My mom loved this movie. She cried Everytime she saw it. We would watch it together. Mom was diagnosed with cancer. It was a long battle but she passed away in 2011. On the way to her funeral I heard the bell toll. "Mom" I said. "You just got your wings."
@@RichardM1366 My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and passed just this past February. I’m so blessed that we have friends, family, and MOVIES to continue to give us perspective in times when we don’t quite understand the “why” of life. “To my big brother George, the richest man in town.” My mom passed as the richest woman I knew. ♥️
So happy to see you react to this classic. Note: Lionel Barrymore (Potter) was the great-uncle of Drew Barrymore (family of actors since the 1870s) - Also, the Beverly Hills High School "Swim Gym" was built in 1939 and is still in use today, in its original form.
Donna Reed played baseball in high school and was actually able to break the window with a rock. Capra hired a marksman to shoot it out, but Reed insisted she could do it so Capra filmed it. Also, credit to Capra for making such a strong woman character... Mary was a wonderful Backgammon player at Bedford High and was able to go to college on a scholarship. She studied Russian literature and homemaking. She got her college degree. She was head of her USO group, saves the Building and Loan from being closed when there is a run on the bank, rebuilds the Granville house pretty much by herself and raises four children. Mary also saves George in many ways and then eventually, the whole town.... Everytime I watch this, I love Mary more and more.
@@zedwpd I don't know what to tell you, everything I've read says she played baseball, I thought it was an error too (pun intended). You do know, there was a famous movie about women playing baseball in the mid 40s, right? I'm afraid you'll have to notify IMDB, Wikipedia,Trivia Pursuit, Google and everywhere else I read this. Girls probably played both in that time. Either way, my point was she was capable of throwing overhand... good luck and let me know how it turns out, Merry Christmas.
Frank Capra wasn't the only one to underestimate Donna Reed. Lionel Barrymore, who played Mr. Potter, didn't believe Donna Reed's claim about growing up on a farm in Iowa, so one day there was a live cow backstage and Barrymore bet Reed $50 she couldn't milk it. Reed won the bet and said it was the easiest $50 she ever won.
Fun fact: when Uncle Billy knocks over the trashcans... that was actually a stagehand offscreen knocking over a stack of film canisters. With Uncle Billy's little improv, that stagehand got a raise in his paycheck
Some information about the actor Jimmy Stuart. Jimmy Stewart was a true American Hero. He was a WWII combat veteran and Commander of a Bomber wing. He had over 20 combat mission over Germany. After the war he transition to the Air Force Reserve and retired as a Brigadier General. He flew missions over Korea and Vietnam. Jimmy Stewart used his PTSD to really play this role. PTSD wasn't known at the time. He had not long been home from the war when he filmed this movie. He still had all the grief of seeing friends and the men that was under him die over France and Germany. Jimmy was a Wing Commander in the 8th Air Force. He was a B-24 Liberator pilot. He was a real hero. I know a man who was a friend of Jimmy Stuarts and he said Jimmy Stuarts said that prayer at Martinis was Not acting. He was genuinely calling on God for real, that was him 100% real working through the trauma he had experienced in his experiences in the WW2 flying missions. Once he was flying a mission when the bottom of his plane was shot out and men fell to their deaths screaming. He and his co pilots legs were literally dangling out the bottom of the plane but managed to land.
This is was one of the best reactions I’ve seen. I was unfortunately unlucky in love. Every time I watch this movie I wish I could have had a wonderful woman like Mary. This movie is so inspiring in so many ways and I could see in your face what it meant to you. May God bless you and keep you.
I knew you'd love it. "It's a Wonderful Life" is easily one of the most wholesome movies of all-time. My great-grandfather grew up in western Pennsylvania with Jimmy Stewart. They played youth sports together. My great-grandfather received a basketball scholarship to Temple University and Jimmy Stewart went on to Princeton University.
@@Caambrinus For sure. It's somewhat unrealistic but also not. You see, Potter was wrong that Peter Bailey and the building and loan was a failure and "not a business man" Peter Bailey and then George Bailey probably created MORE wealth overall through their business but that money was reinvested into the community and to their common neighbor rather then to enrich themselves etc. Ironically it was BECAUSE George and his family served and protected the community that they had enough personal wealth to come together and bail him out, even when he COULDN'T himself partially because he hadn't been selfish and saved/kept more money etc. Another small subplot that is awesome in this movie is Sam Wainwright. It's a great example of WHY to be patient and kind and friendly to all your friends even the rich, somewhat bombastic, even annoying ones that seem to abandon or leave your town or your presence. Sam, always saw George as one of his greatest friends because George was always kind to him, it's no wonder that when Mr. Gower telegraphed him that he was willing to advance George the money. George was a real friend and a stalwart for the town that Sam came from and I think George actions probably made it possible for Sam even to do some of the things he did outside of Potter's influence. Great movie with a lot of nice character archetypes and subplots.
The bar scene where George was praying Jimmy Stewart was suffering PTSD he flew over missions over Europe as bomber pilot he witnessed a lot his friends get blown out of the sky. And since he was executive officer he was tasked writing the letters home to their love ones. RIP General James Stewart USAF
Mary IS a real one! That should be part of the title. It’s A Wonderful Life…Mary Is A Real One. You nailed it. George is a dreamer and Mary keeps him grounded. When you’re a big-picture person sometimes you’re unable to focus on the finer details.
With the exception that Mary wanted to continue on to their honeymoon and not stop to see about the bank run. Once she saw and heard George’s impassioned speech in the Building and Loan, she understood.
Wonderful reaction and smile during the movie closing scene was precious.🔔🎶 "It's A Wonderful Life" film legacy mirrored George Baily's life. The cast, crew and audiences loved the movie when it premiered in 1946 but was overlooked for most of the awards and accolades it so deserved. As the years passed, the stars all went on to other great things and the film seemed like a fond memory. Then, perhaps an angel showed a clerk what the Christmas Season would be like without George Baily's story. Somebody intervened and the film's copyright paperwork was misplaced. The film rights lapsed into the public domain. Then cable television came along, the film would air continuously on television during the Christmas season. Families old and new came together making the movie a Christmas tradition, falling in love with George, Mary and the people of Bedford Falls. 🔔"It's A Wonderful Life," the richest film in town. 🔔🎶
Love this film. James Stewart (George Bailey) is my favorite actor. I highly recommend his films The Glenn Miller Story, Anatomy of a Murder, Vertigo, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Rear Window, Harvey, No Highway in the Sky, Shanandoah, Carbine Williams, The Philadelphia Story, Made For Each Other, Flight of the Phoenix, The Man that Shot Liberty Valanace. Just to name a few.
