Official Synopsis:
American Madness -
During the height of the Great Depression, a populist bank president (Walter Huston) is saved from financial ruin by his small depositors.
It Happened One Night -
A brash reporter (Clark Gable) accompanies a run-away heiress (Claudette Colbert) on a cross-country bus trip. 1934 Academy AwardŽ Winner for Best Picture, Actor, Actress and Director.
Mr. Deeds Goes To Town -
A small-town poet (Gary Cooper) is declared insane when he tried to give away his $20 million inheritance to the nation's poor. 1936 Academy AwardŽ Winner for Best Director. You Can't Take It With You
A family of zany free spirits helps a stuffy financier realize there's more to life than money. 1938 Academy AwardŽ Winner for Best Picture and Best Director.
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington -
An idealistic, newly-appointed senator (James Stewart) heads to Washington, where he single-handedly battles ruthless politicians out to destroy him. 1939 Academy AwardŽ Winner for Best Writing (Original Story).
Frank Capra's American Dream (Hosted by Ron Howard) -
Go behind the scenes into the Hollywood legend's professional and family life. Features interviews with Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and more.
Our Take:
Did Frank Capra make the quintessentially American movies because of the fact that he was an immigrant or despite the fact that he was an immigrant? Ultimately, the question is irrelevant, because Capra, more than any other filmmaker of his generation, knew what it was that captured America.
The new Premiere Frank Capra Collection from Sony is a wonderful box set that collects some of the director's most important works into one archive. The multiple-award-winning It Happened One Night is here, as are the classics Mr. Deeds Goes To Town and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. The unsung gem of the collection, though, is the lesser known You Can't Take It With You, which sees Jimmy Stewart in a star-making turn opposite the terrific Jean Arthur in a zany comedy with real heart. It's not one of Capra's most celebrated works, but it's a sweet film that's a real winner. The only landmark Capra film missing is It's A Wonderful Life (the rights belong to another company), but in a way, that film is sort of its own entity and not necessarily missed in this collection.
As if the films in this set weren't enough, there's a bonus disc packed with extra features that is truly fantastic. In addition, there's a 96-page Movie Scrapbook that's so nice it could sell as a coffee table tome if it was 11x14 and hardcover.
* Frank Capra's American Dream (109 minutes) - A feature-length documentary, hosted and narrated by Ron Howard. This fantastic feature looks at Capra's movies and how they represented America. Hollywood luminaries such as Martin Scorcese, Robert Altman, Oliver Stone, John Milius, Garry Marshall, Richard Dreyfus, Michael Keaton, Angela Lansbury, and many others weigh in on Capra.
* Conversations With Frank Capra Jr.: A Family History (26 minutes) - Junior takes us through a biography of his father.
* Conversations With Frank Capra Jr.: The Golden Years (18 minutes) - Junior talks about his father's most important works.
* Frank Capra: Collaboration (19 minutes) - Junior and some film historian types talk about Capra's Hollywood collaborators and his career.
* The Frank Capra I Knew (13 minutes) - Jeanine Basinger, a friend of Capra's and creator of his archives, reminisces about the director.
* Movie Scrapbook - A 96 page book.
Regardless of your zeal for classic pictures of Americana, the movies in the Premiere Frank Capra Collection are all terrific films in their own right, making this set a must have. This is classic Hollywood at its finest.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Overall Picture:
Movies (average): A
DVD set: A+
- Mike Spring
Editor
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