emotional and ultimately hopeful is far different from sentimental and corny, and Capra knew and fought for that difference.
For the most part the interviews with other directors, actors, friends and family are very effective. Although there are a few Hollywood types who's connection to Capra and his work seems tenuous at best, and sometimes analysis gives way to gushing.
While not quite deep, emotional or revelatory enough to be a great film, it is a very good one, that any film buff should certainly see.
Frankly, I love Capra Corn.
mark.waltz29 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The life of Italian immigrant Frank Capra is a representation of what America stood for back when you were not ashamed of being patriotic. Capra used his love for his adopted country to tell real stories, show how one could rise above adversity and come out smelling like a rose. From the days of world war I through the Cuban missile crisis, Capra represented what our country at its best could be, the sum of its little punks. From James Stewart, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant and Spencer Tracy, supported by Stanwyck, Arthur, Hepburn and Davis, as well as many of the great character actors, Capra loved to show the souls of real people rising above the villainy of Douglas Dumbrille, Edward Arnold and Lionel Barrymore. No actor was too unattractive or cantankerous to show in a human light, and with the help of writing partner Robert Riskin, Capra had a stable of players that always delivered the goods simply because they believed in the themes of his movies.
This documentary gives details into his early life, struggles in the silent era, battles with Harry Cohn and ultimate Savior of Columbia studios. Mr. Deeds, Mr. Smith, Mr. Doe, all Capra creations and unforgettable. Tidbits about minor performers shows "The little punk" having their moment, with Ron Howard showing what went on in Capra's mind as he created these classics, aides by modern greats who got into movie making simply because of their being influenced by such legends as Capra. The fact that many actors worked with him more than twice indicates the influence he had on the artistic side of their goals. Mrs. Capra, too, is influential here, as much a part of what made the man as well as what made his dreams come Alice on the screen.
This documentary gives details into his early life, struggles in the silent era, battles with Harry Cohn and ultimate Savior of Columbia studios. Mr. Deeds, Mr. Smith, Mr. Doe, all Capra creations and unforgettable. Tidbits about minor performers shows "The little punk" having their moment, with Ron Howard showing what went on in Capra's mind as he created these classics, aides by modern greats who got into movie making simply because of their being influenced by such legends as Capra. The fact that many actors worked with him more than twice indicates the influence he had on the artistic side of their goals. Mrs. Capra, too, is influential here, as much a part of what made the man as well as what made his dreams come Alice on the screen.
Documentary Highlights Best Of Frank Capra
CitizenCaine31 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Few can argue Frank Capra, an Italian immigrant, was perhaps the most prominent film director in Hollywood in the late 1920's through the 1930's. Ron Howard narrates the film, with contributions from directors Robert Altman, Arthur Hiller, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and others, including Fay Wray. This documentary showcases a few of Capra's silent films and most every film through the 1930's and the rest of his career. Capra won an unprecedented three Oscars for best director in the 1930's and was nominated for three others as well. Only three directors alive today have been nominated for as many as six best director Oscars: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Woody Allen. Only four directors have ever been nominated more than six times: Fred Zinnemann(7), David Lean (7), Billy Wilder(8), and William Wyler(12). That puts things in perspective.
The film covers Capra's arrival on Ellis island in 1903, his days as a newspaper boy, and his enthusiasm with joining the army near the end of World War I. After the war, there was a four to five year period when Capra wondered what to do with himself, moving to San Francisco to avoid family intrusions into his life. After arriving in San Francisco, Capra quickly entered the film business learning the film-making process from the ground up by working for other companies. He even worked on Erich Von Stroheim's masterpiece: Greed. He became a gag writer for Hal Roach studios and then moved on to work for Mack Sennett where he wrote for and later directed Harry Langdon. After parting ways with Langdon due to artistic and personality differences, Capra moved over to Columbia Pictures, which was a near poverty row studio at the time. Here Capra was free to hone his craft in his style, and he was respected if not entirely always liked by Harry Cohn, the head of Columbia. The rest, as they say, is history.