I cant believe given my age, that I've STILL not seen this movie. My parents used to always watch it and I may have watched the first few minutes a few times but always skipped it. Marie is now motivating me to watch it so I can see her reaction :)
It's been a while for me to see you, but WOW what an awesome reaction. It's just great watching stuff with you. Humor, smarts, emotion. You nailed it again! Also nice to know that you are hopelessly romantic😁🤣😁
Wow this colorized version looks cooI I only seen the b&w one. Merry Christmas 🎄JM! (I’m playin’ 😂) Great reaction i Love that you react to everything without being wary because it’s old or in black and white. You do it greatly 👍🏾
We can figure out how old George is: Joseph tells Clarence at the ice sliding scene that it's 1919 and George is 12, so he was born in 1907. The gym scene takes place in 1928: we see the banner in the gym, so George is 21. Later on we see that brother Harry was born in 1911. Mary is 18 in 1928 (we see the banner telling us the year in the gym), so she was born in 1910.
It's been awhile since I seen this movie but watching it again reminds me why it's a great classic . That never gets old , no matter what the season. Thanks my dear.
There's something about Mary...Not even the angels acknowledge that she was there for the entire incident with Mr Gower and the poison pills, which means she never talked about to anyone either, including George. Later, her higher education was a major or minor in Home Economics, which was a serious field in those days. My paternal Grandmother up North in Boston had that same very practical education and advanced skills. Everything that needed to be done to renovate the old house, including sewing and upholstery, she knew how to do. The heavier work and materials were what George's family had been organizing for a long time, as well as the local contractors who did the best work. They also probably bought the house for back taxes or made a deal with the town to improve the old eyesore. People get on themselves for not doing that kind of thing themselves, but it wasn't just luck. It took skills, education and experience, not just determination to make Mary's dream house livable. Mr Potter's smearing of virtues and theft of the money are clear markers of Malignant Narcissism. It means that before the age of 7 the original child withdrew from intolerable reality to a small corner of his psyche and hadn't been seen since. Why? It varies. He may have been told repeatedly he was far superior to other children. He could have been abused. It could have been both. All that's left is a delusional grandiose ego, that needs constant confirmation of its superiority. His true goal is to make the town so corrupt that all he has to do is take a look out of any window to confirm his delusion about how much better he is than everyone else. It's a vacuous dream. All to hide the knowledge from himself that when he encountered other children he found that he wasn't THE BEST AT EVERYTHING, and refused to make the healthy adjustment the rest of us do. The adjustment from six year old egotist to seven year old moralist goes, " I'm good I have worth." to "If I have worth, then others also have worth." It's so basic, and happens so early. Listen carefully. Is someone not really finding fault, but smearing virtues, because they can't stand someone else being admired? Big warning. They will never change. Run. In the post Freudian era screenwriters and play writes portrayed the personality disorder beautifully. Another good movie is Dodsworth, that asks how toxic a wife and mother can become before the welfare of the family supercedes a man's marriage vows. Narcissists always get worse as they get older. It still has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.7 on IMDb. Not bad for a movie from 1936. The Silver Cord, a play adapted for the screen in 1930, is a chilling portrayal of a mother willing to destroy her sons future to keep them infantalized, for herself. It's actually frightening, and gave me chills. It's amazing it was ever made given the way motherhood was revered at the time.
This and click are two of my favorite movies to see people react to for the first time because they both have such beautiful messages and they always make me cry
This movie abd reaction, hit me harder than ever before, especially the part regarding Bailey's character thinking about taking his own life because a little 10 yr old boy from my home town, experiencing unimaginable bullying at school that wasnt addressed properly, bullies continued and this precious little boy took his own life, at the tender age of 10 yrs old which is something thats never occured in the town I grew up in and realize that this young mans tragedy, isnt the same circumstances as Peter Bailey's character but seeing, knowing when a person cannot bare to face another day, how desperate those that are suffering so deeply mentally can become to escape any way possible but am asking all to please pray for the parents, siblings and all those that truly loved this little boy, that are experiencing unfathomable pain. May God bless all Of you and your families.
As a lover of classic films, this is undoubtedly among my fav.s. See how they didn't sugarcoat the harsh realities of life. Such an important moral film.Time to time, just feel like checking out the reactions to the film to see what people think. The last many reactions I'd seen all had people crying to this, but you didn't. You must be strong.
I watch this movie every Christmas and cry each time. There's a theater where I live that shows this every Christmas season and I get to watch it on the big screen. The audience always cheers when George stands up to Potter and they always boo and hiss at the screen any time Potter shows up. There's never a dry eye and you can hear people sniffling during the touching moments. I hope you make it a yearly tradition for yourself and get as many family/friends together to watch it with you. This is the power of cinema at its greatest.
They had some top drawer child actors in this. 17:00 Mr Potter was played by great actor Lionel Barrymore, who usually played good-natured, sympathetic characters. 29:06 Mr Potter has an oil painting of himself over his fireplace! 30:00 Hope George & Mary can get their money back from the train & boat tickets. 33:53 Looks like George convince Sam to put his new plastics factory in Bedford Falls and probably didn't make a dime off of that either, but the laid off factory workers in town did! 51:12 Yes, that's Who he should have been consulting the whole time! 1:03:10 Mary always saved the day for George. She was a gift from The Almighty.
I thoroughly enjoyed your reaction to this classic movie. It's baffling how it wasn't well-regarded by the public and the critics at its release. It's structure is unique and the writing, acting and directing makes it the great movie it is seen as today.
