The Making of It's a Wonderful Life (2023 Documentary)

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  • Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
  • Films in Review is proud to present this exclusive short documentary made by Managing Editor, John Larkin.
    Compiled purely from existing footage and photos, this short documentary reflects on the making of and enduring legacy of one of the greatest films ever made, the seminal holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946).
    Footage Sources:
    It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - The Legacy
    • It's a Wonderful Life ...
    It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - Working with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed
    • It's a Wonderful Life ...
    Frank Capra on making IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
    • Frank Capra on making ...
    James Stewart - Interview w/ Michael Parkinson
    • James Stewart - Interv...
    "It's a Wonderful Life" | Jimmy Stewart's daughter reflects on her father and the Christmas classic
    • "It's a Wonderful Life...
    The Making Of Its A Wonderful Life - Tom Bosley
    • The Making Of Its A Wo...
    Music provided royalty free by:
    CHANGE BEFORE GOING PRODUCTIONS:
    www.cbgp.com
    / changebeforeg. .
    / cbgproductions
    www.gplus.to/ch...
    / cbgproductions

КОМЕНТАРІ • 90

  • @brentcooper4345
    @brentcooper4345 9 місяців тому +37

    I miss Jimmy Stewart. The world needs more people like him. I corresponded with him via mail a couple of times. What a warm kind man.

  • @lazyhazeldaisy9596
    @lazyhazeldaisy9596 9 місяців тому +48

    This film has just been listed number one as Britain's favourite Christmas film, it is just such a wonderful film and was James Stewart's favourite of all his films. 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

  • @kennethd4958
    @kennethd4958 9 місяців тому +27

    I can watch Jimmy Stewart in anything and enjoy it. But It’s a Wonderful Life is just a whole different level. One of my favorite movies of all time.

  • @onceatim67
    @onceatim67 9 місяців тому +26

    Saw this just before Christmas at the Glasgow Film Theatre where they show it every year. It’s my favourite ever film with my favourite actor Jimmy Stewart. I go with my wife and 3 daughters who now also love it. Keeping the film and Jimmy’s memory alive feels good.

  • @vrvaughn
    @vrvaughn 9 місяців тому +18

    I had the good fortune to work with Jimmy Stewart briefly in 1978. He was a wonderful man…

  • @mattwahlgren1262
    @mattwahlgren1262 9 місяців тому +17

    Every year on Christmas Eve me and my family watch this movie. It was my parents favorite movie and they both would cry(and still do) every time watching the film. Me and my brother both in our 20s cry each year now watching the film, and cherish this movie and the values it highlights. Truly a masterpiece of a film.

    • @mikeh.9734
      @mikeh.9734 7 місяців тому

      There is no greater film!

  • @boycottpalmoil
    @boycottpalmoil 9 місяців тому +7

    There are no actors nowadays that come close to the talent of James Stewart and actors of his era.

  • @StephenGaristo-ir3ff
    @StephenGaristo-ir3ff 8 місяців тому +5

    This .micing & touching movie so wonderfully done by Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed has proven to be one of the ,if not the greatest classic Christmas movie of all time. Jimmy Stewart displays genuine emotion in the bar scene when he prays to God ... " Dear Father in heaven,I'm not a praying man,but if you're up there,and you can hear me,show me the way. I'm at the end of my rope ... show me the way......." That was not in the script,which may well be the reason why it was one the the most moving scenes in the film. Jimmy Stewarts ,-- not just George Bailey's -- genuiness was on display in a most touching way. Remember -- George's wife & children were praying for him -- he in turn -- at the end of his rope -- prayed to God. God heard - and answered - he & his family's prayers - and answered in a most woderful way displayed by a most wonderful ending. " You see George.... you really had a wonderful life....Clarence......"

  • @jeffreyallen9626
    @jeffreyallen9626 10 місяців тому +23

    My favorite movie of all time🙏❤😔to all of the people that made it posdible GOD SPEED thankyou!

