Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra ( May 18 , 1897September 3 , 1991 ) was an Italian - born American film director . He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1903 , when he was six , and eventually became a creative force behind major award - winning films during the 1930s and 1940s . His rags - to - riches story , having worked his way through college , has led film historians like Ian Freer to consider Capra the " American dream personified . " Capra became one of America ' s most powerful directors during the 1930s , winning three Oscars as Best Director . Among his leading films was " It Happened One Night " ( 1934 ) , which became the first film to win all five top Oscars , including Best Picture . Other leading films included " Mr . Deeds Goes to Town " ( 1936 ) , " Lost Horizon " ( 1937 ) , " You Can ' t Take It With You " ( 1938 ) , " Mr . Smith Goes to Washington " ( 1939 ) , " Meet John Doe " ( 1941 ) , " Arsenic and Old Lace " ( 1944 ) , " It ' s a Wonderful Life " ( 1946 ) and " State of the Union " ( 1948 ) . Because of his early fame as a director , his name was listed " above the title " of his films when they were publicized . People " flocked to the theaters " during the 1930s and 1940s to see films directed by Frank Capra . After World War II , however , Capra ' s career declined as his subjects were more out of tune with the mood of audiences . Critics described his films as being " simplistic " or " overly idealistic . " However , the public loved his films , especially during the Great Depression years , when audiences needed uplifting themes of inspiration . His pictures let viewers witness " a triumph of the individual over corrupt leaders " , and experience " inherent qualities of kindness and caring for others . " Most of his best works have been revived , and are today considered timeless fables filled with love and respect for the struggles of the common man . Outside of directing , Capra was active within the film industry , engaging in various political and social issues . He served as President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences , worked alongside the Screenwriters Guild , and was head of the Directors Guild of America . He enlisted in the Army during World War I after graduating college , and again in World War II at the peak of his career , when he directed 11 documentary war films for the U . S . government ' s " Why We Fight " series , winning an Academy Award for one and a Distinguished Service Medal when the war ended . Early life . Capra was born Francesco Rosario Capra in Bisacquino , Sicily , a village near Palermo . He was the youngest of seven children of Salvatore Capra , a fruit grower , and the former Sarah Nicolas . Capra ' s family was Roman Catholic . The name " Capra " , notes Capra ' s biographer Joseph McBride , represents his family ' s closeness to the land , and means " she - goat " . He notes that the English word " capricious " derives from it , " evoking the animal ' s skittish temperament " , adding that " the name neatly expresses two aspects of Frank Capra ' s personality : emotionalism and obstinacy . " Capra emigrated to the United States with his family in 1903 , when he was six . They were placed in the steerage section of the boat , which was the cheapest way to gain passage . For Capra , the journey , which took 13 days , remained in his mind for the rest of his life as one of his worst experiences : However , Capra remembers the ship ' s arrival in New York Harbor , where he saw " a statue of a great lady , taller than a church steeple , holding a torch above the land we were about to enter " . He recalls his father ' s exclamation at the sight : They settled in the Italian ghetto in Los Angeles , where Capra ' s father worked as a fruit picker and young Capra sold newspapers after school for 10 years , until he graduated from high school . Instead of working after graduating , as his parents wanted , he instead enrolled in college . He worked through college at the California Institute of Technology , playing banjo at nightclubs and taking odd jobs , which included working at the campus laundry facility , waiting tables , and cleaning engines at a local power plant . He studied chemical engineering and graduated in the spring of 1918 . Capra later wrote that his college education had " changed his whole viewpoint on life from the viewpoint of an alley rat to the viewpoint of a cultured person " . World War I and after . Soon after graduating college , Capra enlisted in the army as a second lieutenant , having already worked on the campus ROTC . In the army , he taught mathematics to artillerymen at Fort Scott , San Francisco . His father died in an accident the following year , 1919 . In the army , Capra caught the Spanish flu , and was medically discharged to return home to live with his mother . He became