'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' and other Frank Capra classics made the actors' list
'The Goonies' actor hopes his conservative beliefs don't alienate him from movie sequel
Actor Robert Davi, who played Jake Fratelli in the 1985 cult classic, "The Goonies," shares his view on conservatives in Hollywood and how those beliefs can impact their success in the industry.
EXCLUSIVE - Former "Goonies" star Robert Davi and actor-musician Frank Stallone believe there are certain movies every college student should see before graduating – and it begins with one specific director.
Davi and Stallone, who are both outspoken Hollywood conservatives, talked to Fox News Digital in separate interviews and suggested that any sound film culture education should start with famed Italian-American director Frank Capra.
Capra was a three-time Oscar-winning director who served as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1935-1939. He directed one of the most well-known movies of all time, the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life." But he was also known for a slew of political dramas that packed significant meaning.
"He was brilliant – and he was a conservative his whole life," Davi told Fox News Digital. "Now, you don't hear enough about the Frank Capra films…. There are mixed messages in all of them, but basically he's conservative. And his films like 'Meet John Doe,' 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,' ‘State of the Union’… all of his films have a political bent."
Actors James Stewart as George Bailey, and Karolyn Grimes as his daughter Zuzu, in a scene from "It's a Wonderful Life," directed by Frank Capra, 1946. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," starring Jimmy Stewart, was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning Best Original Story. In the film, Stewart plays a bright-eyed Jefferson Smith as he's appointed to the U.S. Senate. While eager to do good on behalf of the American electorate, Smith discovers his superiors are corrupt and not in government for the right reasons. The film builds up to his inspiring filibuster in the Senate chamber and is one of the most memorable scenes in movie history in which he appeals to his fellow Americans' better nature.
Davi also mentioned "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," about small town man Longfellow Deeds, who receives a fortune when one of his relatives dies, and "State of the Union," starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Tracy plays aircraft tycoon Grant Matthews as he runs for political office at the urging of his girlfriend. Hepburn, who often starred opposite Tracy on the silver screen, plays his ex-wife.
"They all give an understanding of the process and the corruption in our government, back from the 1930s, '40s and late '40s when 'State of the Union' was made," Davi said.
"People should watch it again," Davi said of "Mr. Smith" and "State of the Union." "Because… yes, I've seen it. But then I watch it again to go, 'My God. You know, you can really feel the relevance… And knowing Capra was conservative, I'm sure there was a part… of the speech that Spencer Tracy gives that he probably affected or wanted in there because it's very left-leaning in some ways. But the film is a great exposé on the political – all of them are… There's just something about these films and just this director was amazing."
In the "State of the Union" speech which Davi refers to, Tracy's character withdraws from the presidential race and apologizes to his fellow Americans for running a dishonest campaign.
Actors Spencer Tracy as Sam Craig and Katharine Hepburn as Tess Harding in the romantic comedy film "Woman of the Year," 1942. ((Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images))
The Colorado Sun described Capra, who came to America as a six-year-old immigrant from Sicily, as having evolved into an "odd mix of conservative Republican, and pro-labor progressive, but always with sympathy for underdogs." Those sentiments have often come across in his motion pictures as he tends to put a spotlight on the working man who had a strong moral compass.
Frank Stallone, an award-winning actor and musician and younger brother to Sylvester Stallone, had similar praise for Capra when asked the same question about which movies he wants college kids to watch, while throwing in a few other classics.
"I would say 'It's a Wonderful Life,'" he told Fox News Digital. "I would say definitely 'Gone with the Wind.' Great movie. I would say 'Grapes of Wrath' with Henry Fonda. I would say, oh, 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.' A lot of the Capra movies are – '[Meet] John Doe,' because they dealt with kind of real, like the downtrodden. You know, of course, James Dean and ‘Giant.’… Those are great. But the ones that I guess that would be message-y, that would kind of give a sense of America, where we're at – I mean, James Cagney in 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.' They were… it was really, truly entertainment. That's what it was there for. It wasn't there to bring you down."
"Gone with the Wind" is an epic 1939 Civil War drama starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. The movie focuses on Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara from her life on a plantation to her survival through the Civil War and Reconstruction, all while following her timeless love story with Rhett Butler. Famous lines from the flick such as, "After all, tomorrow is another day," suggest that the movie wants to leave its audience with feelings of hope and resilience.
Stallone also encouraged college students to watch the 1946 movie "The Razor's Edge," starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney. The movie follows Larry Darrell, an American fighter pilot who returns from World War I disturbed by the violence he witnessed. He eventually travels to Paris and tries to live a modest life. Its overarching message is a young man's journey in finding meaning in life through spiritual growth and not material possessions.
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Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) embraces Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) in a famous scene from the 1939 epic film "Gone with the Wind." (Getty Images)
Conservative parents have been concerned by the state of "woke" education in recent years. Davi hopes his list will give young minds a better perspective on the world. To drive his point across, Davi pointed Fox News Digital to an interview he gave to The Hill in 2011 when he was asked what issue he'd discuss with then-President Obama if given the chance.
"I would like to talk with him about the crisis in American education," Davi said at the time. "To help children reach their full intellectual potential, an education must include American values, civics and history. Our students must have an exceptional education that inspires them and builds upon our country’s greatness, instead of a relativistic, socialistic worldview that wants to erase what our country stands for and has accomplished. There has been a systematic approach to undermine the ‘Greatness of America’ — a pervasive hipness in denigrating our country that flatters itself as being intellectually provocative."
"America is an ideal," he later added. "A living dream that has been a beacon of hope for the world. Yes, at times, the men and women who make political decisions may be misguided and cause some to want to damn them. But if we erased America from world history, one must unequivocally agree the world would be a lesser place. Therefore, I say, 'God BLESS America!'"
Davi hopes his own conservative views don't keep him from a spot in the anticipated "Goonies" sequel, he revealed exclusively to Fox Digital.
"I'm concerned about it, yes," he said. "Because it's happened on other issues, other projects. And it's just, you know, I believe in free speech and not being politically correct all the time."
Fox News Digital's Scott Whitlock contributed to this report.
Cortney O'Brien is an Editor at Fox News. Twitter: @obrienc2
