It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is an American comedy / drama film from 1946, the director Frank Capra produced by his own company Liberty Films . The film is sometimes called the best ever. The film is even one in the AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Cheers list, the list of the American Film Institute of the most inspirational American films of all time.

The leading roles are played by James Stewart and Donna Reed .

Contents

 * 1 Story
 * 2 Cast
 * 3 Background
 * 3.1 Scenario
 * 3.2 Actors
 * 3.3 Production
 * 3.3.1 Liberty Films
 * 3.3.2 Decors
 * 3.3.3 Recordings
 * 3.4 Reception
 * 3.5 Rediscovery
 * 4 Awards and nominations
 * 5 External links

[Story edit ]
'' Spoiler warning : The following text contains details of the content and / or the end of the story. ''

It's Christmas Eve. In the sky is crowded with all kinds of prayers that come from the earth. Head Angel Joseph is particularly concerned about numerous prayers regarding George Bailey. Bailey himself is namely quite desperate in the snow on a bridge. He pulls Clarence Odbody by an angel 2nd class. Odbody Bailey must rescue a suicide attempt and can thus earning himself his wings. Before Clarence goes to the earth, Joseph shows him George's life.

It turns out that George his whole life trying to help others at the expense of themselves. At twelve, he saves his brother Harry who has fallen through the ice. George holds a deaf ear to the adventure over. If he is working as a messenger boy for the pharmacist he saves his boss who kills a mistake in the composition of a drug, while almost a child.Later, George would like to be town, Bedford Falls, left to see more of the world. However, he works in the bank from his father, the Bailey Building and Loan Association, and wait for his brother Harry passed his final exams of high school, so he can go to college. Then comes the news that his father had a stroke and is deceased. Potter, a rich, heartless shareholder in the bank, now demands from the government that the bank will stop lending to the poorer people of Bedford Falls. George manages to convince the board of the utility of the credits, but they set one condition: George must succeed his father. George gives in and gives the money to study at Harry. George later married his childhood sweetheart Mary and the couple decides to make a honeymoon to a tropical destination. But then strikes panic in the village increased. It is the day of the Wall Street Crash and everyone is afraid that his savings disappeared. Potter also has a bank and the bank will take over from George offers savers 50 cents for every dollar. However, George and Mary sacrifice the money for the honeymoon to satisfy the depositors. Although George so again unable to proceed beyond Bedford Falls, he is happy in his town.He buys a house for Mary and soon come children. For poorer people into decent housing at a reasonable rent houses he started the project Bailey Park. It acts as a counterbalance against the homes of Potter asking outrageous rent. The Second World War breaks out and George volunteers for the army. However, he is rejected because of his deaf ear. His brother Harry is a hero and pilot with 15 victories. He shoots include a plane crash that wants to dump on an American troop ship.

The angel Clarence care George

On Christmas Eve 1946 runs Uncle Billy, what the child's father's brother George and Harry, by Bedford Falls. He needs $ 8,000 - from bank deposit, but gets distracted by a report in the newspaper. Harry Bailey has received a high award for bravery. He shows the message very proud to Potter. In triumph Uncle Billy goes further and remember that the money in his newspaper that he left with Potter. If he wants to transfer the money, he can not find it anywhere. George is desperate, especially when Potter refuses to lend him money to rescue the bank. Instead, Potter claims the arrest of George for fraud. The desperate George put it on a drinking and running desperately to the bridge. He is not aware that different people to pray for him. He wants to commit suicide and so the life insurance claim of $ 15,000. Just then Clarence arrives from the sky and jump into the water.George must now save him.

Later on Clarence tells George bitterly that it would have been better if he had never been born. Clarence takes George and shows him an alternative world in which George Bailey does not exist. Bedford Falls is called Pottersville and many people are poor because Potter owns everything and people sucked out. The town is full of seedy bars and nightclubs.Harry Bailey drowned at a young age when he fell through the ice. The pharmacist is a prison sentence for poisoning. Uncle Billy is in an asylum, George's mother is a widow who can barely keep her head above water as a boarding house. Mary is a bitter old maid who works in the local library. Shocked George now realizes that he has done much good.

Bailey then walks back to the bridge, and prays that he may return to normal life, which he indeed born again. If he finds that this has happened, he runs grateful and exuberant through the town to his house. Here, then all will be well if the locals spontaneously donates money and George does not have to borrow. His brother comes to him spontaneously and eventually everyone sings Auld Lang Syne.

