Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

When a financier dies leaving the enormous sum of $20 millions, the race to find an heir takes us to a tiny hamlet where we meet the pixilated poet “Longfellow Deeds” (Gary Cooper). He’s an honest, slightly flighty, man who hasn’t the foggiest idea what to do with his new fortune except, perhaps, serenade it with his tuba! His rise to fame hasn’t gone unnoticed in the press, and one newspaper decides to send a reporter to ingratiate herself with him, and to write reports ridiculing him and naming him the “Cinderella Man”. She (Jean Arthur) gradually starts to realise that her naive and impressionable mark actually has an heart of gold, but when his grandest scheme of all to spend his money attracts the lawyers who try to certify him, can she do anything to help him fight back? Cooper is great here, and together with Arthur delivers a punchy comedy that shines a light on greed, power and their best counter-measure - decency. There’s a great ensemble cast supporting too, especially his sagely butler (Raymond Walburn) and Walter Catlett’s lively “Morrow”, but it’s really just down to Cooper showing us he has comedy timing, too.

An unassuming poet from a small town called Mandrake Falls who suddenly inherits twenty million dollars is certainly fair game for every swindler, crooked businessman, and reporter in New York. Especially one very clever and witty newswoman named Babe Bennett, played by the great Jean Arthur. I must admit, I'm still rather indifferent towards Gary Cooper, but his performance in this wasn't bad, and I'm sure would please his fans. But Jean Arthur is consistently wonderful in every movie I've seen her in. The script is full of witty, intelligent dialogue, as well as the usual trademark Capra themes. The courtroom scenes in the last half of the movie are the best part. Far from my favorite Frank Capra film, but still enjoyable. Would I recommend? Yes, for the most part. Just didn't fully "click" with me personally, though.