Nonetheless , Capra 's vision of the film 's significance was clear : Capra pleaded with Cohn to allow the film to go into distribution and remembers the intensity of their decision making : Cohn and Capra chose to ignore the negative publicity and demands , and released the film as planned . It was later nominated for 11 Academy Awards , only winning one ( for Best Original Story ) partly because of the number of major pictures that were nominated that year was 10 , including '' The Wizard of Oz '' and '' Gone with the Wind '' . Hollywood columnist Louella Parsons called it a " smash patriotic hit " and most critics agreed , seeing that audiences left the theaters with " an enthusiasm for democracy " and " in a glow of patriotism . " The significance of the film 's message was established further in France , shortly after World War II began . When the French public were asked to select which film they wanted to see most , having been told by the Vichy government that soon no more American films would be allowed in France , the overwhelming majority chose it over all others . To a France soon to be invaded and occupied by Nazi forces , the film most expressed the " perseverance of democracy and the American way . " In 1941 Capra directed '' Meet John Doe '' ( 1941 ) , which some consider Capra 's most controversial movie . The film 's hero , played by Gary Cooper , is a former baseball player now bumming around , lacking goals . He is selected by a news reporter to represent the " common man , " to capture the imagination of ordinary Americans . The film was released shortly before America became involved in World War II , and citizens were still in an isolationist mood . According to some historians , the film was made to convey a " deliberate reaffirmation of American values , " though ones that seemed uncertain with respect to the future
nominated that year
12th Academy Awards
Frank Capra