Excellent insight and reaction on your part! Best movie ever..this movie has stopped many people from suicide...btw, it wasn't constellations, It represented God talking to Saint Joseph, to send down an angel
Director Frank Capra said he never understood why people considered this a Christmas movie. The movie actually bombed at the box office and actually almost drove the Director, Frank Capra into bankruptcy. This was the first movie James Stewart made after returning from World War II and he was nervous about doing it Lionel Barrymore, who played Mr. Potter, was the one who convinced him to do it, H.B. Warner, who played Mr. Gower the pharmacist, really was drunk when they filmed the scene where Mr. Gower slaps young George for not delivering the pills to the sick boy, and he really slapped Bobby J. Anderson and made his ear bleed. After they finished filming, Warned immediately apologized to Anderson and hugged him. The scene where Uncle Billy starts walking home after drinking too much champagne and crashes into the garbage cans offscreen was an accident. In the original script, Uncle Billy was supposed to walk off camera and the screen was supposed to go black. But when they filmed the scene, right after Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy) walked off camera, a crew member backstage accidentally knocked over a props table, and Mitchell ad-libbed the line "I'm alright! I'm alright!" to make it seem like it was on purpose. Director Frank Capra decided to keep it in the film and even paid the crew member an extra $10 for "improving" the scene. In the scene where George is loaning everybody money, the old woman was originally supposed to ask for $17, but Frank Capra, the director pulled her aside and told her to make it an odd number, so she asked for $17.50, which caught James Stewart off guard, so he impulsively kissed her, which was not in the script. The movie was shot during a summer heatwave. In fact, one day it got so hot that the cast and crew had to take a whole day off from work to recuperate. Henry Travers (Clarence) doesn't appear onscreen until the last 30 minutes of the movie, and he only has 15 minutes of screen time. The set for Bedford Falls was constructed in two months and was one of the largest sets ever made for a motion picture. It covered four acres of RKO's Encino Ranch and included 75 stores and buildings, a main street, a factory district, and a large residential and slum area. Main Street was 300 yards long- three whole city blocks. Uncle Billy's raven, Jimmy the Crow has appeared in over 1,000 feature films, including every movie Frank Capra made, from You Can't Take it With You, in 1938. JImmy the Crow was the bird that lands on the scarecrow in the movie The Wizard of Oz.
It's not just a Christmas movie. The story takes place over all times of the year and over many years. (The same with _Meet Me in St. Louis.)_ The last part is all at Christmas, though.
@HuntingViolets Yes. It's a Christmas movie you can watch any time of the year. I consider it more of a Christmas movie than something like Die Hard, Trading Places or Lethal Weapon. It seems like just because a movie mentions Christmas, it's a "Christmas movie".
While the original b&w film should always be preserve, protected and loved, the colorized version has been my favorite each year. When I watch this with the television set to "vivid", the movie looks like it was shot in color and crisp enough to look like it was recently shot. There was a horrendous colorized version on VHS I would pop on because it was selling for $1 at the supermarket and I preferred no color to watching that monstrosity.
Forgive me for being late on seeing this. Been real busy lately . . . but I'm happy you watched this movie. This is one of my favorite movies! A lot of black and white movies are really better than a lot of movies these days
Poor Journey getting hammered in the early comments! 😆 No worries young lady, I also prefer the B and W version (when you watch a lot of B and W films you start to notice the shadows, scenes or people bathed in bright light, or in darkness, and how it all affects the scenes' mood/tone. I admire great lighting in films and to think people are setting it up a certain way to evoke a mood, there's true artistry behind it), but you certainly did *nothing* wrong in watching it in color. Also, I've been off the internet for about 2 months so I'm looking forward to catching up on your reactions, your channel is one of my favorites. It's the great editing, but you're also so damn charming!
There are so many parts of this movie that are just amazing and touching. But my favorite thing of all I think is what Clarence writes to George in that book. It is indeed true that no man or woman is a failure that has made good friends. Money is indeed not everything. Money is basically a THING. That's it. It's what happens outside of the money that makes us human and successful.
The thing that breaks me is the message that no bit of being kind to others is wasted. Being a good person, even at the expense of your comfort, *matters*. Maybe it won’t give you material benefits, but helping others can mean everything to people you might not even meet ever again. You change the world with being kind to even just one person
Lionel Barrymore who played Old man Potter is the great uncle to actress Drew Barrymore. Also the man who played Nick the Bartender is Sheldon Leonard who later went on to produce the Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960's. The constellation of stars is God instructing the Angels. Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 to you and your family!
Hey, great surprise pick! You were right of course -- it's obviously ridiculous to think there's a wrong time of year to watch this. Whatever traditions some people have, the film is no less moving in May than it is in December. Really cool that you now consider it a favorite. And speaking as a longtime member of the Mary/Donna Reed infatuation society, it was nice seeing you respond to her character so highly. (Doesn't always get the praise she deserves!) People will give you hell for the colorization, but don't take it to heart. The companies still selling and streaming the colorized prints are to blame for that. Next time you watch, make it B&W. 👍
It's A Wonderful Life is not only timeless, but also a time capsule. As I watch these many reactions, I am reminded of how much our culture and vernacular has changed. 1.) The "sledding" on a snow shovel was mostly out of necessity. In a time when money was really tight, for a larger number of people, a shovel would be a necessity, a sled would be a luxury. 2.) The soda shop/pharmacy where George worked was commonplace. In the movie, George would the 'soda jerk'. 3.) The remark that Mary yells up to her mother, "He's making violent love to me, mother." was INNCREDIBLY risqué language for the time. 4.) The 'telephone' scene George's inner turmoil spills over. He KNOWS that he loves Mary. The inevitable marriage literally puts the last 'nail in the lid on the coffin' of his dreams to see the world. 5.) The $8,000 that Uncle Billy 'lost' has the purchasing power of nearly $130,000 today. 6.) The $20,000 that Mr. Potter offers George is equivalent to nearly $350,000 today. It was not only a trick to destroy the Building and Loan, it was a very dirty trick. Mr. Potter's line, "...I'm offering you a 3 years contract..." Three years and George would out of a job and the Building and Loan would be gone. In my opinion, the aftermath would be catastrophic. 7.) A lot of reactors are not happy about the idea that Mr. Potter gets away with theft. I believe that the movie accomplished two things here ..... a.] Revenge is not going to end well. The old adage 'Two wrongs don't make a right.', in my opinion, is truth. b.] No matter what evil people perpetrate upon you, your happiness, joy and inner peace is a choice. A belief that a person who tries to be honorable and compassionate will experience a favorable outcome. 8) the scene... 'I wish I had a million dollars. ' 'Hot Dog!' Involved a cigar lighter. Grorge, like other children, was making a wish on it, and if it lit, your wish supposed to come true. The determining factor is the match in the lighter. If the pharmacist or the last person to use it didn't replace the match, it obviously would not light. 9) the strings on Uncle Billy's fingers are there as a reminder. It was an old way for forgetful and absent minded people used ....this string is for that event... that string is for this appointment .. etc 10) 'a lot of garlic eaters' was an ethnic insult to the wave of Italian immigrants of the time....the 1940s... Frank Capra being an American of Italian decent. I delivered mail to a predominantly Italian American suburb of Chicago. One of my patrons was complaining about the current (at the time) wave of people immigrating from Mexico. She stopped herself and said, " Oh well, we were the 'greaseball' Italian to the Swedish immigrants living here when we came in." I guess there will always be some prejudices. 11) some reactors have commented on George striking the match on the sole of his shoe. These were completely different matches back then.... 'strike anywhere' ......the matches today are designed to strike on the specific spot on the packaging that in comes in. 12) the dance they are doing is 'The Charleston' .... it was a very popular dance in the 1920s. I hope that no matter what you are dealing with during this Holiday Season, that the Peace and Love of God will be with you 🙏
It’s one of my favorite movies. It’s a yearly watch at Christmas time. You should watch other Frank Capra movies - Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Mr Deeds Goes to Town, and Meet John Doe are my favorites.
