Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
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Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is a 1936 comedy film. It tells the story of a simple small-town man, Longfellow Deeds, played by (Gary Cooper), who inherits a fortune and encounters people who want to use his money for their own aims. He is able to fight all of them off until a scheming newspaperwoman (Jean Arthur) comes on the scene.
In casting the role of Longfellow Deeds, Cooper was director Capra's first, last and only choice. The film popularized the word "pixilated", which was used (in this case) to imply craziness, or the seeming illogical nature of Longfellow Deed's actions in the film.
The film was written by Clarence Budington Kelland and Robert Riskin, and directed by Frank Capra. The film earned star Gary Cooper his first nomination for Best Actor, and was voted Best Picture of the year (1936) by the New York Film Critics and the National Board of Review.
The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Capra won an Academy Award for Directing.
A TV series by the same name ran from 1969-1970.
A sequel called Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington was written. However Gary Cooper was unavailable for shooting. James Stewart was hired for the lead role and the title was changed to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Minor changes were also made to the original script.
The film was remade in 2002 as Mr. Deeds starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder.
Etymology of \"pixilated\"
The 1932 book The American Notebooks by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Based Upon the Original Manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library, edited by Randall Stewart, includes the entry:
- "Pixilated"—a Marblehead word, meaning bewildered–wild–&c &c Probably derived from Pixy—a fairy.
- The New English Dictionary gives "pixyled," with the meaning "led astray by pixies," "bewildered," but not "pixilated."
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Gary Cooper | Longfellow Deeds/Cinderella Man |
| Jean Arthur | Louise 'Babe' Bennett/Mary Dawson |
| George Bancroft | MacWade aka Mac |
| Lionel Stander | Cornelius Cobb |
| Douglass Dumbrille | John Cedar |
| Raymond Walburn | Walter |
| H.B. Warner | Judge May |
| Ruth Donnelly | Mabel Dawson |
| Walter Catlett | Morrow |
Awards
| Year | Group | Award | Won? | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Academy Awards | Best Director | Yes | Frank Capra |
| Best Picture | No | Frank Capra | ||
| Best Leading Actor | No | Gary Cooper | ||
| Best Screenplay | No | Robert Riskin | ||
| Best Sound Recording | No | John P. Livadary |
External links
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