Frank Capra: The Castastrophe of Success

by Joseph McBride

Book Overview

Moviegoers often assume Frank Capra's life resembled his beloved films: as in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or It's a Wonderful Life, a man of the people faces tremendous odds and, by doing the right thing, triumphs. But as Joseph McBride reveals in this meticulously researched, definitive biography, the reality was far more complex, a true American tragedy. Using newly declassified U.S. government documents about Capra's response to being considered...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312263244
• ISBN13: 9780312263249
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 799 Pages
• Weight: 2.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

I loved this book! It was detailed, original and fascinating

I would recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated by movie-making and the works of Capra. McBride stripped away the myth, and showed readers the man. A unique and well-researched treatise that is surely to be definitive.

Good but not great.

This is an outstanding book for a fan of Frank Capra, but it cannot possibly be definitive. Mr. McBride has devoted his energies to refuting Mr. Capra's autobiography, not to illuminating his work. The book reads like a grudge in passages. Many illuminative paragraphs end, unfortunately, in statements that reflect negatively on Mr. Capra, for no other purpose than to degrade his achievement or importance. Also, Mr. McBride neglects the technical achievement of Mr. Capra in his works. However, in spite of his spiteful coverage of the many facts he has unearthed, Mr. McBride has performed a service to future biographers of Mr. Capra. I do not think that Mr. McBride has successfully united the elements of Mr. Capra's character into a distinct, recognizable person. And in spite of his complexity, Mr. Capra must have been one! A future biography will take advantage of Mr. McBride's excellent research and will analyze Mr. Capra's character and achievement more authoritatively. The one thing that Mr. McBride fails to note specifically, is that Mr. Capra made unquestionably the greatest "American" film of history to date, namely "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." He also failed to notice that this drama features the single most decisive female character of literary history (notwithstanding Lady MacBeth). In spite of my disappoitment with Mr. McBride's treatment, I appreciate his efforts, and reservedly recommend his book to Mr. Capra's fans. Let the next book about Frank Capra be even better!