Classic 40’s Movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life”

September is Classic 40s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from David Laudenslager.

Movie Title: It’s a Wonderful Life

Year: 1946

Writers: Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett and Frank Capra (screenplay), Jo Swerling (additional scenes), Philip Van Doren Stern (story)

Lead Actors: James “Jimmy” Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore

Director: Frank Capra

IMDb Plot Summary: An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

Why I Think This Is A Classic 40s Movie

It’s a Wonderful Life is timeless. It’s a classic Christmas movie, and one of my favorite all time movies It received mixed reviews upon release but when it fell into the public domain due to a clerical error , it was played during Christmas on local TV stations for years. The movie wouldn’t be played on TV every year if it didn’t resonate with people.

I saw it when I was a kid on a local station. It’s the quintessential feel good movie. It chronicles the highs and lows every American faced from the roaring 20s to WWII through the perspective of George Bailey. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed are the idealized versions of the American family during that time. But the struggles are not unique to any specific time or place, everyone experiences them in their life when they look at what their life is and what it could have been.

My Favorite Moment In The Movie

When George realizes he’s alive and everyone knows him. He runs up to the Bedford Falls sign and screams “YEAH! Hello, Bedford Falls”. That scream just feels so genuine and real. It gives me chills every time.

My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie

Clarence: Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?

— —

George Bailey: Isn’t it wonderful? I’m going to jail!

— —

George Bailey: [gazing eyes with Mary] Well, well, well.
Freddie Othello: Now, to get back to my story, see?

In a trance, Mary hands Othello her drink, and George and Mary start dancing.

Freddie Othello: Hey, this is MY dance!
George Bailey: Oh, why don’t you stop annoying people.
Freddie Othello: Well, I’m sorr- Hey!

— —

George Bailey: Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter!
Mr. Potter: And Happy New Year to you, in jail! Why don’t you go on home? They’re waiting for you!

Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie

George has an interesting journey, his stasis is that he wants only what he doesn’t have. He disregards what he already has. George gets a Call to Adventure but that call is to after his father dies. He wants nothing more than to leave his hometown and become a world traveler because he thinks that is the only way he matters. When he sees the struggle of his fellow man, George is willing to give everything he has. He doesn’t see that as success.

If anything, George’s brother Harry is the classic protagonist. George saved by his brother from drowning when he was a kid. Harry feels stuck in his hometown (e.g. “I need to make some dough first” when asked about college). When his brother gives Harry the money to go to school, Harry becomes the hero. He is a football star, engineer, and becomes a war hero. Harry is the classic hero, while George is the local hero.

Mr. Potter getting away with taking the money was unique for it’s time. The Hollywood Code usually required villains to either be caught or have a change of heart. It makes the emotional climax of George’s friends and family rescuing him genuine and not heavy handed. Imagine if they had added Potter getting arrested? Takes away all of the emotional power of the final scenes.

Thanks, David! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!

We already have a set of classic 50s movies, 60s Movies, 70s movies, 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 40s movies. And thanks to the GITS community, we’ve got 30 movies in the works, one for each day of the month!

Those who I put in bold have already sent me their posts. If you haven’t sent yours to me, please do so as soon as you can!!!

Act of Violence — Eric Rodriguez
Arsenic and Old Lace — Gisela Wehrl
Bicycle Thieves — Megaen Kelly
Brief Encounter — Emily Bonkoski
Casablanca — Paul Graunke
Double Indemnity — Susan Winchell
Five Graves to Cairo — Jeff Gibson
Foreign Correspondent — Doc Kane
Here Comes Mr. Jordan — Wayne Kline
His Girl Friday — John Henderson
It’s a Wonderful Life — David Laudenslager
Kind Hearts and Coronets — James Calder
Key Largo — Will King
Laura — Melinda Mahaffey Icden
Les enfants du paradis — Brendan Howley
Mrs. Miniver — Traci Nell Peterson
Notorious — Christine Henton
Now Voyager — Melissa Privette
Out of the Past — Brantley Aufill
Rope — Lance Morgan
The Bank Dick — Bob Saenz
The Best Years of Their Lives — Shaun Parker
The Big Sleep — Ipsita Barik
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir — Annie Wood
The Long Voyage Home — Vincent Martini
The Lost Weekend — Liz Warner
The Maltese Falcon — Roy Gordon
The Ox-Bow Incident — Clay Mitchell
The Philadelphia Story — Kristen Demaline
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock — David Joyner
The Third Man — Harry Cooke
To Have and Have Not — Felicity Flesher

Thanks to everyone who steps up for this ongoing project!

For the original post explaining the series, go here.

For all of the 40s movies featured in the series, go here.

Click REPLY and see you in comments about today’s classic 40s movie!