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Encounters of the Kid KindLife With A Man |
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Visit where I write for your corporate and small business needs! |
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© 2002 Carole Moore |
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Probably the best known and most loved of all "Christmas" movies, It's A Wonderful Life was
adapted from a story appearing on a Christmas card. The story, "The Greatest Gift" was written by Philip Van Doren Stern. The movie didn't become an instant classic, playing to smaller audiences in post
World War II theaters. It drew five Oscar nominations, but failed to score in the voting. It's A Wonderful Life, one of director Frank Capra's all-time favorites, cost about $2.8 million to make. Tickets to see the
first-run film sold for $1.25. The movie's story is a simple one: A man who longs to travel, but whose desire to do so is repeatedly thwarted by circumstances beyond his control, spends his life unintentionally
impacting those of others and the community in which he (reluctantly) lives by his decency and sense of honor. When a mistake threatens to send him to prison and ruin him financially, he grows despondent and wishes he
had never lived. His wish is heard and an angel who has not yet won his wings is sent to earth to help him. The angel grants him his wish and shows him what life would have been like without him. It is an appalling
vision and he realizes he's made a difference in the lives of others. In the end, the people he's helped over the years pour into his home to help him and – in the end – the angel gets his wings. The cast is perfect.
Jimmy Stewart, who plays the role of George Bailey, was not the original choice, however – it was Cary Grant. The villain in the story – acted by one of the greatest actors alive at the time – Lionel Barrymore – was
made up to look like the farmer in the famous painting, "American Gothic" by Grant Wood because it was felt Barrymore's face was too well-known and loved to be accepted as a villain. Sam, Donna Reed's former
suitor in the movie, who pushes the button to open the swimming pool during the Charleston sequence, was played by Carl Switzer, Alfalfa of "Our Gang" fame. Capra wanted to cast Jean Arthur as Mary Bailey,
but she had a commitment to do a Broadway play. Another contender, Ginger Rogers, was championed by some of the Hollywood press. Capra chose to go with Donna Reed, who looked positively luminous in the movie. The
movie was set in the fictitious Bedford Falls. The set took two months to build and sprawled across four acres of land. Animals used in the movie – dogs, cats, and birds – were brought to the set well before filming
began so they could feel at home when filming started. This film uses a lot of snow in its scenes. Up until It's A Wonderful Life, snow was duplicated by using corn flakes painted white. But since corn flakes were
noisy and dialogue was incorporated into the scenes (instead of being dubbed later), a quieter alternative had to be devised. The film's snow storm, by the way, was shot when the temperature was above 90 degrees. As
in most films – most recently The Lord of the Rings – fans love to spot goofs. Some of the most interesting ones to watch for: Check the dates on younger brother Harry's tombstone. Clarence tells George that Harry
died when he was nine, but the dates on the tombstone: 1911-1919, show that he was eight. When Uncle Billy goes to George's house to tell him about losing the $8,000, watch Tommy, who is sitting on a chair. You'll see
him jump off the chair to go to the kitchen, and in the next shot, he's back on the chair again. Also watch the scene involving Harry's return/marriage celebration. When Uncle Billy leaves, he is obviously under the
influence and singing, "My Wild Irish Rose." As he leaves, you can hear a huge crashing sound. This wasn't scripted. The sound was made when a stage hand dropped something. The actor who played Billy (Thomas
Mitchell) ad-libbed the lines, "I'm all right, I'm all right." That ad-lib helped saved the scene (and you can see the shock on Stewart's face when he heard the crash – the reaction was genuine, not acting).
And here are a few more: Watch old man Gower's cigar disappear when he sends George out to deliver the tainted medicine. When George jumps into the river to save Clarence, you can hear Clarence yelling
"Help!" but his mouth's not moving. When George and Clarence are thrown out of Nick's they switch sides. More goofs? Yep – there are more to be found. But the movie itself isn't at all goofy. It's warm,
it's sentimental and it's worth seeing over and over again. Want to read more about this terrific Christmas classic? Check out these great web sites created by fans of the movie: http://www.geocities.com/backtobedfordfalls http://www.reelclassics.com/Movies/Wonlife/wonlife.htm http://www.robinsweb.com/interesting/holiday/iawl/iawl.html |
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