I’ve never considered “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” to be a comedy. I must have missed all the laughs.
I'm mid-way through my old VHS version this afternoon. I am struck by the number of laugh out loud moments. They are mostly of the quip variety, as when the Senate page is showing newly arrived Senator Smith around the floor of the Senate. Smith said he plans to just sit in his chair and listen to the proceedings. Says the kid, "That's the way to get re-elected."
There are many such laugh lines that seem off hand and wouldn't work without a good delivery, but they work fine. Jean Arthur is a great comedian and is in good form here. The underlying story is serious and Senator Smith's disillusionment is sad, but Capra manages to make the somberness and comedy complement each other.
In my opinion.