a naturalized U . S . citizen in 1920 , taking the name , Frank Russell Capra . Living at home with his siblings and mother , Capra was the only family member with a college education , yet he was the only one who remained chronically unemployed . After a year without work , seeing how his siblings had steady jobs , he felt he was a failure , which led to bouts of depression and abdominal pains , later discovered to have been an undiagnosed burst appendix . After recovering at home , Capra moved out and spent the next few years living in flophouses in San Francisco and hopping freight trains , wandering the Western U . S . To support himself , he took odd jobs working on farms , as a movie extra , playing poker , or selling local oil well stocks . At age 25 , he took a sales job selling books written and published by American philosopher , Elbert Hubbard . Capra recalled that he " hated being a peasant , being a scrounging new kid trapped in the Sicilian ghetto of Los Angeles . . . All I had was cockiness – and let me tell you that gets you a long way . " Early career . Silent film comedies . During his book sales efforts , and nearly broke , Capra read a newspaper article about a new movie studio opening in San Francisco . Capra phoned them saying he had moved from Hollywood , and falsely implied that he had experience in the budding film industry . Capra ' s only prior exposure to films , was in 1915 while attending Manual Arts High School . The studio ' s founder , Walter Montague , was nonetheless impressed by Capra and offered him $ 75 to direct a one - reel silent film . Capra , with the help of a cameraman , made the film in two days and cast it with amateurs . After that first serious job in films , Capra began efforts to finding similar openings in the film industry . He took a position with another minor San Francisco studio , and subsequently received an offer to work with producer Harry Cohn , at his new studio in Los Angeles . During this time , he worked as a property man , film cutter , title writer , and assistant director . Capra later became a gag writer for Hal Roach ' s " Our Gang " series and then writer for slapstick comedy director , Mack Sennett , where he wrote scripts for comedian Harry Langdon . According to Capra , it was he who invented Langdon ' s character , the innocent fool living in a " naughty world . " When Langdon eventually left Sennett to make longer , feature - length movies with First National Studios , he took Capra along as his personal writer and director . They made three feature films together during 1926 and 1927 , all of them successful with the critics and the public . The films made Langdon a recognized comedian in the caliber of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton . Capra and Langdon later had a falling out , and Capra was fired . During the following years , however , Langdon ' s films went into decline without Capra ' s assistance . After splitting with Langdon , Capra directed a picture for First National , " For the Love of Mike , " ( 1927 ) . This was a silent comedy about three bickering godfathers , a German , a Jew , and an Irishman , starring a budding actress , Claudette Colbert . The movie was considered a failure . Capra returned to Harry Cohn ' s studio , now named Columbia Pictures , which was then producing short films and two - reel comedies used as " fillers " , which played between main features . Columbia was one of many start - up studios on " Poverty Row " in Los Angeles , and like the others , was unable to compete with larger studios which often had their own production facilities , distribution and theaters . Cohn rehired Capra in 1928 to help his studio produce new , full - length feature films , to compete with the major studios . Capra would eventually direct twenty films for Cohn ' s studio , including all of his classics . Columbia Pictures . Because of Capra ' s engineering education , he adapted more easily to the new sound technology than most directors . He welcomed the transition to sound , recalling , " I wasn ' t at home in silent films . " Most studios were unwilling to invest in the new sound technology , assuming it was a passing fad . Many in Hollywood considered sound a threat to the industry and hoped it would pass quickly ; McBride notes that " Capra was not one of them . " When he saw Al Jolson singing in " The Jazz Singer " in 1927 , considered the first talkie , Capra recalled his reaction : Few of the studio heads or crew were aware of Capra ' s engineering background until he began directing " The Younger Generation " in 1929 . The chief cinematographer who worked with Capra on a number of films , was likewise unaware . He describes this early period in sound for film : During his first year with Columbia , Capra directed nine films , some of which were highly successful . After the first few , Harry Cohn said " it was the beginning of Columbia making a better quality of pictures . " According to Barson , " Capra became ensconced as Harry Cohn ' s most trusted director . " His films soon established Capra as a " bankable " director known throughout the industry , and Cohn raised Capra ' s initial salary of $ 1 , 000 per film to $ 25 , 000 per year . Capra directed a film for MGM during this period , but soon realized he " had much more freedom under Harry Cohn ' s benevolent dictatorship " , where Cohn also put Capra ' s " name above the title " of his films , a first for the movie industry . Capra wrote of this period and recalled the confidence that Cohn placed in Capra ' s vision and directing : Capra directed his first " real " sound picture , " The Younger Generation " , in 1929 . It was a rags - to - riches romantic comedy about a Jewish family ' s upward mobility in New York City , with their son later trying to deny his Jewish roots in order to keep his rich gentile girlfriend . According to Capra biographer Joseph McBride , Capra " obviously felt a strong identification with the story of a Jewish immigrant who grows up in the ghetto of New York . . . and feels he has to deny his ethnic origins to rise to success in America . " Capra , however , denied any connection of the story with his own life . Nonetheless , McBride insists that " The Younger Generation " " abounds with parallels to Capra ' s own life . " McBride notes the " devastatingly painful climactic scene " , where the young social - climbing son , embarrassed when his wealthy new friends first meet his parents , passes his mother and father off as house servants . That scene , notes McBride , " echoes the shame Capra admitted feeling toward his own family as he rose in social status . " During his years at Columbia , Capra worked often with screenwriter Robert Riskin ( husband of Fay Wray ) , and cameraman Joseph Walker . In many of Capra ' s films , the wise - cracking and sharp dialogue was often written by Riskin , and he and Capra went on to become Hollywood ' s " most admired writer - director team . " Film career ( 1934 – 1941 ) . " It Happened One Night " ( 1934 ) . Capra ' s films in the 1930s enjoyed immense success at the Academy Awards . " It Happened One Night " ( 1934 ) became the first film to win all five top Oscars ( Best Picture , Best Director , Best Actor , Best Actress , and Best Screenplay ) . Written by Robert Riskin , it is one of the first of the " screwball comedies " , and with its release in the Great Depression , critics considered it an escapist story and a variation of the " American Dream " . The film established the names of Capra , Columbia Pictures , stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert , in the movie industry . The film has been called " picaresque " , and was one of the earliest " road movies " which inspired variations on its theme by other filmmakers . The film was followed by " Broadway Bill " ( 1934 ) , a screwball comedy about horse racing . The film was a turning point for Capra , however , as he began to conceive of an additional dimension to his movies . He started using his films to convey messages to the public . Capra explains his new thinking : This added goal was inspired after meeting with a Christian Scientist friend who told him to view his talents in a different way : Capra began to embody messages in subsequent films , many of which conveyed " fantasies of goodwill . " The first of those was " Mr . Deeds Goes to Town " ( 1936 ) , for which Capra won his second Best Director Oscar . Critic Alistair Cooke observed that Capra was " starting to make movies about themes instead of people . " In 1938 , Capra won his third Director Oscar in five years for " You Can ' t Take It with You " , which also won Best Picture . In addition to his three directing wins , Capra received directing nominations for three other films ( " Lady for a Day " , " Mr . Smith Goes to Washington " , and " It ' s a Wonderful Life " ) . On May 5 , 1936 , Capra hosted the 8th Academy Awards ceremony . " Mr . Smith Goes to Washington " ( 1939 ) . Although " It ' s a Wonderful Life " is his most well - known film , Friedman notes that it was " Mr . Smith Goes to Washington " ( 1939 ) which most represented the " Capra myth . " That film expressed Capra ' s patriotism more than any others , and " presented the individual working within the democratic system to overcome rampant political corruption . " The film , however , became Capra ' s most controversial . In his research before filming , he was able to stand close to President Roosevelt during a press conference after the recent acts of war by Germany in Europe . Capra recalls his fears : When the filming was completed , the studio sent preview copies to Washington . Joseph P . Kennedy , U . S . ambassador to the UK , wrote to Columbia head Harry Cohn , " Please do not play this picture in Europe . " Politicians were concerned about the potential negative impact the film might have on the morale of our allies , as World War II had begun . Kennedy wrote to president Roosevelt that " in foreign countries this film must inevitably strengthen the mistaken impression that the United States is full of graft , corruption and lawlessness . " Many studio heads agreed nor did they want negative feelings about Hollywood to be instilled in political leaders . 