The story of an idealistic young senator who naively takes on Washington corruption, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939) is a beloved film that appears on four of AFI’s lists of the greatest American films – and Jimmy Stewart’s character, Jefferson Smith, was named one of cinema’s most inspiring screen heroes by AFI. Stewart was...

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON is a beloved film that appears on four of AFI’s lists of the greatest American films – and Jimmy Stewart’s character, Jefferson Smith, was named one of cinema’s most inspiring screen heroes by AFI. Stewart was also honored with an AFI Life Achievement Award in 1980, and two years later,…