Films shot on location during the golden age of cinema from the 30s-60s all have a special quality to them, but films set and shot in Washington DC have something more. For one thing, the buildings were very new– newer than most people think– most of the monuments dating to the 20s or 30s, and federal buildings in the monumental core having been commissioned as part of the New Deal expansion of government. The pristine limestone façades essentially sparkle
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For another thing, the filmmakers were usually trying to convey some of the mystery and grandeur of the American experiment through cinematography. Again: dramatic black and white shots of brand-new neoclassical buildings in a sleepy-ish town of grand boulevards will do that.
These are a few of my favorite movies of the genre. Not only do these showcase sites around the city, but they are all great movies in their own right.
Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
The film contains great shots of Union Station and the Capitol, as well as a great visit to the Lincoln Memorial which at that time, believe it or not, was only 17 years old. (The National Gallery of Art was still under construction, opening in 1941).
The film itself is a must-see, giving a crash course in timeless populist civics. If it seems hokey, the problem is not in the stars, dear Brutus, but in ourselves. Jean Arthur, one of the most versatile actresses of the golden era, is at her fast-talking, hard-nosed, one-of-the-boys best. And Jimmy Stewart is in the Jimmiest Stewartist role of his life. And Claude Rains, as well as the rest of the classic Frank Capra cast all add up to excellence.
Even after all these years, though, I find the ending awkward and abrupt.
The More the Merrier (1943)
A bit of a cheat, as it is only second unit shots in the film; most was shot in Hollywood studio. They did use real addresses though in the dialogue, and they (almost) make sense geographically. And there is a paean to the statue of David Farragut in Farragut Square that becomes a recurring theme of the film, which I appreciate because it is really the lesser squares like this that make Washington, Washington. I've included the movie because I jump at any chance I get to recommend it, as it is one of my favorite comedies with a great cast-- most of whom are all but forgotten today, alas. Charles Coburn deservedly won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar; Joel McCrea's laconic ease is perfect; and Jean Arthur is back, in a completely different role than in Mr Smith Goes to Washington. A little context is in order: unlike most other cities in history, Washington's greatest periods of population growth have come during times of war: 1860, 1914, and 1940 all showed sharp upward tick, accompanied by cultural growing pains, as the late David Brinkley wonderfully captures in his 1988 book Washington Goes to War. The film gives great insight into the unique wartime atmosphere of WWII-growth Washington. People flocked to and through the city as the war effort ramped up and FDR's alphabet bureaucracy filled out. Women especially came to the city in great numbers, before the housing had a chance to catch up. The premise of the plot is that Jean Arthur, in a patriotic gesture of alleviating the housing crisis, sublets half of her apartment to elderly gentleman Charles Coburn, who then sublets half of his half to a "high-type, clean-cut, nice young fellow" played by Joel McCrea. The violation of social mores gets the ball moving. "Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead"
Born Yesterday (1950)
William Holden, Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford. Another great acting triumvirate in another great screwball comedy. My kids loved this movie when they were about 10 & 12, and Judy Holliday imitations are still a household mainstay. "Double negative!!"
Great scenes of William Holden escorting Judy throughout the city, the best being when they take in a barge concert on the shore of the Potomac at the Lincoln Memorial. Y'see, when the memorial was conceived by the L'Enfant Commission in 1902, the Memorial was envisioned to be porous so that visiting dignitaries could arrive by boat, ascend the steps, and enter the city through the Memorial. At some point architect Henry Bacon put a back on the memorial-- but the steps remained and so did the name: The Water Gate.
Visiting dignitaries arrived not by boat, but by airplane at National Airport across the river. The then-homeless National Symphony docked a barge and performed concerts for patrons sitting on the steps. This lasted roughly twenty years, until the traffic into National Airport started accepting jets which drowned out the music. , The Symphony then moved into its new home on the river, the Kennedy Center.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Klaatu barada nikto....
Not only do we get to see the old ballfields on the Ellipse below the White House in place of the inaccessible helipad it's become, we also get to see Dupont Circle and Mount Pleasant for the sharp, cozy neighborhoods they truly were. (Don't try to trace the route in the car chase on a map, though-- you'll get dizzy).
No other movie that I know of does such a good job of showing the balance between Washington as a livable city and the center of the government of the free world. It's an idealized version, where scientists and boarding house owners and little boys mix with senators and reporters and interstellar aliens, but it's fun to see the shots of the residential neighborhoods that I used to stomp around alongside ballparks on the Ellipse. With a flying saucer on third base.
Advise and Consent (1962)
All-star cast, most notably Henry Fonda and Charles Laughton in a great political tale of intrigue and scheming. Street shots of the Capitol are stunning: remember what life was like when there were no bollards, jersey barriers, metal detectors, and forests of NO PARKING signs? Remember when one could walk up the steps of the Capitol and you know, enter it like a public building?
Seven Days in May (1964)
Burt Lancaster & Kirk Douglas - how can you go wrong? Well, for starters, Burt might be a high-ranking general involved in a coup to take out a sitting president with whom he and other insiders have idealogical differences. Hollywood execs were leery of producing this realistic drama during the Cold War, but President Kennedy reportedly gave it his imprimatur, having read the book. Alas, he didn't live to see it completed, but it is one of the great political thrillers which is perhaps a little more timeless than we would like to think it would be.