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 . It failed to win any Oscars partly because of the number of major pictures that were nominated that year , 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 . " " Meet John Doe " ( 1941 ) . In 1941 Capra directed " Meet John Doe " ( 1941 ) , considered by some to be 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 " , used 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 " , although ones which seemed uncertain with respect to the future . Film author Richard Glazer speculates that the film may have been autobiographical , " reflecting Capra ' s own uncertainties . " Glazer describes how " John ' s accidental transformation from drifter to national figure parallels Capra ' s own early drifting experience and subsequent involvement in movie making . . . " Meet John Doe " , then , was an attempt to work out his own fears and questions . " World War II years ( 1941 – 1945 ) . Enlisting after Pearl Harbor . Within four days after the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 , 1941 , Capra quit his successful directing career in Hollywood and enlisted as a major in the United States Army . He also gave up his presidency of the Screen Directors Guild . Being 44 years of age , he was not asked to enlist , but , notes Friedman , " Capra had an intense desire to prove his patriotism to his adopted land . " Capra recalls some personal reasons for enlisting : " Why We Fight " series . During the next four years of World War II , Capra ' s job was to head a special section on morale to explain to soldiers " why the hell they ' re in uniform " , writes Capra , and were not " propaganda " films like those created by the Nazis and Japan . Capra directed or co - directed seven documentary war information films . Capra was assigned to work directly under Chief of Staff George C . Marshall , the most senior officer in command of the Army , who later creates the Marshall Plan and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize . Marshall chose to bypass the usual documentary film - making department , Signal Corps , because he felt they were not capable of producing " sensitive and objective troop information films . " One colonel explained the importance of these future films to Capra : During his first meeting with General Marshall , Capra was told his mission : The films included the seven - episode " Why We Fight " series – consisting of " Prelude to War " ( 1942 ) , " The Nazis Strike " ( 1942 ) , " Divide and Conquer " ( 1943 ) , " The Battle of Britain " ( 1943 ) , " The Battle of Russia " ( 1943 ) , " The Battle of China " ( 1944 ) , " War Comes to America " ( 1945 ) – plus " " ( 1945 ) , " Here Is Germany " ( 1945 ) , " Tunisian Victory " ( 1945 ) , and " Two Down and One to Go " ( 1945 ) that do not bear the " Why We Fight " banner ; as well as the African - American related film , " The Negro Soldier " ( 1944 ) . After completion of the first few documentaries , government officials and U . S . Army staff found them to be powerful messages and excellent presentations of why it was necessary for the U . S . to fight in the war . All footage came from military and government sources , whereas during earlier years , many newsreels secretly used footage from enemy sources . Animated charts were created by Walt Disney and his animators . A number of Hollywood composers wrote the background music , including Alfred Newman and Russian - born composer Dimitri Tiomkin . After the first complete film was viewed by General Marshall along with U . S . Army staff , Marshall approached Capra : " Colonel Capra , how did you do it ? That is a most wonderful thing . " Officials made efforts to see that the films were seen in theaters throughout the U . S . They were translated into French , Spanish , Portuguese , and Chinese for use by other countries . Winston Churchill ordered that " all " of them be shown to the British public in theaters . They are today often broadcast on television and used as a teaching aid . The " Why We Fight " series is widely considered a masterpiece of war information documentaries , and won an Academy Award . " Prelude to War " won the 1942 Academy Award for Documentary Feature . When his career ended , Capra regarded these films as his most important works . As a colonel , he received the Distinguished Service Medal in 1945 . Post - war career ( 1946 – 1961 ) . " It ' s a Wonderful Life " ( 1946 ) . After the war ended , along with directors William Wyler and George Stevens , Capra founded Liberty Films . Their studio became the first independent company of directors since United Artists in 1919 whose goal was to make films without interference by studio bosses . However , the only picture completed by the studio was " It ' s a Wonderful Life " ( 1946 ) . It was a box office disappointment , but was nonetheless nominated for five Academy Awards . The American Film Institute named it one of the best films ever made , putting it at the top of the list of AFI ' s 100 Years . . . 