Frank Capra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank Capra
Capra, c. 1930s
Born	Francesco Rosario Capra (1897-05-18)May 18, 1897 Bisacquino, Sicily, Italy
Died	September 3, 1991(1991-09-03) (aged 94) La Quinta, California, U.S.
Burial place	Coachella Valley Public Cemetery
Other names	Frank Russell Capra
Citizenship	Italy United States (from 1920)
Alma mater	California Institute of Technology
Occupation	Film director, producer, writer
Years active	1922–1964
Title	President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 1935–1939
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Helen Howell ​ ​ (m. 1923; div. 1928)​ Lucille Warner ​ ​ (m. 1932; died 1984)​
Children	4, including Frank Jr.
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1918 1941–1945
Rank	Colonel
Unit	Army Signal Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit World War I Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal

Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was a famous Italian-born American film director, producer, and writer. He was the creative mind behind many popular and award-winning movies in the 1930s and 1940s.

Capra was born in Italy and moved to Los Angeles when he was five. His life story, from humble beginnings to great success, made many people see him as a symbol of the "American Dream".

He became one of America's most important directors in the 1930s. He won three Academy Awards for Best Director and several other Oscars. Some of his best-known films include It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939).

During World War II, Capra joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He made important films like the Why We Fight series to explain the war to soldiers. After the war, his career changed, and some of his later films, like It's a Wonderful Life (1946), didn't do well at first. However, over time, It's a Wonderful Life became a beloved classic.

Beyond directing, Capra was very active in the film industry. He served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and led the Directors Guild of America.

Early Life and Education

Capra was born Francesco Rosario Capra in Bisacquino, a village in Sicily, Italy. He was the youngest of seven children. His family was Roman Catholic. The name "Capra" means "goat," which some say reflected his emotional and determined personality.

In 1903, when Capra was five, his family moved to the United States. They traveled in the cheapest part of a steamship called the Germania. Capra remembered seeing the Statue of Liberty when they arrived in New York Harbor.

The family settled in an Italian neighborhood in Los Angeles. Capra's father worked picking fruit. Young Capra sold newspapers after school for ten years until he finished high school. Instead of working full-time, he went to college at the California Institute of Technology. He paid for college by playing banjo at nightclubs and doing odd jobs like laundry, waiting tables, and cleaning engines. He studied chemical engineering and graduated in 1918. Capra later said that college changed his view of life.

Military Service and Early Career

After college, Capra became a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He taught mathematics to soldiers at Fort Point, San Francisco. During this time, he got the Spanish flu and was sent home from the Army to live with his mother.

In 1920, he became a U.S. citizen and changed his name to Frank Russell Capra. For a while, he struggled to find work. He traveled around the Western United States, taking various jobs like farm work, movie extra, and playing poker.

At 24, Capra directed a 32-minute documentary film. It was called La Visita Dell'Incrociatore Italiano Libya a San Francisco. This film showed the visit of an Italian naval ship to San Francisco. It also showed the welcome given to the ship's crew by a local Italian club.

Starting in Film

Silent Film Comedies

One day, Capra read about a new movie studio opening in San Francisco. He called them and pretended to have experience in Hollywood. The studio's founder, Walter Montague, was impressed and offered him $75 to direct a short silent film. Capra made the film in two days with amateur actors.

After this, Capra looked for more film jobs. He worked at another San Francisco studio and then for producer Harry Cohn in Los Angeles. He gained experience as a property man, film editor, and assistant director.

Capra also wrote jokes for Hal Roach's Our Gang series. He later worked as a writer for slapstick comedy director Mack Sennett. He wrote scripts for comedian Harry Langdon, starting with Plain Clothes in 1925.

When Langdon left Sennett to make longer movies, he took Capra with him as his writer and director. They made three successful films together in 1926 and 1927. These films made Langdon as famous as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. However, Capra and Langdon later had a disagreement, and Capra was fired. After that, Langdon's films became less successful.

Capra then directed a silent comedy called For the Love of Mike (1927). It starred a young actress named Claudette Colbert. This movie was not a success and is now considered a lost film.

