--and what's wrong with corn?

Arsenic & Old Lace.

My favorite Frank Capra movie growing up was Pocketful of Miracles.

I was upset to find out that it was a terrible experience for Capra and was probably the reason that he stopped making movies. Glenn Ford bought his way into the starring role, forced his girlfriend Hope Lange into a major role, gave Bette Davis' dressing room to Lange and mistreated Davis in the press. None of this hinders the film, but Capra disliked the end product.

Still, it's a favorite of mine.

So many great films. Tempted to vote It's a Wonderful Life because I watch it annually, but It Happened One Night is a near perfect film, and will get my vote.

I have enjoyed the recent Criterion edition of It Happened One Night, with a very good commentary.

This film unwittingly (without overdoing) revealed a slice of American history, as they make their way across the country. This is a snapshot of how America saw itself in the height of the Depression, and before any WWII changes. The sense that you could drive or bus across the country and find these little camp-style places to stay? With communal showers? That sense is gone. After the war, the automobile began to take over, with highways and motels (drive right up to your room) becoming the more iconic (and even noirish) feel of small town America.

Arsenic & Old Lace for me too.

It struck me, as I read this, that Australia is still very much this way. The town where I live is near the state line between South Australia and Victoria (where I am), and has three different rest-stops in it where people park can their caravans or motor homes and there are public showers and amenities, etc. If you wanted to sleep in your car, then have a shower the next morning and head off, you could - many people do it. You get a lot of retired couples who are essentially just travelling around Australia constantly (so-called "Grey Nomads"), and lots of international tourists; mostly students from overseas backpacking around and so on.

We have an RV/Camper subculture that works those types of sites, and I'm sure in a country of 300 million there's a lot of it going on. But the zeitgeist has definitely moved on from that being a "normal" thing that cuts across a major strata of the culture.

For an example of what I'm talking about, check this youtube of the movie at 30:30

Ah, okay.

I know there are aboriginal communities here which are essentially designed as way-stations for nomadic or transient groups, but probably nothing like quite like what's in that movie.

It's still pretty normal to sort of go camping and travel across the country, though. Tends to be something people do as they get older, though. Youngsters all want to go to Bali or Fiji or Hong Kong or whatever.

That's somewhat common here, using RV's, or for serious campers.

Not for true travelers getting from point A to point B, and not with that feel to it.

I haven't seen The Strong Man. All the others are pretty good movies.

For laughs, I'd watch Arsenic and Old Lace, for romance, It Happened One Night, but as I recall, perhaps for some social commentary or another, Meet John Doe left a longer lasting impression, so I'll vote for that one.

Deeds and Smith are fine, and It's A Wonderful Life is a classic - but I've seen it too many times and while it has its moments, it's not a movie I'd go too far out of my way to see anymore.

Surprising how popular Arsenic & Old Lace is here.Cary Grant wasn't that fond of it;he considered it his worst performance.

Real tough one. A&OL is perhaps a little too farcical. IAWL suffers from overexposure, but I still quote it regularly.

It comes down to Mr. Smith and It Happened One Night for me.

Gonna have to vote for Senator Jefferson Smith.

Oh, and as for the campground in IH1N, I'd like to think we've moved past the idea of rental pajamas, but I just got back from 3 weeks in Florida, and every Sheraton I stayed at had workout clothes available for rent.

I make some nice change renting out my work out clothes at the local KOA Campground.