“It’s A Wonderful Life” – Everyone’s favorite holiday classic

by BRYAN DAVIS

Bosque Film Society Historian

Frank Capra’s holiday classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” has been a favorite of mine since I was a boy. In those days, just like “The Wizard of Oz,” we anticipated its annual showing each year on television. It always ushered in the Christmas season with its message that every life makes a difference, and that “no man is failure who has friends,” even when we don’t always believe it ourselves.

As a charter member of the recently formed Bosque Film Society, I was disappointed to miss our first movie screening and Christmas party on Dec. 8th.  The evening’s highlight was the showing of “It’s A Wonderful Life” at another favored classic, the local Cliftex Theater.  I’ve  never seen the film on the big screen before, but my Dad had just passed away two days earlier, so I was unable to attend.

So, Julie and I settled for watching it on Amazon Prime Thursday night. Seeing it so soon following Dad’s death made it more  emotionally powerful than ever before. It’s definitely withstood the test of time 74 years after it’s initial release. My parents first saw it while dating and enjoyed it so.

Today I came came across this beautifully written memories of the movie by none other than the film’s star, James “George Bailey” Stewart. He penned this for Guidepost magazine in 1987.  Stewart  recounts how special the filming experience was, and the disappointment of it’s subsequent failure at the box office…ranking 27th for the year upon its release. It would only become the cult classic we know today when it began its annual showing on television decades later. That story alone more or less mirrors the miracle George Bailey experiences in the film.

Hope you enjoy reading this special story behind the making of the movie, which was Jimmy Stewart’s own personal favorite of his 80 films.  It reveals a lot behind the magic of this beloved holiday classic. It’s a beautiful reminder that no matter how tough life can get, it’s still pretty darned wonderful. And, 2020 is a year we all need reminded of that.