Joining Columbia Pictures

Capra returned to Harry Cohn's studio, which was now called Columbia Pictures. At the time, Columbia mostly made short films. Cohn hired Capra in 1928 to help the studio make new, full-length movies. Capra would direct 20 films for Columbia, including many of his most famous ones.

Capra's engineering background helped him adapt to new sound technology easily. He liked the idea of sound in films, unlike many others in Hollywood who thought it was just a passing trend.

In his first year at Columbia, Capra directed nine films, and some were very successful. Harry Cohn believed Capra helped Columbia make better quality pictures. Capra became Cohn's most trusted director. His films made him a well-known director, and his salary increased. Cohn even put Capra's name "above the title" of his films, which was new for the movie industry.

Capra directed his first "real" sound film, The Younger Generation, in 1929. It was a romantic comedy about a Jewish family moving up in New York City. The son tries to hide his Jewish background to keep his rich girlfriend. Some historians believe this story had parallels to Capra's own life, though he denied it.

During his time at Columbia, Capra often worked with screenwriter Robert Riskin and cameraman Joseph Walker. Riskin wrote the clever and fast-paced dialogue in many of Capra's films. They became known as Hollywood's "most admired writer-director team."

Golden Age of Film (1934–1941)

It Happened One Night (1934)

Capra's films in the 1930s won many Academy Awards. It Happened One Night (1934) was the first film to win all five major Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was written by Robert Riskin and is considered one of the first screwball comedies.

Released during the Great Depression, the film was seen as an escapist story and a celebration of the American Dream. It made Capra, Columbia Pictures, and stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert very famous. The movie was also one of the earliest road movies, inspiring many others.

After this success, Capra started to use his films to share messages with the public. He wanted his movies to show "fantasies of goodwill." The first film with this new focus was Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), for which Capra won his second Best Director Oscar.

In 1938, Capra won his third Best Director Oscar in five years for You Can't Take It with You, which also won Best Picture. He was nominated for Best Director for three other films: Lady for a Day, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It's a Wonderful Life.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

While It's a Wonderful Life is very well-known, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) truly showed Capra's vision. This film expressed his love for America and showed how one person could fight against political corruption within a democratic system.

The film caused some debate. When it was finished, the studio sent copies to Washington. Some politicians worried it might make the United States look bad to its allies, as World War II had just started. They thought it might suggest America was full of corruption.

However, Capra and Harry Cohn decided to release the film anyway. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning one for Best Original Story. Most critics and audiences loved it, feeling it inspired "an enthusiasm for democracy" and "a glow of patriotism." In France, during World War II, people chose this film over all others when told American films would soon be banned. They saw it as a symbol of "the perseverance of democracy."

Meet John Doe (1941)

Walter Brennan, Gary Cooper, Irving Bacon, Barbara Stanwyck, and James Gleason in Meet John Doe

In 1941, Capra directed Meet John Doe. This film starred Gary Cooper as a former baseball player who is chosen by a reporter to represent the "common man." The film was released just before America entered World War II. It aimed to remind people of American values during uncertain times.

Some film experts believe the movie reflected Capra's own feelings. The main character's journey from a wanderer to a national figure might have mirrored Capra's own early experiences and his path into filmmaking.

World War II Service (1941–1945)

Joining the Army

Just four days after the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Capra left his successful Hollywood career. He joined the United States Army as a major. Even though he was 44 and not required to enlist, Capra strongly wanted to show his patriotism. He also stepped down as president of the Screen Directors Guild.

Why We Fight Film Series

For the next four years of World War II, Capra led a special section in the Army. His job was to create films that explained to soldiers "why they're in uniform." These were not meant to be like the propaganda films made by the Nazis. Capra directed or co-directed seven documentary war information films.

He worked directly under Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, a very important Army leader. Marshall chose Capra because he felt the usual film department couldn't make the "sensitive and objective" films needed.

