Although it wasn’t a hit when it premiered in the summer of 1946, Its A Wonderful Life (IAWL) grew over the years into a classic holiday film for all ages. The first time I saw it (many years ago), I was unaware of what I was about to see. I watched it on TV at home alone. Two hours into the movie, I wondered if it was going anywhere, but I kept on, because I love Jimmy Stewart. By the end of the movie, I was bawling. Big, mushy, sentimotional tears. Ever since, its been one of my favorites. Right up there with Casablanca. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. The film follows George Bailey, an average guy in a small town who dreams of big things that never transpire. Its funny how real life interferes, isn’t it? One Christmas Eve, disaster strikes, and George contemplates suicide, because “You’re worth more dead than alive,” as his nemesis Mr. Potter puts it. At his lowest point, a somewhat incompetent angel named Clarence shows up to show him what his life is really worth. You can read the entire story here.

Read this for way more than you ever wanted to know about IAWL.

Its a Wonderful Life has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity beginning in the 1970s.

IAWL has been made into a musical! Playing through December 31st in Chicago.

You recall how people would watch The Wizard of Oz and play Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon together? You can do the same with IAWL and Pink Floyd’s album Wish You Were Here. 

The plot device of seeing what the world would be like without you has been used in numerous movies and TV shows. Captain Picard got a taste of it in Star Trek: TNG. Homer Simpson got the treatment, as well as Al Bundy in Married with Children. Also Kermit in The Muppet Movie. Lots more examples are cited in Wikipedia.

This tribute site has some fine stills from the film, although the clips that were attached are no longer available.

The film made the top of the list when the American Film Institute compiled their list of the Most Inspirational Movies.

What’s wrong with Its a Wonderful Life.
One of Saturday Night Live’s best routines was IAWL: The Lost Ending. Available to watch at the SNL video archives.

Saturday Night Live also did a parody of the movie, linking it to the Savings and Loan scandal of 1989.

Here’s the Angry Alien version, IAWL in 30 seconds, recreated by bunnies.

Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu in the movie, is one of the few surviving cast members. She has a website devoted to the movie, and a webstore featuring items like the Its A Wonderful Life nightlite. Her life story was featured today on Yahoo News. (Thanks, Ed!)

The stage parody is called Its a Wonderful Death.

Take this trivia quiz on memorable lines from IAWL! I scored 100%, of course.

Its a Wonderful Internet is the internet version of Its A Wonderful Life, an interactive tale complete with levers and pulltabs for the illustrations. What if the internet had never been born?

Which Character from It's A Wonderful Life Are You?

You are Mary Bailey Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

It's A Wonderful Life

by duncan wyllie 
      
This film is like no-other
It shows us something more
It has a warming centre
That reaches to the core
Watch this film and listen
There’s something all can see
The feelings growing in you
And all that we can be
There are men like Mr. Potter
That want to buy the earth
But there are men like old man Bailey
Who show their inner worth
There are those that stand for principal
Like young George who felt lifes pain
Then something changed inside him
Now new-life he could gain
Now let me tell of someone
Clarence by first name
Maybe just an odd-body
But an Angel just the same
Some say it’s just a film
But they never really saw
The message that could reach right out
And bless our Christmas more

Its a Wonderful Life. Starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. All 2 hours and ten minutes of it, right here on your computer.

Thought for today: Dear George, Remember no man's a failure who has friends. -Clarence Oddbody

PS My Sci-Fi Christmas post is included today at The Carnival of Christmas! There are a lot of other wonderful Christmas posts listed here, you should go check it out.

humor Christmas video It’s A Wonderful Life movie George Bailey Jimmy Stewart Frank Capra holiday