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It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story The Greatest Gift written by Philip Van Doren Stern.

The film takes place in the fictional town of Bedford Falls shortly after World War II and stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve gains the attention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody ( Henry Travers) who is sent to help him in his hour of need. Much of the film is told through flashbacks spanning George's entire life and narrated by Franklin and Joseph, unseen Angels who are preparing Clarence for his mission to save George. Through these flashbacks we see all the people whose lives have been touched by George and the difference he has made to the community in which he lives.

The film is regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world, although, due to its high production costs and stiff competition at the box office, financially, it was considered a "flop." The film's break-even point was actually $6.3 million, approximately twice the production cost, a figure it never came close to achieving in its initial release.^[1] An appraisal in 2006 reported: "Although it was not the complete box-office failure that today everyone believes... it was a major disappointment and confirmed, at least to the studios, that Capra was no longer capable of turning out the populist features that made his films the must-see, money-making events they once were."^[2]

It's a Wonderful Life was nominated for five Oscars without winning any, but the film has since been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made, and placed number one on their list of the most inspirational American films of all time.

Contents 1 It's A Wonderful Life - Trailer 2 Plot 3 Cast 4 See also 5 References 5.1 Bibliography 6 External links

[edit] It's A Wonderful Life - Trailer

[edit] Plot

On Christmas Eve 1946, George Bailey is deeply depressed, even suicidal. Clarence Odbody, an Angel Second Class, is sent to Earth to save him — and thereby earn his wings. An unnamed senior angel tells Joseph, the head angel, to review George's life with Clarence, highlighting all the good he has done: George as a boy (Bob Anderson) saved the life of his younger brother Harry at the cost of the hearing in one ear; weeks later, George stopped his boss, local druggist Mr. Gower (H.B. Warner), from accidentally poisoning a child while grief-stricken over the death of his son (from influenza).

From childhood, George's greatest ambition has been to see the world, to become an architect and design bridges and skyscrapers everywhere. However, George repeatedly has to sacrifice his dreams. He puts off going to college until Harry graduates from high school to take over the family business, the Bailey Building & Loan Association, essential to many of the disadvantaged in Bedford Falls. But on Harry's graduation night, as George discusses his future with his date Mary Hatch ( Donna Reed) -- who has had a crush on him since she was a little girl, although George either doesn't realize it or believe it, and tries to remain emotionally detached -- his father suddenly has a stroke and dies. Mr. Potter ( Lionel Barrymore), the owner of most of the town, seizes the opportunity to gain control of the Board of Directors and decides to end the "sentimental hogwash" of home loans for the working poor. George persuades the board members to stop Potter; they agree, but only on condition that George himself run the business.

Harry goes on to college, but George's hopes of leaving Bedford Falls upon his return are dashed once again when Harry unexpectedly brings home a new wife. Her father has offered Harry a job in his company too good to turn down. Although Harry offers to do precisely that to help his brother, George cannot bring himself to ruin his brother's prospects.

George's mother and Mary appear to independently conspire to set George up with Mary, despite her having a boyfriend -- Sam Wainwright ( Frank Albertson), an insouciant friend of George working in New York City, who has the catchphrase "Hee haw!" -- and the two eventually get married. On their wedding day, as the Great Depression looms, George and Mary see a run on the bank that leaves the Building & Loan in serious danger of going under. Potter, sensing another opportunity, offers its clients "50 cents on the dollar", but Mary has George use the money intended for their honeymoon to lend the townspeople what they need to sustain them and quell the panic. It is just enough; at the close of business, the Building & Loan has exactly $2.00 left. Later, Mary (with the aid of cabbie Ernie and Bert the cop) concocts an elaborate mock tropical honeymoon despite the pouring rain, dripping into their house.

George then starts up Bailey Park, an affordable housing project, with bar owner Martini and his family as the first homeowners. They and the other residents are rescued from paying high rents in Potter's Field, and their homes "are worth twice what [they] cost… to build." Potter tries to derail the competition by tempting George with a job at eight times his current salary, but George realizes that Potter is trying to bribe him and vehemently rejects the offer.

Over the next several years, George and Mary raise a growing family. When World War II erupts, George is unable to enlist due to his bad ear. Harry becomes a Navy pilot and is awarded the Medal of Honor for shooting down 15 enemy aircraft, including two kamikaze planes that were about to crash into a Navy troop transport.^[3][4]

On Christmas Eve, while on his way to deposit $8,000.00 for the Building & Loan, Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) encounters Mr. Potter and, bursting with pride, shows him the newspaper article about his nephew, about to be honored by the President. Absentmindedly, he leaves the deposit envelope in the folds of the newspaper; Potter discovers it moments later and abruptly leaves. This is also the day the bank examiner is to inspect the Building & Loan's records; he arrives to find the money missing and George and Billy frantically ransacking the place looking for it. Returning home, George sees his whole life as a massive failure. In desperation, George appeals to Mr. Potter for a loan to rescue the company; Potter turns him down. Later, George crashes his car into a tree during a snowstorm. He runs to a nearby bridge, intending to commit suicide.

Before George can leap in, Clarence the angel jumps into the water. After a shocked George saves him, Clarence reveals himself to be George's guardian angel and pleads to help him.