    • @matthewmp111
      @matthewmp111 8 місяців тому

      Mine too! It gets better every year

  • @ronniebishop2496
    @ronniebishop2496 9 місяців тому +11

    The number one film in history for Christmas. The moral of the story is when you’re looking for success, sometimes you don’t have to look further than your own back yard. “ to my big brother George the richest man in town “!

  • @billriling2908
    @billriling2908 9 місяців тому +18

    Just saw it on the big screen. Bigger tears. Great movie.

    • @doncicci9608
      @doncicci9608 9 місяців тому +6

      I'd love to see it on the big screen!

  • @56music64
    @56music64 9 місяців тому +4

    Watch this film every Christmas. George was so shocked when his brother addressed him as the richest man in town, he had never thought of himself that way, he thought because his dreams had not been met that his life was a failure, but in the eyes of all those people in the town he helped, he was a huge success. It makes me think of the words to a song I like "if you can't be with the one you love, then love the one you're with" At the end of the day we must all, be grateful for what we have and we all must love ourselves to achieve true happiness.

  • @guynorth3277
    @guynorth3277 9 місяців тому +3

    I still catch Jimmy Stewart on old radio programs,' the Six Shooter', something magical and comforting about him.

  • @ImmaWright
    @ImmaWright 9 місяців тому +79

    Jimmy Stewart was a special, special human being. His genuineness showed thru and that's why the movie resonates to this day

    • @ratso4443
      @ratso4443 9 місяців тому +5

      His facial expressions are timeless. He doesn’t have to say a word.

  • @elwoodblues9613
    @elwoodblues9613 8 місяців тому +4

    For all who seek to do the right thing but watch the bad people succeeding, who suspect that no good deed goes unpunished, "It's A Wonderful Life" is a reminder that showing love to others is supremely important, and the others will repay you for your love to them.

  • @normadesmond6017
    @normadesmond6017 8 місяців тому +4

    watched this movie een few days ago in our local cinema. And was still moved by James Stewards acting. It is a magical movie.

  • @karencampbell4479
    @karencampbell4479 10 місяців тому +31

    I first saw this amazing film many years ago and loved it then and still do could watch it 100 times more ❤

  • @arthouston7361
    @arthouston7361 9 місяців тому +4

    It was sometime after I graduated from high school, which had been a boarding school and really limited my access to vintage film, that I watched It’s a Wonderful Life for the very first time, and I still to this day remember being awestruck at the radiant beauty of a young Donna Reed. What an outstanding young woman she was. She was only 25 years old at the time.

  • @RedcoatsReturn
    @RedcoatsReturn 9 місяців тому +13

    Your‘e right my friend…this movie…was one of the greatest of all time movies for me….Jimmy Stewart for me as an actor and as a man…one if the greatest Americans of all time….thank you…for this great documentary…👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😄👍👍 …and… Happy Christmas too 😊🎄 🇺🇸

  • @WondrousEarth
    @WondrousEarth 9 місяців тому +3

    Jimmy talks about there being special moments in this film, with him every moment with him is special. And other cast members were wonderful, Donna Reed as his wife, his mother, his brother who Jimmy saved as a boy, and the ultimate man of greed and villainy, Lionel Barrymore.

  • @paulbfields8284
    @paulbfields8284 9 місяців тому +30

    If the world watched this movie all at the same time perhaps we could turn the tide of evil that has become the norm

    • @paulbfields8284
      @paulbfields8284 9 місяців тому +3

      The world population should be forced to watch this movie before starting each day of life. Perhaps it would help.

  • @fpd5874
    @fpd5874 8 місяців тому +2

    Watched this movie about a dozen times this Christmas season including once on the big screen at a local theater and will do the same next season!🎄

  • @maureenstamp1305
    @maureenstamp1305 9 місяців тому +3

    This is my most favourite film and I watch it every Christmas. This year I saw it on the big screen at our local theatre in black and white and loved every minute of it. I wish I could purchase the book that it originates from as I would love to read it.