Always loved the creativity in older films.. and the direct simplicity of the storylines, too. Today's movies rely too much on gimmicks to truly speak to the audience, imo.. Loved your reaction!
Mr. Gower has to taste it to see what's in there: this is 1919 in a small drugstore, not 2024 with a lab to test things out. In days before now, when midwives and doctors made medicine, they used their senses to put the medicines together. And so, they would taste, they would smell, they would rub between their fingers. Mr. Gower probably did NOT taste what he put in there before, otherwise the scene would not have happened.
Another Jimmy Stewart movie I would recommend is "Call Northside 777". It is based on the true story of a newspaper man (Stewart) who comes to believe that a prisoner was wrongly convicted. Not as well known as Harvey or Anatomy if a Murder, but still great.
If you really like old time movies A POCKET FULL OF MIRICLES with Betty Davis (1961). I cant afford to give money for the suggestion but its a fun great movie. I enjoy your channel .
It's A Wonderful Life Is not only the greatest Christmas movie ever made, it is also the greatest Christian movie this side of The Passion of the Christ. That ending is exactly what Christ wanted for all of us. And yes, It's A Wonderful Life is also one of the greatest love stories ever put on film. This movie features what is arguably James Stewarts best performance. Its a real shame that he didnt win Best Actor for Its A Wonderful Life. Mary Bailey is probably the most wonderful wife and mother in film history.
My mom loved this movie. She cried Everytime she saw it. We would watch it together. Mom was diagnosed with cancer. It was a long battle but she passed away in 2011. On the way to her funeral I heard the bell toll. "Mom" I said. "You just got your wings."
Good fortune and health to you...
wonderful you. the best to you and yours.
Thank you for sharing that🙏🏼 I’m so sorry for your loss, thank you for watching😊
@@journeymariereacts Not a problem! My mom was the best.
@@RichardM1366 My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and passed just this past February. I’m so blessed that we have friends, family, and MOVIES to continue to give us perspective in times when we don’t quite understand the “why” of life. “To my big brother George, the richest man in town.” My mom passed as the richest woman I knew. ♥️
The most beautiful, life-affirming movie of all-time. SERIOUSLY
So happy to see you react to this classic. Note: Lionel Barrymore (Potter) was the great-uncle of Drew Barrymore (family of actors since the 1870s) - Also, the Beverly Hills High School "Swim Gym" was built in 1939 and is still in use today, in its original form.
And a Best Actor Oscar winner to boot!
Carl Switzer had a really sad ending, he was murdered during an argument with friends and they got off on self defense when it was clearly a murder
Actors since 1870…MK Ultra success
Donna Reed played baseball in high school and was actually able to break the window with a rock. Capra hired a marksman to shoot it out, but Reed insisted she could do it so Capra filmed it. Also, credit to Capra for making such a strong woman character... Mary was a wonderful Backgammon player at Bedford High and was able to go to college on a scholarship. She studied Russian literature and homemaking. She got her college degree. She was head of her USO group, saves the Building and Loan from being closed when there is a run on the bank, rebuilds the Granville house pretty much by herself and raises four children. Mary also saves George in many ways and then eventually, the whole town.... Everytime I watch this, I love Mary more and more.
She played softball in HS in Denison, Iowa.
@@zedwpd I don't know what to tell you, everything I've read says she played baseball, I thought it was an error too (pun intended). You do know, there was a famous movie about women playing baseball in the mid 40s, right? I'm afraid you'll have to notify IMDB, Wikipedia,Trivia Pursuit, Google and everywhere else I read this. Girls probably played both in that time. Either way, my point was she was capable of throwing overhand... good luck and let me know how it turns out, Merry Christmas.
Frank Capra wasn't the only one to underestimate Donna Reed. Lionel Barrymore, who played Mr. Potter, didn't believe Donna Reed's claim about growing up on a farm in Iowa, so one day there was a live cow backstage and Barrymore bet Reed $50 she couldn't milk it. Reed won the bet and said it was the easiest $50 she ever won.
Mary is 100% the MVP.
I believe Mary and her mom bought shares in Sam plastic's factory and thats Why he sent the 25k LOL LOL
Fun fact: when Uncle Billy knocks over the trashcans... that was actually a stagehand offscreen knocking over a stack of film canisters. With Uncle Billy's little improv, that stagehand got a raise in his paycheck
I love seeing the younger generation appreciate such great classics
Some information about the actor Jimmy Stuart.
Jimmy Stewart was a true American Hero. He was a WWII combat veteran and Commander of a Bomber wing. He had over 20 combat mission over Germany. After the war he transition to the Air Force Reserve and retired as a Brigadier General. He flew missions over Korea and Vietnam.
Jimmy Stewart used his PTSD to really play this role. PTSD wasn't known at the time. He had not long been home from the war when he filmed this movie. He still had all the grief of seeing friends and the men that was under him die over France and Germany. Jimmy was a Wing Commander in the 8th Air Force. He was a B-24 Liberator pilot. He was a real hero.