[Cast edit ]

 * James Stewart as George Bailey
 * Donna Reed as Mary Hatch
 * Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Potter
 * Todd Karns as Harry Bailey
 * Ward Bond as Bert
 * Beulah Bondi as Mrs. Bailey
 * Gloria Grahame as Violet Bick
 * HB Warner as Mr. Gower
 * Henry Travers as the angel Clarence Oddbody
 * Sheldon Leonard as Nick

[Scenario edit ]
The screenplay for the film based on the short story The Greatest Gift, written by Philip Van Doren Stern . Van Doren Stern wrote the story in November 1939, but failed to get it published. Eventually he gave up his attempts and had to print the text as a sort of Christmas card and sent 200 copies to friends and family. David Hempstead, a producer of RKO , saw the Christmas card and read the story. He looked like something in the next film by Cary Grant . RKO bought the story in April 1944 for $ 10,000 with the intention to put Grant in the lead role. There were three scenarios written versions. Dalton Trumbo wrote the first version, which was then twice re-written by Clifford Odets and Marc Connelly . None of these versions pleased the studio and the project ended up in the drawer. Grant got the lead role in another Christmas movie The Bishop's Wife . Charles Koerner, head of RKO, then sold the story to Frank Capra's Liberty Films for $ 10,000. Capra got the three failed scenarios for free. Liberty Films, an independent film company that participated in Capra had a deal with RKO for the distribution of some films. Capra was accompanied by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett rewrite scenarios. They were assisted by Jo Swerling , Michael Wilsonand Dorothy Parker, which the loose ends knotted together and the three scenarios created a new scenario. Wilson and Parker were mainly responsible for the dialogues. Swerling rewrote in his own words a quarter of the scenario. The title changed from The Gift Greatast through The Man Who Never Was in It's a Wonderful Life.

The end of the film took a lot of effort. In a scenario of versions is George Bailey on his knees and pray the Our Father in gratitude for his rescue. Since, however, also many prayers in the opening scene and the film about a religious flavor began to get Capra deleted this scene.

Actors [ edit ]
James Stewart came in 1945 back from the Second World War as a war hero. He served three years in the Air Force and flew several missions over Germany. Many of his fellow actors were to continue shooting or cooperated with the entertainment for the troops. Stewart had trouble coming back into the film world. His contract with MGM had expired and he was not sure how to proceed. Along with Henry Fonda, who was in the same boat (Fonda was three years on active duty in the Navy), he filled his days talking and flying kites. Director Frank Capra was busy selecting actors for It's a Wonderful Life and had both Stewart and Fonda in mind for the role of Frank Bailey.

Both men, however, had difficulty accepting the role. Eventually knew Lionel Barrymore Stewart to convince him to take the role. When Capra called him, Stewart went to the director. Who told the actor that he was filming a story with angels earning their wings, Christmas Eve, a suicide attempt. Halfway through his story Capra stopped and asked Stewart if he understood everything. Stewart looked at him and said, "Frank, if you want to make a film about an angel who wants to earn his wings and a guy who wants to jump off the bridge, I'll do it!". Capra was pleased with the commitment of Stewart. He had the role which was originally written for Cary Grant already rewritten with Stewart in mind.

For the role of Mary, the wife of George, the competition was greater. Initially thought to Capra Jean Arthur, but this actress had obligations. She had signed a contract for a Broadway production. Ginger Rogers was the next candidate, but she found the scenario meaningless. Capra went on to hold Olivia de Havilland , Martha Scott and Ann Dvorak, but ultimately chose the lesser known Donna Reed. It would be her first major role.

Also Lionel Barrymore was not the first choice. Capra considered Edward Arnold , Charles Bickford , Edgar Buchanan , Louis Calhern , Victor Jory , Raymond Massey , Vincent Price and even Thomas Mitchell . The role of Ebenezer Scrooge Barrymore starred in a radio play version of A Christmas Carol on the radio, however, was decisive.

Liberty Films [ edit ]
Like James Stewart and Henry Fonda director Frank Capra noticed a reluctance on the big studios after the war when he wanted to make films. He had three years engaged in making war documentaries for the Army Signal Corps. In the publicity he had very critical of the war films of the Hollywood studios, which were unrealistic in his eyes and the real soldiers shortage did. There was such a large removal emerge Capra decided to work with the former vice president of Columbia Pictures Samuel Briskin own independent studio set up. Together with directors William Wyler and George Stevens founded Liberty Films in April 1945. It's a Wonderful Life was the first production of Liberty Films. Capra borrowed $ 1.54 million from Bank of America to realize the film. However, the total budget increased to 3.78 million, making it the most expensive movie ever made Capra

[Decors edit ]
The story goes that Capra visited in 1945 in Seneca Falls, a town located between Syracuse and Rochester in upstate New York. According to the residents Capra was so impressed that he Seneca Falls parts of the city used as inspiration for the setting of Bedford Falls. Also, the name comes from Bedford Falls Seneca Falls, in combination with Bedford Hills, another small town in Westchester County, New York. The film was shot in the RKO studio in Culver City, California, and RKO Ranch in Encino. The ranch was also built the outdoor set with Bedford Falls. The exterior set was huge, extending over 16,000 sqm. The decor in the town of Bedford Falls was built in three separate parts with a main road approximately 275 meters long, flanked by 75 stores and buildings and 20 oak trees. There was a factory district and built a slum area. In the months prior to the shooting, the set has been exposed to pigeons, dogs and cats in order to create a more weathered character. James Stewart was idolized by the outdoor set. It reminded him of his hometown ofIndiana, Pennsylvania. The construction of the exterior set took two months. The scenes that played at Bailey Park were recorded in La Crescenta, California.

