Passes the Bechdel test
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936. Directed by Frank Capra, written by Robert Riskin and Clarence Budington Kelland.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
3 / 3
Passes
-
Yes
1. At least two women
27 women characters. 6 of them speak. -
Yes
2. Who talk to each other
In 1 scene out of 81. -
Yes
3. About something besides a man
In that scene, our script parser found no man named. See the scene.
Second opinion
Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 3 out of 3.
The film
Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life - including playing the tuba in the town band. When a relative dies and leaves Deeds a fortune, Longfellow picks up his tuba and moves to the big city where he becomes an instant target for everyone from the greedy opera committee to the sensationist daily newspaper. Deeds outwits them all until Babe Bennett comes along. Babe is a hot-shot reporter who figures the best way to get close to Deeds is to pose as a damsel in distress. When small-town boy meets big-city girl anything can, and does, happen.
- Released
- 12 Apr 1936
- Genres
- Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Rated
- Approved
- IMDb
- 7.8 / 10
- Awards
- Won 1 Oscar. 5 wins & 7 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Longfellow 266 lines, man
- Babe 122 lines, woman
- Cedar 107 lines, man
- Cobb 61 lines, man
- Judge 35 lines
- Mac 33 lines
- Walter 33 lines, man
- Douglas 21 lines, man
- Mabel 18 lines, woman
- Mrs. Meredith 18 lines, woman
Full cast, 170 people
- Gary Cooper as Longfellow Deeds
- Jean Arthur as Babe Bennett
- George Bancroft as MacWade
- Lionel Stander as Cornelius Cobb
- Douglass Dumbrille as John Cedar
- Raymond Walburn as Walter
- H.B. Warner as Judge May
- Ruth Donnelly as Mabel Dawson
- Walter Catlett as Morrow
- John Wray as Farmer
- Stanley Andrews as James Cedar (uncredited)
- Irving Bacon as Frank (uncredited)
- Hank Bell as Unemployed Farmer (uncredited)
- Billy Bevan as Cabby (uncredited)
- Spencer Charters as Mal (uncredited)
- Dora Clement as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Gino Corrado as Strolling Violinist (uncredited)
- George Cooper as Bob (uncredited)
- Cecil Cunningham as (uncredited)
- Emma Dunn as Mrs. Meredith (uncredited)
- Mary Lou Dix as Shop Girl (uncredited)
- Ann Doran as Girl on Bus (uncredited)
- Muriel Evans as Theresa (uncredited)
- Bess Flowers as (uncredited)
- Charles K. French as Unemployed Farmer (uncredited)
- Edward Gargan as Bodyguard (uncredited)
- George 'Gabby' Hayes as Farmer's Spokesman (uncredited)
- Arthur Hoyt as Budington (uncredited)
- Paul Hurst as 1st Deputy (uncredited)
- Edward Keane as Board Member (uncredited)
- Charles Lane as Hallor (uncredited)
- Edward LeSaint as Dr. Fosdick (uncredited)
- Warren Hymer as Bodyguard (uncredited)
- Edwin Maxwell as Douglas (uncredited)
- Lafe McKee as Unemployed Farmer (uncredited)
- Frank McLure as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
- George Meeker as Henneberry (uncredited)
- Mayo Methot as Mrs. Semple (uncredited)
- James Millican as Interne (uncredited)
- Bert Moorhouse as Reporter (uncredited)
- Jack Mower as Reporter (uncredited)
- Louis Natheaux as Waiter (uncredited)
- Dennis O'Keefe as Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
- Bud Osborne as Unemployed Farmer (uncredited)
- Franklin Pangborn as The Tailor (uncredited)
- Barnett Parker as Butler (uncredited)
- William Phillips as Cameraman (uncredited)
- Paul Porcasi as Italian Opera Board Member (uncredited)
- Christian Rub as Christian Jenson (uncredited)
- Hal Price as Policeman (uncredited)
- Charles Cahill Wilson as County Hospital Guard (uncredited)
- Steve Clark as Reporter (uncredited)
- Pierre Watkin as Arthur Cedar (uncredited)
- Gustav von Seyffertitz as Emile Von Hallor (uncredited)
- Jameson Thomas as Mr. Semple (uncredited)
- John Tyrrell as Reporter (uncredited)
- Frank Austin as George Rankin (uncredited)
- John W. Austin as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Louise Bates as (uncredited)
- Bobbie Beal as Chorine (uncredited)
- Georgie Billings as Little Boy (uncredited)
- John Binns as Old Lawyer (uncredited)
- Wyrley Birch as Psychiatrist (uncredited)
- Beatrice Blinn as Assistant Secretary (uncredited)
- Katherine Block as Nurse (uncredited)
- Sammy Blum as Reporter (uncredited)
- Joe Bordeaux as (uncredited)
- Harry C. Bradley as Anderson (uncredited)
- Charles Brinley as Farmer (uncredited)
- Hal Budlong as Elevator Man (uncredited)
- Vera Burnett as (uncredited)
- Fred Cady as Farmer (uncredited)
- Mary Jane Carey as (uncredited)
- James Carlisle as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
