I hope all of my readers had a wonderful Christmas and are still enjoying the season. In honour of the holidays, I took it upon myself to watch It’s a Wonderful Life cozied up on the couch with my wife on Christmas Eve. Having seen thousands of films, it was much to my wife’s dismay that I hadn’t seen Frank Capra’s film from 1946 (it was released broadly in January of 1947, but was released in New York in 1946), so we poured the rum and eggnog, popped some popcorn, and relaxed by the fire for this beautiful film. It’s a Wonderful Life is the quintessential Christmas film, but it also isn’t necessarily a Christmas film in the common sense of the genre. It is most assuredly a classic film in American history and is a staple of Christmas television viewing around the world.
It’s a Wonderful Life was considered a “flop” upon its release because of its high production costs. In order to break even, the film would have had to have earned $6.3 million, but it actually never came close to that and the studio found it to be a disappointment. Frank Capra’s film was released just at the time that theatre attendance in general began to falter. The film was the first to be put out by Liberty Films Inc., an independent film company out of Hollywood that had three of Hollywood’s biggest directors (Capra, William Wyler, and George Stevens). These men created Liberty Films Inc. because they wanted the freedom to create films that major studios likely wouldn’t bankroll, but the idea for the company was to be short-lived, with a potential to make about fifteen films and then dissolve the company in order to pay minimal taxes. Smart, huh?
It’s a Wonderful Life came out of that and, as mentioned, didn’t do too well at the box office. As a result, Capra, Wyler, and Stevens sold Liberty Films Inc. and It’s a Wonderful Life (along with other scripts) to Paramount Pictures for a chunk of stock (rumoured to have been around $4 million). The directors also agreed, as part of the sale, to go to work for Paramount Pictures. The dream had ended and several other independent studios in Hollywood, following the example of Capra and Wyler, lost heart. Many of the war-worn independent studios felt that Capra and his partners had given up too quickly and that the failure of It’s a Wonderful Life had been too influential on the company. Still, Wyler admitted to have no nose for business and, in the end, it was probably better for all involved that Liberty Films Inc. folded up.
It’s a Wonderful Life is a wonderful film and if Frank Capra was able to experience the exuberance that his film brings around the holidays and other times of the year in today’s modern age, he may not have given up on Liberty Films Inc. so quickly. Capra, after the failure of the film, was criticized heavily. Many thought that he was unable to put together the money-making films that had become synonymous with his name. Many felt that he had lost his way in terms of making studios buckets of money. The film, while not an Oscar winner at the time (it did receive several nominations and was up against Miracle on 34th Street, another Christmas classic), eventually picked up loads of accolades and many of Capra’s critics would be silenced. The American Film Institute considers It’s a Wonderful Life to be one of the best films ever made and listed it highly on their compilation for Most Inspirational Films.
The film takes place in the town of Bedford Falls shortly after the Second World War. James Stewart stars as George Bailey, a man whose attempted suicide on Christmas Eve gets the attention of his guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers). Clarence is sent to Bailey in his hour of need and George is shown how the world would have been had he never existed. The film shows the life of George Bailey through flashbacks and sequences that illustrate his character and the impact that he has made, unknowingly at times, on the lives of many other individuals. It’s a Wonderful Life was based off of the 1939 story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern. Stern tried to get the story turned into a film when it was first published, but was unsuccessful. Eventually, an RKO studio head got a hold of the tale and the idea was to turn it into a vehicle for Cary Grant. Things changed and the project was dropped until it was found again by Frank Capra, who was instantly smitten. RKO was anxious to unload the story, so they gave it to Capra for a song and the rest is history.
It’s a Wonderful Life works for a number of reasons. The first reasons is James Stewart. He is incredible as George Bailey, a man whose struggles reflect our own. Stewart’s attention to detail and his likability make Bailey a sympathetic character without being pretentious. His performance is unassuming and gentle, so his loss and his problems become even more comprehensive and meaningful as the film carries along. Stewart’s affable and cordial nature make him the ideal leading man for the part. Along with Stewart, the other performances are also strong. Donna Reed as Mary Hatch, Lionel Barrymore as the evil Mr. Potter, and Henry Travers as Clarence are all great film characters in every sense of the word. Their classic incarnations are tremendous.
Another interesting component here is the film’s attitude towards money in general. Apparently the FBI was investigating the film for being “Communist propaganda.” In a 1947 memo, which is available for perusal online, the FBI cited various instances within the film that seemed to reflect something that was “not reflective of the American dream.” Instead of pursuing money incessantly, George Bailey and his company reflect a more socialist understanding of things and this was very upsetting to a great number of people. The FBI made a note of this, of course, and made special mention of the “common Communist trick” to view “bankers as villains.” The idea that Mr. Potter was represented as a heartless old bastard apparently made the film problematic for those more in tune with the American ideal.
It’s a Wonderful Life espouses wonderful values of friendship, sharing, kindness, and other life-affirming pursuits that the 1947-version of the FBI and, seemingly, many Americans would find alarming. Capra’s vision is shimmering and magical without being pretentious or gaudy. It is inspirational without being cheesy. It is expertly acted, tenderly directed, and its backstory makes is all the more compelling a film. It’s a Wonderful Life is a classic film that deserves to be seen again and again. I know it’s going to be a Christmas tradition at my house with my family and I hope it will be a tradition for you and yours as well. Happy Holidays to all and best wishes for 2008, dear friends!
10/10
Trailer:
