Just Wonderful

It truly is a wonderful life for James Stewart and Donna Reed

December 20, 1946: It’s a Wonderful Life is released in New York City. The movie starred James Stewart as George Bailey and Donna Reed as his wife, Mary Hatch Bailey. Lionel Barrymore played Henry F. Potter while Henry Travers had the role of angel-to-be Clarence Odbody. The movie was produced by Frank Capra and Donna Reed (uncredited). The screenplay was written by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling, and Frank Capra and based on “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern. Music was by Dimitri Tiomkin. The 130 minute movie was a Liberty Films project and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. Today, it is distributed by Paramount Pictures.

It cost $3,180,000 to film and the box office returns were $3,300,000. It was considered to be a box office flop. The break-even point was nearly $6.3 million, about twice the production cost, and it did not come anywhere near that in its initial release. However, it was nominated for five Academy Awards without winning any of them. Since then, it has become a Christmas holiday staple and is one of the yearly productions seen in December. It has made it to the list of the 100 best American films ever made and reached position 11 on the initial 1998 greatest movie list. It is also on a list of the most inspirational American movies.

The story begins on Christmas Eve with George Bailey troubled. The prayers of his friends reach Heaven and Angel Second Class Clarence Odbody is sent to earth to save George and earn his wings. There is a review of George’s life and it is noted that he often leaves his own dreams behind in order to help those around him. The local slumlord, Mr. Potter shows his true colors and George must give up his dreams to protect those who Potter would abuse. George takes on responsibilities he would rather not, but eventually gets to marry the love of his life, Mary. They raise four children together and come to this day when absent-minded Uncle Billy misplaced $8,000.

In his desperation, George believes the world would be better off without him and contemplates suicide by jumping into a freezing river. Clarence jumps first and George jumps in to save him. George tells his guardian angel that the world would be a better place had he never been born. Clarence shows him what Bedford would look like had George Bailey never existed and it is a horrid, wretched place. George is convinced that his life was not meaningless. All of his friends have also heard of his desperate plight and come to aid, bringing more than that $8,000 Uncle Billy had lost. George is saved and Clarence gets his wings.

Mr. Potter: [to George Bailey] Look at you. You used to be so cocky. You were going to go out and conquer the world. You once called me a warped, frustrated, old man! What are you but a warped, frustrated young man? A miserable little clerk crawling in here on your hands and knees and begging for help. No securities, no stocks, no bonds. Nothin’ but a miserable little $500 equity in a life insurance policy.
[Potter chuckles]
Mr. Potter: You’re worth more dead than alive! Why don’t you go to the riffraff you love so much and ask them to let you have $8,000? You know why? Because they’d run you out of town on a rail. Well, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do for you, George. Since the state examiner is still here, as a stockholder of the Building and Loan, I’m going to swear out a warrant for your arrest. Misappropriation of funds, manipulation, malfeasance…
[sees George runs off]
Mr. Potter: All right, George, go ahead, George! You can’t hide in a little town like this!

Uncle Billy: After all, Potter, some people like George HAD to stay at home. Not every heel was in Germany and Japan.

[George has discovered his brother Harry’s tombstone]
Clarence: [explaining] Your brother, Harry Bailey, broke through the ice and was drowned at the age of nine.
George Bailey: That’s a lie! Harry Bailey went to war! He got the Congressional Medal of Honor! He saved the lives of every man on that transport!
Clarence: Every man on that transport died. Harry wasn’t there to save them, because you weren’t there to save Harry.

Clarence: [In book inscription] Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.

Also on this day:

Secret Police – In 1917, Lenin forms the first of a series of secret police, used to terrorize the citizens of Mother Russia.
Cardiff, Wales – In 1955, Cardiff became the capital of Wales.
Petrol on Fire – In 1984, the Summit Tunnel fire began.