I know a man who was a friend of Jimmy Stuarts and he said Jimmy Stuarts said that prayer at Martinis was Not acting. He was genuinely calling on God for real, that was him 100% real working through the trauma he had experienced in his experiences in the WW2 flying missions. Once he was flying a mission when the bottom of his plane was shot out and men fell to their deaths screaming. He and his co pilots legs were literally dangling out the bottom of the plane but managed to land.
Jimmy STEWART
Just stumbled upon your channel
Really enjoy this movie
It’s insane how good it is and how timeless it is. Still a Christmas classic to this day.
This is was one of the best reactions I’ve seen. I was unfortunately unlucky in love. Every time I watch this movie I wish I could have had a wonderful woman like Mary. This movie is so inspiring in so many ways and I could see in your face what it meant to you. May God bless you and keep you.
Thank you!!🥹🙏🏼god bless you as well
43:04 The uncle has a bad memory. That's why he has strings tied around his fingers. Those are supposed to remind a person to do something.
I knew you'd love it. "It's a Wonderful Life" is easily one of the most wholesome movies of all-time. My great-grandfather grew up in western Pennsylvania with Jimmy Stewart. They played youth sports together. My great-grandfather received a basketball scholarship to Temple University and Jimmy Stewart went on to Princeton University.
It's more than 'wholesome'; it deliberately subverts the 'American dream'. The smalltown, good guy wins out.....
@@Caambrinus For sure. It's somewhat unrealistic but also not. You see, Potter was wrong that Peter Bailey and the building and loan was a failure and "not a business man" Peter Bailey and then George Bailey probably created MORE wealth overall through their business but that money was reinvested into the community and to their common neighbor rather then to enrich themselves etc. Ironically it was BECAUSE George and his family served and protected the community that they had enough personal wealth to come together and bail him out, even when he COULDN'T himself partially because he hadn't been selfish and saved/kept more money etc. Another small subplot that is awesome in this movie is Sam Wainwright. It's a great example of WHY to be patient and kind and friendly to all your friends even the rich, somewhat bombastic, even annoying ones that seem to abandon or leave your town or your presence. Sam, always saw George as one of his greatest friends because George was always kind to him, it's no wonder that when Mr. Gower telegraphed him that he was willing to advance George the money. George was a real friend and a stalwart for the town that Sam came from and I think George actions probably made it possible for Sam even to do some of the things he did outside of Potter's influence. Great movie with a lot of nice character archetypes and subplots.
Great reaction to a classic, definitely earned my sub…. Thank you
Thanks for the sub!
I love this movie. 26 years old and it makes me cry every time 😂🥹 such a simple movie and message but it’s really shown beautifully.
36:46 "George, I'll start you out at $20,000 a year."
Today, that would be more than $320,000 a year.
Great acting by Jimmy Stewart. The bar scene where he breaks down in despair was some of his best work.
The bar scene where George was praying Jimmy Stewart was suffering PTSD he flew over missions over Europe as bomber pilot he witnessed a lot his friends get blown out of the sky. And since he was executive officer he was tasked writing the letters home to their love ones. RIP General James Stewart USAF
Im 62 and have seen this movie many times... and still well with tears at the end. Great reaction!
Mary IS a real one!
That should be part of the title.
It’s A Wonderful Life…Mary Is A Real One.
You nailed it. George is a dreamer and Mary keeps him grounded.
When you’re a big-picture person sometimes you’re unable to focus on the finer details.
With the exception that Mary wanted to continue on to their honeymoon and not stop to see about the bank run. Once she saw and heard George’s impassioned speech in the Building and Loan, she understood.
Wonderful reaction and smile during the movie closing scene was precious.🔔🎶
"It's A Wonderful Life" film legacy mirrored George Baily's life. The cast, crew and audiences loved the movie when it premiered in 1946 but was overlooked for most of the awards and accolades it so deserved. As the years passed, the stars all went on to other great things and the film seemed like a fond memory.
Then, perhaps an angel showed a clerk what the Christmas Season would be like without George Baily's story. Somebody intervened and the film's copyright paperwork was misplaced. The film rights lapsed into the public domain. Then cable television came along, the film would air continuously on television during the Christmas season. Families old and new came together making the movie a Christmas tradition, falling in love with George, Mary and the people of Bedford Falls.
🔔"It's A Wonderful Life," the richest film in town. 🔔🎶
This movie was amazing love the video Marie stay motivated dream big 1 mill on the way
What a wonderful reaction, loved it. Movies like this are so underrated, I’m glad people like yourself watch these classics. 😊
Glad you enjoyed, thank you!🥹🙏🏼
We all need a Clarence in our life, wings or no wings doesn't matter
Love this film. James Stewart (George Bailey) is my favorite actor. I highly recommend his films The Glenn Miller Story, Anatomy of a Murder, Vertigo, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Rear Window, Harvey, No Highway in the Sky, Shanandoah, Carbine Williams, The Philadelphia Story, Made For Each Other, Flight of the Phoenix, The Man that Shot Liberty Valanace. Just to name a few.
No room for The Man Who Knew Too Much?
I cant believe given my age, that I've STILL not seen this movie. My parents used to always watch it and I may have watched the first few minutes a few times but always skipped it. Marie is now motivating me to watch it so I can see her reaction :)
Please watch and enjoy. It's not for everyone, but everyone should see it at least once. Come back and let us know what you think... 😊
I recommend watching the black and white version when you do.
@@HuntingViolets Awesome, I'll def be watching it this Christmas once and for all and black and white version it is. Thank you :)
@@svtcontour Cool.
I am 74 and I still cry every year when I watch this. It always makes me want to be a better person.
It's been a while for me to see you, but WOW what an awesome reaction. It's just great watching stuff with you. Humor, smarts, emotion. You nailed it again! Also nice to know that you are hopelessly romantic😁🤣😁
Welcome back! So glad you enjoy my reactions so much🥹🙏🏼 thank you for the support!
Wow this colorized version looks cooI I only seen the b&w one.
Merry Christmas 🎄JM! (I’m playin’ 😂)
Great reaction i Love that you react to everything without being wary because it’s old or in black and white. You do it greatly 👍🏾
So glad you enjoyed, & thank you🙏🏼😁
We can figure out how old George is: Joseph tells Clarence at the ice sliding scene that it's 1919 and George is 12, so he was born in 1907. The gym scene takes place in 1928: we see the banner in the gym, so George is 21. Later on we see that brother Harry was born in 1911. Mary is 18 in 1928 (we see the banner telling us the year in the gym), so she was born in 1910.
