WWII had recently ended and Jimmy Stewart didn't want to take the role because he didn't think he could do it justice. Today he would have been diagnosed with PTSD. He later said the role was actually very cathartic. He was showing genuine emotions in scenes like the bar scene and his running through the street yelling. When asked, he said George Bailey was his favorite character of his career.
I feel like this makes sense why these scenes are so real to us. My husband is a veteran and has PTSD- these scenes make me more emotional every passing year. 😢
We now know that James Stewart was suffering from PTSD after his WW2 service. This was the first film that Mr. Stewart made after his return from Europe. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to return to acting. He felt that acting was trivial, after what he had been through during the war. Frank Capra was able to convince James Stewart to return to acting. Aren't we lucky that he did? James Stewart was magnificent in this film.
Along with Frank Capra, Lionel Barrymore (Potter) convinced Jimmy Stewart to take the role. Between that and playing an iconic villain, he did a great job.
I found that the fact that Harry Potter (the villain of It's A Wonderful Life) never gets punished just reflects real life. Potter represented an ever-present evil, and I go as far to say he's a stand in for the Devil. You don't defeat the devil by direct assault. You just live your life in such a way that friendship and love become stronger than his influences.
Good actors can engender strong emotions in their audiences. That is an anazing thing to be able to do. To affect people they will never meet, so strongly, from a flat piece of film (or digitally now) is astounding. This ability should never be undervalued. Charlie Chaplin was brilliant at doing this. I personally detest Shelley Winters for playing the horribly abusive, bigoted, slutty mother of a young blind girl, in the wonderful film "A Patch Of Blue." I grudgingly accept that Shelley Winters was a talented actress. I still hate her, however.
And their $2000 honeymoon money (in August, 1929) would have been worth almost $37000 in 2024. (And $17.50 would have been worth about $320 in 2024). Curiously, two other sources suggest $8000 in December, 1945 would have been worth about $140000 in 2024.
@borbetomagus Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI calculator put it at a little over $138,000. It depends on the dates used to calculate: I used December 1945 translated to November 2024, the closest date it would allow.
I thought about it immediately and was enraged left with many emotions of how unjust it was! Then concluded that’s Americas culture for ya where the wrongdoers aren’t punished!! Saw this movie for the first time when I was 39 after moving from another country.
Mr. Potter greedily pursues wealth for its own sake. George Bailey only cares about money to the extent that it can help people improve their lives. Most importantly, the lives of his family and friends that he loves so well.
Wealth for its own sake.....a perfect way to say it. And a perfect way to describe the goal of all the greedy billionnaires trying to influence our governmental policies RIGHT NOW! Wealth for its own sake. That's all the greedy care about!
Nothing beats the original but has anyone seen the television remake It Happened One Christmas from 1977 with Marlo Thomas as Mary Bailey, Cloris Leachman as Clara the angel and Orson Welles as Potter? It's a gender switched version with a great cast and for a remake really quite good!
@kallen868: yes! I saw that version before the Jimmy Stewart one. I was babysitting one night, watched it on tv, and loved it. Imagine my surprise in finding the original with my now favourite actor ever-Mr. Stewart!
I’m going out on a limb here, but here goes: Mr. Potter eventually dies and his assistant, who rolls him around, tells George Bailey what really happened to the money that Uncle Billy lost. The reason he never said anything while Mr. Potter was alive was that he needed the job very badly. Maybe very sick family members, something like that.
In the 80's or 90's SNL did a parody of the last scene of IAWL. Dana Carvey as George leads the crowd from his house to Potter's (Jon Lovett) house and they beat up Potter.
Mr. Potter didn't really steal the $8000 ....uncle Harry inadvertently put the money on the newspaper....and didn't realize he handed the newspaper to potter... and because Mr. Potter was so damn greedy. He decided to keep the $000 and never told George he had it! What's interesting...George took the blame for the missing $8000,00.
