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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2019)
cover story A holiday classic with class Jimmy Stewart stars in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ By Kyla Brewer TV Media T he holiday favorite that never fails to warm viewers’ hearts is back just in time for Christmas Eve. Oscar winner Jimmy Stewart (“Mr. Smith Goes to Washing- ton,” 1939) stars as George Bailey, a good man facing financial ruin in “It’s a Wonder- ful Life,” airing Tuesday, Dec. 24, on NBC. Directed by Frank Capra (“You Can’t Take It With You,” 1938), the film was re- leased in 1946 and has since become a Yuletide classic. George has given up many of his own dreams to help the people in his hometown of Bedford Falls, but when his uncle misplaces $8,000 from the family building and loan business, the situation looks bleak. As a distraught George contemplates suicide and wishes he was never born, God sends a bumbling guardian an- gel-in-training named Clarence (Henry Travers, “Mrs. Miniver,” 1942) to help him through. Clarence — who hopes the as- signment will finally earn him his wings — shows George what Bedford Falls would be like without him, and they visit the many people whose lives he has touched throughout the years, including his wife, Mary (Donna Reed, “From Here to Eternity,” 1953). Karolyn Grimes (“The Bishop’s Wife,” 1947), who played George and Mary’s daughter Zuzu, is one of the film’s few remaining living cast members. She’s famous for the memorable line: “Look daddy. Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” In a 2016 Vanity Fair article commemorating the film’s 70th anniversary, she shared her take on Capra’s classic. “Capra was trying to make people realize that life was worth living, and that you can make a difference,” she said. 2 | Screentime “We lose sight of that every once in a while. That’s why I think people love to watch it.” Maybe that’s the secret to the film’s enduring success. Released a year after the end of World War II, Capra’s epic holiday film offered audiences a sincere, heartwarming mes- sage, but “It’s a Wonderful Life” was no box-office cash- grab. In fact, many people are surprised to learn that the movie was considered a financial flop at the time of its release. The tale behind the production is almost as inter- esting as the movie itself. As the story goes, the movie was based on the short story “The Greatest Gift,” by author Philip Van Doren Stern. Capra bought the rights for $10,000, and it was the director’s first feature since making propa- ganda films during the war. It was also Stewart’s first since returning from his wartime service in the United States Air Force Reserve. Filming a holiday movie in the California heat presented a unique challenge. RKO special effects head Russell Shearman (“Portrait of Jennie,” 1948) won an Oscar for developing a new compound consisting of water, soap flakes, foamite and sugar to create fake snow for the film. When the film was released in December 1946, it garnered mixed reviews and failed to break even at the box office. It was nominated for six Acad- emy Awards, including Best Picture, but only won for Shear- man’s special effects. While it may not have been a complete bomb, as some suggest, it did lose the studio about a half a million dollars. However, all was not lost for the film. In 1974, the rights to “It’s a Wonderful Life” were not renewed due to a clerical error, and since it was now free to do so, hundreds of TV sta- tions aired the movie repeat- December 18, 2019 | East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald Jimmy Stewart in a scene from “It’s a Wonderful Life” edly throughout the 1980s, and and Hollywood legend Lionel millions of viewers became Barrymore (“Key Largo,” 1948) enamored with the holiday is fantastic as the movie’s an- tale. Although rights have since tagonist, the mean, rich, old Mr. been reclaimed, it continues to Potter. Barrymore had worked delight fans each Christmas, with Capra before, as had H.B. and is now widely considered Warner (“The King of Kings,” to be one of the greatest films 1927), who played druggist Mr. ever made. Gower. Fans of Capra’s work Stewart’s critically acclaimed may also recognize another performance as Bailey undoubt- familiar face, or beak, as it were. edly has a lot to do with the suc- The raven in the building and cess of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” loan scenes was Jimmy the Ra- ven, who appeared in many of Capra’s films. Fans of Stewart’s work may recognize Beulah Bondi, who played George’s mother, Mrs. Bailey. Bondi portrayed the mother of Stewart’s characters in four of the actor’s films, including “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939). Thomas Mitchell, who stars as George’s Uncle Billy in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” is also in that film. Whether you’re celebrat- ing a homey family Christmas with all of the trimmings or honoring the holiday in a more understated way, don’t miss the magic of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” airing Tuesday, Dec. 24, on NBC. And remember the wisdom of the film’s angel, Clarence, who sent George a card that read: “Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.”
