First published 11/26/11
This is the time of year that the holiday classic film It’s a Wonderful Life starts appearing on television. It’s a Christmas tradition and the story of George Bailey realizing his true value as a human being has resonated with viewers since it’s release in 1946. We are all familiar with George and Mary, Clarence, Uncle Billy, Mr. Potter, Burt and Ernie, Mr. Gower and all the other characters in Bedford Falls, Mass. We all know the story line as well as we know Scrooge and A Christmas Carol. There are many fans who can recite the dialog by heart.
It’s also worth knowing that It’s a Wonderful Life was a box office disappointment when released and didn’t recover it’s investment and make a profit until the 1970s, when it started becoming a holiday staple.
It wasn’t the disaster some have claimed, however. Because of the budget, particularly the payroll for actors salaries, it would have been hard to recoup the investment with one release. As with many films, it took a while for it to find its place in the conscience of the American public.
In 1943, author Philip Van Doren Stern completed a short story called “The Greatest Gift” about a salesman who gets to find out from a sympathetic stranger (who may or may not have divine powers), what the life of those he loves and cares about would have been like if he had never been born. Stern had worked on the story since 1938. At first, he couldn’t find a publisher so he sent the work to friends and associates as a Christmas card. The story was finally published in Reader’s Scope magazine in December of 1944 and later in Good Housekeeping magazine under the title “The Man Who was Never Born.” RKO film studios purchased the movie rights to the story as a possible holiday vehicle for Cary Grant, who had seen the story as a Christmas card and was interested in it for the 1945 Christmas season. Several screen scenarios and adaptations were put together but nothing clicked and the property was shelved.
In 1946, Frank Capra’s Liberty films had a deal to produce and release nine films through RKO. One of the film properties Capra was interested in was “The Greatest Gift.” At least four different scripts were submitted before shooting began. Along with Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, Bing Crosby, and Lou Ayers were considered for the George Bailey role. Jean Arthur, Ginger Rogers, Olivia De Haviland, Martha Scott, and Ann Dvorak were considered for Mary Bailey. Ginger Rogers turned it down because she thought the part was too bland, so Donna Reed was called in. There was a long list of well known character actors considered for the part of Mr. Potter, including Edward Arnold, Sidney Greenstreet, Raymond Massey, Vincent Price, and even Thomas Mitchell, before Lionel Barrymore was chosen for the role. Funny thing about Barrymore, because he played the wheelchair bound Dr. Gillespie in the Dr. Kildare series and in this movie, many people assumed he couldn’t walk and were quite shocked when they saw him walking upright in regular life. Thomas Mitchell assumed the Uncle Billy role when Edgar Buchanan was unable to accept it. H. B. Warner, who played Mr. Gower had studied medicine before deciding to become an actor and had been around Hollywood since the silent days. He had also worked with Capra in several of his films. Henry Travers, who played Clarence the Angel, had been around a long time and was recognizable to most filmgoers.
There was a long list of well known character actors who had parts in the film. Beulah Bondi, Charles Lane, Frank Albertson, Samuel S. Hinds, Lillian Randolph, Frank Faylen, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, and Ward Bond were all impressive as the citizens of Bedford Falls. Gloria Graham, in only her second screen role, impressed everyone as Violet, the town’s party girl. Bobby Anderson, who played George Bailey as a boy, is excellent. His scene with H. B. Warner, when he tells him about the poison in the capsules is one of the most touching and heartfelt in the movie.
As the production unfolded, a number of things changed, were removed or added. The sledding scene with Harry being saved by George was originally supposed to have taken place on the frozen Potter’s Pond. Mr. Potter catches the boys playing hockey and sends his guard dogs after them and Harry falls through the ice trying to run away. There were four different endings filmed including one in which one the bank tellers reveal that Mr. Potter had deposited exactly eight thousand dollars just after Uncle Billy had left. That is the way things happen in most productions, however.
Seneca Falls, NY claims that Frank Capra had visited their town on several occasions in 1945 and based the concept of Bedford Falls on their town. They even have a yearly “Bedford Falls” celebration. Both Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra have said that It’s A Wonderful Life is their favorite film of all that they were involved with. Henry Travers, who played Clarence, acted in a number of highly regarded films, including The Invisible Man, Death Takes a Holiday, Dodge City, Mrs. Miniver, Shadow of a Doubt, The Bells of St. Marys, and The Yearling, but Clarence the Angel remains his most famous role. Beulah Bondi who played Ma Bailey, would play Jimmy Stewart’s mother in four films, all together. She made a career of playing mothers and grandmothers in films and television. She never married or had children in real life, however. Donna Reed would go on to win an Oscar eight years later for best supporting actress for her role as Alma the prostitute in From Here to Eternity. On January 9th of 1945, Donna had been in El Paso. Texas to promote her film See Here Pvt. Hargrove and was scheduled to fly back to Hollywood. She was bumped by a military officer, however, and had to wait for another plane. That airplane crashed on approach to Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, killing everyone on board.
It’s A Wonderful Life was nominated for five Oscars in 1946 including Best Picture and a Best actor nomination for Stewart. While it didn’t win any awards back then, it has stood the test of time and it is now regarded to be one of the most beloved films in Hollywood history. It is number #11 in the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Greatest American Films. It is number one in the hearts of Christmas audiences who, every holiday season, regard its viewing as a sacred Yuletide tradition. That a boy, Clarence.
