Meet John Doe (1941)

I have a confession to make: I had recorded this movie a very long time before I ever watched it. The title and description just didn't appeal to me - especially when I have about 50 other movies recorded to watch. A title like "Meet John Doe" just didn't stick out. But then one day, I remembered: this is a Frank Capra movie, and when has Frank Capra ever disappointed? Like never. (It's a Wonderful Life 1946, It Happened One Night 1934, You Can't Take it With You 1938, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 1939, Arsenic and Old Lace 1944, State of the Union 1948, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town 1936) ...No, I cannot say Capra has ever disappointed.

And in fact, I would even say watching a Frank Capra movie is like that first sip of a perfect cup of hot tea. It just fills the soul with joy and comfort. I'll just let that statement breath a bit, because I really mean it.

Barbara Stanwyck plays newspaper reporter, Ann Mitchell who is asked to write one more article for her floundering newspaper before she is laid off. She's asked to right something more sensational than her previous articles, and Ann does so by creating a letter written by the fictional John Doe - a man who has pledged to committing suicide on Christmas Eve as a protest to today's society. After the article is published, a circus of homeless men claiming to be the real John Doe arrive at the newspaper office. In the meantime, the sensational article has also caught the attention of a rival paper who claims the letter is fraudulent. Which gives Ann and her editor - now forced to hire her back - an idea. They interview the thong of John Doe wannabes to find the man that could play their John Doe. Enter the John Willoughby, played expertly by the gruff but quiet and unassuming Gary Cooper.

John is paid, given new clothes, and he and his fellow homeless friend, "The Colonel" are set up in a plush hotel. John must be hidden until he's ready and trained to become John Doe so he may give his speech on radio, to discuss all the wrongs of the current world. The Colonel provides dry comedic relief during heavier scenes, as the themes of society's ills were no doubt was relatable during war times, and is certainly relatable now.

After giving his speech - one that Ann personally wrote, and not the fancy PR guy - he runs away, feeling conflicted about being the vision of hope that people are looking for. But eventually he returns, and the John Doe philosophy of "be a better neighbor" slogan develops into a grassroots movement, and clubs are formed across the country. Seeing the success of this movement, the newspaper publisher instructs Ann to write a speech for John, announcing a new political party, and the publisher as its candidate for president. During a rally, John denounces the party, and publisher, only to be silenced when the publisher kills the mic, and announces to the crowd that John Doe is a fake.

His followers become angry, and a desperate John now really does want to commit suicide on Christmas Eve, on the roof of the newspaper building. Ann, who has fallen in love with John tries to talk him out of it. Meanwhile, others who still believe in John and his message, rally the clubs to support John in his time of need. Club members go to the spot where John is ready to take his life, and convince him that he is the real deal, and his message needs to continue.

I honestly feel like this movie needs to be played on every TV station 24/7 nowadays, until people actually understand the message of love, hope, and acceptance John gives the world. The world has always needed and will always need John Doe.

The Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

This is a good movie - if you can follow it. It's a simple enough story, but packed with he said/he said/she said - and nobody can really be believed as the characters in this drama-noir are all bad guys doing dirty tricks. But that's also what makes it entertaining.

Sidney Falco (played by Tony Curtis) is a press agent who has been unable to gain mentions for his clients in J.J. Hunsecker's (superbly played by Burt Lancaster) nationally syndicated newspaper column because of his failure to make good on a promise to break up the romance between Hunsecker's younger sister, Susan, and jazz musician Steve Dallas.

Falco is losing money and clients. Falco is given one last chance by Hunsecker, and - losing money and clients -  schemes to plant a false rumor in a rival column that Dallas is a marijuana-smoking Communist.  Falco encourages Hunsecker to rescue Dallas's reputation through his immense media influence, certain Dallas will reject Hunsecker's favor and end up looking bad to Susan. Personally, I saw this as a rather thin scheme, and one that could easily fall apart. But it does work - sort of. Dallas refuses assistance from the likes of Hunsecker, and forces annoyingly timid Susan to chose between them. Dedicated to her brother, mousey Susan breaks up with Dallas. This isn't good enough for the might Hunsecker though, who has a bruised ego from Dallas' insults in refusing his help. So he decides to ruin Dallas after all (against Falco's advice) and wants to have marijuana planted on the musician, then have him arrested and roughed up by a corrupt police lieutenant. It is such a dirty trick that even career-desperate Falco wants no part of it. Until, that is, Hunsecker promises to take a long vacation from his powerful column and turn it over to Falco in his absence. At a nightclub, Falco slips the marijuana cigarettes into a pocket of a coat belonging to Dallas, who is later accosted by the police outside the club.

The scheme seeming to be a success, Falco goes to a bar where, surrounded by his industry pals, he toasts "to his new perfume, the sweet smell of success". Festivities are put on hold when Falco is summoned—he assumes by Hunsecker—to the columnist's penthouse apartment, where he finds Susan attempting to commit suicide by jumping off the balcony. Falco stops her from jumping and pulls her back into the apartment. When Hunsecker arrives suddenly, and doesn't understand why Falco is there, Hunsecker realizes Susan called Falco there. Falco then tries to explain that Susan tried to kill herself, but Susan refuses to verify this and, for a few moments, allows Hunsecker to slap Falco for finding him in her bedroom and putting his hands on her (after he had pulled her inside from her suicide attempt).  During the confrontation, Falco reveals to Susan that it was her brother who ordered him to destroy Dallas's reputation and their relationship. Hunsecker makes a call to the lieutenant to come after Falco, telling him that Falco planted the marijuana in Dallas’ coat. Falco tries to flee but is caught in Times Square by the dirty cop. Back in the penthouse, Susan, her bags packed, acknowledges to her brother that she attempted suicide, considering death preferable to living with him. She walks out on him, saying that she will go to Steve Dallas. From his apartment balcony, Hunsecker watches his sister leaving him, as she walks out into the coming daylight on the street below.

For me, the movie had moments of "huh? Who said what now?" but the story line was engaging enough, and seeing Lancaster as the ultimate bad guy was a treat. Surprisingly perhaps, this was the first Tony Curtis movie I'd ever seen, so I really can't fairly rate his performance. But it certainly wasn't one that made me say "Wow! Let me immediately start watching other Curtis movies". (Sorry, film world).