It's a Wonderful Life - the film
Created | Updated Mar 8, 2003
It's a Wonderful Life -the film
You Are Now In Bedford Falls
According to the American Film Institute this is the 11th Greatest Film of all time and the 8th Greatest Love Story. But these accolades are more remarkable as it was a flop at the box office when it was first screened. This was due to terrible blizzards on the East Coast of America and consensus that it was a down beat movie, which goes to show how fickle people are. After seeing this film you can't help being warmed by its seductive charms. It stayed on the film racks, occasionally aired, until the early 1970s when the copyright, due to a legal loophole, was not repeated. So the film came into the public domain. This was bad news for the copyright holder as no royalties were payable on the films performance. Luckily this saved it from the stockroom and soon regular Christmas showings on television jogged the publics memories of this masterpiece. Capra and Stewart were both nominated, but won no Oscars for their incredible efforts and yet it remained their favourite film they worked on. This is a classic film and richly deserves its place in cinematography's hall of fame.
Director - Frank Capra
The Cast
George Bailey - James Stewart
Mary Bailey - Donna Reed
Thomas Mitchell - Uncle Billy
Henry Travers - Clarence, the angel
Lionel Barrymore - Mr Potter
Gloria Grahame - Violet
Ward Bond - Bert
Frank Faylen - Ernie
Beulah Bondi - Mrs Bailey
Bobby Anderson - Young George
First released 1947 Black and White 2hours 11mins
The Greatest Gift
In 1943 Philip Van Doren Stern wrote a short story, about a man on the brink of suicide that was saved by an angel, titled The Greatest Gift. Unable to sell it, Stern decided to print up copies and send them in his Christmas cards to relatives and friends. One of these people was a Hollywood agent who loved the work and asked Stern to show it to film producers. RKO bought it for $10,000. There it stayed, with RKO not knowing really what to do with it, many writers were given the chance to rewrite the story into a final script. But none were destined for the soundstage, until an executive showed it to Frank Capra who with two other writers polished it until it was ready.
George Bailey's life
The story of George Bailey's life is a unique one. A man who does the right thing, even when it means his own life would be poorer for it, which shows compassion, forgiveness and generosity. Who gave his whole life, for his work, family and friends only to see it dashed on the rocks by a simple mistake. Desperate to bring everything back on an even keel, he contemplates suicide and is stopped by a guardian angel, Clarence. Who shows George the error he would be making by giving him the chance to see how the world would have been if he had never been born. After this scary nightmare, he is saved in the real world by is family and friends.
Bah Humbug!
So, if this is such a perfect movie, how come Bah Humbug? It's a Wonderful Life does have a few mistakes. Some parts of the film have clumsy editing, Uncle Billy talking to Mr Potter in the Bank, for example looks like it has had chunks taken out of it, as the continuity is very poor. Another mistake or ad lib stayed in the final cut, when Uncle Billy drunkenly sets off from Georges wedding party, there is a large crash off screen, sounding like dustbins being knocked over. "I'm alllright!" followed with smiles from James Stewart and Beulah Bondi. Apparently a pile of film canisters was knocked over and Thomas Mitchell's ad lib had to be kept in.
You Are Now Leaving Bedford Falls
You Are Now In Bedford Falls
According to the American Film Institute this is the 11th Greatest Film of all time and the 8th Greatest Love Story. But these accolades are more remarkable as it was a flop at the box office when it was first screened. This was due to terrible blizzards on the East Coast of America and consensus that it was a down beat movie, which goes to show how fickle people are. After seeing this film you can't help being warmed by its seductive charms. It stayed on the film racks, occasionally aired, until the early 1970s when the copyright, due to a legal loophole, was not repeated. So the film came into the public domain. This was bad news for the copyright holder as no royalties were payable on the films performance. Luckily this saved it from the stockroom and soon regular Christmas showings on television jogged the publics memories of this masterpiece. Capra and Stewart were both nominated, but won no Oscars for their incredible efforts and yet it remained their favourite film they worked on. This is a classic film and richly deserves its place in cinematography's hall of fame.
Director - Frank Capra
The Cast
George Bailey - James Stewart
Mary Bailey - Donna Reed
Thomas Mitchell - Uncle Billy
Henry Travers - Clarence, the angel
Lionel Barrymore - Mr Potter
Gloria Grahame - Violet
Ward Bond - Bert
Frank Faylen - Ernie
Beulah Bondi - Mrs Bailey
Bobby Anderson - Young George
First released 1947 Black and White 2hours 11mins
The Greatest Gift
In 1943 Philip Van Doren Stern wrote a short story, about a man on the brink of suicide that was saved by an angel, titled The Greatest Gift. Unable to sell it, Stern decided to print up copies and send them in his Christmas cards to relatives and friends. One of these people was a Hollywood agent who loved the work and asked Stern to show it to film producers. RKO bought it for $10,000. There it stayed, with RKO not knowing really what to do with it, many writers were given the chance to rewrite the story into a final script. But none were destined for the soundstage, until an executive showed it to Frank Capra who with two other writers polished it until it was ready.
George Bailey's life
The story of George Bailey's life is a unique one. A man who does the right thing, even when it means his own life would be poorer for it, which shows compassion, forgiveness and generosity. Who gave his whole life, for his work, family and friends only to see it dashed on the rocks by a simple mistake. Desperate to bring everything back on an even keel, he contemplates suicide and is stopped by a guardian angel, Clarence. Who shows George the error he would be making by giving him the chance to see how the world would have been if he had never been born. After this scary nightmare, he is saved in the real world by is family and friends.
Bah Humbug!
So, if this is such a perfect movie, how come Bah Humbug? It's a Wonderful Life does have a few mistakes. Some parts of the film have clumsy editing, Uncle Billy talking to Mr Potter in the Bank, for example looks like it has had chunks taken out of it, as the continuity is very poor. Another mistake or ad lib stayed in the final cut, when Uncle Billy drunkenly sets off from Georges wedding party, there is a large crash off screen, sounding like dustbins being knocked over. "I'm alllright!" followed with smiles from James Stewart and Beulah Bondi. Apparently a pile of film canisters was knocked over and Thomas Mitchell's ad lib had to be kept in.
You Are Now Leaving Bedford Falls