Recordings [ Edit ]
The shooting began on April 15, 1946 and ended on July 27, 1946, right on schedule. There were few problems. Sometimes there were self windfalls. In the scene that George and Mary at the old, abandoned Granville House stand, Mary throws a rock through one of the windows. According to a local legend that brings happiness. Capra who had little faith in the mikkunsten Donna Reed, had hired an expert to throw the brick through the window. To his surprise (and that of Donna Reed himself) the actress threw the stone at once by the conscious window.

The recordings took place in the summer and it was hot on the outdoor set. During the recording of the scene where George and Clarence the angel standing on the bridge in the snow and seemingly sharp frost was 32 degrees in reality. James Stewart sweat not nothing like a pig in this scene. At one point it was so hot that even the Capra film crew and actors gave a day off. The snow which featured in the film, is also fake.Normally they used were painted in those days previously crushed corn flakes white. The problem was that the falling corn flakes made such a noise that no recordings could be made. Dialogues were then recorded later. Capra, however, insisted that he could record the sound together with the image. The technical team of the film created when chemicals snow. Which was manufactured from Foamite, a foam was sprayed by firefighters to extinguish fire, soap and water. The mixture was then sprayed under high pressure on the set. There was nearly 23,000 liters of artificial snow needed for the film.

One of the reasons that Capra happy with James Stewart worked was because of the ability of the actor to naturelover come. Stewart himself, however, was apprehensive that he was acting a little rusty. He was very scared for the first screen kiss. He had the idea that it would happen contrived. He insisted on not to exercise and take right on the scene. Capra agreed and everyone agreed that the recording did not over, Stewart was still natural. This also became apparent when Stewart during the shooting became emotional. It was the scene where his character, George Bailey, is in despair over all adversity and pray to God. Stewart was so emotional that he spontaneously burst into tears. This was not in the script, but Capra was delighted. Unfortunately he did not Stewart closeup of conscious moment. The director, however, understood that Stewart could never repeat that this emotion. So Capra stepped to the film lab and spent many hours there to increase the sight of Stewart until he had his close-up. It was an achievement, every film image to be magnified separately.

Another fine piece of improvisation which Capra was cast into the lap, happened during the shooting of the scene where the drunk uncle Billy is directed by George Bailey in the right direction. After George Bailey pointed and Uncle Billy disappears from the picture, suddenly hear a lot of noise when the camera focuses again on George. Then we heard calling Uncle Billy, "I'm allright I'm allright!". Because James Stewart as George Bailey just continued to act it seems like everything is so fitted and Uncle Billy on a rubbish bins has fallen. In reality, threw a clumsy employee accidentally film equipment down. Both Stewart and Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy) improvised and so Capra could use just the scene. He might have even won the clumsy employee with 10 dollars.

Reception [ edit ]
Originally released the film in 1947, but when the firm Technicolor failed to print the RKO Christmas production Sinbad the Sailor to get ready on time, RKO pushed the premiere of It's a Wonderful Life forward and entered the film December 20, 1946 in the cinema. The official release was on January 7, 1947. It was not a real flop, the film ended in terms of yield at position 26 of the 400 releases that year, but the studio was nevertheless disappointed. It was felt that Capra had lost contact with the public. The reviews were critical. The humor and inventiveness of Capra were praised, but many critics found the film too sentimental. Liberty Films, it was a bitter pill that the film made no profit. The total budget amounted to $ 3.7 million and the yield was 3.3 million. This hit also meant almost immediately the end for the company. Liberty Films was sold to Paramount and made ​​one more movie This and the State of the Union (1948) and then to be wound up in 1951.

[Rediscovery edit ]
It would take several decades before the film was the classic it is today. In the seventies and eighties, the film around Christmas regularly aired on television. Capra reached a whole new audience and renewed interest meant that the film was included in the Top 100 of the American Film Institute.

The story of It's a Wonderful Life has been modified several times to include radio dramas and plays. In 1977 a new version of the film was made ​​called It Happened One Christmas .

The main plot of the film, a character made by his / her guardian or see any other way given how poor the world would be off if he / she was not born or other choices in his / her life, has since adopted in many other films and television series.

[Awards and nominations edit ]
At the Oscars in 1947 seized It's a Wonderful Life next to the prices. The film was nominated for five Oscars: best actor, best director, best editing, best sound and best film, but struck no one. At the end of 1947, It's a Wonderful Life actually forget again.

In 1947, the film did win a Golden Globe for best director. In 1949 the film won the CEC Award for best foreign film.

In 1994, Jimmy Hawkins for his role in the film The Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award .