Clarence says Harry died at the age of nine but the tombstone says 1911-1919, which would make him eight, so something's not right there.
@@HuntingViolets Could be that Clarence is a little lacking in arithmetic skills (I know I am!).
It's been awhile since I seen this movie but watching it again reminds me why it's a great classic . That never gets old , no matter what the season. Thanks my dear.
There's something about Mary...Not even the angels acknowledge that she was there for the entire incident with Mr Gower and the poison pills, which means she never talked about to anyone either, including George. Later, her higher education was a major or minor in Home Economics, which was a serious field in those days. My paternal Grandmother up North in Boston had that same very practical education and advanced skills. Everything that needed to be done to renovate the old house, including sewing and upholstery, she knew how to do. The heavier work and materials were what George's family had been organizing for a long time, as well as the local contractors who did the best work. They also probably bought the house for back taxes or made a deal with the town to improve the old eyesore. People get on themselves for not doing that kind of thing themselves, but it wasn't just luck. It took skills, education and experience, not just determination to make Mary's dream house livable.
Mr Potter's smearing of virtues and theft of the money are clear markers of Malignant Narcissism. It means that before the age of 7 the original child withdrew from intolerable reality to a small corner of his psyche and hadn't been seen since. Why? It varies. He may have been told repeatedly he was far superior to other children. He could have been abused. It could have been both. All that's left is a delusional grandiose ego, that needs constant confirmation of its superiority. His true goal is to make the town so corrupt that all he has to do is take a look out of any window to confirm his delusion about how much better he is than everyone else. It's a vacuous dream. All to hide the knowledge from himself that when he encountered other children he found that he wasn't THE BEST AT EVERYTHING, and refused to make the healthy adjustment the rest of us do. The adjustment from six year old egotist to seven year old moralist goes, " I'm good I have worth." to "If I have worth, then others also have worth." It's so basic, and happens so early. Listen carefully. Is someone not really finding fault, but smearing virtues, because they can't stand someone else being admired? Big warning. They will never change. Run. In the post Freudian era screenwriters and play writes portrayed the personality disorder beautifully. Another good movie is Dodsworth, that asks how toxic a wife and mother can become before the welfare of the family supercedes a man's marriage vows. Narcissists always get worse as they get older. It still has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.7 on IMDb. Not bad for a movie from 1936. The Silver Cord, a play adapted for the screen in 1930, is a chilling portrayal of a mother willing to destroy her sons future to keep them infantalized, for herself. It's actually frightening, and gave me chills. It's amazing it was ever made given the way motherhood was revered at the time.
1946, not '36. As to Mary knowing what Gower and George were saying (like about the poison), she probably would not have heard.
Great reaction ! Love when you watch old classics ❤
This is a great Christmas movie.
They show this every year on NBC.
This and click are two of my favorite movies to see people react to for the first time because they both have such beautiful messages and they always make me cry
In the statement "born older." Means mature and responsible beyond his years.
George was dancing the Charleston when he and Mary were dancing in the auditorium
"We need that constellation to come down from the sky right about now." Nice one! 😅
This movie abd reaction, hit me harder than ever before, especially the part regarding Bailey's character thinking about taking his own life because a little 10 yr old boy from my home town, experiencing unimaginable bullying at school that wasnt addressed properly, bullies continued and this precious little boy took his own life, at the tender age of 10 yrs old which is something thats never occured in the town I grew up in and realize that this young mans tragedy, isnt the same circumstances as Peter Bailey's character but seeing, knowing when a person cannot bare to face another day, how desperate those that are suffering so deeply mentally can become to escape any way possible but am asking all to please pray for the parents, siblings and all those that truly loved this little boy, that are experiencing unfathomable pain. May God bless all Of you and your families.
I truly loved your reactions and cherished the opportunity to share this movie with you. Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it!🙏🏼🥲
Very good reaction, really enjoyed this!
Glad you enjoyed🙏🏼😁
As a lover of classic films, this is undoubtedly among my fav.s. See how they didn't sugarcoat the harsh realities of life. Such an important moral film.Time to time, just feel like checking out the reactions to the film to see what people think. The last many reactions I'd seen all had people crying to this, but you didn't. You must be strong.
This is a very good movie but, I think if you like great ones, check out the grapes of wrath. That is a favorite of mine. Love your reactions, girl!
This movie saved my life in 2016! Was so happy to see such a wonderful reaction to it
So glad u enjoyed my reaction! & that you’re still here🥹🙏🏼
That move George makes at the dance is the Charleston.
I watch this movie every Christmas and cry each time. There's a theater where I live that shows this every Christmas season and I get to watch it on the big screen. The audience always cheers when George stands up to Potter and they always boo and hiss at the screen any time Potter shows up. There's never a dry eye and you can hear people sniffling during the touching moments. I hope you make it a yearly tradition for yourself and get as many family/friends together to watch it with you. This is the power of cinema at its greatest.
They had some top drawer child actors in this. 17:00 Mr Potter was played by great actor Lionel Barrymore, who usually played good-natured, sympathetic characters. 29:06 Mr Potter has an oil painting of himself over his fireplace! 30:00 Hope George & Mary can get their money back from the train & boat tickets. 33:53 Looks like George convince Sam to put his new plastics factory in Bedford Falls and probably didn't make a dime off of that either, but the laid off factory workers in town did! 51:12 Yes, that's Who he should have been consulting the whole time! 1:03:10 Mary always saved the day for George. She was a gift from The Almighty.
I remember this movie playing on TV every Christmas season from the 1950s thru the 1980s
Well, Christmas has come early. Great reaction! 👍🏿
Yes! Thank you!
I really appreciate the intelligence and empathy you brought to this reaction.
Thank you!!!🥹
Sam Wainwright. An ass with class. Been watching this for decades. First time with my Grandmom and Great Aunt. Love this.
I thoroughly enjoyed your reaction to this classic movie. It's baffling how it wasn't well-regarded by the public and the critics at its release. It's structure is unique and the writing, acting and directing makes it the great movie it is seen as today.
