Frank Capra (May 5, 1897 - September 3, 1991) was an Italian American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Capra directed a total of 36 feature-length films (34 of which are known to survive) and 16 documentary films during his lifetime.
His movies It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It Happened One Night are often cited among the greatest films ever made.[1]
The following are the films directed by Frank Capra, along with a listing of his awards.
| Year | Title | Production Co. | Cast | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silent films | |||||
| 1921 | La Visita Dell'Incrociatore Italiano Libya a San Francisco | independent | ---- | short news film; directorial debut | |
| 1922 | Fultah Fisher's Boarding House | Fireside Productions | Mildred Owens/Ethan Allen/Olaf Skavlan | short film | |
| 1926 | The Strong Man | ||||
| 1927 | Long Pants | ||||
| For the Love of Mike | Robert Kane Productions | lost | |||
| 1928 | That Certain Thing | ||||
| So This Is Love? | |||||
| The Matinee Idol | |||||
| The Way of the Strong | |||||
| Say It with Sables | lost | ||||
| Submarine | |||||
| The Power of the Press | |||||
| Sound films | |||||
| 1929 | The Younger Generation | partially silent | |||
| The Donovan Affair | lost soundtrack | ||||
| Flight | |||||
| 1930 | Ladies of Leisure | ||||
| Rain or Shine | |||||
| 1931 | Dirigible | ||||
| The Miracle Woman | |||||
| Platinum Blonde | |||||
| 1932 | Forbidden | ||||
| American Madness | |||||
| 1933 | The Bitter Tea of General Yen | ||||
| Lady for a Day | |||||
| 1934 | It Happened One Night | ||||
| Broadway Bill | |||||
| 1936 | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | ||||
| 1937 | Lost Horizon | ||||
| 1938 | You Can't Take It with You | ||||
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | ||||
| 1941 | Meet John Doe | ||||
| 1944 | Arsenic and Old Lace | Filmed in 1941. | |||
| 1946 | It's a Wonderful Life | ||||
| 1948 | State of the Union | ||||
| 1950 | Riding High | Remake of Broadway Bill | |||
| 1951 | Here Comes the Groom | ||||
| 1956 | Our Mr. Sun | Educational documentary / Producer and writer | |||
| 1957 | Hemo the Magnificent | Richard Carlson / Dr. Frank Baxter / Mel Blanc | Educational documentary / Producer and writer | ||
| The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays | Educational documentary | ||||
| 1959 | A Hole in the Head | Sincap Productions | First narrative color film | ||
| 1961 | Pocketful of Miracles | Franton Production | Final Theatrical Feature Film / Remake of Lady for a Day | ||
| 1964 | Rendezvous In Space | Martin Marietta Corporation | Final Film | ||
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Why We Fight | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak |
| 1943 | Why We Fight | Short film / Co-directed with Anatole Litvak |
| Why We Fight | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak | |
| Why We Fight | Co-directed with Anthony Veiller | |
| Why We Fight | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak | |
| 1944 | Why We Fight | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak |
| Tunisian Victory | Co-directed with Hugh Stewart | |
| The Negro Soldier | Capra is producer only; Stuart Heisler, director | |
| 1945 | Your Job in Germany | Short film |
| Two Down and One to Go | Short film | |
| Why We Fight | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak | |
| Co-directed with Joris Ivens | ||
| Here Is Germany |
| Year | Film | Oscar Nominations | Oscar Wins | Performances Nominations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Lady for a Day | 4 | 0 | Best Actress for May Robson (nom) | |
| 1934 | It Happened One Night | 5 | 5 | Best Actor for Clark Gable Best Actress for Claudette Colbert | |
| 1936 | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | 5 | 1 | Best Actor for Gary Cooper (nom) | |
| 1937 | Lost Horizon | 7 | 2 | Best Supporting Actor for H. B. Warner (nom) | |
| 1938 | You Can't Take It With You | 7 | 2 | Best Supporting Actress for Spring Byington (nom) | |
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | 11 | 1 | Best Actor for James Stewart (nom) Best Supporting Actor for Harry Carey (nom) Best Supporting Actor for Claude Rains (nom) | |
| 1941 | Meet John Doe | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1942 | Prelude to War | 1 | 1 | Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature | |
| 1943 | The Battle of Russia | 1 | 0 | Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature (nom) | |
| 1946 | It's a Wonderful Life | 5 | 0 | Best Actor for James Stewart (nom) | |
| 1951 | Here Comes the Groom | 2 | 1 | ||
| 1959 | A Hole in the Head | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1961 | Pocketful of Miracles | 3 | 0 | Best Supporting Actor for Peter Falk (nom) |