Capra receiving the Distinguished Service Medal from General George C. Marshall, 1945

Capra directed the seven-episode Why We Fight series: Prelude to War (1942), The Nazis Strike (1942), Divide and Conquer (1943), The Battle of Britain (1943), The Battle of Russia (1943), The Battle of China (1944), and War Comes to America (1945). He also directed other war films like Tunisian Victory (1945) and produced The Negro Soldier (1944).

After seeing the first films, government and Army officials were very impressed. All the film footage came from military and government sources. Walt Disney and his animators created animated charts. Famous composers like Alfred Newman wrote the music. General Marshall and President Franklin D. Roosevelt praised the films. Roosevelt said, "I want every American to see this motion picture."

The Why We Fight series was shown in theaters across the U.S. They were also translated into other languages for screening in different countries. Winston Churchill ordered them to be shown to the British public.

After World War II, some of the Why We Fight films were not shown as much. For example, The Battle Of Russia was mostly banned until the 1980s because it was positive about the Soviet Union, which later became an opponent. Other films that spoke negatively about Germany and Japan were also put away once those countries became allies.

The Why We Fight series is considered a masterpiece of war documentaries. Prelude to War won the 1942 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Capra felt these films were his most important work. He left the Army in 1945 as a colonel. He received several awards for his service, including the Distinguished Service Medal.

Post-War Career (1946–1961)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

After the war, Capra and other directors like William Wyler and George Stevens started their own company, Liberty Films. Their goal was to make movies without interference from big studio bosses. However, they only completed two films: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and State of the Union (1948).

It's a Wonderful Life didn't do well at the box office when it first came out, but it was nominated for five Academy Awards. Over the years, its popularity grew, partly because it was often shown on TV when it was thought to be in the public domain.

In 1998, the American Film Institute (AFI) named It's a Wonderful Life one of the best films ever made. In 2006, the AFI ranked it as the most inspirational American movie of all time. This film became Capra's last to receive major praise. He directed five more films over the next 14 years, but his most successful period was behind him.

Later Films and Retirement

Capra directed two films starring Bing Crosby at Paramount Pictures: Riding High (1950) and Here Comes the Groom (1951). By 1952, at age 55, Capra mostly retired from Hollywood. He began working with the California Institute of Technology, his old college, to make educational science films.

From 1952 to 1956, Capra produced four science TV specials for The Bell System Science Series. These included Our Mr. Sun (1956) and Hemo the Magnificent (1957). These documentaries were very popular in school science classrooms for about 30 years.

Eight years later, he directed another movie for theaters, A Hole in the Head (1959), starring Frank Sinatra. This was his first feature film in color. His last movie for theaters was Pocketful of Miracles (1961), a remake of his 1933 film Lady for a Day.

Capra's final film was Rendezvous in Space (1964), an industrial film for the Martin Marietta Company. It was shown at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Directing Style

Capra often used improvisation when directing. He would start filming with only the main scenes written down. He believed that good directing shouldn't distract the audience with fancy camera tricks. His style was described as "almost classical purity," focusing on smooth editing.

Capra was known for being very independent when working with studio bosses. On set, he was gentle and thoughtful. His films often showed the good side of human nature, emphasizing unselfishness and hard work. Some people called his wholesome, feel-good style "Capra-corn," but those who admired his vision preferred the term "Capraesque."

Capra's focus on the common person, his quick, witty dialogue, and his memorable characters made him one of the most popular directors of his time. His work influenced many other famous directors, including Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

Personal Life

Capra (right) c. 1970s–1980s

Capra married actress Helen Howell in 1923, but they divorced in 1928. He then married Lucille Warner in 1932. They had a daughter and three sons.

Capra served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences four times. He was also president of the Directors Guild of America three times, an organization he helped create. He worked to give directors more artistic control over their films.

In his later years, Capra enjoyed outdoor activities like hunting and fishing. He also wrote stories and songs and played the guitar. He collected rare books. His son, Frank Capra Jr., also became a film producer. His grandsons, Frank Capra III and Jonathan Capra, have worked as assistant directors in Hollywood.

