Frank Capra filmography
Frank Capra (May 5, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Capra directed a total of 36 feature-length films (34 of which are known to survive) and 16 documentary films during his lifetime.
His movies It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It Happened One Night are often cited among the greatest films ever made.[1]
The following are the films directed by Frank Capra, along with a listing of his awards.
Filmography
Source:[2]
Films
War Films
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Why We Fight: Prelude to War | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak |
| 1943 | Why We Fight: The Nazis Strike | Short film / Co-directed with Anatole Litvak |
| Why We Fight: Divide and Conquer | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak | |
| Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain | Co-directed with Anthony Veiller | |
| Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak | |
| 1944 | Why We Fight: The Battle of China | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak |
| Tunisian Victory | Co-directed with Hugh Stewart | |
| The Negro Soldier | Capra is producer only; Stuart Heisler, director | |
| 1945 | Your Job in Germany | Short film |
| Two Down and One to Go | Short film | |
| Why We Fight: War Comes to America | Co-directed with Anatole Litvak | |
| Know Your Enemy: Japan | Co-directed with Joris Ivens | |
| Here Is Germany |
Films directed by Capra nominated for Academy Awards
| Year | Film | Oscar Nominations | Oscar Wins | Performances Nominations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Lady for a Day | 4 | 0 | Best Actress for May Robson (nom) |
| 1934 | It Happened One Night | 5 | 5 | Best Actor for Clark Gable Best Actress for Claudette Colbert |
| 1936 | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | 5 | 1 | Best Actor for Gary Cooper (nom) |
| 1937 | Lost Horizon | 7 | 2 | Best Supporting Actor for H. B. Warner (nom) |
| 1938 | You Can't Take It With You | 7 | 2 | Best Supporting Actress for Spring Byington (nom) |
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | 11 | 1 | Best Actor for James Stewart (nom) Best Supporting Actor for Harry Carey (nom) Best Supporting Actor for Claude Rains (nom) |
| 1941 | Meet John Doe | 1 | 0 | |
| 1942 | Prelude to War | 1 | 1 | Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature |
| 1943 | The Battle of Russia | 1 | 0 | Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature (nom) |
| 1946 | It's a Wonderful Life | 5 | 0 | Best Actor for James Stewart (nom) |
| 1951 | Here Comes the Groom | 2 | 1 | |
| 1959 | A Hole in the Head | 1 | 1 | |
| 1961 | Pocketful of Miracles | 3 | 0 | Best Supporting Actor for Peter Falk (nom) |
Awards and nominations
- American Film Institute
- Life Achievement Award (1982)
- Directors Guild of America
- Best Director Nomination for A Hole in the Head (1959)
- Life Achievement Award (1959)
- Best Director Nomination for Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
- Golden Globe Award
- Best Director Award for It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
- Venice Film Festival
- Mussolini Cups for best foreign film Nomination for It Happened One Night (1934)
- Mussolini Cups for best foreign film Nomination for Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
- Golden Lion (1982)
- American Film Institute recognition
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)
- It's a Wonderful Life...# 20
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington...# 26
- It Happened One Night...# 46
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers
- It's a Wonderful Life...# 1
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington...# 5
- Meet John Doe...# 49
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town...# 83
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs
- It Happened One Night...# 8
- Arsenic and Old Lace...# 30
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town...# 70
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions
- It's a Wonderful Life...# 8
- It Happened One Night...# 38
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains
- 50 greatest movie heroes
- It's a Wonderful Life...George Bailey ...# 9
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington...Jefferson Smith ...# 11
- 50 greatest movie villains
- It's a Wonderful Life...Mister Potter ...# 6
- AFI's 10 Top 10
- Fantasy
- It's a Wonderful Life...# 3
- Romantic Comedies
- It Happened One Night...# 3
- Fantasy
- United States National Film Registry
- The Strong Man (1926)
- The Power of the Press (1928)
- It Happened One Night (1934)
- Lost Horizon (1937)
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
- Why We Fight Series of seven films (1942)
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
References
- ^ "AFI's 100 Greatest American Films of All Time" - 20.It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 26.Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) 46.It Happened One Night (1934)". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 24, 2020
- ^ "Frank Capra: 10 essential films". BFI. May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2025.