Frank Capra on Letterman, November 22, 1982, Upgrade, Complete

The legendary director's only guest appearance on Late Night. Complete here and in far-clearer video quality.
(This version has full audio on both tracks; the earlier version had audio on one track only.)

[@stephenlennartz3466]

I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Capra in person back in 1980 or 81 at UMKC where I was a student at the time. The university brought in guests every few weeks for their speakers' series. Mr. Capra would show a clip from one of his movies and then share a behind the scenes story or two about it-- much like he did in this Letterman interview. It was nearly two hours of him presenting. I remember him as being kind, funny, fascinating, & not a negative word to say about anyone or anything. Great memory. 🙂 🎬 🎞

[@patricias5122]

That is a great memory, I've heard other people say similar....that he was always kind and gentle with people, thru his career

[@rievans57]

Capra had no special effects yet he created magic over and over again.

[@fred8513]

Greatest Filmmaker of all time!

[@supertramp9333]

It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe, Arsenic and Old Lace and It's a Wonderful Life...one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

[@markmerrell4655]

Every Capra movie is a gem, not only for an individual, but for all mankind

[@jgdforesthills1]

A great Italian American Director. Came from poor humble background. Worked hard, went to school, college graduate. Became one of the greatest directors in Hollywood and directed some of the greatest motion pictures to date, It’s a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night, Meet John Doe, Arsenic and Old Lace, Mr Smith Goes to Washington etc.

[@lauramorgan27]

Frank Capra was a wonderful filmmaker and a great American.

[@patricias5122]

David Letterman was so kind and respectful to this great director, it was a joy to watch. Thank you!

[@RoundingThird]

It Happened One Night was made in 1934 and holds up better today than almost any movie made for 30 years after.

[@FrenchyBunnyStudio]

Yes, and if you have the opportunity to watch it on a big screen in a cinema, the audience’s reaction is fantastic! I mean the emotion is doubled or tripled, because everybody is laughing and you share that whole emotion.

[@williamsnyder5616]

I can't remember where I read it, perhaps in Capra's book. But the film didn't catch on with the public right away, but the word of mouth was amazing. And then, executives at Columbia were getting letters from fans who were taking their families and sitting through two or three showings. The reason? When the film was released, it was apparently early in the year and families could enjoy the wonderful film without having to go home to a cold apartment.

[@bumblebee6573]

My goodness if we could turn back time to the days of Mr Capra. His movies still move me to this day. He cared about the human condition and identified with regular people. Hollywood turned away from true filmmaking and is the disgrace it is today. Mr. Capra your work will never be forgotten you were really amazing.

[@ernestomarconi623]

THANKS FRANK FOR IT S A WONDERFUL LIFE

[@tuckerkai750]

A trick: watch movies at flixzone. Been using it for watching all kinds of movies recently.

[@gordonlachlan4144]

@Tucker Kai Definitely, been using flixzone} for since december myself :D

[@timhulsizer]

Wow, I've never seen Capra on a late night show! A priceless piece of cinema history.

[@jeffbeamer9882]

Check him out on Dick Cavett

[@patricias5122]

@@jeffbeamer9882 I agree...this was great. For another view of Capra, go to Dick CAVETT 1972 on YT: Capra, Bogdanovich, Altman, and Brooks .... and Dick Cavett was never better. It's a legendary episode...like a short course on filmmaking!

[@libertygiveme1987]

What a GREAT GUY!!!! Wish they still made movies today like he made!!!! Rest in Eternal Peace Mr. Capra!!!!

[@writereducator]

Frank Capra's autobiography is a great read.

[@vulteiuscatellus4105]

Joseph McBride’s book is even better.

[@vulteiuscatellus4105]

@@oscarsalesgirl296 Well that’s not a superficial assessment at all!

[@daudder]

Amazing. And so very courteous of Dave.

[@sallongobardo7922]

I like that these old time directors didn't mind answering even mundane questions about their film without a slight bit of arrogance. Today some directors are ticked off by such types of questions

[@colerainfan1143]

The legend is well deserved. How lucky we all are for his genius and humanity.

[@guileniam]

How on earth did Letterman get Capra? Dude was the single biggest director of the 1930s

[@jackierosas9593]

He's right (because of course he is, he's Frank Capra). Whenever I see Jimmy Stewart in a movie I always think, "What a great man." Capra had a rare ability to make the wholesome take your breath away and erase the cynicism that covers up a good heart. Every time I watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life, I cry. They are so beautiful and kindly crafted.

[@lorrainechandler7864]

💙

[@shelleynobleart]

Well stated.

[@foto21]

Pretty much the greatest film director of all time, in my book, not that there aren't other greats, but it's interesting how much he nailed the medium so early.

[@davis7099]

Beautiful.