Capra's long feud with Harry Cohn ended with the release of Mr. Smith Goes To Washington in 1939. What few folks realize is that Capra sacrificed a few prime years of his career for the good of his country, re-joining the army and making a series of pro-U.S. propaganda films from 1943 to 1945. These are the films referred to as the "Why We Fight" series. Capra wrote, directed, and/or produced around fifteen of these films within three years. Returning to making films after the war, he made his best remembered film It's A Wonderful Life, which was originally a box office failure then. He followed it up with State Of The Union, one of the Tracy/Hepburn pairings, before the failure of Liberty Pictures forced him to become a studio director at Paramount. Following this film, Capra almost became a victim of HUAC, unthinkable on the heels of his dedicated service as a colonel.
At Paramount, Capra found himself hemmed in by a studio system he left Columbia to avoid a decade earlier. After two pictures, he left Paramount and busied himself with other non-film projects. From 1956-1958, he made four films for the Bell Science series of films. One of these in particular, entitled Hemo The Magnificent (about the circulatory system), became a staple in the lives of millions of school children in the 1960's. Capra returned to Hollywood for two more films after this series, neither of which did well at the box office. Capra found himself in a new world in Hollywood from 1959 to 1961; big name actors now controlled film production in Hollywood, while directors became much less important than in Capra's heyday.
The film covers Capra's career completely accompanied by brief glimpses of home life. Like many successful directors of his time, Capra had a stable home life with one wife and four children. The film also highlights his contributions to film organizations and his autobiography which became a best seller. He toured college campuses speaking to a new generation of young film-goers who discovered his films while being screened by university film societies or on television. There's something to be said for that, and it's probably found in the eternal idealism and optimism of Capra's style. Viewers see themselves in the common folk struggling to survive against enormous odds or fighting for the good in this world or trying to right wrongs or reluctantly falling in love or doing the right thing despite the siren call of their dreams. ***1/2 of 4 stars.
The film covers Capra's arrival on Ellis island in 1903, his days as a newspaper boy, and his enthusiasm with joining the army near the end of World War I. After the war, there was a four to five year period when Capra wondered what to do with himself, moving to San Francisco to avoid family intrusions into his life. After arriving in San Francisco, Capra quickly entered the film business learning the film-making process from the ground up by working for other companies. He even worked on Erich Von Stroheim's masterpiece: Greed. He became a gag writer for Hal Roach studios and then moved on to work for Mack Sennett where he wrote for and later directed Harry Langdon. After parting ways with Langdon due to artistic and personality differences, Capra moved over to Columbia Pictures, which was a near poverty row studio at the time. Here Capra was free to hone his craft in his style, and he was respected if not entirely always liked by Harry Cohn, the head of Columbia. The rest, as they say, is history.
Capra's long feud with Harry Cohn ended with the release of Mr. Smith Goes To Washington in 1939. What few folks realize is that Capra sacrificed a few prime years of his career for the good of his country, re-joining the army and making a series of pro-U.S. propaganda films from 1943 to 1945. These are the films referred to as the "Why We Fight" series. Capra wrote, directed, and/or produced around fifteen of these films within three years. Returning to making films after the war, he made his best remembered film It's A Wonderful Life, which was originally a box office failure then. He followed it up with State Of The Union, one of the Tracy/Hepburn pairings, before the failure of Liberty Pictures forced him to become a studio director at Paramount. Following this film, Capra almost became a victim of HUAC, unthinkable on the heels of his dedicated service as a colonel.
At Paramount, Capra found himself hemmed in by a studio system he left Columbia to avoid a decade earlier. After two pictures, he left Paramount and busied himself with other non-film projects. From 1956-1958, he made four films for the Bell Science series of films. One of these in particular, entitled Hemo The Magnificent (about the circulatory system), became a staple in the lives of millions of school children in the 1960's. Capra returned to Hollywood for two more films after this series, neither of which did well at the box office. Capra found himself in a new world in Hollywood from 1959 to 1961; big name actors now controlled film production in Hollywood, while directors became much less important than in Capra's heyday.
The film covers Capra's career completely accompanied by brief glimpses of home life. Like many successful directors of his time, Capra had a stable home life with one wife and four children. The film also highlights his contributions to film organizations and his autobiography which became a best seller. He toured college campuses speaking to a new generation of young film-goers who discovered his films while being screened by university film societies or on television. There's something to be said for that, and it's probably found in the eternal idealism and optimism of Capra's style. Viewers see themselves in the common folk struggling to survive against enormous odds or fighting for the good in this world or trying to right wrongs or reluctantly falling in love or doing the right thing despite the siren call of their dreams. ***1/2 of 4 stars.
