Public Domain Movies | Meet John Doe
Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck), a newspaper columnist, being laid off from her job due to downsizing. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, she creates a fictional letter from a "John Doe" who expresses his frustration with society and plans to jump off a building on Christmas Eve as a form of protest.
The letter sparks public interest, and Ann convinces her editor to hire a man to pose as John Doe. The editor chooses a down-and-out former baseball player, Long John Willoughby (Gary Cooper), to play the role. Willoughby agrees to the plan for the money but is unaware of the larger scheme. As the "John Doe" phenomenon gains momentum, people across the country rally behind the character's message of grassroots unity and community. The newspaper exploits the situation for its own purposes, turning John Doe into a symbol for a political movement called the "John Doe Clubs." However, a sinister political figure named D.B. Norton (Edward Arnold) takes advantage of the movement for his own political ambitions. He plans to use the John Doe Clubs to promote his own agenda and seize control. As the plan unfolds, Long John Willoughby becomes increasingly disillusioned with the manipulation and deceit (1941).
Director: Frank Capra
Stars: Gary Cooper, Barbaran Stanwyck, Edward Arnold
