Saturday Evening Movie Open Thread

Well, I was heading for a nap, but Capra's Mr Smith Goes to Washington came on the teevee. I haven't watched it for years, but I love Jimmy Stewart and I know it's a fine, fine film.

When it was first released, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was attacked as an anti-American pro-Communist film for its portrayal of corruption in American Government.

The film was banned in Nazi Germany, and in other Fascist countries such as Italy and Spain, dubbing was used to alter the message of the film to conform with official ideology, according to Capra.

In 1942 when a ban on American films was imposed in Nazi-occupied France, the title theaters chose for their last movie before the ban was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. One Paris theater owner reportedly screened the film around the clock for 30 consecutive days prior to the ban.

According to rumor, Ronald Reagan was Frank Capra's original choice to play the role later given to James Stewart. Upon hearing of Capra's intentions, a furious Harry Cohn, then head of Columbia Pictures, sent a telegram saying "only the damnedest of fools would ever believe Ron Reagan could stick up for the little guy."

In the spring of 2005, U.S. media attention over the "nuclear option" focused extra attention on what was already the melodramatic climax of the film, when Smith launches a lengthy and defiant filibuster.
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What's your favourite political movie?