Capra Double Bill: Mr Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe

In a Zeitgeist Tapes first, we have a double bill for your delectation. Given all that is happening in the USA and the wider world, we delve back to the late 1930s and early 1940s to see how one of the most popular directors of the time dealt with populism - positive and negative. We discuss both Mr Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe - both by director Frank Capra. Political corruption abounds; the little guy is always the hero and the stooge. But Capra - an immigrant and Republican - did not want to break the American system - he wanted to show that it could be great again. Perhaps a lesson for those who oppose Trump now. Watch Meet John Doe on Youtube Find Steve on BlueSky Find Emma on BlueSky. Buy tickets for Emma's play.

You can listen to Capra Double Bill: Mr Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Capra Double Bill: Mr Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe is an episode from The Zeitgeist Tapes.

This episode is 46:00 long.

This episode was published on Apr 19, 2025.

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