It’s A Wonderful Life

If we think the world today is a little crazy, it seems the very model of sanity when you read the FBI report on “It’s A Wonderful Life”. On May 26th, 1947, the FBI issued a memo stating "With regard to the picture, [redacted] stated in substance that the film represented rather obvious attempts to discredit bankers by casting Lionel Barrymore as a 'scrooge-type' so that he would be the most hated man in the picture. This, according to these sources, is a common trick used by Communists. [In] addition, [redacted] stated that, in his opinion, this picture deliberately maligned the upper class, attempting to show the people who had money were mean and despicable characters.
A film further removed from Communism is hard to imagine.
Like The Wizard of Oz it may have received award nominations, five in total, but it didn’t do so well at the Box Office. It wasn’t till it was picked up by TV in the 1960s that it became firmly established as one of the best films ever made. Today, although most certainly not at the time, it is regarded as one of the finest films made by Frank Capra. A huge talent from the Golden Age of Hollywood. It is now firmly established as a must watch Christmas film.
There are many interesting stories associated with the making of the film, but one strikes me in particular. It is based on a short story called The Gift. The author, Philip Van Doren Stern, wrote it in 1939 but couldn’t get it published. In 1943 he had 200 copies printed and sent out with his Christmas Cards. It came to the attention of RKO who saw it as a vehicle for Cary Grant but unable to produce a suitable script Grant went on to star in “The Bishop’s Wife”. Eager to unload the film RKO sold the script to Capra’s production company, Liberty Films. They also had many problems getting a good script together never mind casting the film and it could easily have starred Henry Fonda and Ginger Rogers and other star combinations but of course it is now forever one of Jimmy Stewart’s great roles. Donna Reed plays the leading lady, Ginger Rogers turned the script down as being “too bland”.
Filmed in the scorching heat of summer it is a winter film and was the first to use “chemical snow” instead of cornflakes as Capra didn’t want the dialogue dubbed later. There were many openings and endings and scenes which were tried and cut from the final film. The town itself was one vast set even the mature trees were brought in and planted and animals let loose to give the whole set a lived in look.
What we have now is a beautiful classic film. I remember clearly seeing it for the first time when I came home covered in snow on Christmas Eve in the early 60s. Its magic lives on and enchants each new generation that falls in love with it afresh.
I share no plot details, if you’ve seen it you know it, if you haven’t well it’s time to watch and I’m not going to spoil the wonderful story.
Five Stars

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