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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) poster

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Comedy, Drama • 2h 9m

Director: Frank Capra

Cast: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Guy Kibbee, Thomas Mitchell, Eugene Pallette, Beulah Bondi, H.B. Warner, Harry Carey, Astrid Allwyn, Ruth Donnelly, Grant Mitchell, Porter Hall, Pierre Watkin, Charles Lane, William Demarest, Dick Elliott, Billy Watson, Delmar Watson, John Russell, Harry Watson, Garry Watson, Larry Simms, H.V. Kaltenborn, Russell Simpson, Frances Gifford, Colin James Mackey, Wilson Benge, Dickie Jones, Erville Alderson, Frank Puglia, Maurice Cass, Stanley Andrews, Al Bridge, Edwin August, Edmund Cobb, Sam Ash, Harry A. Bailey, Stanley Mack, Brooks Benedict, Wade Boteler, Dorothy Comingore, Chester Conklin, Gino Corrado, Ann Doran, Robert Emmett Keane, Matt McHugh, Kathryn Bates, Frank Austin, William Arnold, Tommy Baker, Robert Sterling, Dub Taylor, George Chandler, Fred 'Snowflake' Toones, Jack Carson, Tommy Bupp, Dora Clement, Bert Moorhouse, Harry C. Bradley, Lynton Brent, Ed Brewer, Harlan Briggs, Harry Burkhardt, Frederick Burton, Georgia Caine, Burr Caruth, Allan Cavan, Eddy Chandler, Davison Clark, Richard Clucas, Shirley Coates, Eddie Coke, Hal Cooke, Alec Craig, Anne Cornwall, George Cooper, Georgie Cooper, Nick Copeland, Vernon Dent, Maurice Costello, Beatrice Curtis, Lew Davis, Dulcie Day, Wally Dean, Harry Depp, Byron Foulger, Helen Jerome Eddy, Douglas Evans, Joe Devlin, Clyde Dilson, John Dilson, Neal Dodd, Lester Dorr, Robert Dudley, Edward Earle, Jack Egan, Eddie Fetherston, Mabel Forrest, Gladys Gale, Jack Gardner, Mary Gordon, June Gittelson, Lorna Gray, Harry Hayden, Louis Jean Heydt, John Ince, Frank Jaquet, Philo McCullough, Wright Kramer, Henry Hebert, Fred Hoose, Richard Kipling, Roger Haliday, Wilfred Hari, Philip Hurlic, Olaf Hytten, Lloyd Ingraham, Mitchell Ingraham, Dick Jensen, John Lester Johnson, Eddie Kane, Donald Kerr, Milton Kibbee, Joe King, Evalyn Knapp, Paul Kruger, Bobby Larson, Billy Lechner, Jackie Lowe, P.H. Levy, Vera Lewis, Jack Lindquist, George Lloyd, Arthur Loft, Jack Low, Jimmie Lucas, Mary MacLaren, Hank Mann, Margaret Mann, Eric Mayne, Ralph McCullough, George McKay, Lafe McKee, Ben Taggart, Field Norton, Wilfred Lucas, Sammy McKim, James McNamara, William Newell, Robert Middlemass, James Millican, Howard M. Mitchell, Charles R. Moore, Gene Morgan, Ray Nichols, Alex Novinsky, Frank O'Connor, Frank Otto, Joe Palma, Spencer Quinn, Tom Quinn, Ed Randolph, Charles Regan, Jack Rice, Wyndham Standing, Ferris Taylor, Jack Richardson, Walter Soderling, Harry Stafford, Victor Travis, Carl Stockdale, Bob Walker, Henry Roquemore, Craig Stevens, Paul Stanton, Johnny Russell, Walter Sande, Frank M. Thomas, Harry Strang, Harry Tenbrook, Dave Willock, Lloyd Whitlock, John Tyrrell, Frederick Vroom, Charles Sullivan, Arthur Thalasso, Edward Thomas, Laura Treadwell, Layne Tom Jr., Myonne Walsh, Billy Wayne, Max Waizmann, John Ward, Jane Loofbourrow, Blanche Payson, Emma Tansey, Bess Wade, Florence Wix, Eleanor Wood, Jesse Graves, Gus Glassmire, Larry Steers, Landers Stevens, William Worthington, Edward Biby, Count Stefenelli, David Wade, Frank McLure

Best English-friendly & video release

 · updated 4 months ago

UHD tiers

Overview

After the death of a United States Senator, idealistic Jefferson Smith is appointed as his replacement in Washington. Soon, the naive and earnest new senator has to battle political corruption.

