The Men who Made the Movies: Frank Capra

Richard Schickel's The Men who Made the Movies: Frank Capra assembles a thoughtful, accessible portrait of a filmmaker who helped shape wartime and postwar American cinema. The film redefines Capra not as myth but as a craftsman whose career rose from immigrant beginnings to become a touchstone of populist storytelling. Through archival clips, interviews, and Schickel's brisk narration, the documentary surveys Capra's evolution from early studio comedies to the modern classic status of It Happened One Night and Mr Smith Goes to Washington, while hinting at the tensions behind his public image. It foregrounds the director's optimism and moral intent, then notes the costs and controversies that accompanied his fame. The result is a concise overview of his influence in film history.

Directed by Richard Schickel, this installment in the Time series The Men Who Made the Movies presents Frank Capra as a studied subject rather than a myth. It uses archival footage and Schickel's narration to map his career and impact.

Capra looms large in American film culture and Schickel frames his milestones as a barometer of industry mood. The documentary touches on how Capra helped fuse populist storytelling with social conscience, influencing generations of directors and the way cinemas narrate hope, ethics, and public responsibility that endure today and beyond.

Critics respond with a practical, not hagiographic, portrait of Capra that emphasizes craft and contradictions. The film foregrounds themes of optimism tempered by political risk, and invites viewers to weigh Capra's humane impulses against the era's anxieties, while acknowledging his lasting imprint on screen storytelling for scholars and fans alike.

Box office data for this 1973 documentary is not widely documented, and it is typically regarded in film criticism circles rather than as a commercial hit. Its footprint rests more on its intellectual impact than on grosses in most markets.