You’ve got the wrong understanding of what stealing is and you need to adjust it accordingly otherwise you’ll find yourself in big trouble with many problems. Mr Potter DID steal the money with knowing who it belonged to, causing strife to another person, and keeping the money for himself wrongly
Excuse me " innovation " I know what stealing is.. I used to do it when I was a child...from momma.. what? " I need to adjust it accordingly otherwise myself in big trouble with many problems '? No ... I was just giving my opinion on what happened!" Have a great day...sir or ma'am! Happy new year....!
He didn’t practically steal the money, he stole the money! To this day I can’t watch the movie again because of that and the fact that George never got to travel. It breaks my heart. I can’t watch it again! Mr potter is Djt, a person who never pays for his misdeeds!
WWII had recently ended and Jimmy Stewart didn't want to take the role because he didn't think he could do it justice. Today he would have been diagnosed with PTSD. He later said the role was actually very cathartic. He was showing genuine emotions in scenes like the bar scene and his running through the street yelling. When asked, he said George Bailey was his favorite character of his career.
I feel like this makes sense why these scenes are so real to us. My husband is a veteran and has PTSD- these scenes make me more emotional every passing year. 😢
It's called "SHELL SHOCK!"
We now know that James Stewart was suffering from PTSD after his WW2 service. This was the first film that Mr. Stewart made after his return from Europe. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to return to acting. He felt that acting was trivial, after what he had been through during the war. Frank Capra was able to convince James Stewart to return to acting. Aren't we lucky that he did? James Stewart was magnificent in this film.
Along with Frank Capra, Lionel Barrymore (Potter) convinced Jimmy Stewart to take the role. Between that and playing an iconic villain, he did a great job.
Jimmy’s prayer is probably the most real prayer ever fumed by Hollywood, and I’ve been praying daily for over fifty years.
I found that the fact that Harry Potter (the villain of It's A Wonderful Life) never gets punished just reflects real life. Potter represented an ever-present evil, and I go as far to say he's a stand in for the Devil.
You don't defeat the devil by direct assault. You just live your life in such a way that friendship and love become stronger than his influences.
Well said - I agree.
This was my Mom's favorite Christmas movie. I now watch it every year. And every year I cry like a fool. Incredible story.
Bailey didn't "practically" steal the money. He straight up stole it. Knowingly keeping something that belongs to someone else is stealing.
Potter you mean right?
Poor Barrymore played his part so well.
PTSD...My wife and I stayed at Frank Capra's bungalow where he wrote the screenplay. Beautiful little home.
People are so out of touch with reality. There were "fans" chastising an actor from Game of Thrones because of their characters behavior. 😧
Good actors can engender strong emotions in their audiences. That is an anazing thing to be able to do. To affect people they will never meet, so strongly, from a flat piece of film (or digitally now) is astounding. This ability should never be undervalued. Charlie Chaplin was brilliant at doing this. I personally detest Shelley Winters for playing the horribly abusive, bigoted, slutty mother of a young blind girl, in the wonderful film "A Patch Of Blue." I grudgingly accept that Shelley Winters was a talented actress. I still hate her, however.
In 2024 that $8 thousand dollars is valued at $170 thousand dollars.
And their $2000 honeymoon money (in August, 1929) would have been worth almost $37000 in 2024. (And $17.50 would have been worth about $320 in 2024). Curiously, two other sources suggest $8000 in December, 1945 would have been worth about $140000 in 2024.
During the time of this movie americas dollar was backed by gold. Gold was priced at $35 per ounce. In todays money that 8,000 would be 594,000
@borbetomagus Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI calculator put it at a little over $138,000.
It depends on the dates used to calculate: I used December 1945 translated to November 2024, the closest date it would allow.
SNL did a skit about the final act cut from the movie. The bad guy gets what's coming to him.
It's hilarious!
One of my favorite films of all time.
I love that movie ❤❤ Jimmy Stewart, so sweet
best film ever made.
I love Jimmy Stewart In this movie😢
What do you mean “practically”? It was in a marked envelope for the bank, with the Bailey name on it. There’s no “practically.”
YAnd then… that is ACTIN’ Then, you, just won’t know how much this movie makes me cry. Abrazo grande de Ciudad de México!!
