It Rings a Bell: The 75th Anniversary of "It's a Wonderful Life"

 By Michael Lyons

If you're looking for a reason why It's a Wonderful Life is such a beloved Christmas tradition and a respected film, watch a scene about thirty-eight minutes into director Frank Capra's masterpiece closely.

In the sequence, George Bailey, the film's main character, played by James Stewart, stands outside his home in his small town of Bedford Falls.  He takes out brochures of far-off places he has always wanted to visit and hears a train whistle in the distance.  His dream is to venture out of his small town and find adventure, and he suddenly realizes he may never be able to do that, as he throws the brochures to the ground.

How many of us have felt that way?  Life, and life's dreams, sometimes don't pan out as we had initially hoped.  It's a startling realization as we come to terms with the fact that we may need to seek out different, "smaller" dreams that can turn out to be more fulfilling.

That's why It's a Wonderful Life is still remembered, celebrated, and watched every Christmas season.  It's so relatable.  Not just the story of George Bailey's life, it's the story of all our lives.

In a 1996 interview, Jeanine Basinger, a noted film historian and author of The It's a Wonderful Life Book, said that this shared perspective is one of the reasons the film has endured. "This is a subject that we all know about," said Basinger.  "It's about having dreams and ideas and what you accomplish, as compared to what you wanted to accomplish, and what you have in life that is meaningful for you."

Basinger was discussing the film for its fiftieth anniversary, and this year, hard as it is to believe, It's a Wonderful Life turns seventy-five.

The film is based on a short story entitled The Greatest Gift by author Philip Van Doren Stern.  The project languished at RKO studios until it was given to a well-known director, Frank Capra, who was enthusiastic about the project.

"He had a great sense of humor," said Basinger of Capra.  "I think his sets were happy.  He gave actors a general sense of what he wanted and let them find things.  So, actors loved working with him, and he appreciated actors."

The film tells the now-familiar story of George Bailey, who lives in the small town of Bedford Falls, and wants nothing more in life than to leave it and see the world.  When tragedy finds its way into his life, George contemplates suicide but is "rescued" by a friendly angel named Clarence.  Clarence shows George what life would have been like without him, and Mr. Bailey learns that he did have a wonderful life and that "No man is a failure who has friends.”

Capra knew that Jimmy Stewart (who the director had worked with on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) was perfect for the lead, George Bailey.  The rest of the cast was completed with actors who perfectly fit their roles, particularly Lionel Barrymore, as the sinister Mr. Potter.  

According to Basinger, the actor brought a sense of realism to the villain, "Here was a person, who everyone who went to this movie, who lived in a small town, could look at and say, 'I know this character.'"  

Then, there was Henry Travers, who gave a very understated and yet standout performance as Clarence the Angel.  "It was an option for cuteness," Basinger said of the character of Clarence.  "That role was an option for 'cutie-pie.'  In the hands of many other actors, we would have been ready to kill that character.  He [Travers] plays it with great simplicity and dignity, actually, and that makes it more credible."

George's wife, Mary, is played by Donna Reed, a relatively unknown actress, at the time.  Basinger noted that the casting of Reed gave the film a new dynamic.  "Once they cast a young, beautiful, new star," she says, "what you have in her is an almost magical figure.  She is the perfect embodiment of a certain kind of young American woman.  It becomes more romantic."

When it first opened on December 20, 1946, It's a Wonderful Life was not the major success at the box office that many had hoped and critical reaction was mixed.

In 1974, the film's copyright lapsed, sending it into the public domain.  Now, it could be shown anytime, anywhere.  For It's a Wonderful Life, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  "When the film became a television staple," says Basinger, " in particular when it began playing at the holiday seasons, it suddenly became this phenomenon."   It's A Wonderful Life found itself subject to multiple and numerous broadcasts during the holiday season.  By the early '90s, it was not uncommon for the film to be shown two dozen times between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone.

 

In 1994, NBC bought the exclusive rights to It's a Wonderful Life.  This, however, has not stopped the seasonal hunger for the film. 

 

The enduring, positive impact that It's a Wonderful Life has had on film history and the Christmas season is unparalleled.  Audiences who love the film have turned into quite the fan base.  Each December, there's an annual "It's a Wonderful Life Celebration" in Seneca Falls, NY (the purported inspiration for the movie's Bedford Falls). The town even boasts a museum dedicated to the film.

 

Seventy-five years after its debut, It's a Wonderful Life is still a part of our Christmas season DNA.

 

"If there's one thing we know, it's that the holiday season never quite pans out the way anyone thinks it's going to," said Basinger, reflecting on the popularity of the film.  "It's the end of the year; it's a time for spending it with your family, it's a time when everybody's expectations are high, and frequently there's disappointment.  Everybody's dealing with emotions, everybody's dealing with the year that they just had, and then you sit down, and you watch this movie about a man who always wanted something more than he got; a man whose dreams did not come true, but nevertheless finds meaning in life and finds a reason to be glad he's alive.  To be watching that during the holiday season, it just connected with people."

 

  Merry Christmas "Screen Saver" Readers!