Flashback Friday: It's a Wonderful Life (Capra, 1946)

Every year on Christmas Eve, NBC shows a very special holiday classic. It's annual viewing has become a timeless holiday tradition, and the film's universal appeal has made it a beloved movie worldwide. While it bombed in its original release, this Christmas drama has since become one of the greatest feel-good movies of all time. Today on Flashback Friday, we're in the Christmas spirit with It's a Wonderful Life.

The 1946 Christmas drama It's a Wonderful Life is based on "The Greatest Gift", a short story written by Phillip Van Doren Stern. For those select few of you who are unfamiliar with It's a Wonderful Life, the movie tells the story of George Bailey (James Stewart), a man who frequently gives up his dreams to help out others. Coming from a humble small town background, George saves his little brother from an ice lake, runs his family's loan group after his father passes away, and eventually convinces his brother to take a good job instead of returning to the family business. George eventually marries Mary Hatch (Donna Reed), who gives up the couple's honeymoon money to save the Bailey Building and Loan Association from collapsing.

George's main threat comes from Mr. Henry Potter (Lionel Barrymore, ironically fresh off his radio performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol), a ruthless businessman and shareholder who runs most of Bedford Falls' commercial industry. Potter desperately wants the Bailey Building and Loan Association, as it is the last remaining business that Potter has not conquered. George keeps fighting the businessman, but due to the bumbling antics of George's uncle, he loses the money needed to save the family store. His home life and work life growing worse with each passing day, and his financial problems now reaching their peak, George tries to kill himself by jumping off a bridge.

However, his suicide is intervened by Clarence (Henry Travers), George's guardian angel who seeks to prove how useful George is. So, Clarence shows his ward a troubling alternate universe where George was never born. The result is one of cinema's most uplifting and happy endings.

The idea to adapt "The Greatest Gift" was initially a popular idea in RKO Pictures. But, scheduling conflicts and Cary Grant's inability to star in the picture led to it's eventual shelving. Frank Capra, who would eventually direct the movie, loved "The Greatest Gift", and eagerly sought to buy the rights for the story. He entered into an agreement with RKO, who agreed to distribute the film in exchange for more films with Capra' production company, Liberty Films.

After several screenplay overhauls and edits, the movie was shot in a studio at RKO Pictures. The town in the film, Bedford Falls, is based on Seneca Falls, New York. Seneca Falls is very proud of this basis, and the New York town has an annual "It's a Wonderful Life Film Festival", a Hotel Clarence named after one the movie's characters, and a museum dedicated to the film.

Initial reviews of the film were mixed at best. Critics hated the overly optimistic nature of the story, though they found Stewart's and Reed's performances to be excellent. One of RKO Picture's most controversial actions for It's a Wonderful Life was moving it's release date to December 1946, instead of the planned January 1947. Had they kept it's initial release date, the film would have had far less powerful competition at the box office, and would only have squared off against fellow Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street. Though the movie was bumped up to compete in the 1946 Academy Awards, the film won no Oscars, despite nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actor (Stewart), and Editing; these nominations all lost out to The Best Years of Our Lives.

The movie was also a box office disaster, failing to break even and costing RKO over $500,000 in losses. In the aftermath of the picture, Frank Capra lost his standing as a "good" film director, and never released another popular film again.

However, the film gained a cult following over the years, and grew in popularity with each passing holiday season. Jimmy Stewart listed It's a Wonderful Life as his favorite performance, and even director Frank Capra was surprised at how popular the film grew as a Christmas tradition throughout the 1970's. The American Film Institute included the movie in it's Top 100 Films, had George Bailey and Mr. Potter in the top ten for their greatest heroes and villains, and named It's a Wonderful Life the #1 most inspiring movie of all time.

Still an annual tradition to this day, It's a Wonderful Life remains one of film history's most repeatable achievements. It's story still inspires, and people will keep turning towards the life of George Bailey as an example of why they are loved in the world.

Happy Holidays, watch a good movie, and join Movie Critic's Club next week for a fond look back at 2012 in film!