It's a great movie. I watch every year during the winter holiday season. I'm glad you liked it.
Excellent insight and reaction on your part! Best movie ever..this movie has stopped many people from suicide...btw, it wasn't constellations, It represented God talking to Saint Joseph, to send down an angel
I've seen this movie 100x, and I still cry everytime
Loved your reaction. You got the message and explained it perfectly
Thank you 😊 glad u enjoyed!
Great reaction journey as always keep going I haven't seen this movie in a while 🔥
Thank you! Will do!
Great reaction to a such a wonderful movie!!🥰
Thank you!!!
That was a wonderful reaction to one of the best movies ever made!
Peace
Wow, thank you!
Best movie ever! But the version in black and white is 100 times better 😊
Director Frank Capra said he never understood why people considered this a Christmas movie.
The movie actually bombed at the box office and actually almost drove the Director, Frank Capra into bankruptcy.
This was the first movie James Stewart made after returning from World War II and he was nervous about doing it Lionel Barrymore, who played Mr. Potter, was the one who convinced him to do it,
H.B. Warner, who played Mr. Gower the pharmacist, really was drunk when they filmed the scene where Mr. Gower slaps young George for not delivering the pills to the sick boy, and he really slapped Bobby J. Anderson and made his ear bleed. After they finished filming, Warned immediately apologized to Anderson and hugged him.
The scene where Uncle Billy starts walking home after drinking too much champagne and crashes into the garbage cans offscreen was an accident. In the original script, Uncle Billy was supposed to walk off camera and the screen was supposed to go black. But when they filmed the scene, right after Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy) walked off camera, a crew member backstage accidentally knocked over a props table, and Mitchell ad-libbed the line "I'm alright! I'm alright!" to make it seem like it was on purpose. Director Frank Capra decided to keep it in the film and even paid the crew member an extra $10 for "improving" the scene.
In the scene where George is loaning everybody money, the old woman was originally supposed to ask for $17, but Frank Capra, the director pulled her aside and told her to make it an odd number, so she asked for $17.50, which caught James Stewart off guard, so he impulsively kissed her, which was not in the script.
The movie was shot during a summer heatwave. In fact, one day it got so hot that the cast and crew had to take a whole day off from work to recuperate.
Henry Travers (Clarence) doesn't appear onscreen until the last 30 minutes of the movie, and he only has 15 minutes of screen time.
The set for Bedford Falls was constructed in two months and was one of the largest sets ever made for a motion picture. It covered four acres of RKO's Encino Ranch and included 75 stores and buildings, a main street, a factory district, and a large residential and slum area. Main Street was 300 yards long- three whole city blocks.
Uncle Billy's raven, Jimmy the Crow has appeared in over 1,000 feature films, including every movie Frank Capra made, from You Can't Take it With You, in 1938. JImmy the Crow was the bird that lands on the scarecrow in the movie The Wizard of Oz.
It's not just a Christmas movie. The story takes place over all times of the year and over many years. (The same with _Meet Me in St. Louis.)_ The last part is all at Christmas, though.
@HuntingViolets Yes. It's a Christmas movie you can watch any time of the year. I consider it more of a Christmas movie than something like Die Hard, Trading Places or Lethal Weapon. It seems like just because a movie mentions Christmas, it's a "Christmas movie".
Excellent reaction. I like the color version much better than the black and white version
Your reaction to "It's A Wonderful Life" is now one of my favorites, and I also now prefer the colorized version of the movie.
While the original b&w film should always be preserve, protected and loved, the colorized version has been my favorite each year. When I watch this with the television set to "vivid", the movie looks like it was shot in color and crisp enough to look like it was recently shot. There was a horrendous colorized version on VHS I would pop on because it was selling for $1 at the supermarket and I preferred no color to watching that monstrosity.
Wow thank you!!!
lovely video - it’s always great to see a good person affected by this film
Thank you so much!
Great movie... and your hair is fantastic.
awww thank you!!!
Great reaction!
Thank you!! 😁
Forgive me for being late on seeing this. Been real busy lately . . . but I'm happy you watched this movie. This is one of my favorite movies! A lot of black and white movies are really better than a lot of movies these days
Poor Journey getting hammered in the early comments! 😆 No worries young lady, I also prefer the B and W version (when you watch a lot of B and W films you start to notice the shadows, scenes or people bathed in bright light, or in darkness, and how it all affects the scenes' mood/tone. I admire great lighting in films and to think people are setting it up a certain way to evoke a mood, there's true artistry behind it), but you certainly did *nothing* wrong in watching it in color. Also, I've been off the internet for about 2 months so I'm looking forward to catching up on your reactions, your channel is one of my favorites. It's the great editing, but you're also so damn charming!
Thank you so much for the kinds words!🥹 glad you’re back & hope u enjoy my new videos🙏🏼
@@journeymariereacts 😉
There are so many parts of this movie that are just amazing and touching. But my favorite thing of all I think is what Clarence writes to George in that book. It is indeed true that no man or woman is a failure that has made good friends. Money is indeed not everything. Money is basically a THING. That's it. It's what happens outside of the money that makes us human and successful.
The thing that breaks me is the message that no bit of being kind to others is wasted. Being a good person, even at the expense of your comfort, *matters*. Maybe it won’t give you material benefits, but helping others can mean everything to people you might not even meet ever again. You change the world with being kind to even just one person
Lionel Barrymore who played Old man Potter is the great uncle to actress Drew Barrymore. Also the man who played Nick the Bartender is Sheldon Leonard who later went on to produce the Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960's.
The constellation of stars is God instructing the Angels.
Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 to you and your family!
Hey, great surprise pick! You were right of course -- it's obviously ridiculous to think there's a wrong time of year to watch this. Whatever traditions some people have, the film is no less moving in May than it is in December. Really cool that you now consider it a favorite. And speaking as a longtime member of the Mary/Donna Reed infatuation society, it was nice seeing you respond to her character so highly. (Doesn't always get the praise she deserves!)
People will give you hell for the colorization, but don't take it to heart. The companies still selling and streaming the colorized prints are to blame for that. Next time you watch, make it B&W. 👍
Love your reaction.
Nice! Keep doing your thing homie. Your style is dope btw..
Great reaction❤
Great reaction, Marie! Glad you liked it. I'm like you in that I think Mary is the perfect wife.
