American Vision: The Films of Frank Capra

by Ray Carney

There are few filmgoers who have not seen and been moved by one of the thirty-six feature films directed by Frank Capra between 1926 and 1961, among which are It's a Wonderful Life, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe, Lost Horizon, It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and Pocketful of Miracles. Critics, however, have often dismissed the director as sentimental, or patronised his populist tendencies. Professor Carney locates the director's oeuvre within a larger tradition of post-Romantic expression, placing him in the company of figures such as Hawthorne, Emerson, James, Winslow, Homer, Sargent and Edward Hopper. Professor Carney's vast knowledge of Capra's biography, the intricacies of the Hollywood studio system, film-making techniques, and the American cultural heritage has produced a study that moves beyond the boundaries of current film scholarship. The detailed readings of individual films are presented within a broad cultural context and the context of Capra's own development.

Genres: Film

536 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 1986

About the author

Ray Carney is an American scholar and critic, primarily known for his work as a film theorist, although he writes extensively on American art and literature as well. He is known for his study of the works of actor and director John Cassavetes. He teaches in the American Studies department at Boston University and has published several books on American art and philosophy.

Reviews

[Greg Van Vorhis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing about this book is that the research and the insights are fantastic. There are considerations here that I have never considered. The problem is that there were several simple errors. For example, Carney:
Talks about Henry C. Potter (pg. 379). His name is actually Henry F. Potter.
Repeatedly refers to Violet Bicks (pg. 384 and many others). Her name is Violet Bick.
Repeatedly refers to one of the characters in American Madness as Dixon. (pg. 117). His name is spelled Dickson.
Misquotes George Bailey as saying "sounds of trains, anchor chains, and boat whistles" (pg. 422). George's actual quote is "anchor chains, plane motors, train whistles."
Incorrectly states that after the phone scene, there is a "following scene showing George and Mary leaving the church after their wedding." This is wrong. They may or may not have been married in a church. We have no proof of this. However, they leave the Bailey home, not a church, as they climb into Ernie's taxi. The proof is the picture of Annie the maid hanging below the steps as George and Mary run down them.
These missed facts does not in any way take away from the scholarship and depth that this book goes into. The research and dedication to studying the facts of the films instead of the dreams and metaphors is admirable.

American Vision: The Films of Frank Capra is dense. It's thick and scholarly, and requires patience and a great degree of concentration. That being said, it is also required reading for fans of Capra and his films.

[Paul]

All right, I got it done in under ten months! Goodreads is simply never going to attach the correct cover to this book, but that’s okay. This is a challenging read at times, but it is just about everything I could want from a work of film criticism. Carney ties Capra’s films in with works of literature and painting that, he argues, present a similar perspective of the world. Movies aren’t just about themselves, after all. They’re all part of the same creative expression. Carney shows that Capra is in communion with the likes of Hawthorne, Emerson, Henry James, Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper, particularly regarding the tension in American life between individual imaginative freedom and one’s obligations to society. Best of all, Carney rescues Capra’s reputation from charges of sentimentality and Rockwellian nostalgia. He gives me many new things to appreciate and consider about some of my favorite movies of all time. That’s the way I hope I’m able to write about this stuff, too.