It’s A Wonderful Life

If someone said…you can only watch just one Christmas movie every year…this one would be it. It’s very close to a long Twilight Zone. I have seen this movie more times than any other…hands down.

I didn’t watch this great movie until the late 80s. All it took was one time and I haven’t missed a year of watching it. I don’t tear up very easy..but it never fails at the end of the movie when Zuzu says… Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings…it gets me every time. This movie was released in 1946.

Poor George Bailey. All he wanted to do was travel and get out of Bedford Falls to see the world. Every single time he gets close…so close that it hurts…something happens and George ends up doing the right thing.

Bedford Falls needs George Bailey…every town needs a George Bailey but many end up with only a Mr. Potter. There is one thing about this movie which was unusual. Mr. Potter was never punished for what he did…which drew criticism at the time but it was more in line with reality to me.

This is a Christmas movie but really only the last part of the movie is about Christmas. It is a movie for any time not just for December. We were thinking of names for our unborn child and couldn’t think of one…I was watching this movie in November of 1999 and it hit me…Bailey…so the movie means more than some movies do.

Here is a small summary from IMDB…don’t read it…watch the movie instead. If you haven’t seen it…give it a shot…whether it is Christmas or July.

George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint, Mr. Potter, from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George’s modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George’s Uncle Billy loses the business’s $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence coming to earth to help George, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows George what things would have been like if he had never been born.

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

22 thoughts on “It’s A Wonderful Life”

  1. I first viewed this movie as a child, maybe late 1950s. I may have missed a few times, but not many. To me, it’s not the Christmas season without it. Yep, it tears me up too, more so now than when I was young. Bedford Falls could be any small town in the USA, and there are many George Baily’s and Mr. Potter’s. I saw it last week, and again on Thanksgiving. Good post.

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      2. I would have love to see it on the big screen. When I got a chance to see The Shining on big screen…it changes the movie.

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  5. I daresay that this is *the* Christmas movie. It really gets you in the feels. Director Frank Capra became known for these kinds of human-hearted movies. Jimmy Stewart and Capra made a good team. I love the chemistry between Stewart and Reed in this one. I was a very small child the first time I saw it. Once seen, never forgotten.

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  6. definitely a true classic, even if it took 40 years to earn that recognition. I never saw it as a kid (I guess few of our generation did in the 70s) . Think I first saw it around 1990 after wondering what all the hype was about and found it as good as advertised, now it’s part of my christmas traditions here as it was back in Canada. I often wonder if the Sesame St. characters were named after George’s friends Ernie and Bert in it?

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  9. I’d seen bits and pieces of this movie over the years. When I was living in Texas and was visiting my buddy Hank, he asked me if I had seen it. “Not the whole thing, no.” He popped it in and I finally saw it the complete movie. That would have been 2006… How sad is that?

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  10. Pingback: It’s A Wonderful Life – Nelsapy

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