Political Views

Capra was a Republican and believed strongly in American individualism. He was a conservative who often spoke against too much government involvement in the economy. In his later years, he became a self-described pacifist and was critical of the Vietnam War.

Religious Views

Capra was raised Roman Catholic. In his later life, he returned to the Catholic Church. He described himself as "a Catholic in spirit," believing that good will and faith would always overcome negativity.

Death

In 1985, at age 88, Capra had his first stroke. On September 3, 1991, he died from a heart attack in his sleep at his home in La Quinta, California. He was 94 years old. He was buried at Coachella Valley Public Cemetery.

He left part of his ranch to the California Institute of Technology to be used as a retreat center. Capra's personal papers and film materials are kept at the Wesleyan University Cinema Archives for scholars to study.

Legacy and Awards

During Hollywood's golden age, Capra's "fantasies of goodwill" made him one of the most famous directors in the world. Director John Cassavetes once joked, "Maybe there really wasn't an America, it was only Frank Capra." Capra's films were like love letters to an ideal America, showing a world he created on screen.

Like his fellow director John Ford, Capra helped define the idea of a mythical America. In his films, individual courage always wins against evil. Film historian Richard Griffith noted Capra's use of "sentimental conversation" and the idea that ordinary Americans are good. He imagined "Average America" as a tree-lined street with simple houses, where all "real" Americans seemed to live.

In 1982, the American Film Institute honored Capra with their AFI Life Achievement Award. In 1986, he received the National Medal of Arts.

The Why We Fight series earned Capra the Legion of Merit in 1943 and the Distinguished Service Medal in 1945. In 1957, he received the George Eastman Award for his contributions to film art.

Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty declared May 12, 1962, "Frank Capra Day." At the ceremony, director John Ford announced that Capra had also received an honorary Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Winston Churchill.

In 1966, Capra received the Distinguished Alumni Award from his old college, Caltech. In 1972, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. In 1974, he was given the Inkpot Award.

In 1975, Capra received the Golden Anchor Award for his work on World War II naval photography and the "Why We Fight" series. Many of his favorite actors, like Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, attended the ceremony.

Capra was nominated six times for Best Director and seven times for Best Picture. He won Best Director three times. He briefly held the record for most Best Director Oscars until John Ford matched and then surpassed him.

The Academy Film Archive has preserved two of Capra's films: The Matinee Idol (1928) and Two Down and One to Go (1945).

Academy Awards

Other Awards and Recognitions

American Film Institute

• Life Achievement Award (1982)

Directors Guild of America

• Best Director Nomination for A Hole in the Head (1959)
• Life Achievement Award (1959)
• Best Director Nomination for Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

Golden Globe Award

• Best Director Award for It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Venice Film Festival

• Mussolini Cups for best foreign film Nomination for It Happened One Night (1934)
• Mussolini Cups for best foreign film Nomination for Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
• Golden Lion (1982)

American Film Institute recognition

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)
  • It's a Wonderful Life ... #20
  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ... #26
  • It Happened One Night ... #46
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers
  • It's a Wonderful Life ... #1
  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ... #5
  • Meet John Doe ... #49
  • Mr. Deeds Goes to Town ... #83
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs
  • It Happened One Night ... #8
  • Arsenic and Old Lace ... #30
  • Mr. Deeds Goes to Town ... #70
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions
  • It's a Wonderful Life ... #8
  • It Happened One Night ... #38
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains
  • 50 greatest movie heroes
  • It's a Wonderful Life ... George Bailey ... #9
  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ... Jefferson Smith ... #11
  • 50 greatest movie villains
  • It's a Wonderful Life ... Mr. Potter ... #6
• AFI's 10 Top 10
  • Fantasy
    • It's a Wonderful Life ... #3
  • Romantic Comedies
    • It Happened One Night ... #3

United States National Film Registry

• The Strong Man (1926)
• It Happened One Night (1934)
• Lost Horizon (1937)
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
• Why We Fight series of seven films (1942)
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Capra editing film as a Major during World War II

See also

In Spanish: Frank Capra para niños

• The Bell System Science Series
• Frank Capra at the First International Film Festival of India, 1952