Mr. Deeds Goes to Town [Blu-ray]

MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN [1936 / 2016] [80th Anniversary Limited Edition DigiBook] [Blu-ray] Another Great Frank Capra Production! Hilarious Combination of Comedy and Romance!When small-town innocent Longfellow Deeds [Gary Cooper] heads to New York to collect a $20 million inheritance, he ends up a target of ridicule thanks to Babe Bennett [Jean Arthur], a cynical reporter whose demeaning stories have made him the joke of the city. So when he discovers his sweet and unassuming new girlfriend is actually the hardboiled Bennett in disguise, a disillusioned Deeds decides to give his fortune away, an act of charity his crooked lawyer will stop at nothing to prevent. Winner of the 1936 Academy Award® for Best Director and now fully restored in 4K, Frank Capra’s ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ is the quintessential screwball comedy, an irresistible blend of laughter, wit and romance.FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1936 Venice Film Festival: Win: Frank Capra [Special Recommendation]. Nominated: Best Foreign Film for Frank Capra [Mussolini Cup]. 1937 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Director for Frank Capra. Nominated: Best Picture for Columbia. Nominated: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Gary Cooper. Nominated: Best Writing, Screenplay for Robert Riskin and Nominated: Best Sound, Recording for John P. Livadary (Columbia SSD). 1937 New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Win: Best Film. 3rd place: Best Actor for Gary Cooper.Cast: Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, George Bancroft, Lionel Stander, Douglass Dumbrille, Raymond Walburn, H.B. Warner, Ruth Donnelly, Walter Catlett, John Wray, Margaret Seddon, Margaret McWade, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Emma Dunn, Charles Lane, Jameson Thomas, Mayo Methot, Stanley Andrews (uncredited), Frank Austin (uncredited), John W. Austin (uncredited), Irving Bacon (uncredited), Bobbie Beal (uncredited), Hank Bell (uncredited), Billy Bevan (uncredited), Georgie Billings (uncredited), John Binns (uncredited), Wyrley Birch (uncredited), Beatrice Blinn (uncredited), Harry C. Bradley (uncredited), Charles Brinley (uncredited), Jack Cheatham (uncredited), Jack Rube Clifford (uncredited), Gino Corrado (uncredited), Cecil Cunningham (uncredited), Ann Doran (uncredited), Walter Downing (uncredited), Tex Driscoll (uncredited), Emma Dunn (uncredited), Muriel Evans (uncredited), Adolph Faylauer (uncredited), Charles K. French (uncredited), Chuck Hamilton (uncredited), George 'Gabby' Hayes (uncredited), Paul Hurst (uncredited), Warren Hymer (uncredited), William Irving (uncredited), Gladden James (uncredited), Charles Lane (uncredited), Edward LeSaint (uncredited), Edwin Maxwell (uncredited), Lafe McKee (uncredited), Frank McLure (uncredited), George Meeker (uncredited), Mayo Methot (uncredited), Robert Milasch (uncredited), Harold Miller (uncredited), Jack Montgomery (uncredited), Gene Morgan Jack Mower (uncredited), John T. Murray (uncredited), Frank O'Connor (uncredited), Broderick O'Farrell (uncredited), Dennis O'Keefe (uncredited), Bud Osborne (uncredited), Franklin Pangborn (uncredited), Barnett Parker (uncredited), Paul Porcasi (uncredited), Hal Price (uncredited), Christian Rub (uncredited), Anne Schaefer (uncredited), Larry Steers (uncredited), Bert Stevens (uncredited), Jameson Thomas (uncredited), John Tyrrell (uncredited), Dale Van Sickel (uncredited), Gustav von Seyffertitz (uncredited), Pierre Watkin (uncredited), Lee Willard (uncredited) and Charles C. Wilson (uncredited)Director: Frank CapraProducer: Frank CapraScreenplay: Robert Riskin (screenplay) and Clarence Budington Kelland (story)Composer: Howard Jackson (uncredited)Cinematography: Joseph Walker, A.S.C.Image Resolution: 1080p [Black-and-White]Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo, French: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio Stereo, German: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio Stereo, Português: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio Stereo, Spanish [Castilian]: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio Stereo, Spanish [Latin America]: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio Stereo and English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio StereoSubtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Português, Spanish, Swedish and TurkishAspect Ratio: 1.37:1Running Time: 115 minutesRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 1Studio: Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentAndrew’s Blu-ray Review: Director Frank Capra built his career around the themes that he explores in ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN.’ For the populist director Frank Capra, the battle lines are clearly drawn; where he makes his point and sometimes heavy-handedly, by pitting small-town simplicity, selflessness, and idealism against big-city sophistication, greed, and cynicism. Frank Capra raised the "little guy" to iconic status, stereotyping him as effortlessly as he stigmatized the corrupt city slicker. Gary Cooper's Longfellow Deeds often looks as if he is visiting from a different era, an errant knight guided by an anachronistic code of chivalry.Jean Arthur makes her appearance as the hard-nosed reporter who exposes Longfellow Deeds to total ridicule. Jean Arthur’s line delivery is sharp, precise and to the point, and Gary Cooper's trademark laconic delivery is also perfect for the role and Gary Cooper is at the top of his game, imbuing Longfellow Deeds with just the right blend of empathy and intelligence. Because of Frank Capra’s professional approach to directing, especially ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN,’ it deservedly was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN,’ won Frank Capra his second of three Best Director trophies.Longfellow Deeds is the hero of the occasion and becomes one of our favourite characters under the attentive handling of Gary Cooper, who is proving himself one of the best light comedians in Hollywood. Longfellow Deeds is the poet laureate of Mandrake Falls, Vermont and writes greeting-day verses, and is keen to play his tuba in the town band. Then an uncle dies, leaving his $20,000,000 estate to the Vermont innocent, and Longfellow Deeds, slightly dazed but unimpressed by his sudden riches, is tossed willy-nilly and tuba into scheming New York.Crooked lawyers beset him, the board of the opera elects him chairman, and a girl reporter gains his confidence and then headlines him as the "Cinderella Man." Crushed, derided, deceived, and disillusioned, the lean Longfellow prepares to share the wealth by establishing a collective farm colony and then, cruellest jest of all, he is hauled before a lunacy commission and only by the narrowest of margins and the love of Jean Arthur, the repentant sob sister, escapes being adjudged a manic depressive.‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN,’ marked a change in director Frank Capra's films. It was the first time he consciously tried to make a social statement. The film's success would lead him to continue to make socially oriented films, including ‘You Can't Take It With You’ [1938], ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ [1939], ‘Meet John Doe’ [1941] and ‘It's a Wonderful Life’ [1946]. All of them dramatized the same theme, in which Frank Capra would define as "the rebellious cry of the individual against being trampled by mass production, mass thought, mass education, mass politics, mass wealth, mass conformity. This was the seventh of 12 films in which Frank Capra would collaborate with screenwriter Robert Riskin, who played a key role in the development of Frank Capra's directorial style. Their other collaborations included ‘It Happened One Night,’ ‘You Can't Take It With You’ and ‘Meet John Doe.’‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ established the screen persona in showing that Gary Cooper would play for the rest of his career. Whereas previously he had been a popular male sex symbol, making screens sizzle as he shared love scenes with the likes of Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich, after ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ Gary Cooper was seen as a pure, homespun all-American type. Future Gary Cooper characters would be easily vamped by the likes of Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. As compensation for losing the smouldering sexuality of his previous screen persona, he would become one of the screen's most beloved stars and win Oscars® for playing all-American heroes in ‘Sergeant York’ [1941] and ‘High Noon’ [1952].‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ also made it possible for Gary Cooper to maintain his independence from the Hollywood studios. It was the first film he made after completing his contractual obligations to Paramount Pictures and independent producer Sam Goldwyn. Its success made it unnecessary for him to sign another long-term studio contract. Jean Arthur had been making films since 1923, but had made no great impact before ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ except for her appearance in John Ford's 1935 ‘The Whole Town's Talking,’ starring Edward G. Robinson and co-written by Robert Riskin. With ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN,’ she finally burst through to screen stardom. Frank Capra would re-team with Gary Cooper for ‘Meet John Doe,’ another tale of a simple man who takes on the powers of corruption. Frank Capra would use Jean Arthur as his leading lady again in ‘You Can't Take It With You’ and ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.’The film is so well directed by Frank Capra who is one of my all-time favourite directors. It isn’t one of his best, but is one of his better works for sure. It is well shot and so well paced. Its running time is two hours and it never felt boring to me as I was fully invested in it how great it was. The dialogue is so snappy and wonderfully sophisticated. And the humour is just amazing! The entire courtroom part is so great and so hilarious. The humour here is fast, clever and exceptionally strong and the film also works perfectly as a fairy tale, even though it is not real, but despite this, I loved it and it is one of the best films of the year without a doubt. ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ is immensely charming, funny and at times even hilarious, heart-warming and wonderfully inspirational and optimistic, and the direction from director Frank Capra expectedly gets the stellar performances from Jean Arthur and Gary Cooper are phenomenal and he in particular shamefully lost at the Oscars as his performance here is just amazing. The film has strong humour, especially in those courtroom scenes, the romance is so good and the film is touching and just beautiful. ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ has stood the test of time with its heartfelt depiction of endearing characters and its victory over greed and corruption. Well worth the watch.MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN MUSIC TRACK LISTFOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW (uncredited) (Traditional) [Played in the score during the opening credits and often throughout the film]AULD LANG SYNE (1788) (uncredited) (Traditional Scottish 17th century music) [Played by a band at the train station, including Mr. Deeds on tuba]OLD FOLKS AT HOME (Swanee River) (1851) (uncredited) (Written by Stephen Foster) [Played with drumsticks and sung by Jean Arthur] [Also sung a cappella by Gary Cooper]HUMERESQUE, Op. 101/7 (1894) (uncredited) (Music by Antonín Dvorák) [Hummed by Gary Cooper]Blu-ray Image Quality – Once again Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has brought us something truly special with this ultimate 1080p Black-and-White crisp sharp encoded image quality that really looks good in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio presentation. As to this new Blu-ray release, there is a lot to admire, given the 4K restoration and incorporation of 16mm elements and other more recently found footage that really gives you excellent detail levels can be seen, especially given the scope the production. Thanks to the clever use of visual effects of the time, there are layered qualities to the sets and environments that allow for a proper level of depth to appear on this Blu-ray disc. Black levels are quite sharp here. The contrast has been handled very well for this Black-and-White feature film. Character detail level is strong enough, especially with some close-ups yield surprisingly clear results and are a very clear presentation. There is a very nice light layer of grain on another really clean and fresh looking image presentation.Blu-ray Audio Quality – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has also brought us an equally lovely clear solid audio presentation, with the impressive upgrade of the 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo, is surprisingly clear, and very well-modulated audio sound that suites this Frank Capra film of this calibre. The bass sounds and tones are strong and stand out really well and especially when Mr. Deeds plays his beloved tuba. The music throughout the film is used sparingly when employed, and it has a fine fidelity which helps it achieve a good degree of presence and tonal resonance. Much of the dialogue is delivered really well as one would expect in a Frank Capra directed film, but almost all of it is very clear, precise and easy to comprehend. When it comes to the subtleties of the accents come through cleanly, and any age-related defects, such as hiss, pops or crackles, have been meticulously eliminated as you would expect form a SONY Blu-ray release. So all in all, this is a beautiful audio presentation of the highest calibre.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Audio Commentary by Frank Capra Jr.: Here we are personally introduced by Frank Capra Jr., and his personal audio commentary on his father, the director Frank Capra and talks in great depth of the film ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN.’ Frank Capra Jr., informs us that his father’s film was very difficult project to get started, but once Frank Capra go the go ahead, it of course turned out to be a very successful film. While Frank Capra was off sick after finishing the previous film, he started to read loads of novels to get some inspiration for his next project, and two novels that really interested him were “Valley Forge” and “Opera Hat,” and the latter was his preferred choice, about a humble man that comes into a very large fortune from a long lost relative, who was killed in a freak accident, and was set in the depression ere, so Frank Capra got his favourite screenwriter Robert Riskin to do the screenplay. But after a while we get lots of silent gaps. Then after a while we hear how frank Capra would cast his actors to appear in the film. Other Directors warned Frank Capra about this particular film that you cannot have a character, the hero, who keeps playing his tuba, especially when the character is informed he has come into a fortune of $20,000,000. Also you cannot have a hero who is accused of insanity, because it demeans the hero, but as you will see in the film, and frank Capra dismissed all of this as silly negative remarks and still went ahead and as you will see the critics were proved very wrong, and especially choosing Gary Cooper as the lead actor and hero. Because Harry Cohen had a thing about cutting costs with negative printing, Frank Capra ignored this dictate and instead used multiple of three cameras to shoot the same scene, so all shots would be perfect when editing the film, and get the perfect shot every time. Another reason Frank Capra films really worked so beautiful, as he liked to use some of the same actors again, as he liked their character performances. Because of the logistic of using heavy equipment, the mansion house in the film was actually built in Burbank and is sometimes referred to as the Deeds Mansion, and was cheaper than building sets on the film set. Jean Arthur was very difficult to work with, but Frank Capra gave the actress a sympathetic hearing to get the best out of her performance. People use to tell Frank Capra that his film ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ was his funniest film ever, because this film had something to say about the American society in 1936. People say that Frank Capra film endings might be happy, but, he really makes you pay for it. As we see with the newspaper headlines about Longfellow Deeds in not accepting a councillor, we hear two unknown words that are now used today, like pixelated and doodling, and both these words were very new in 1936, which were invented by the