| It's A Wonderful Life (1946) began as a short story | | | | movie star than you ever did shooting at them in a |
| called "The Greatest Gift". Writer Philip Van Doren | | | | plane."In the 1930's Capra had toiled at Columbia |
| Stern was unable to sell it to a publisher, so he sent | | | | Pictures which was ruled by the autocratic Harry |
| the tale out as a long Christmas card to friends. His | | | | Cohn, long considered the meanest man in Hollywood. |
| agent subsequently sold the fable to RKO pictures, | | | | The Mogul kept the entire studio electronically |
| where it went through several transformations. In | | | | bugged, displayed a huge portrait of Mussolini in his |
| one version a losing political candidate contemplated | | | | office, and used an electrified chair to give |
| suicide, only to have an angel convince him to stick | | | | unsuspecting victims sudden jolts. Capra had sat in it |
| around and do good works. Finally it fell into the | | | | once, received a shock and angrily smashed the chair |
| hands of Director Frank Capra who cried when he | | | | to bits. When filming began on It's A Wonderful Life, |
| read it, said it was the story he had been looking for | | | | Capra was happy to be free of Cohn, but nervous. |
| all his life, and purchased it to be the first project for | | | | Now his own money was part of the investment. |
| his new production company, Liberty Films.To play | | | | Known for making movie sets fun places to work, he |
| the unassuming savings and loan clerk, Capra wanted | | | | was at first crabby and irritable with his cast and |
| Jimmy Stewart who he had previously worked with | | | | crew. Filming a snowy, Christmas movie in over one |
| in You Can't Take It With You (1938) and Mr. Smith | | | | hundred degree heat in Encino did not help morale. |
| Goes To Washington (1939). But coming back from | | | | Many of the heavily dressed actors fainted. But there |
| World War II, the thirty-seven year old Stewart was | | | | were nice moments. One scene required Mary to |
| no longer the easy going man about town he had | | | | throw a rock through an old mansion window and |
| been in the thirties. The former Academy Award | | | | make a wish. Capra had a marksman ready off |
| winner for The Philadelphia Story (1940) had led a | | | | camera but to his delight Reed shattered the glass |
| thousand men in bombing missions in the European | | | | on her own. She turned to him and said," Why so |
| theater in hard to maneuver B-24s. The loud engines | | | | surprised? Don't you think an Iowa farm girl would |
| damaged his hearing, in later years people when | | | | know how to play baseball?"As the shoot progressed |
| people would greet him and he would fail to respond, | | | | Capra regained his confidence. He disdained special |
| some would mistake his deafness for a cold | | | | effects when Clarence Oddbody the angel (Henry |
| personality. He was uncertain after five years away | | | | Travers) did his magic, preferring to tell the story |
| from the screen if he still wanted to be in the | | | | through his actor's faces. The Director started to |
| movies. Sometimes the profession seemed so | | | | believe he was making the greatest movie ever. As |
| humiliating. In 1943 when Stewart had tried to stay in | | | | his mood lightened the Company enjoyed picnics and |
| the best hotel in Madrid, he was turned away | | | | singing on the set which were hallmarks of Capra's |
| because he was an actor. He went back to the air | | | | earlier films.Too dark, the Country wanted comedy |
| force base, got his Lieutenant Colonel's uniform and | | | | like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Too dated, |
| then they let him in.When he returned to Southern | | | | Wonderful Life came off like a depression film rather |
| California in 1945 Stewart took things easy. He | | | | than a post war movie. For whatever reason the |
| refused to re-sign with his old studio MGM, despite | | | | three million dollar production failed to make its |
| tearful requests to do so from the hammy Louis B. | | | | money back. Capra chose to fold his tent shortly |
| Mayer. He was content to spend time flying kites and | | | | after the movie's release calling Liberty Films," The |
| building model planes with Henry Fonda. When Capra | | | | quickest way to go broke a man ever devised." |
| came to make his pitch Stewart looked bored, out | | | | Stewart panicked. The ex-war hero received a phone |
| of it, causing the Director to lose confidence. "Well | | | | call from his agent. "Donna Reed loved working with |
| Jim, it's about a savings and loan clerk who wants to | | | | you. She wants to do it again." "No way. That girl is |
| commit suicide. There's an angel named Clarence who | | | | jinxed." June Allyson became his leading lady of choice |
| shows him what life would have been like without | | | | playing his wife five times. Decades later he would |
| him. . . aw forget it, it's a stupid idea." Capra was | | | | praise the performance of a bemused Donna Reed |
| turning to leave when Stewart put his hand on his | | | | for making Wonderful Life great. "My God," she told |
| shoulder. "Frank, if you want me, I'm your man." At | | | | her friends. "He sure didn't say that when it came |
| least that's how the film's publicists told it.Stewart | | | | out."Years passed. From that point on Capra, unwilling |
| was morose and insecure as filming began. Since he | | | | to either risk his own money or work for somebody |
| went off to serve, Hollywood had found new leading | | | | else directed very few movies . Stewart decided to |
| men like Kirk Douglas and Gregory Peck who were | | | | portray a stronger image on screen. He refused to |
| seven years younger than he was. Some scenes | | | | play in war movies saying they were unrealistic, |
| called for the now graying actor to still be in high | | | | choosing instead hard, gritty Westerns like The Man |
| school. He felt ridiculous and considered plastic | | | | From Laramie (1954) which helped to make him rich |
| surgery. But he was helped greatly by his co-star | | | | and surpass John Wayne as the nation's number one |
| Donna Reed who encouraged him throughout. In the | | | | box office star. Reed restored her career by winning |
| romantic scene where George (Stewart) and Mary | | | | an Academy Award for playing a prostitute in From |
| (Reed) declared their love for each other, Capra | | | | Here To Eternity (1953) and then became one of |
| joked that Stewart was so nervous he wrapped a | | | | television's most wholesome mothers. And It's A |
| phone chord around them so he wouldn't run away. | | | | Wonderful Life fell into the public domain in 1973 |
| James was also helped by the film's villain Lionel | | | | because no one renewed it's copyright. The |
| Barrymore who was confined to wheelchair because | | | | forgotten film was shown repeatedly on almost |
| of crippling arthritis. "Son, I want you to cheer up. | | | | every cable television station, finally got a huge |
| Don't you know you make people happier being a | | | | viewership, and became a perennial Christmas Classic. |