VIDEO: Bill Duke Announces MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON For AFI Movie Club

AFI Alum Bill Duke announces today's AFI Movie Club selection: MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. This beloved film appears on four of AFI's lists of the greatest American films - and Jimmy Stewart's character, Jefferson Smith, was named one of cinema's most inspiring screen heroes by AFI. Stewart was also honored with an AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in 1980, and two years later, director Frank Capra received his own AFI Life Achievement Award.

DID YOU KNOW? The U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain at the time sent a message to Frank Capra claiming that the film would damage "America's prestige in Europe" and should therefore be withdrawn from European distribution. But today, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON stands as one of the great icons of American ideals. In this exclusive AFI Archive video, Walter Cronkite talks about the film's impact.