It's interesting to note a resemblance to “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” from 1939. Journalist "Ann" (Barbara Stanwyck) finds herself out of a job when new management makes cuts at her newspaper, but before she leaves, she publishes a letter supposedly written by an ordinary citizen, "John Doe," threatening suicide on Christmas Eve at city hall. The resulting publicity leads her to concoct a plan: create a real person to fill the role. Gary Cooper appears as a wandering man looking for work and quickly connects with both the working class and those seeking inspiration through this invented character, which is fictional but appealing. Meanwhile, local politician "Norton" (Edward Arnold) sees an opening to exploit this popularity, intending to manipulate the unwitting “Doe” into forming his own political party and ultimately reaching the presidency. Unaware of Norton’s machinations, Doe follows instructions, but Ann begins to care for him and loses interest in the scheme. The question becomes whether anyone can intervene before Norton either secures victory or destroys Doe's reputation and public support. Stanwyck and Cooper both perform well in a story with solid morals that aren’t exaggerated, though it’s Arnold’s deceptively friendly nature as he plots and schemes that truly stands out, leading to an ending that is somewhat poignant but perhaps a little underwhelming. The script offers keen observations and incorporates humor as the narrative progresses in a pleasant and reflective manner.

Source on TMDB