“Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” is a classic Gary Cooper film that reminds me quite a bit of “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” starring James Stewart—not just in title, but in premise.
Longfellow Deeds is a young man who lives in a small town named Mandrake Falls. He lives a simple life as a staple of his community. He has enough for his needs but he’s not wealthy. He writes poetry for postcards and greeting cards, and plays the tuba in the town band. All in all, he’s a good fellow with a bit of a temper, living a peaceful existence and making the most out of every day.
When a distant relative dies and leaves him $20 million dollars, Longfellow is a bit taken aback. He doesn’t know what to do with the money—he says he doesn’t need it, to the surprise of the trustees—and he wonders why it came to him. When he travels to New York City to take care of the estate, he realizes that being rich isn’t all fun and games—people are out to fleece him, he has bodyguards, and the newspapers all want a chunk out of him.
One such newspaper person is Babe Bennett (Jean Arthur) a pretty reporter who wants a month’s paid vacation. She tells her editor that she can get an exclusive on this new millionaire in exchange for that time off. Using her womanly wiles, she manages to meet Longfellow and get him to open up to her, and she uses the information to write a great article. Longfellow doesn’t know she’s the author of the articles, and decides that from now on, he won’t talk to anyone in New York except for her.
As the newspaper continues to print reports of Longfellow’s strange behavior (if you can believe it, he fed some donuts to a horse and he sometimes goes out in the rain without a hat) some greedy relatives decide to seize the opportunity and have him declared insane so they can get their hands on the money. But Longfellow has just decided to spend his money buying land for destitute farmers, and wants to keep his dream alive. What follows is a battle between society’s perception of sanity and the unique spirit that lives in each of us and makes us who we are.
A touching feel-good film, this non-rated movie is one to add to your must-see list.
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