- Jack Cheatham as Policeman (uncredited)
- Jack Rube Clifford as Court Policeman (uncredited)
- James Conaty as Auditor (uncredited)
- Georgie Cooper as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Thomas A. Curran as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Beatrice Curtis as Secretary (uncredited)
- Boyd Davis as Young Lawyer (uncredited)
- Helen Dickson as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Rita Donlin as (uncredited)
- Walter Downing as Farmer (uncredited)
- Tex Driscoll as Farmer (uncredited)
- Adabelle Driver as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
- Paul Everton as Farmer (uncredited)
- Florence Dudley as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Bobby Dunn as (uncredited)
- Peter Duray as (uncredited)
- Janet Eastman as Shop Girl (uncredited)
- Oliver Eckhardt as Dr. Emerson (uncredited)
- Jay Eaton as Writer (uncredited)
- Carlton Griffin as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Adolph Faylauer as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
- Robert Ellsworth as Policeman (uncredited)
- Juanita Fletcher as (uncredited)
- Octavio Giraud as Farmer (uncredited)
- Jack Hatfield as Reporter (uncredited)
- Chuck Hamilton as Policeman (uncredited)
- Sherry Hall as Charlie (uncredited)
- Frank Hammond as Information Booth Man (uncredited)
- Sam Harris as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
- Beth Hartman as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Ralph McCullough as Reporter (uncredited)
- Althea Henley as (uncredited)
- Al Herman as Reporter (uncredited)
- Harry Holden as Courtroom Guard (uncredited)
- Charles Herzinger as (uncredited)
- Lew Hicks as Chuck Collins (uncredited)
- Fay Holderness as Nurse (uncredited)
- Frank Holliday as Mr. Dodsworth (uncredited)
- Gladden James as Court Clerk (uncredited)
- Eddie Kane as Brookfield (uncredited)
- William Irving as Writer (uncredited)
- Arthur Stuart Hull as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Alphonse Martell as Headwaiter (uncredited)
- Frederick Lee as (uncredited)
- Stella LeSaint as Party Guest (uncredited)
- James B. Leong as Chinese Chauffeur (uncredited)
- Mike Lally as Reporter (uncredited)
- Lillian Lawrence as (uncredited)
- Ann Kunde as (uncredited)
- Margarete Matzenauer as Madame Pomponi (uncredited)
- Margaret McWade as Amy Faulkner (uncredited)
- Robert Milasch as Farmer (uncredited)
- Harold Miller as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
- Patricia Monroe as Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
- Gene Morgan as Waiter (uncredited)
- Edwin Mordant as Board Member (uncredited)
- Jack Montgomery as Farmer (uncredited)
- Edmund Mortimer as Party Guest (uncredited)
- John T. Murray as Writer (uncredited)
- Henry Norton as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
- Frank O'Connor as Train Conductor (uncredited)
- Broderick O'Farrell as (uncredited)
- Peggy Page as Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
- Ethel Palmer as Governess (uncredited)
- George Pauncefort as Board Member (uncredited)
- Gertrude Pedlar as Party Guest (uncredited)
- John Picorri as Board Member (uncredited)
- Richard Powell as Reporter (uncredited)
- Arthur Rankin as Reporter (uncredited)
- Ky Robinson as Deputy (uncredited)
- Frederick Roland as Board Member (uncredited)
- Adrian Rosley as Italian Interpreter (uncredited)
- Lillian Ross as Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
- Anne Schaefer as (uncredited)
- Margaret Seddon as Jane Faulkner (uncredited)
- Harvey Shepherd as Interne (uncredited)
- Antrim Short as Reporter (uncredited)
- Lee Shumway as Bailiff (uncredited)
- S.S. Simon as Farmer (uncredited)
- Kay Smith as (uncredited)
- Pat Somerset as (uncredited)
- Harry Stafford as Board Member (uncredited)
- Larry Steers as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Bert Stevens as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
- Brick Sullivan as Policeman (uncredited)
- Charles Sullivan as Beatle Puss (uncredited)
- Peggy Terry as (uncredited)
- Dale Van Sickel as Lawyer (uncredited)
- Ellinor Vanderveer as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Bess Wade as (uncredited)
- Pauline Wagner as Phone Operator (uncredited)
- Larry Wheat as Clerk (uncredited)
- Lee Willard as Businessman (uncredited)
- Jack Wise as Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
- Florence Wix as (uncredited)
- Vesey O'Davoren as Party Guest (uncredited)
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 2 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 11% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 81
Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.