George bitterly wishes he had never been born. Clarence then shows him what the town would have been like if George had never existed. Bedford Falls is called Pottersville and is mostly a slum with Main Street dominated by pawn shops and sleazy bars. Bailey Park was never built; the land is part of a desolate cemetery. George's home remains a run-down, abandoned mansion. George sees the people he knows and loves, but in this alternative world, none of them recognize him and their lives are hard and grim. His mother is a widow running a boarding house, and Mary is a spinster librarian; both are lonely, embittered women. Uncle Billy has been in an insane asylum for years, while Harry is dead, since George was not around to save him when he fell through the ice. Consequently, the men Harry would have saved in the war have also perished. Violet is a dancer who gets arrested as a pickpocket. Mr. Gower was convicted of poisoning the child and is reduced to panhandling. Martini no longer owns the bar. Ernie and Bert, although still friends, are much darker characters, and think George is insane when he claims to know them.

George returns to the bridge and calls upon Clarence, and then to God, to let him live again. His prayer is answered and George is returned to the moment he met Clarence. George runs home, filled with a new appreciation of what he has accomplished. There, he finds that his friends and family have collected a huge amount of money to save George and the Building & Loan from scandal and ruin. Seeing how many lives he has touched, and the difference he has made to the town (and having helped Clarence earn his wings), George Bailey realizes that despite his problems, he really has a wonderful life.

[edit] Cast

As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified):

Actor	Role
James Stewart	George Bailey
Donna Reed	Mary Hatch
Lionel Barrymore	Mr. Potter (Henry F. Potter)
Thomas Mitchell	Uncle Billy
Henry Travers	the Angel Clarence Odbody, AS2
Beulah Bondi	Mrs. Bailey
Frank Faylen	Ernie Bishop
Ward Bond	Bert
Gloria Grahame	Violet Bick
H.B. Warner	Mr. Gower
Todd Karns	Harry Bailey
Samuel S. Hinds	Peter Bailey
Lillian Randolph	Annie
Mary Treen	Cousin Tilly
Frank Albertson	Sam Wainwright
Virginia Patton	Ruth Dakin Bailey
Charles Williams	Cousin Eustace
William Edmunds	Mr. Martini
Bobby Anderson	Little George Bailey
Sheldon Leonard	Nick the Bartender
Charles Lane	the Rent Collector
Karolyn Grimes	Zuzu Bailey
Charles Halton	Carter, Bank Examiner (uncredited)
Joseph Kearns	Angel Joseph (voice, uncredited)
Jimmy the Raven	Uncle Billy's pet raven

For a full cast and production crew list, see: IMDb profile. ^[5]

[edit] See also

• It Happened One Christmas

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Capra, Frank. Frank Capra, The Name Above the Title: An Autobiography. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1971. ISBN 0-30680-771-8.
• Cox, Stephen. It's a Wonderful Life: A Memory Book. Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland House, 2003. ISBN 1-58182-337-1.
• Eliot, Mark. Jimmy Stewart: A Biography. New York: Random House, 2006. ISBN 1-4000-5221-1.
• Finler, Joel W. The Hollywood Story: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the American Movie Business But Didn't Know Where to Look. London: Pyramid Books, 1988. ISBN 1-855-10009-6.
• Goodrich, Francis, Albert Hackett and Frank Capra. It's a Wonderful Life: The Complete Script in its Original Form. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1986. ISBN 0-312-43911-3.
• Jones, Ken D., Arthur F. McClure and Alfred E. Twomey. The Films of James Stewart. New York: Castle Books, 1970.
• McBride, Joseph. Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success. New York: Touchstone Books, 1992. ISBN 0-671-79788-3.
• Michael, Paul, ed. The Great Movie Book: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference Guide to the Best-loved Films of the Sound Era. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1980. ISBN 0-13-363663-1.
• Wiley, Mason and Damien Bona. Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards. New York: Ballantine Books, 1987. ISBN 0-345-34453-7.
• Rodgers, James W. It's A Wonderful Life: A Play in Two Acts Woodstock, Illinois: Dramatic Publishing, 1994 ISBN 0-87129-432-X

[edit] External links

• It's A Wonderful Life - Feature Film on Google Video 2:10
• Jimmy Stewart Remembers "It's a Wonderful Life"
• It's a Wonderful Life on Lux Radio Theater
• The It's A Wonderful Life Webring
• Essay on the deeper meaning of It's a Wonderful Life
• Official website run by Karolyn Grimes, who played 'Zuzu' in the film
• Excerpts from Ray Carney's analysis of the film.
• It's a Wonderful Life Ruining Your Holiday....Why the FBI Thought "It's a Wonderful Life" was a Subversive Film
• Filmsite.org's extended review
• "Some Kind of Wonderful" Frank Capra Examines Failure (from Failure Magazine, March 2001)
• "It's A Wonderful Movie" YoursDaily.com
• The Making of "It's A Wonderful Life" Frank Capra Online
• It's Still a Wonderful Life by Paul Greenberg — 1998 editorial refuting a critical book
• The Making of It's a Wonderful Life a documentary hosted by Tom Bosley featured in the Forty-fifth Anniversary Edition on home video
• On a wing and a prayer Los Angeles Times: "'It's a Wonderful Life' is a film classic, but the production wasn't always angelic."
• It's a Wonderful Life ... The Drama Review
• Screenplay