screenwriter Robert Riskin. Because this Frank Capra film was made in the depression, and a lot of people went to the cinema to forget their worries, and of course this film made a lot of money, and frank Capra use to feel guilty about this situation, but despite this, people really loved this film, because they liked to see a simple man who fights against people in authority, and that is why the picture won an Oscar, but not Garry Cooper or Jean Arthur. Frank Capra’s mantra is to show things about people’s foibles, that we do not recognise at first and again with this particular Frank Capra film shows all these foibles so perfectly. As we come to the end of the film and this audio commentary, Frank Capra Jr. says that you can see why this film was a hug box office success and especially with audiences around the world. The picture continues today to be seen on various video formats and still continues to do very well, especially outside the United States of America, and the reason for this is that it translates very well in all languages and at that point Frank Capra Jr. audio commentary stops.Special Feature: Frank Capra Jr. Remembers . . . ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ [1999] [1080i] [1.37:1] [11:11] Here we have a nice short documentary that originally appeared with the inferior DVD release of ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN.’ Frank Capra Jr. [Producer] talks fondly about his father Frank Capra making of the 1936 smash hit film and gives lots of fascinating anecdotes about the process of casting of the actors and the filming. Frank Capra Jr. was only two years old when Columbia Pictures released ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN,’ so his remarks are based on the stories and things he heard from his father and others. Frank Capra died at the age of 94 in 1991. In his years of growing up, Frank Capra Jr. would hear his father talk about the various films he made. He would tell stories about the cast and crew and would recall incidents that happened behind-the-scenes. Frank Capra Jr. was captivated by the stories, particularly since they were about well-known real life people and would meet some of them on film sets as he was growing up. ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ was the first of three films that Frank Capra made with Jean Arthur. As tremendous an actress as she was, Jean Arthur was very high strung before shooting. Frank Capra Jr. says she would be a bundle of nerves and find every excuse not to be on the set for the start of shooting. But once his father Frank Capra got her in front of the cameras and shooting began, she took on her role naturally. With this short special feature we get to view some film clips from the film.Special Feature: Vintage Advertising Gallery [2017] [1080p] [1.78:1] This new special feature includes 8 colourful reproductions of lobby cards from the film, which can be viewed with the composed music from the film.Theatrical Trailer Re-Release [1936] [1080i] [1.37:1] [1:28] This is the Theatrical Trailer Re-Release for the film ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN.’BONUS: The Beautiful Designed Collectable DigiBook Packaging with an All-New Essay on ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ by Film Historian Jeremy Arnold. It also includes Gary Cooper Key Credit List; Jean Arthur Key Credit List; Frank Capra Key Credit List; ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ Restoration in 4K. We also get a rare Film Poster; Colourful reproductions of the Cinema lobby cards. But best of all you get some stunning promotional black-and-white photographs from the film.Finally, ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ is a heart-warming slice of Americana with picture-perfect performances from Jean Arthur and Gary Cooper. All in all, ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ finds director Frank Capra in fine form, even if not at the top of his game and ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ is proof of that claim. Director Frank Capra coaxes great performances from the top to the bottom of his company and also shows directorial brilliance in his unusual and highly effective visual choices, and Frank Capra gets great intimacy from the dialogues between all the characters in the film by capturing them in well-composed two-shot images, and Frank Capra is a total master of pace, unafraid of long silences as characters think, but capable of fast-talking hilarity as well at the same time. The picture is as dramatically sound as it is very funny. ‘MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN’ was influential in its time and on its eightieth anniversary, it is every bit as entertaining as it ever was. Very Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom

Frank Capra was one of the most popular filmmakers for audiences in the 1930's and 1940's and one of only two directors to have won three Oscars as Best Director in his long career(the other being William Wyler). Many of his films are now considered classics by film historians and critics with "It's a Wonderful Life"(1946) frequently being shown on cable every Christmas. Capra worked for Columbia Pictures during the 1930's where he had his greatest success. Sony(which owns the Columbia film library) has been restoring on Blu-ray some of Capra's films from this period and their latest effort is "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town"(1936). Following an eight month restoration, Sony has done a frame by frame restoration in 4K from the original camera negative for it's 80th Anniversary and the results are once again outstanding. According to the liner notes by Jeremy Arnold that accompanies this new Blu-ray Digibook, the original camera negative had undergone considerable damage due to overprinting that caused many scratches, torn, and even some missing frames over the years. Sony has now corrected all of that and their effort restoring "Mr. Deeds" on Blu-ray for the first time should please fans of the film. There are no vertical lines, dirt, scratches, etc. and the overall picture is nearly flawless from start to finish(Bitrate: 24.93). There is some minor softness during scene changes(Capra uses dissolves or wipes) but the B&W cinematography by Joseph Walker is really highlighted now on Blu-ray. Both interiors and exteriors are very detailed with even the smallest props being clearly visible. Costumes are another delight with Gary Cooper's suits and Jean Arthur's outfits being especially detailed and prominent. As far as the acting, "Mr. Deeds" has been perfectly cast with Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur giving very believable and touching performances as the lead characters. The supporting cast includes a who's who of character actors including George Bancroft, Lionel Stander and Douglas Dumbrille giving standout performances. The Audio(English DTS-HD MA 2.0 & French, German, Spanish, Portuguese in Dolby Digital 2.0) is crystal clear and free of any noise artifacts(hiss, pops, crackle). "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" is 116 minutes(Aspect ratio: 1.37:1) and contains the following subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Finnish, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Arabic, Hungarian, Korean, Hebrew, Japanese and Turkish. Special features include a commentary and feature by Frank Capra Jr. and the original theatrical trailer. This is another "digibook" from Sony similar to their previous digibook releases of "You Can't Take It With You" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Like those two releases, there is an informative essay about the film printed on high gloss paper discussing the making of the film. "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" is a highly entertaining film that has lost none of it's charm eighty years after it was first released in theaters. Sony has done another excellent Blu-ray presentation in it's continuing restoration project of bringing Frank Capra classic films to a new generation of viewers. Let's hope that "Lost Horizon" will get the same treatment for it's 80th Anniversary next year. Until then, "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" should be a welcome addition to any home video library and comes highly recommended.

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der hier mal in einer völlig anderen Rolle als ahnungsloser Erbe eines riesigen Vermögens zu sehen ist. Auch Jean Arthur spielt ihren Part sehr gut. Die DVD hat eine gute Bild- und Tonqualität. Das absolute Highlight ist die Gerichtsverhandlung am Ende des Films. Absolut sehenswert.

ユーモアと社会風刺が織りなす、これがキャプラ節といえる作品です。

"They created a lot of grand palaces here, but they forgot to create noblemen to put in them"Has simplicity of story ever been so grand as it is here? Director Frank Capra manages to turn a simple tale of a rural man coming into big money, into a charismatic uplifting lesson to generations past and present. There are no sheep around here for the makers to extract wool from to pull over our eyes, they don't need too, for it is just a plain and honest story to gladden even the hardest of hearts. It's a journey that tickles you pink and then stops you in your tracks with a swift turn of events, it then gives you tension, frustrating pain in the ass tension, and then? Well it's into the delightful realm of Capra.The direction is flawless, I honestly can't find anything wrong here even if it was my wish to do so, the acting is actually to die for. Gary Cooper is simply brilliant in the title role, he takes you with him on his journey from the easy going rural chap at the start of the film-to the quite emotive and strong man coming alive for the finale. Cooper was a class act when playing men with high moral fibre, such is the case here, he layers Deeds with conviction, witness a tonal shift in the film that brings his world crashing down, the grief on Cooper's face has the viewer ready to fight the world for him. Then there's the entire court room sequences as he sits there acting only with expressions, it's special I tell you.Jean Arthur has a back story to the film that makes me admire her all the more, she was only chose quite late on in casting by Capra after he caught her in a small low budget production, and she suffered violently with nerves on each shoot, but the results are incredible as she dominates the camera in every scene she is in, with her delivery, her voice that makes me ache in a good way, this lady covers herself in glory. The supporting cast are also first class, the writing is top dollar, the film is actually perfect across the board, so with that I'm stunned that more golden baldy statues from the Academy didn't come this films way.I was going to watch Mr Smith Goes To Washington after this, but I spent another hour re-watching my favourite scenes from this film. It's a well regarded film in classic movie buff circles, and rightly so, for it's a peerless entry on Capra's CV, and also cements the statement that Gary Cooper deserves his legendary status. 10/10

A Frank Capra Directed Film With Two Of America Brightest Talents; Who Sparkle And Brought To Life, This Performance Of A Humble Man Falling In Love With An Attractive City Girl.