That's a very good point to bring up that I never really noticed, the villain does get away with it.
he likely didn't live much longer anyway, he was already a older looking man when George was a child
I thought about it immediately and was enraged left with many emotions of how unjust it was! Then concluded that’s Americas culture for ya where the wrongdoers aren’t punished!! Saw this movie for the first time when I was 39 after moving from another country.
@@InnovationTree I'm sad to report that there are wrongdoers who go unpunished everywhere... not just the U.S.
Mr. Potter greedily pursues wealth for its own sake. George Bailey only cares about money to the extent that it can help people improve their lives. Most importantly, the lives of his family and friends that he loves so well.
Wealth for its own sake.....a perfect way to say it. And a perfect way to describe the goal of all the greedy billionnaires trying to influence our governmental policies RIGHT NOW! Wealth for its own sake. That's all the greedy care about!
i like to imagine that Mr Potter was letter found out and arrested off screen.
Nothing beats the original but has anyone seen the television remake It Happened One Christmas from 1977 with Marlo Thomas as Mary Bailey, Cloris Leachman as Clara the angel and Orson Welles as Potter? It's a gender switched version with a great cast and for a remake really quite good!
@kallen868: yes! I saw that version before the Jimmy Stewart one. I was babysitting one night, watched it on tv, and loved it. Imagine my surprise in finding the original with my now favourite actor ever-Mr. Stewart!
SNL has a skit where they found the "lost ending" where they gang up on Potter 😂
Anderson personally told me about the slaps and the blood was real.
I wish they listed more of the alternate endings.
Jimmy Stewart crying was not in the bar...it was on the bridge...these clips are so full of misinformation
It's a wonderful life is one of my all time favorite movies, and I watch it several times a year.
Loved every moment of this movie.
One of my favorite movies of all time.
And that's Sheldon Leonard!!
Actually the rich banker getting away with outright theft makes the film that much more believable.
Nick the bartender was played by Sheldon Leonard, the source of the names of the two main characters from The Big Bang Theory.
I’m going out on a limb here, but here goes: Mr. Potter eventually dies and his assistant, who rolls him around, tells George Bailey what really happened to the money that Uncle Billy lost. The reason he never said anything while Mr. Potter was alive was that he needed the job very badly. Maybe very sick family members, something like that.
In the 80's or 90's SNL did a parody of the last scene of IAWL. Dana Carvey as George leads the crowd from his house to Potter's (Jon Lovett) house and they beat up Potter.
My favorite movie of all time
I clicked because Donna Reed was so damn pretty in the thumbnail.
Henry Potter? And Henry can also be called Harry, so 😮
Mr. Potter didn't really steal the $8000 ....uncle Harry inadvertently put the money on the newspaper....and didn't realize he handed the newspaper to potter... and because Mr. Potter was so damn greedy. He decided to keep the $000 and never told George he had it! What's interesting...George took the blame for the missing $8000,00.
If someone loses/misplace money, you find it, know 100% who it belongs to n don’t give it back, that’s stealing.
In other words he stole it
Soooo stealing?
You’ve got the wrong understanding of what stealing is and you need to adjust it accordingly otherwise you’ll find yourself in big trouble with many problems. Mr Potter DID steal the money with knowing who it belonged to, causing strife to another person, and keeping the money for himself wrongly
Excuse me " innovation " I know what stealing is.. I used to do it when I was a child...from momma.. what? " I need to adjust it accordingly otherwise myself in big trouble with many problems '? No ... I was just giving my opinion on what happened!" Have a great day...sir or ma'am! Happy new year....!
He didn’t practically steal the money, he stole the money! To this day I can’t watch the movie again because of that and the fact that George never got to travel. It breaks my heart. I can’t watch it again! Mr potter is Djt, a person who never pays for his misdeeds!
Also, the film tanked at the box office.
Awrsome
Thank you
How 'A' bad land lord can bee.
CONVICTED
12 - 25 - 2024 wed.
8k money gets stolen is the reason we’re watching the movie!💵💵💵💵💰💵💰💵💰 duh!!🎄🥂🫵🙌👊😉🤘🫡👏👏👏👏👏