    • @charlotteavery4040
      @charlotteavery4040 8 місяців тому

      The name of the book is “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern. Amazon probably has it. Happy new year and happy reading to you.😊

    • @maureenstamp1305
      @maureenstamp1305 8 місяців тому

      @@charlotteavery4040 Many thanks to you for your response with the name of the book . I really appreciate it and will look for it today. Happy new year to you too ! 🙋🏻‍♀️

  • @itinerantpatriot1196
    @itinerantpatriot1196 9 місяців тому +7

    One of my all-time favorites. I remember seeing this before it caught on as a Christmas tradition. I guess it sat around without anyone paying too much attention to it and some sort of copyright renewal error allowed it to enter into public domain. After that, this little local UHF station, channel 62 out of Lansing Michigan used to air it after the news broadcasts on the major networks were finished. I fell in love with the story right away.
    Now? Now Christmas Eve isn't Christmas Eve unless I watch this and the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim playing Ebenezer Scrooge. My parents taught me to love that one. I think of them always but a bit more heartfelt on Christmas as I watch that one. But I digress. It's a Wonderful Life is a great movie with a great cast and characters who live in our hearts 365 days a year. God Bless us, Everyone.

  • @timo539
    @timo539 10 місяців тому +18

    Its one of my all time favourite movies . I've got the DVD .But then love James Stewart in everything

  • @nstix2009xitsn
    @nstix2009xitsn 10 місяців тому +29

    Jimmy Stewart's daughter was mistaken. It was Lionel, who brought Jimmy back. (Yes, in our family, it's "Jimmy" and "Lionel.")
    Making his first shoot since coming back from being a bomber pilot and squadron commander, Jimmy was complaining that acting was no proper career for a man. Lionel countered (paraphrased), "So do you think that dropping bombs on people is the only way to earn a living?"
    That did it. Major James Maitland Stewart snapped out of it, and gave the greatest performance by a lead actor in the history of talkies.

  • @janiekcarney5482
    @janiekcarney5482 9 місяців тому +9

    Jimmy made that movie a success. IMO

  • @01Lenda
    @01Lenda 9 місяців тому +8

    Epic and iconic movie.

  • @diannemose244
    @diannemose244 9 місяців тому +8

    Thanks for sharing

  • @patrickvalentine8700
    @patrickvalentine8700 9 місяців тому +5

    Just watched on Roku. Opening credits read "A Wonderful Life." Added "It's" to later prints. No idea why.

  • @treadingtheboards2875
    @treadingtheboards2875 9 місяців тому +3

    Thanks for this, I love this film.
    Watching your video has brought back many wonderful memories, in 2019, I played Clarence the angel in a community stage production directed by my son. 20 sold out shows over 4 weeks leading up to Christmas.

  • @matthewmp111
    @matthewmp111 8 місяців тому +1

    My favorite film of all time!

  • @brucerivard4337
    @brucerivard4337 8 місяців тому +2

    My all time favorite Christmas movie. Epic, totally epic! 🌲

  • @markhugo8270
    @markhugo8270 9 місяців тому +2

    AMEN AND AMEN!

  • @cydmack4074
    @cydmack4074 9 місяців тому +1

    I love this movie !

  • @camickelson
    @camickelson 3 місяці тому +1

    I love this movie!! My Favorite Christmas movie!! And any other time too!! GOD SO Uses this Movie!

  • @mal1465
    @mal1465 8 місяців тому +1

    Frank Capra was my great uncle, grandmother’s brother

  • @DwightHutto
    @DwightHutto 9 місяців тому +2

    Keeps me from blowing my head off every year.

    • @carpenterabc
      @carpenterabc 6 місяців тому

      There really is a God...he hides with the humble of the earth!

  • @freemagicfun
    @freemagicfun 8 місяців тому +1

    As a huge fan of A Christmas Carol (I have like a dozen versions) I always saw this film as the opposite side of Carol. Showing a man what a good difference he made in the world, instead of what horrible person he is. This is one of my all time favorite movies. 😎

  • @joanpellillo2981
    @joanpellillo2981 8 місяців тому

    I love watching this movie - My Mom 1933 could relate to this movie - I own the movie plus watch every year 2 or 3 times through the year

  • @mlk27743
    @mlk27743 8 місяців тому +1

    the main reason this film is such a Xmas classic is because the movie rights slipped into the public domain & became free to use by tv studio's who then used it on Xmas Eve & it has become a Xmas staple every year.

