Magic Town

With Robert Riskin as screenwriter, director William Wellman proved in Magic Town that it was possible to make a Frank Capra-esque picture without Capra himself at the helm. James Stewart plays Rip Smith, a cynical pollster who comes across a small American town named Grandview, which represents a ...more

Magic Town could have used a little magic itself -- especially the kind of magic provided by that old wizard, Frank Capra. Magic demonstrates just how important a factor Capra was to the success of his films. Written (and produced) by Capra writer Robert Riskin, Magic has many of the ingredients that one associates with Capra, but it lacks the spark to animate them or to transform the sticky sentimentality that pervades the film into genuine heartfelt sentiment. William Wellman doesn't really ...more