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Billy Jack Goes To Washington

1977, Movie, NR, 155 mins

Billy Jack Goes To Washington: Review

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Long, arduous, and sometimes agitating rip-off of MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. In this case, credit is actually given to the original screenwriter (Sidney Buchman, from a story by Lewis R. Foster), and the producer is the son of the original director, Frank Capra. This is another remake that never should have happened. Laughlin is not Stewart (who starred in the original) or Buchman or Capra, Sr. He attempts to wear all of those hats and just misses on every account. He is a pretty fair actor, not a bad director, and a serviceable screenwriter. But when he attempts to do them all, something has to suffer. In this case, it's the movie. Laughlin is the naive senator who battles Marshall (in the Claude Rains role) and expatriate Wanamaker (in the Edward Arnold part). It's talky and violent, with virtually none of the humor of the original. Nor does it have the fun relationship between Stewart and Jean Arthur. The Arthur character is divided between Arnaz and Taylor (Laughlin's wife, who also serves as executive producer and cowriter). If it wasn't made with such obvious sincerity, it would be a vanity production. But the Laughlins are sincere about what they do; one of these days they are going to do it right. leave a comment
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