Show the numbers
| Scenes | Women's lines | Men's lines |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 to 4 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 to 6 | 14 | 43 |
| 7 to 8 | 4 | 35 |
| 9 to 10 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 to 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 to 14 | 1 | 9 |
| 15 to 16 | 6 | 2 |
| 17 to 18 | 0 | 48 |
| 19 to 20 | 0 | 5 |
| 21 to 22 | 0 | 86 |
| 23 to 24 | 0 | 17 |
| 25 to 26 | 5 | 9 |
| 27 to 28 | 3 | 36 |
| 29 to 30 | 10 | 10 |
| 31 to 32 | 2 | 43 |
| 33 to 34 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 to 36 | 8 | 9 |
| 37 to 38 | 6 | 4 |
| 39 to 40 | 1 | 10 |
| 41 to 42 | 5 | 4 |
| 43 to 44 | 18 | 20 |
| 45 to 46 | 5 | 0 |
| 47 to 48 | 2 | 3 |
| 49 to 50 | 13 | 7 |
| 51 to 52 | 0 | 8 |
| 53 to 54 | 4 | 0 |
| 55 to 56 | 25 | 29 |
| 57 to 58 | 5 | 0 |
| 59 to 60 | 0 | 26 |
| 61 to 62 | 1 | 1 |
| 63 to 64 | 0 | 0 |
| 65 to 66 | 1 | 3 |
| 67 to 68 | 0 | 15 |
| 69 to 70 | 0 | 0 |
| 71 to 72 | 4 | 17 |
| 73 to 74 | 1 | 31 |
| 75 to 76 | 3 | 6 |
| 77 to 78 | 0 | 0 |
| 79 to 80 | 49 | 107 |
| 81 to 81 | 2 | 2 |
The evidence
- Straight from the script
- Counted from the script and the credits
Tap an exhibit to open it.
Exhibit A: the passing scenes
The scene our parser counted as passing, word for word.
MABEL: Oh, Mary? Yes, of course. Well, I don't know whether she's home or not. I'll see. MABEL: Why there she is! Of course she's home. BABE: Hello.
BABE: You threw them out! MABEL: You mean—
MABEL: Oh yes, I think it'd be a swell night to go for a walk. A nice long one. BABE: Ready?
Exhibit B: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 23 are women's.
199 lines from women, 664 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who's in it
27 women and 110 men in the cast. 6 women and 25 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit D: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 42 of 973.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 167 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 20% of the words (1,987), men 80% (7,886). Women have 23% of the lines, so their lines run shorter than men's.
Exhibit E: the test the other way
Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.
Conversations between two named characters
Two women
6
Two men
50
Exhibit F: behind the camera
None of the 7 people in these jobs are women.
Across the whole crew, 7% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- Frank Capra (man)
- Written by
- Robert Riskin (man)
- Produced by
- Frank Capra (man)
- Shot by
- Joseph Walker (man)
- Edited by
- Gene Havlick (man)
- Music by
- Howard Jackson (man)
- Costumes by
- Samuel Lange (gender not listed)
The crew, department by department
-
Sound
0 women, 5 men
-
Camera
0 women, 2 men
-
Other crew
1 women, 0 men, 1 not listed
-
Directing
0 women, 2 men
-
Writing
0 women, 2 men
-
Art
0 women, 1 men
-
Costume & Make-Up
0 women, 0 men, 1 not listed
-
Editing
0 women, 1 men
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit G: how old the stars were
Women: 37 on average. Men: 46 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Jean Arthur 35, Ruth Donnelly 39
Men
Lionel Stander 28, Gary Cooper 34, Douglass Dumbrille 46, Walter Catlett 47, Raymond Walburn 48, John Wray 49, George Bancroft 53, H.B. Warner 59
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 81 scenes and 973 lines of dialogue. The bechdeltest.com rating comes from that site’s readers. How the test works