100 Cheers , a list of what AFI considers to be the most inspirational American movies of all time . The film also appeared in another AFI Top 100 list : it placed at 11th on AFI ' s 100 Years . . . 100 Movies list of the top American films . It would become Capra ' s last important film and , although he directed five more films over the next 14 years , his successful years were now behind him . For " State of the Union " ( 1948 ) , Capra changed studios , working for the only time for MGM Pictures . Although the project had an excellent pedigree with stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn , the film was not a success , and Capra ' s eyebrow - raising statement , " I think " State of the Union " was my most perfect film in handling people and ideas " has few adherents today . Representing U . S . at International Film Festival . In January 1952 , Capra was requested by the U . S . Ambassador to India to represent the U . S . film industry at the International Film Festival to be held in India . A State Department friend of Capra asked him and explained why his trip would be important : After two weeks in India , Capra discovered that Bowles ' fears were warranted , as many film sessions were used by Russian and Chinese representatives to give long political speeches . At a lunch with 15 Indian directors and producers , he stressed that " they must preserve freedom as artists , and that any government control would hinder that freedom . A totalitarian system – and they would become nothing but publicity men for the party in power . " Capra had a difficult time communicating this , however , as he noted in his diary : When he returned to Washington to give his report , Secretary of State Dean Acheson gave Capra his commendation for " virtually single - handedly forestalling a possible Communist take - over of Indian films . " Ambassador Bowles also conveyed gratitude to Capra for " one helluva job . " Disillusionment period – 1950s . Although " It ' s a Wonderful Life " and " State of the Union " were successful soon after the war ended , Capra ' s themes were becoming out of step with changes within the film industry and with the public mood . Friedman finds that while Capra ' s ideas were popular with depression - era and pre - war audiences , they became less relevant to a prospering post - war America . Capra had become " disconnected from an American culture that had changed " during the previous decade . Biographer Joseph McBride argues that Capra ' s disillusionment was more related to the negative effect that the House Un - American Activities Committee ( HUAC ) had on the film industry in general . The HUAC interrogations in the early 1950s ended many Hollywood careers . Capra himself was not called to testify , although he was a prime target of the committee due to his past associations with many Hollywood blacklist ed screenwriters . Capra , however , blames his early retirement from films on the rising power of stars , which forced him to continually compromise his artistic vision . He also claims that increasing budgetary and scheduling demands were constraining his creative abilities . Film historian Michael Medved agrees with and understands Capra ' s impressions , noting that he walked away from the movie business because " he refused to adjust to the cynicism of the new order . " In his autobiography written in 1971 , Capra expressed his feelings about the shifting film industry : Capra added that in his opinion , " practically all the Hollywood filmmaking of today is stooping to cheap salacious pornography in a crazy bastardization of a great art to compete for the ' patronage ' of deviates and masturbators . " Capra remained employable in Hollywood during and after the HUAC hearings , but chose nonetheless to demonstrate his loyalty by attempting to re - enlist in the Army at the outbreak of the Korean War , in 1950 . He was rejected due to his age , however . He was later invited to join the Defense Department ' s newly - formed Think Tank project , VISTA , but was denied the necessary clearance . According to Friedman , " these two rejections were devastating to the man who had made a career of demonstrating American ideals in film " , along with his directing award - winning