    • @matthewmp111
      @matthewmp111 8 місяців тому

      Christmas, friend. Christmas. Not X-mas

  • @rah2287
    @rah2287 9 місяців тому +1

    👍 👍

  • @danieldravot341
    @danieldravot341 8 місяців тому

    He commanded the 445th Bomb Group for a brief time, and my father served under him.
    They met twice, once in Tibenham and once in LA.
    In LA my father approached him and he told Stewart he’d been shot down.
    And Stewart asked: fighters or flak . . .

  • @markhuru
    @markhuru 9 місяців тому +1

    The story itself had been made before, the what if. Although what probably made it more endearing was fact made right after the war.

  • @brendarico715
    @brendarico715 7 місяців тому +1

    ❤❤Christmas❤

  • @presspound7358
    @presspound7358 8 місяців тому +1

    This film epitomizes the objectives of decency and rectitude that America was once known for. Ironically the nightmare scenario of what “could have happened” to this town has , in fact, become a reality. Throw in almost daily mass casualty events coast to coast and there you have it… every justification to pack your bags and move to Scandinavia.
    It WAS a wonderful life.

    • @scottk.3636
      @scottk.3636 8 місяців тому

      Scandinavia hasn't sacrificed or burdened itself with real world responsibility. Another lesson relative to Mr. Bailey vs Potter.

  • @MapleSyrupPoet
    @MapleSyrupPoet 9 місяців тому +1

    Excellent film 🎥 if Casablanca is a 5 ...this one a 4.5 😊

  • @hanschristianbrando5588
    @hanschristianbrando5588 2 місяці тому

    What is Mary's problem? George comes home all upset, obviously something terrible happened, the kids are being little pests, and all she has to say is "Why are you torturing the children?" Torturing them? They're torturing him! Any mother with the IQ on the plus side would say to the kids, "Hey, guys, I think Dad had a really bad day, so let's give him a minute, okay? Why don't you go upstairs and play with yourselves, and I'll find out what's wrong and what we can do to help him, okay?" and gotten them out of there. Even those little freaks would have understood that, one hopes; it's a wonder George didn't take off his belt, as most fathers would have, and said "Really? You want to mess with me tonight? Feeling lucky?"
    And I still say if George never existed (I wonder if he realized later he missed his chance to start a new life as somebody else and be the explorer he'd always dreamed of being) Mary would have married Hee-Haw, as her mother wanted her to, and been very rich. He'd have cheated on her and made her miserable, but she'd divorce his behind, take him for every nickel he had, and become the benefactress of Bedford Falls. Win-win. At the very least I hope George fired Uncle Billy, who caused all the trouble.

  • @douglaskirk3036
    @douglaskirk3036 8 місяців тому

    This movie became so popular because of an error. In the 70s the copyrights were expiring and there was a fee to be paid to renew it, that fee mindlessly was forgotten and the copyrights expired thus letting TV to show the movie freely which they did and made it so popular by all the new exposure. The fee was a mere $4.00 and if that fee had been paid it is said that with inflation adjustments the movie would be grossing 26 million a year. My all time favorite movie.

  • @christophermorgan3261
    @christophermorgan3261 10 місяців тому +7

    Too bad its not offered free on yt.

    • @JoseyWales44s
      @JoseyWales44s 9 місяців тому +4

      It's actually worth purchasing.

    • @bobbuethe1477
      @bobbuethe1477 9 місяців тому

      It's available on Hoopla, which (in many areas) you can subscribe to for free through the public library.

  • @cjmacq-vg8um
    @cjmacq-vg8um 9 місяців тому +2

    i played the tree that george crashes into with his car. oh, wait. that was two other trees.