[@rkomgm3932]

What an honour to watch this gracious man from another era Sure beats watching a Kardashian talking about crap!

[@mikebradshaw6484]

My dog taking a dump is better than watching watching those sperm recepticals.

[@FrenchyBunnyStudio]

Thank you so much for this great moment of Frank Capra on Late Night! You made my day!! In Paris, there are a few cinemas where they show classic movies, and there are Frank Capra’s festival sometimes. It’s been a great way to appreciate the magic of Capra’s comedy and cinema at the same time. But there is something more in Frank Capra’s movie... And it’s really an amazing feeling when you have the whole cinema laughing into tears... or when you just go out and something happened in your mind... It’s not just action or electric train movie... I mean you feel enriched inside, and it’s an amazing feeling when you share that with others. Pascal:)

[@osocool1too]

What a great man who must’ve had a great life. God bless him.

[@finnibertlunchiken7792]

One of the absolute greats. There's very few people I can think of who made movies that transcend time and become relevant and entertaining in any decade. Capra and Hitchcock are two I can think of. They both have an emotional appeal, gravitas with humour that connects with people. Capra has been accused of being overly sentimental and leaning on the maudlin but there just happens to be some emotions tgat certain people dont identify with and can't understand as being genuine. Its hard to believe he is a few tears shy of 90 here.

[@sigmasix3719]

Hitler considered sentiment a disease, yes he was the worst psychopath monster in history. Beware of people who have this “sentiment” about sentiment.

[@francistubolino8810]

Fantastic! My fam Sicily too.👍

[@tbec3011]

"They were all damn good" is an understatement! Bravo!! Unfortunately we needed Robert Osborne and audience that could appreciate the value of and honesty of the statement.

[@alexalex13131]

Frank Capra was as sharp a director as there ever was. This interview took place 21 years after his last directed film and about 35 years after 'It's A Wonderful Life'.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I saw Meet John Doe for the first time last night. That's one of his best.

[@Shane07752]

Superb episode from LNWDL.

[@davidgrillo9928]

Great interview, thanks Dave

[@jeffdawson2786]

Great observation on Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart.

[@tereasia]

My hero ❤

[@TZ61]

The man and his movies are a treasure.

[@MegaPrincefox]

Capra was a rare, rare man

[@fosterch11]

Claudette Colbert was a last minute fill-in. Every other actress turned it down.

[@erskine68]

It wasn’t until about 1982-83 that It’s A Wonderful Life started to show up on tv at Christmas time... and it wasn’t the networks. And the quality was a darker, kind of spooky hue. After a few years, it became so popular that quite a few stations showed it and more than once. Finally, it got overexposed with being shown so much that NBC bought the rights and narrowed its showing to about twice during Christmas season. Plus the film was restored to some degree and is now much clearer versus what it was in the 80s.

[@patricias5122]

I agree, that's an interesting perspective. But I think Capra meant for it to have that dark, nightmarish quality as a foil to the revelations that happen in the film. It's a shame the film was allowed to degrade, though, before it was restored.

[@hypercomms2001]

I wish they had talked more about when Frank Capra worked as a gag writer for Mack Sennet....

[@lucianofigueiredo4877]

Verdda

[@patricias5122]

I agree....that would have been fun,

[@jahimjauh-hey5653]

Frank seems like he was hanging out with Uncle Billy before the interview

[@francescargh]

do you have the carol kane portion from this show too?

[@dongiller]

It's now up -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqK9lZ2egLGJa7c

[@RoundingThird]

I wish you had a baseball archive too. :)

[@josephcallahan1664]

Tom Hanks is a natural actor.

[@paulcolbourne9112]

Thank God his movies aren't as flustered and slow to tell a story. The man's a genius but it's ironic that he's not a good storyteller in person. He can't make a clear and coherent point. It's like listening to Porky Pig. I'd excuse him just the same because he's ninety here and he's good natured. That audience is quietly listening and behaving like I've never seen on Late Night.

[@susanlevine3289]

I believe what is happening in the audience is called "respect." That's more than I can say about you.

[@paulcolbourne9112]

@@susanlevine3289 W-w-w-what what what are you saying? I called him a-a-a-a-a genius genius and and and said the the the the audience was in a a a a a rapt a-a-a-attention even even even though h-h-he he he heeeee wasn't a wasn't a a a a good s-s-s-speaker because he had in in in in interesting things to say.

[@susanlevine3289]

@@paulcolbourne9112 My goodness, that took a lot of time to compose. I wonder that someone would work so hard to prove my point. 😅

[@paulcolbourne9112]

@@susanlevine3289 Yes great humour and valuable comments take time which I'll spend for the entertainment of others.

[@patricias5122]

@@susanlevine3289 A pathetic attempt at humor. (It was actually edited, too!)