documentary films for the Army . By 1952 , at the age of 55 , Capra effectively retired from Hollywood filmmaking and spent his later years working with Caltech , his alma mater , to produce educational films on science topics . Later films ( 1950 – 1961 ) . Capra directed two films at Paramount Pictures starring Bing Crosby , " Riding High " ( 1950 ) and " Here Comes the Groom " ( 1951 ) . From 1952 – 1956 , Capra produced four science - related television specials in color for The Bell Laboratory Science Series : " Our Mr . Sun " ( 1956 ) , " Hemo the Magnificent " ( 1957 ) , " The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays " ( 1957 ) , and " Meteora : The Unchained Goddess " ( 1958 ) . These educational science documentaries were popular favorites for school science classrooms . It was eight years before he directed another theatrical film , " A Hole in the Head " ( 1959 ) with Frank Sinatra and Edward G . Robinson , his first feature film in color . Capra ' s final theatrical film was with Glenn Ford and Bette Davis , named " Pocketful of Miracles " ( 1961 ) , a remake of his 1933 film " Lady for a Day " . In the mid - 1960s he worked on pre - production for an adaptation of Martin Caidin ' s novel " Marooned , " but budgetary constraints caused him to eventually shelve it . Capra ' s final film , " Rendezvous in Space " ( 1964 ) , was an industrial film made for the Martin Marietta Company and shown at the 1964 New York World ' s Fair . It was exhibited at the New York Hall of Science after the Fair ended . Directing style . Capra ' s directing style relied on improvisation to a great extent . He was noted for going on the set with no more than the master scenes written . He explained his reasoning : According to some experts , Capra used great , unobtrusive craftsmanship when directing , and felt it was bad directing to distract the audience with fancy technical gimmicks . Film historian and author William S . Pechter described Capra ' s style as one " of almost classical purity . " He adds that his style relied on editing to help his films sustain a " sequence of rhythmic motion . " Pechter describes its effect : Film critic John Raeburn discusses an early Capra film , " American Madness " ( 1932 ) , as an example of how he had mastered the movie medium and expressed a unique style : As for Capra ' s subject matter , film author Richard Griffith tries to summarize Capra ' s common theme : Capra ' s personality when directing gave him a reputation for " fierce independence " when dealing with studio bosses . On the set he was said to be gentle and considerate , " a director who displays absolutely no exhibitionism . " Because Capra ' s films often carry a message about basic goodness in human nature , and show the value of unselfishness and hard work , his wholesome , feel - good themes have led some to term his style " Capra - corn . " However , those who hold his vision in higher regard prefer the term " Capraesque " . Capra ' s basic themes of championing the common man , as well as his use of spontaneous , fast - paced dialogue and goofy , memorable lead and supporting characters , made him one of the most popular and respected filmmakers of the 20th century . His influence can be traced in the works of many directors , including Robert Altman , Ron Howard , Masaki Kobayashi , Akira Kurosawa , John Lasseter , David Lynch , John Milius , Martin Scorsese , Steven Spielberg , Oliver Stone and François Truffaut Personal life . Capra married actress Helen Howell in 1923 ; they divorced in 1928 . He married Lucille Warner in 1928 , with whom he had a daughter and three sons , one of whom died in infancy . Capra was four times president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and three times president of the Directors Guild of America , which he helped found . Under his presidency he worked to give directors more artistic control of their films . During his career as a director , he retained an early ambition to teach science , and after his career declined in the 1950s he made educational TV films related to science subjects . Physically , Capra was short , stocky , and vigorous , and enjoyed outdoor activities such as hunting , fishing , and mountain climbing . In his much later years , he spent time writing short stories and songs , along with playing his guitar . He collected fine and rare books during the 1930s and 40s . His ' Distinguished Library ' was sold at auction in New York in 1949 , realising over $ 68 , 000 . His son Frank Capra , Jr . – one of the four children born to Capra ' s second wife , Lucille Capra – was the president of EUE Screen Gems Studios , in Wilmington , North Carolina , until his death on December 19 , 2007 . His grandson , Frank Capra III , is a Hollywood director and worked as an assistant director in the 1995 film " The American President " , which referred to Capra