Meet John Doe

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Meet John Doe

1941

2h 3m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

A reporter writes a fictitious column about a man named John Doe, who claims to despair at America's neglect of the little people and plans to kill himself. To maintain the ruse, the newspaper hires a ballplayer-turned-hobo to pose as John Doe.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Jul 20, 2024

6/10

Cooper and Stanwyck are entirely watchable, even if the plot grows artistically flagrant and thematically hollow, culminating in a final media ruse that is thoroughly farfetched.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Aug 11, 2022

3/4

Frank Capra was fond of speeches - and Meet John Doe is stuffed with them.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Feb 14, 2022

4/4

Meet John Doe is perhaps Capra's most self-reflective film.

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John Kinloch

California Eagle

Oct 31, 2019

A smooth. Capracareful film replete with social preachment and a magnificent portrayal by Gary Cooper.

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Elena de la Torre

Cine-Mundial

Sep 17, 2019

The movie is superb, dynamic, masterful. [Full review in Spanish]

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Leslie Combemale

Cinema Siren

Jul 25, 2019

Like Stewart's Mr. Smith, Gary Cooper's acting choices, while more subtle than Stewart, deeply connect you with his character's plight and therefore solidly hook you into hopes for his happy ending, his redemption.

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Sam N

@RT61650855 Dec 4, 2024

Meet John Doe is Frank Capra at his most cloying—an unbearable syrup-fest of moralising, sentimentality, and a plodding Gary Cooper I couldn’t wait for it to end.

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Micah H

@RT36741898 Nov 27, 2024

People call Frank Capra’s films “warm and fuzzy”. Although he has hopeful endings, his films deal with dark subjects. Meet John Doe is about suicide and the barrier of lies created by the media. It charges at hard topics, but ends with the idea that goodness will prevail.

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Laura L

@RT26106084 Nov 20, 2024

I watched Meet John Doe tonight. I watched it as a Christmas movie. What a surprise to find that it is so much more. Seventy years ago, people were feeling disconnected just as we are today. What began as a sensational story began a movement. It was basically a Love Thy Neighbor movement. This is something that we are sorely in need of today in America and around the world. I highly recommend watching this movie. Then, go, love your neighbor as you love yourself. Be blessed, Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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Alberto Q

@RT27790002 Dec 3, 2023

Frank Capra's lesser-known Christmas classic. If you haven't seen it or haven't seen in a while, give it a watch. It's always worth it.

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Steve D

@RT35616104 May 26, 2023

Too sentimental and preachy to work anymore. I used to love it.

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ed m

@RT80499164 May 17, 2023

Another Capra classic. Who's better than Barbara Stanwyck?

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Synopsis

A reporter writes a fictitious column about a man named John Doe, who claims to despair at America's neglect of the little people and plans to kill himself. To maintain the ruse, the newspaper hires a ballplayer-turned-hobo to pose as John Doe.

Director: Frank Capra
Producer: Frank Capra
Screenwriter: Richard Connell, Robert Riskin
Distributor: Madacy Entertainment Group Inc. [us], Warner Bros., Reel Media International [us], Take 2 Video, Hollywood Classics
Production Co: Frank Capra Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 3, 1941, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 26, 2011
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)

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