The most magical time of the year has finally arrived and it is more than time to spend all our weekends watching Christmas movies! To help you with that, here’s an idea: It’s a wonderful life, by Frank Capra.
A classic among the classics. It is for me one of the best Christmas movies ever because it gives hope and it makes you feel warm and happy. Plus there is snow, there is love, there is magic…what more could we ask?
In his autobiography, The name above the title, Capra said: “I thought it was the greatest film I ever made. Better yet, I thought it was the greatest film anybody ever made.” It sets the mood.
The most magical time of the year has finally arrived and it is more than time to spend all our weekends watching Christmas movies! To help you with that, here’s an idea: It’s a wonderful life, by Frank Capra.
A classic among the classics. It is for me one of the best Christmas movies ever because it gives hope and it makes you feel warm and happy. Plus there is snow, there is love, there is magic…what more could we ask?
In his autobiography, The name above the title, Capra said: “I thought it was the greatest film I ever made. Better yet, I thought it was the greatest film anybody ever made.” It sets the mood.
What is it about? On Christmas Eve, the most altruistic guy that can be is about to commit suicide wishing he was never born. An angel appears and there begins a journey to show George Bailey how his existence impacted positively so many lives. This comes after a long flashback on George’s life presenting how benevolent he is and how he gave up all his dreams for the benefit of the people around him.
The film stars James Stewart (George Bailey), already a great Hollywood star at the time who had recently returned from the war, and Dona Reed (Mary Bailey) for whom it was the first starring role, even though she had played in several movies. The two of them, and Capra as well, claimed It’s a wonderful life to be their favourite movie. It was released in 1946 and the action takes place in 1945, at the end of World War II.
The plot is actually based on a short story entitled The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern. It was written in 1939 but nobody would publish it. In 1943, Stern decided to send his story as a Christmas card to no less than 200 of his friends. The strategy worked: a producer bought the rights of the book and later sold them to Frank Capra’s company.
What is it about? On Christmas Eve, the most altruistic guy that can be is about to commit suicide wishing he was never born. An angel appears and there begins a journey to show George Bailey how his existence impacted positively so many lives. This comes after a long flashback on George’s life presenting how benevolent he is and how he gave up all his dreams for the benefit of the people around him.
The film stars James Stewart (George Bailey), already a great Hollywood star at the time who had recently returned from the war, and Dona Reed (Mary Bailey) for whom it was the first starring role, even though she had played in several movies. The two of them, and Capra as well, claimed It’s a wonderful life to be their favourite movie. It was released in 1946 and the action takes place in 1945, at the end of World War II.
The plot is actually based on a short story entitled The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern. It was written in 1939 but nobody would publish it. In 1943, Stern decided to send his story as a Christmas card to no less than 200 of his friends. The strategy worked: a producer bought the rights of the book and later sold them to Frank Capra’s company.
As almost every Hollywood movie of that period, the set was entirely built-in studio. It was one of the biggest created for a single production, costing $3.7 million. It is a lot, even for Hollywood. The city set counts 75 stores and buildings, but also houses, factories and a very long Main Street. Yet there is one place that was not created specifically for the movie: the gym floor that turns into a pool. It belongs to the Beverly Hills high school (pretty great to have this kind of gym in your school isn’t it ?).
By the way, did you know that the most famous Christmas movie of all time was actually shot during a hit wave? A real bummer for the actors! It was in the summer of 1946. It was so hot that at times it’s visible that James Stewart is sweating. Unfortunately, fake snow was not enough to cool them down.
When the movie was released, it didn’t have so much success. It even put Capra in debt. It was only in the late 1970s when the copyright expired and the movie became royalty-free that every TV station started to air it. This was the moment when it became a symbol of Christmas. The free period lasted twenty years. But by its end in 1994 it had already become a classic, which means you still have lots of chances to see it on TV around Christmas time!
So go ahead and watch it, just for the type of cosiness only old movies can provide. And if you like it or have already seen it, I recommend The Shop around the Corner, still with James Stewart (because we simply can’t get enough) and still about Christmas magic.
When the movie was released, it didn’t have so much success. It even put Capra in debt. It was only in the late 1970s when the copyright expired and the movie became royalty-free that every TV station started to air it. This was the moment when it became a symbol of Christmas. The free period lasted twenty years. But by its end in 1994 it had already become a classic, which means you still have lots of chances to see it on TV around Christmas time!
So go ahead and watch it, just for the type of cosiness only old movies can provide. And if you like it or have already seen it, I recommend The Shop around the Corner, still with James Stewart (because we simply can’t get enough) and still about Christmas magic.