@journey marie keep doing ya thing 💪🏾
I like the way it looks in color too ....both versions are good.....
It is in black-and-white, the original was black-and-white. Later on they came with a colorized version. So glad you reacted to this.
Color ruins the film. Couldn’t watch it.
I'm surprised by how many reactors don't get that the "stars" are God and a couple of angels talking. I did enjoy your reaction, so I subscribed. :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
hello ! I just L&S ed and thnx4bn ! you are a good reactor , relatable & ... well very 'well represented visually' .... cheers
Excellent review.
Subbed.
Thanks for the sub!
The greatest movie of all time
Good one to always pick up your day ! 🕊️☮️
Something that a lot of people miss. On their honeymoon when Mary tells George her wish, she is saying it in his bad ear. So he still does not know.
24:30 - Journey Marie: "He'd better stop trying to play so cool."
He's not playing cool - he's depressed. And bitter.
It's A Wonderful Life is not only timeless, but also a time capsule.
As I watch these many reactions, I am reminded of how much our culture and vernacular has changed.
1.) The "sledding" on a snow shovel was mostly out of necessity. In a time when money was really tight, for a larger number of people, a shovel would be a necessity, a sled would be a luxury.
2.) The soda shop/pharmacy where George worked was commonplace. In the movie, George would the 'soda jerk'.
3.) The remark that Mary yells up to her mother, "He's making violent love to me, mother." was INNCREDIBLY risqué language for the time.
4.) The 'telephone' scene George's inner turmoil spills over. He KNOWS that he loves Mary. The inevitable marriage literally puts the last 'nail in the lid on the coffin' of his dreams to see the world.
5.) The $8,000 that Uncle Billy 'lost' has the purchasing power of nearly $130,000 today.
6.) The $20,000 that Mr. Potter offers George is equivalent to nearly $350,000 today.
It was not only a trick to destroy the Building and Loan, it was a very dirty trick. Mr. Potter's line, "...I'm offering you a 3 years contract..."
Three years and George would out of a job and the Building and Loan would be gone. In my opinion, the aftermath would be catastrophic.
7.) A lot of reactors are not happy about the idea that Mr. Potter gets away with theft.
I believe that the movie accomplished two things here .....
a.] Revenge is not going to end well. The old adage 'Two wrongs don't make a right.', in my opinion, is truth.
b.] No matter what evil people perpetrate upon you, your happiness, joy and inner peace is a choice. A belief that a person who tries to be honorable and compassionate will experience a favorable outcome.
8) the scene... 'I wish I had a million dollars. '
'Hot Dog!'
Involved a cigar lighter.
Grorge, like other children, was making a wish on it, and if it lit, your wish supposed to come true.
The determining factor is the match in the lighter. If the pharmacist or the last person to use it didn't replace the match, it obviously would not light.
9) the strings on Uncle Billy's fingers are there as a reminder. It was an old way for forgetful and absent minded people used ....this string is for that event... that string is for this appointment
..
etc
10) 'a lot of garlic eaters' was an ethnic insult to the wave of Italian immigrants of the time....the 1940s... Frank Capra being an American of Italian decent.
I delivered mail to a predominantly Italian American suburb of Chicago.
One of my patrons was complaining about the current (at the time) wave of people immigrating from Mexico.
She stopped herself and said, " Oh well, we were the 'greaseball' Italian to the Swedish immigrants living here when we came in." I guess there will always be some prejudices.
11) some reactors have commented on George striking the match on the sole of his shoe. These were completely different matches back then.... 'strike anywhere' ......the matches today are designed to strike on the specific spot on the packaging that in comes in.
12) the dance they are doing is 'The Charleston' .... it was a very popular dance in the 1920s.
I hope that no matter what you are dealing with during this Holiday Season, that the Peace and Love of God will be with you 🙏
Enjoined this! ❤️
First movie Jimmy Stewart did after coming home from serving in World war 2.... Great movie and great review!!!
Thank you!!!
The office chair was low so people would have to look up to potter.. obviously while he looks down on them
Great movie! I first watched this movie last year in December and really enjoyed it 💯
Your reaction is great! Have a good day beautiful!!
Thank you! You too!
Best reaction ever!!
Thank you!!!
It’s one of my favorite movies. It’s a yearly watch at Christmas time. You should watch other Frank Capra movies - Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Mr Deeds Goes to Town, and Meet John Doe are my favorites.
Always loved the creativity in older films.. and the direct simplicity of the storylines, too. Today's movies rely too much on gimmicks to truly speak to the audience, imo..
Loved your reaction!
It's the difference between art and amusement park rides.
Well said! & thank you🙏🏼
_The Bells of St. Mary's_ is playing at the movie house in Bedford Falls. Another movie you might like to react to.
Mr. Gower has to taste it to see what's in there: this is 1919 in a small drugstore, not 2024 with a lab to test things out. In days before now, when midwives and doctors made medicine, they used their senses to put the medicines together. And so, they would taste, they would smell, they would rub between their fingers. Mr. Gower probably did NOT taste what he put in there before, otherwise the scene would not have happened.
Another Jimmy Stewart movie I would recommend is "Call Northside 777". It is based on the true story of a newspaper man (Stewart) who comes to believe that a prisoner was wrongly convicted. Not as well known as Harvey or Anatomy if a Murder, but still great.
If you really like old time movies A POCKET FULL OF MIRICLES with Betty Davis (1961). I cant afford to give money for the suggestion but its a fun great movie. I enjoy your channel .
The color version: pass this one by. The black and white original is so beautiful.
Hey beautiful lady.Thanks for the wonderful podcast
You are so welcome😊🙏🏼
It's A Wonderful Life Is not only the greatest Christmas movie ever made, it is also the greatest Christian movie this side of The Passion of the Christ. That ending is exactly what Christ wanted for all of us. And yes, It's A Wonderful Life is also one of the greatest love stories ever put on film. This movie features what is arguably James Stewarts best performance. Its a real shame that he didnt win Best Actor for Its A Wonderful Life. Mary Bailey is probably the most wonderful wife and mother in film history.
Most think George was the protagonist of the movie, but actually Mary was the Hero of the story.
The protagonist and the hero aren't the same thing. Both things can be true.
14:05 "Hey. That's pretty good. What did you wish, Mary?"
She can't tell you that, George. Don't you want it to come true?