Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Trivia: The Boy Scouts of America objected to having their name used, therefore they used the fictitious name of the Boy Rangers.

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Trivia: The real-life inspiration for Jefferson Smith was Sen. Rush Holt (D-WV), elected in 1934. (His son, also named Rush, is currently a Congressman from New Jersey).

Trivia: The same actress that plays Jimmy Stewart's mother in Mr. Smith goes to Washington also plays his mother in It's a Wonderful Life. Frank Capra, the director of both movies, liked using the same actors and actresses if he liked their work.

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Mistakes

Factual error: The filibuster scene gives the impression that the Senators were powerless to stop Jefferson Smith's speech. However, they can make a speaker shut up if at least 3/5 of the Senators vote to. From the Senators' reactions, a lot of them probably would have voted to silence Smith. (Clearly, if this had happened, the movie would be much less interesting).

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Quotes

Senator Joseph Paine: Let me go! I'm not fit to be a senator! I'm not fit to live! Expel me, not him! Willet Dam is a fraud! It's a crime against the people who sent me here - and I committed it! Every word that boy said is the truth! Every word about Taylor and me and graft and the rotten political corruption of my state! Every word of it is true! I'm not fit for office! I'm not fit for any place of honor or trust! Expel me, not that boy.

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