Frank Capra Never Followed Trends, He Started Them

 

We don't hear much these days about the film director, Frank Capra. His best work is after all nearly a century old. On the other hand he left a rich legacy in the film industry that in many repsects spilled over into the televison era. Far and away he led the industry in directorial praise during the 1930s. He's also credited with shifting the industry's focus from productiion to direction. As an outstanding storyteller and skilled director he's credited with creating the best film portrayals of the human condition during the Great Depression yeas.

Like many early icons in the American film industry, Capra's story begins in poverty. He was born in Sicily on May 18 in 1897. When he was five his family arrived in this country after a two-week passage in steerage and settled in Los Angeles. He worked his way through college earning a degree in chemical engineering, but also found no work in that field. A series of odd jobs eventually brought him into the film industry where he would become one of the greatest names in 20th century Hollywood. 

Today most of us know him as the director of the perennial Christmas film, It's A Wonderful Life (1946). These's much more of Capra's storytelling to enjoy. Here's a small portion of what he produced in his black and white world:

It Happened One Night (1934)

Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936)

Lost Horizon (1937)

You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

War Department Film Series (1942-45)

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

Here Comes The Groom (1951)


Each of these films received Academy Award nominations and all but one - It's A Wonderful Life - received Oscars in one or more categories. Here is his obituary (1991) from The Washington Post  And here is a fine 1978 interview he made with the American Film Institute's American Film about his life and film making technique.

Undoubtedly Capra leaves us a rich legacy in 20th century film entertainment. It's a legacy anyone can enjoy. And there's a good chance we'll learn something about ourselves and the human condition we share.









Sources

Photos and Illustrations:
portrait, public domain photo by Columbia Pictures, operarex.highwire.com

Text:
title adapted from quote, acceptance speech, American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, 1982
wikipedia.org