A unassuming greeting card poet from a small town in Vermont heads to New York City upon inheriting a massive fortune and is immediately hounded by those who wish to take advantage of him.A unassuming greeting card poet from a small town in Vermont heads to New York City upon inheriting a massive fortune and is immediately hounded by those who wish to take advantage of him.A unassuming greeting card poet from a small town in Vermont heads to New York City upon inheriting a massive fortune and is immediately hounded by those who wish to take advantage of him.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 5 wins & 7 nominations total
Stanley Andrews
- James Cedar
- (uncredited)
Frank Austin
- George Rankin
- (uncredited)
John W. Austin
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
Irving Bacon
- Frank
- (uncredited)
Louise Bates
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Bobbie Beal
- Chorine
- (uncredited)
Hank Bell
- Unemployed Farmer in Line and Courtroom
- (uncredited)
Billy Bevan
- Cabby
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis movie marks the entry of the verb doodle (in the sense of absent-minded scribbling) into the English language. The word was coined for the movie by screenwriter Robert Riskin.
- GoofsWhen Mr. Deeds is playing the tuba, the acting is out of synchronization with the sound.
- Quotes
Longfellow Deeds: People here are funny. They work so hard at living they forget how to live.
- Crazy creditsWinthrop Oliver Warner (a studio musician) actually played the tuba for the film.
- ConnectionsEdited into High Hopes: The Capra Years (1981)
- SoundtracksFor He's a Jolly Good Fellow
(uncredited)
Traditional
In the score during the opening credits and often throughout the film
Featured review
A pixilated man against the "normal" crowd.
What a shame that this wonderful, charming, funny movie had to be remade back in 2002 starring Adam Sandler for now whenever the title Mr. Deeds is mentioned, the majority of people will recall that train wreck instead of this timeless story. What director Frank Capra is able to do here is create a tale of little city versus big city but also in dealing with corruption and helping out your fellow man.
These are themes common to nearly all Capra films and here Gary Cooper is able to transcend the idea of a major Hollywood star playing a down to earth, small-town idealist nice and considerate to all he meets unless they get deep under his skin. To those who reside in the giant city of New York, a bewildered man like this Longfellow Deeds would certainly stick out. And it is for this reason that a hotshot reporter would attempt to use him as a basis for an exclusive story and solely for her own benefit. This other theme of the dark side of media use is another Capra feels strongly about and it shines through especially in the final courtroom scenes when all is revealed and the true colors of all characters are established.
Gary Cooper is one of the most under-appreciated leading men in Hollywood history, perhaps because he didn't show the archetype leading man quality other big stars of his time did. He was always in his movies a good old boy, filled with love for his roots and the people he associated with that. He did it here and in Sergeant York, the result being two of his best performances in a long and storied career. Capra favorite Jean Arthur doesn't do or say much- until the epilogue when her character is needed most. And in this sequence, Arthur shows her complete variety of ability to cover both comedic and dramatic areas. Certainly a film to go back to again and again, this shows Capra's ability to carefully touch on very serious subjects with a deft comic touch as well as the great chemistry between Cooper and Arthur. So, if someone mentions Mr. Deeds to you, look for the older one and not the newer "modern" version.
These are themes common to nearly all Capra films and here Gary Cooper is able to transcend the idea of a major Hollywood star playing a down to earth, small-town idealist nice and considerate to all he meets unless they get deep under his skin. To those who reside in the giant city of New York, a bewildered man like this Longfellow Deeds would certainly stick out. And it is for this reason that a hotshot reporter would attempt to use him as a basis for an exclusive story and solely for her own benefit. This other theme of the dark side of media use is another Capra feels strongly about and it shines through especially in the final courtroom scenes when all is revealed and the true colors of all characters are established.
Gary Cooper is one of the most under-appreciated leading men in Hollywood history, perhaps because he didn't show the archetype leading man quality other big stars of his time did. He was always in his movies a good old boy, filled with love for his roots and the people he associated with that. He did it here and in Sergeant York, the result being two of his best performances in a long and storied career. Capra favorite Jean Arthur doesn't do or say much- until the epilogue when her character is needed most. And in this sequence, Arthur shows her complete variety of ability to cover both comedic and dramatic areas. Certainly a film to go back to again and again, this shows Capra's ability to carefully touch on very serious subjects with a deft comic touch as well as the great chemistry between Cooper and Arthur. So, if someone mentions Mr. Deeds to you, look for the older one and not the newer "modern" version.
helpful•71
- bobsgrock
- Jan 14, 2010
- How long is Mr. Deeds Goes to Town?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Mister Deeds - Milijonar dobrotnik
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $800,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $8,362
- Runtime1 hour 55 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
Top Gap
By what name was Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) officially released in India in English?
Answer