Page "Frank Capra" Paragraph 38

In 1941 Capra directed Meet John Doe ( 1941 ), considered by some to be Capra's most controversial movie.

The film's hero, played by Gary Cooper, is a former baseball player now bumming around lacking any goals.

He is selected by a news reporter to represent the " common man ", used to capture the imagination of ordinary Americans.

The film was released shortly before America became involved in World War II, and citizens were still in an isolationist mood.

According to some historians, the film was made to convey a " deliberate reaffirmation of American values ", although ones which seemed uncertain with respect to the future.