Release details

Best Audio Release

1995 Columbia LaserDisc

Featured Lists
TSPDT
2026: #639
2025: #692
2024: #679
2023: #754
2022: #754
Length
129 mins
Type
Movie
Alternative Titles
Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Featured in National Film Registry

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Director: Arthur Penn

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K transfer

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering, 1.85 ratio restored for US Cut; both US and International Cuts are 4K.

Best Audio:

US Cut: 1999 WB DVD/Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

No Blu-ray or DVD release until the Criterion 4K Blu-ray has presented the US in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The International Cut has never been presented in it's OAR of 1.66:1 in any home video releases.

The packaging on the back of the WB 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray. 

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray 

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Sony release without the filtering; Comparison between Sony and Criterion.

Best Audio:

Mono: 1994 LaserDisc (marginally, unfiltered) or Criterion 4K Blu-ray (filtered)
5.1 Remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering Comparison between the Criterion and WB.

Best Audio:

5.1: WB 4K Blu-ray, a remix but has higher fidelity

Mono: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering; WB 4K early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed. Comparison between Criterion and WB.

Best Audio:

6-Track 70mm mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set), 1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD
35mm Mono Mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Matrixed Stereo Remix: MGM Japan LaserDisc (1985) [G158F5509]
5.1 Remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Steve James

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray and UK Dogwoof Blu-ray probably similar

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Victor Fleming

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2D: Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray

3D: Warner Bros 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro

Best Audio:

1989 MGM LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

(caveat: "there's" in first "there's no place like home" utterance in final Kansas scene truncated)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 MGM LaserDisc

Director: Morton DaCosta

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Bros Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray Nov 24th

More from Frank Capra

See more →

Directors: Frank Capra & Anatole Litvak

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset Blu-ray

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray

Director: Frank Capra

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1986 Columbia VHS

Director: Frank Capra

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 Republic Pictures LaserDisc

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray

More from Sony

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Director: Luc Besson

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · fanrestore.com (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2020 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray vs 2017 Sony 4K Blu-ray (20th annivesary) vs 2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray (Luc Besson Box Set). The first two have totally different texture.

  • StudioCanal: More natural looking. Better defined grain. The white balance is rather yellow/orange. Some say it is closer to the original theatrical release.

  • 2017 Sony: More vibrant and impactful. The white balance is rather neutral. While color noise and grain can look busy because it had been sharpened and had micro-contrast boosted.

  • 2025 Sony: Supposedly an improved version of the 2017 release? Shows around 20mbps-higher overall video bitrate. caps

Audio Notes:

The Atmos on the Sony release is reportedly better than StudioCanal's.

Additional Info:

Disc info of the box set discs. This film have recieved multiple encode/versions in different regions over the years. The 2017 Germany4K Blu-ray is encoded differently than the 2017 Sony but not better. Also, the same can be said to 2024 France Gaumont 4K Blu-ray while comparing to the 2020 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray omits all the extras from previous releases, being barebones.

Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien

Best English-Friendly:

Taiwan Sony Blu-ray

Best Video:

Carlotta Blu-ray, HD transfer, also available in a set

Best Audio:

2006 Japan Kinokuniya DVD

Director: John Carpenter

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray or Carlotta 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode)

Video Notes:

Sony 4K Blu-ray and France Carlotta 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode) are similar

Director: Michael Arias

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray is a sharpened upscale. Caps

Best Audio:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray has a true lossless English dub and correct volume levels for the Japanese audio

Additional Info:

GKIDS has correct English subtitles that change a few lines from the director-approved dubtitles, to match with the Japanese dialogue better while still remaining true to director Michael Arias' intent. The corrected GKIDS subtitles are director-approved.

Director: David Fincher

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

4K Blu-ray has exclusive “unrated” audio with a small change to one line under the request of David Fincher (removed the poor dub over of frickin’ in the line “Screw it, let’s gut the f**kin’ nerd.”).

Director: Martin Scorsese

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook

Sources: blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook fixes duplicate shot seen on the previous Columbia Classics release and has better encoding

Best Audio:

Original mono mix: 1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1991 Columbia LaserDisc
The 4K Blu-ray mono is only minimally worse (see blah-ray).

5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: Michael Apted

Video format: HD Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Starz is Streaming in HD with OAR

Or Sony Special Edition DVD

Director: David Greene

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Director: Richard Linklater

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray uses the same transfer as Sony but the encoding is slightly worse than Sony and barely noticeable see caps 

Germany StudioCanal Blu-ray in viewing looks very similar to both the Criterion and Sony caps, but no side by side comparison available

Additional Info:

Germany StudioCanal Blu-ray is part of a 3-film box set like the Criterion 

Director: Damien Chazelle

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

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Researched and maintained by

AdamA

· last reviewed 4 months ago

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