"Deeds" is regarded by some as an also ran when compared to "IHON" and "It's a Wonderful Life" but, to my mind, it's Capra's best picture. The cinematography is just stunning and Jean Arthur's performance is a wow! It's hard to believe she had to be practically dragged in front of the camera.
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"Kick her in the ass!" Capra laughed when asked how to direct Jean Arthur. "She's a funny combination of things. You can't get her out of the dressing room without using force. You can't get her in front of the camera without her crying, whining, vomiting, all that shit she does. But then when she does get in front of the camera, and you turn on the lights - wow! All of that disappears and out comes a strong-minded woman. Then when she finishes the scene, she runs back to the dressing room and hides."From Joseph McBride's definitive biography "Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success".
