Meet John Doe Details

An interesting but, in the end, almost unwatchable, sombre populist fantasy from self-appointed social commentator Frank Capra. Director Capra, in this his first independent production away from Harry Cohn's Columbia, so completely failed to solve the structural problems of this movie that he allegedly filmed five different endings, and many will feel that the one he selected could be improved on. Of course, with movie greats Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck heading a fine cast of character actors, audience apathy is kept at bay, at least in the early reels. But Capra provides no colour in the characters, no fire in the belly and far too much worthy dialogue. Though his wartime anti-Fascist warnings are painfully appropriate, they are also preachy and patronising to audiences. The title is the key: “John Doe” is American slang for Everyman, usually tagged to an unidentified corpse. Here, it is the signature on a powerful letter from a protester promising to commit suicide by Christmas to atone for the sins of the world. As any budding scriptwriter will agree, that's an intellectual notion virtually impossible to convey in a popular movie. And so it proves.

Vividly staged but over-sentimental Capra extravaganza with high spots outnumbering low.