Great breakdown of Capra's enduring appeal
MissSimonetta1 January 2021
I watched this documentary on the Criterion Collection edition of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. It looks at the life and major works of Frank Capra, and goes into a satisfying amount of detail. I enjoyed the debunking of the idea that Capra's movies were all sentimental mush without hints of ambiguity or darkness. I could have done without some of the hyperbolic gushing (every scene seemed to be "the finest proposal in movie history" or "the most sublime close-up of all time" or "the best nose twitch since FRED OTT'S SNEEZE"), but overall I came away from the documentary with a better appreciation of Capra's style and ideals. It's so weird how a filmmaker so steeped in the concerns and pop culture of the 1930s and 1940s can still touch so many.
Getting to Know Frank Capra
gavin694210 December 2014
Ron Howard hosts a biography of the life and career of filmmaker Frank Capra, including interviews with the director's friends, colleagues and admirers.
Ron Howard as narrator? Well, it works for "Arrested Development", so why not here? And, in deed, he does have a pretty good speaking voice for this sort of thing.
But anyway, if anyone deserves a good documentary, it is Frank Capra. With films like "It Happened One Night" and "It's a Wonderful Life", he was sort of the Norman Rockwell of film, crafting an American vision in his tales. Little worlds where life can be perfect, even when it is not. And what makes it most interest is how Capra was not an American by birth, but by choice... he had more to say about the country than many of its inhabitants did.
Ron Howard as narrator? Well, it works for "Arrested Development", so why not here? And, in deed, he does have a pretty good speaking voice for this sort of thing.
But anyway, if anyone deserves a good documentary, it is Frank Capra. With films like "It Happened One Night" and "It's a Wonderful Life", he was sort of the Norman Rockwell of film, crafting an American vision in his tales. Little worlds where life can be perfect, even when it is not. And what makes it most interest is how Capra was not an American by birth, but by choice... he had more to say about the country than many of its inhabitants did.
Great Look at Capra's Dream
Michael_Elliott5 August 2018
Frank Capra's American Dream (1997)
**** (out of 4)
Ron Howard hosts this wonderful documentary that covers the life and career of three-time Oscar-winner Frank Capra. The documentary features interviews with two of his sons as well as various famous faces including Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Robert Altman, Andre De Toth, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Keaton, Amy Heckerling, Arthur Hiller, Angela Lansbury, Garry Marshall, John Milius, Richard Schickel,Edward Zwick and even some who worked with Capra including Jane Wyatt and Fay Wray.
If you're a fan of Capra then you'll certainly enjoy this detailed documentary that does a very good job at talking about the director's early life and how he ended up in Hollywood. From here we basically get a look at all of the films he made and a discussion of their box office success or failures as well as their impact on Capra himself. We get a more detailed look at the bigger titles including IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, MEET JOHN DOE and of course IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
The documentary does an extremely good job at going over the highs and lows of Capra's career as well as his own personal life, although the main focus always remains on the films. Fans of the director will get a lot of great stories told about the films and those new to Capra will get to learn about what made him so special.
**** (out of 4)
Ron Howard hosts this wonderful documentary that covers the life and career of three-time Oscar-winner Frank Capra. The documentary features interviews with two of his sons as well as various famous faces including Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Robert Altman, Andre De Toth, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Keaton, Amy Heckerling, Arthur Hiller, Angela Lansbury, Garry Marshall, John Milius, Richard Schickel,Edward Zwick and even some who worked with Capra including Jane Wyatt and Fay Wray.
If you're a fan of Capra then you'll certainly enjoy this detailed documentary that does a very good job at talking about the director's early life and how he ended up in Hollywood. From here we basically get a look at all of the films he made and a discussion of their box office success or failures as well as their impact on Capra himself. We get a more detailed look at the bigger titles including IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, MEET JOHN DOE and of course IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
The documentary does an extremely good job at going over the highs and lows of Capra's career as well as his own personal life, although the main focus always remains on the films. Fans of the director will get a lot of great stories told about the films and those new to Capra will get to learn about what made him so special.
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