Book Vs. Movie: Meet John Doe
The 1922 Short Story Vs. the 1941 Film
Frank Capra’s 1941 film *Meet John Doe* is often described as “based on a story by Richard Connell and Robert Presnell.” Unlike Connell’s famous short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” the source material for *Meet John Doe* was based on a short story, “A Reputation,” which appeared in 1922 in Century Magazine.
The original work and the final film critique how newspapers—and media moguls—shape public sentiment for their own purposes. Starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck, the film was a significant box office success and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Story, with Capra opting for a more hopeful ending than the original.
So which did we prefer? The original short story of the Capra movie? Listen to find out!
In this ep, the Margos discuss:
- The works of both Richard Connell and Frank Capra
- The differences between the short story & 1941 film
- The Movie Cast: Gary Cooper (John Doe,) Barbara Stanwyck (Ann Mitchell,) Edward Arnold (D.B. Norton,) Walter Brennan (The Colonel,) Spring Byington (Mrs. Mitchell,) James Gleason (Henry Connell,) and Gene Lockhart as Mayor Lovett.
Margo’s upcoming book on Saturday Night Fever (pre-order!)
Clips used:
- Gary Cooper as “John Doe”
- Meet John Doe (1941 trailer)
- “Love thy neighbor.”
- “John Doe’s speech”
- “John at the bridge”
- “Last scene”
- Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
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