FILM DIRECTOR

Frank Capra

1897 - 1991

Photo of Frank Capra

Icon of person Frank Capra

Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind several major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Italy and raised in Los Angeles from the age of five, his rags-to-riches story has led film historians such as Ian Freer to consider him the "American Dream personified". Capra became one of America's most influential directors during the 1930s, winning three Academy Awards for Best Director from six nominations, along with three other Oscar wins from nine nominations in other categories. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Frank Capra has received more than 3,057,618 page views. His biography is available in 71 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 65 in 2019). Frank Capra is the 71st most popular film director (up from 73rd in 2019), the 616th most popular biography from Italy (down from 603rd in 2019) and the 10th most popular Italian Film Director.

Frank Capra is most famous for being a film director, producer, and writer. He is best known for directing the films "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

Memorability Metrics

  • 3.1M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 66.94

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 71

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 5.23

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 4.92

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among FILM DIRECTORS

Among film directors, Frank Capra ranks 71 out of 2,041. Before him are Robert Zemeckis, Éric Rohmer, David Cronenberg, Chuck Jones, Theo Angelopoulos, and Dziga Vertov. After him are Christopher Nolan, Ernst Lubitsch, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Alain Resnais, Sydney Pollack, and William Wyler.

Most Popular Film Directors in Wikipedia

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1897, Frank Capra ranks 21. Before him are Louis Aragon, Norbert Elias, Ferenc Szálasi, Soong Mei-ling, Gordon Allport, and Tadeusz Reichstein. After him are Kurt Schuschnigg, Pola Negri, Thích Quảng Đức, Odd Hassel, Yun Posun, and Enid Blyton. Among people deceased in 1991, Frank Capra ranks 19. Before him are John Bardeen, Miles Davis, Gustáv Husák, Soichiro Honda, Graham Greene, and Lazar Kaganovich. After him are Michael Landon, Marcel Lefebvre, Rajiv Gandhi, Oona O'Neill, Arno Breker, and Margot Fonteyn.

Others Born in 1897

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Others Deceased in 1991

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In Italy

Among people born in Italy, Frank Capra ranks 616 out of 5,161. Before him are Cosima Wagner (1837), Constans (320), Pinturicchio (1454), Alessandro Manzoni (1785), Charles II of Naples (1254), and Publius Clodius Pulcher (-90). After him are Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily (1782), Domenico Cimarosa (1749), Olybrius (400), Arrigo Sacchi (1946), Bernardo Bellotto (1721), and Andrew III of Hungary (1265).

Others born in Italy

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Among FILM DIRECTORS In Italy

Among film directors born in Italy, Frank Capra ranks 10. Before him are Sergio Leone (1929), Bernardo Bertolucci (1941), Michelangelo Antonioni (1912), Tinto Brass (1933), Vittorio De Sica (1901), and Roberto Rossellini (1906). After him are Franco Zeffirelli (1923), Dario Argento (1940), Giuseppe Tornatore (1956), Ettore Scola (1931), Sergio Corbucci (1926), and Gillo Pontecorvo (1919).

Italian born Film Directors

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Filmography

It's a Wonderful Life
Director
A holiday favourite for generations... George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.
Dec 20o 19468.274 / 10
It Happened One Night
Director
A rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.
Feb 22o 19347.828 / 10
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Director
Naive and idealistic Jefferson Smith, leader of the Boy Rangers, is appointed to the United States Senate by the puppet governor of his state. He soon discovers, upon going to Washington, many shortcomings of the political process as his earnest goal of a national boys' camp leads to a conflict with the state political boss.
Oct 19o 19397.888 / 10