Moviegoers habitually assume Frank Capra's life resembled his beloved films: "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "It's a Wonderful Life", in which a man of the people faces tremendous odds and, by doing the right thing, triumphs. But, as McBride reveals in this meticulously researched, definitive biography, the reality was far more complex, and a true American tragedy. Using declassified US government documents about Capra's response to being considered a possible 'subversive' during the post-World War II Red Scare, McBride adds a final chapter to his unforgettable portrait of the man who gave us "It Happened One Night", "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", and Meet "John Doe".