  • @robertoholt2694
    @robertoholt2694 9 місяців тому +2

    promo sm 💯

  • @tommyriam8320
    @tommyriam8320 8 місяців тому

    Capra says he "came out of 'the War' a perfect pacifist" Gee, I wonder how the NAZI's would have greeted _'a perfect pacifist'_ ?

  • @danehlers9989
    @danehlers9989 8 місяців тому

    Nope. Jimmy Stewart just never did it for me.

  • @CSM100MK2
    @CSM100MK2 9 місяців тому

    an edit of someone elses interview is not a documentary. so sick of these youtube "documentaries" that are just video edits of other works.

  • @donnafletcher5386
    @donnafletcher5386 8 місяців тому

    I don't understand why this movie was or is so popular for a Christmas movie. I like Jimmy Stewart, but not a Christmas movie with a depressing attitude.

  • @freonxkipper
    @freonxkipper 10 місяців тому +4

    Why is it that Americans want to see this movie every year, over and over again? I've seen it twice and that was more then enough But then off course I'm European.

    • @EvasNan2020
      @EvasNan2020 10 місяців тому +11

      I'm European and love it and watch it every year, in fact I'm booked to go to an outdoor cinema this year in aid of a cancer charity and have chosen this wonderful film as my choice of films to watch!

    • @519djw6
      @519djw6 10 місяців тому +9

      I first saw this on TV in Finland, where I lived for about two years. As they say in this video, it was considered a "flop" when it first came out. I'm not sure if there's anything particularly "American" about this movie--but I'm one of those who watch it every Christmas. (The theme, as most people see it, is giving a man the chance to see what his world have been like if he had never been born. "Eine Geschmackssache," as the Germans would say.

    • @notanothershrubbery
      @notanothershrubbery 9 місяців тому +7

      As a Canadian, I see it as the better side of America. George could have just turned his back on the Savings and Loan and let people rot away their lives in Potter's Field, just like today's pure capitalists wouldn't hesitate to do. But no, rather than put himself first he thought of the well being of other people before his own ambition.
      So much of the US, and it seeps into Canada as well, is the feeling that my financial success is all that matters and to hell with everyone else.
      This movie is the America we hope still exists.

    • @JoseyWales44s
      @JoseyWales44s 9 місяців тому +4

      I'd wager it is more about personal tastes than it is about being European.

    • @JoseyWales44s
      @JoseyWales44s 9 місяців тому +5

      @@notanothershrubbery Hmmmm....you do realize that Americans are the most generous people on Earth; don't you? In fact, if you look up "Top 10 Most Charitable Countries 2009-2018 and 2020" you'll see that the US was #1 while Canada was #6. No disrespect intended, #6 is still very charitable.

  • @BrendanPNW
    @BrendanPNW 8 місяців тому

    One of the worst and most boring movies. Worst over done story plot at Christmas on tv as well. People like because they were force to watch at some point, movie equivalent of Stockholm syndrome.

  • @brucekuehn4031
    @brucekuehn4031 10 місяців тому +20

    I knew Joe Biroc (1903 - 1996). What I didn’t know was that Mr Biroc was the co-DP on this movie. I was working at Warner Bros (then called TBS) in the Camera Department in 1983 and he was the Director of Photography on the TV version of Casablanca which looked great and won him a Primetime Emmy. He’d already won an Oscar. He was always very nice, but we never had that idle time to talk about his background. Little did I know (before data bases in your pocket) that here was a guy who had worked behind the camera on a handful of Fred and Ginger movies, Bringing Up Baby, and the actual liberation of Paris for the Army in 1944. Skip forward decades to Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, Airplane, and Blazing Saddles. Wish I had a chance to ask him a million questions and hear a million stories. Heck of a Cameraman!

  • @coolsixties
    @coolsixties 8 місяців тому +1

    You must be one sad and lonely person. Feel very bad for you. 😢

  • @brendarico715
    @brendarico715 7 місяців тому +1

    😊❤

  • @larrytate4586
    @larrytate4586 8 місяців тому

    Jimmy was the best.