in the film ' s dialogue . Death . Frank Capra died in La Quinta , California , of a heart attack in his sleep in 1991 at the age of 94 . He was interred in the Coachella Valley Public Cemetery in Coachella , California . He left part of his ranch in Fallbrook , California , to Caltech . Capra ' s personal papers and some film related materials are contained in the Wesleyan University Cinema Archives , which allows scholars and media experts full access . Legacy . During the golden age of Hollywood , Capra ' s " fantasies of goodwill " made him one of the two or three most famous and successful directors in the world . Film historian Ian Freer notes that at the time of his death in 1991 , his legacy remained intact : Director / actor John Cassavetes contemplating Capra ’ s contribution to the art of film quipped : “ Maybe there really wasn ’ t an America , it was only Frank Capra . ” Capra ’ s films were his love letters to an idealized America – a cinematic landscape of his own invention . The performances his actors gave were invariable portrayals of personalities developed into recognizable images of popular culture , “ their acting has the bold simplicity of an icon . . . ” Like his contemporary , director John Ford , Capra defined and aggrandized the tropes of mythic America where individual courage invariably triumphs over collective evil . Film historian Richard Griffith speaks of Capra ' s “ . . . reliance on sentimental conversation and the ultimate benevolence of ordinary America to resolve all deep conflicts . ” “ Average America ” is visualized as " . . . a tree lined street , undistinguished frame houses surrounded by modest areas of grass , a few automobiles . For certain purposes it assumed that all " real " Americans live in towns like this , and so great is the power of myth , even the born city - dweller is likely to believe vaguely that he too lives on this shady street , or comes from it , or is going to . ” NYU Professor of Humanities and Performing Arts , Leonard Quart writes : “ There would be no enduring conflicts – harmony , no matter how contrived and specious , would ultimately triumph in the last frame . . . In true Hollywood fashion , no Capra film would ever suggest that social change was a complex , painful act . For Capra , there would be pain and loss , but no enduring sense of tragedy would be allowed to intrude on his fabulist world . ” The theatre screen was the mirror in front of which American movie audiences sat enamored with the reflected images of their better selves – an idealistic storybook America . Although Capra ' s stature as a director had declined in the 1950s , his films underwent a revival in the 1960s : French film historian John Raeburn , editor of " Cahiers du cinéma " , notes that Capra ' s films were unknown in France , but there too his films underwent a fresh discovery by the public . He believes the reason for his renewed popularity had to do with his themes , which he made credible " an ideal conception of an American national character " : In 1982 , the American Film Institute honored Capra by giving him their AFI Life Achievement Award . The event was used to create the television film , " The American Film Institute Salute to Frank Capra " , hosted by James Stewart . In 1986 , Capra received the National Medal of Arts . During his acceptance speech for the AFI award , Capra stressed his most important values : Capra expanded on his visions in his 1971 autobiography , " The Name Above the Title " : Awards and honors . In 1957 , Capra was awarded the George Eastman Award , given by George Eastman House for distinguished contribution to the art of film . Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty , by vote of the city council , declared May 12 , 1962 as " Frank Capra Day . " George Sidney , President of the Directors Guild , stated that " This is the first time in the history of Hollywood , that the city of Los Angeles has officially recognized a creative talent . " At the event ceremony , director John Ford announced that Capra had also received the Order of British Empire ( OBE ) on the recommendation of Winston Churchill . Ford suggested publicly to Capra : An annual " It ' s a Wonderful Life " celebration that Capra attended in 1981 , during which he said , " This is one of the proudest moments of my life , " was recounted in The New Yorker . Academy Awards . Capra won three Academy Awards . He was nominated six times for Best Director and seven times for Outstanding Production / Best Picture . Out of six nominations for Best Director , Capra received the award three times . He briefly held the record for winning the most Best Director Oscars when he won for the third time in 1938 , until this record was matched by John Ford in 1941 , and then later surpassed by Ford in 1952 . William Wyler also matched this record upon winning his third Oscar in 1959 .