It's a Wonderful Life was made in 1946 by director Frank Capra. Over the many intervening years, it has earned its place as the undisputed king of Christmas movies, despite a difficult start.
A Capra-esque Fantasy or a Lesson in Harsh Reality?
This beautiful film helped to build the legacy of Capra to the extent that his surname has become shorthand for a certain kind of film with a magical, fairytale quality. However, this description belies the harsh realities Capra exposes in It's a Wonderful Life. The fairytale touch is really nothing without the dark contrast of harsh reality. With It's a Wonderful Life Capra brings a sense of chiaroscuro to the screen.
James Stewart plays George Bailey, the hero of the film, although it takes him some time to realize that a hero is what he is. At the beginning of the film we join George at his very lowest ebb. It's Christmas Eve and he is on the verge of suicide due to his dire financial misfortunes. As he is about to jump into the river, an angel called Clarence beats him to it and George is forced to postpone his suicide for a rescue effort instead. Clarence has been tasked with saving George in order to win his angel wings, so he sets about proving to George that his life hasn't been a failure, it's really been a wonderful life.
George, of course, is unwilling to believe that Clarence is an angel, until in order to convince him of his worth, Clarence shows him what life would have been like if he, George Bailey, had never been born. In a similar way to Charles Dickens' ghosts in A Christmas Carol, Clarence allows George to revisit his past, but whereas Dickens' ghosts show scrooge the error of his ways, Clarence shows George the importance of his contributions to life. This journey of self discovery is what gives It's a Wonderful Life universal appeal. There can't be many among us who haven't questioned our own worth. It's a Wonderful Life shows us all that what we do in life can have far reaching effects, more so than we ever realize.
The Rocky Road to Success
Although today it is generally regarded as an undisputed classic, It's a Wonderful Life had a somewhat rocky road to success. It started life as a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern, which failed to impress the publishing houses, and forced the author to print it himself. Sold to RKO in 1943, it languished in pre-production as a Cary Grant vehicle, until finally Frank Capra bought the rights. Capra wasn't immediately convinced by the material himself, and on meeting up with James Stewart to discuss the role of George Bailey, he is quoted ( in Donald Dewey's biography of James Stewart) as saying it was the lousiest thing he'd ever heard. Stewart's eventual decision to commit to the role helped to push Capra back on track, but even though the completed picture was nominated for 5 Oscars, it won none of its categories. The critical response was mixed, and audiences were lack luster. Stewart himself put this down to timing, as following the war audiences were looking for something more slapstick and escapist than It's a Wonderful Life, which despite moments of humor, has a dark, serious undertone.
It's A Wonderful Christmas
Today, of course, It's a Wonderful Life is inextricably linked with Christmas. Partly this is down to the action of the film taking place on Christmas Eve, but partly it is due to the television schedulers who picked up on the film in the 1970s, when Liberty Film's copyright lapsed. Nowadays, Christmas just isn't Christmas without It's a Wonderful Life.
Interested in other Christmas film recommendations?
Try 10 Classic Movies for Christmas and 10 Contemporary Christmas Movies.
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