| It's A Wonderful Life (1946) began as a
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| | did shooting at them in a plane."In the
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| short story called "The Greatest Gift".
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| | 1930's Capra had toiled at Columbia
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| Writer Philip Van Doren Stern was unable
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| | Pictures which was ruled by the
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| to sell it to a publisher, so he sent the
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| | autocratic Harry Cohn, long considered
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| tale out as a long Christmas card to
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| | the meanest man in Hollywood. The Mogul
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| friends. His agent subsequently sold the
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| | kept the entire studio electronically
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| fable to RKO pictures, where it went
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| | bugged, displayed a huge portrait of
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| through several transformations. In one
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| | Mussolini in his office, and used an
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| version a losing political candidate
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| | electrified chair to give unsuspecting
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| contemplated suicide, only to have an
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| | victims sudden jolts. Capra had sat in
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| angel convince him to stick around and do
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| | it once, received a shock and angrily
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| good works. Finally it fell into the
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| | smashed the chair to bits. When filming
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| hands of Director Frank Capra who cried
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| | began on It's A Wonderful Life, Capra was
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| when he read it, said it was the story he
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| | happy to be free of Cohn, but nervous.
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| had been looking for all his life, and
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| | Now his own money was part of the
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| purchased it to be the first project for
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| | investment. Known for making movie sets
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| his new production company, Liberty
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| | fun places to work, he was at first
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| Films.To play the unassuming savings and
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| | crabby and irritable with his cast and
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| loan clerk, Capra wanted Jimmy Stewart
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| | crew. Filming a snowy, Christmas movie
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| who he had previously worked with in You
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| | in over one hundred degree heat in Encino
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| Can't Take It With You (1938) and Mr.
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| | did not help morale. Many of the
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| Smith Goes To Washington (1939). But
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| | heavily dressed actors fainted. But
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| coming back from World War II, the
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| | there were nice moments. One scene
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| thirty-seven year old Stewart was no
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| | required Mary to throw a rock through an
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| longer the easy going man about town he
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| | old mansion window and make a wish.
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| had been in the thirties. The former
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| | Capra had a marksman ready off camera but
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| Academy Award winner for The Philadelphia
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| | to his delight Reed shattered the glass
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| Story (1940) had led a thousand men in
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| | on her own. She turned to him and said,"
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| bombing missions in the European theater
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| | Why so surprised? Don't you think an Iowa
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| in hard to maneuver B-24s. The loud
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| | farm girl would know how to play
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| engines damaged his hearing, in later
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| | baseball?"As the shoot progressed Capra
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| years people when people would greet him
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| | regained his confidence. He disdained
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| and he would fail to respond, some would
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| | special effects when Clarence Oddbody the
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| mistake his deafness for a cold
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| | angel (Henry Travers) did his magic,
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| personality. He was uncertain after five
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| | preferring to tell the story through his
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| years away from the screen if he still
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| | actor's faces. The Director started to
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| wanted to be in the movies. Sometimes the
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| | believe he was making the greatest movie
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| profession seemed so humiliating. In 1943
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| | ever. As his mood lightened the Company
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| when Stewart had tried to stay in the
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| | enjoyed picnics and singing on the set
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| best hotel in Madrid, he was turned away
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| | which were hallmarks of Capra's earlier
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| because he was an actor. He went back to
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| | films.Too dark, the Country wanted comedy
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| the air force base, got his Lieutenant
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| | like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Too
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| Colonel's uniform and then they let him
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| | dated, Wonderful Life came off like a
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| in.When he returned to Southern
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| | depression film rather than a post war
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| California in 1945 Stewart took things
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| | movie. For whatever reason the three
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| easy. He refused to re-sign with his old
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| | million dollar production failed to make
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| studio MGM, despite tearful requests to
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| | its money back. Capra chose to fold his
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| do so from the hammy Louis B. Mayer. He
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| | tent shortly after the movie's release
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| was content to spend time flying kites
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| | calling Liberty Films," The quickest way
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| and building model planes with Henry
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| | to go broke a man ever devised." Stewart
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| Fonda. When Capra came to make his pitch
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| | panicked. The ex-war hero received a
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| Stewart looked bored, out of it, causing
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| | phone call from his agent. "Donna Reed
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| the Director to lose confidence. "Well
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| | loved working with you. She wants to do
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| Jim, it's about a savings and loan clerk
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| | it again." "No way. That girl is
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| who wants to commit suicide. There's an
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| | jinxed." June Allyson became his leading
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| angel named Clarence who shows him what
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| | lady of choice playing his wife five
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| life would have been like without him. .
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| | times. Decades later he would praise the
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| . aw forget it, it's a stupid idea."
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| | performance of a bemused Donna Reed for
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| Capra was turning to leave when Stewart
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| | making Wonderful Life great. "My God,"
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| put his hand on his shoulder. "Frank, if
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| | she told her friends. "He sure didn't
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| you want me, I'm your man." At least
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| | say that when it came out."Years passed.
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| that's how the film's publicists told
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| | From that point on Capra, unwilling to
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| it.Stewart was morose and insecure as
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| | either risk his own money or work for
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| filming began. Since he went off to
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| | somebody else directed very few movies .
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| serve, Hollywood had found new leading
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| | Stewart decided to portray a stronger
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| men like Kirk Douglas and Gregory Peck
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| | image on screen. He refused to play in
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| who were seven years younger than he was.
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| | war movies saying they were unrealistic,
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| Some scenes called for the now graying
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| | choosing instead hard, gritty Westerns
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| actor to still be in high school. He
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| | like The Man From Laramie (1954) which
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| felt ridiculous and considered plastic
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| | helped to make him rich and surpass John
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| surgery. But he was helped greatly by
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| | Wayne as the nation's number one box
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| his co-star Donna Reed who encouraged him
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| | office star. Reed restored her career by
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| throughout. In the romantic scene where
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| | winning an Academy Award for playing a
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| George (Stewart) and Mary (Reed) declared
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| | prostitute in From Here To Eternity
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| their love for each other, Capra joked
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| | (1953) and then became one of
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| that Stewart was so nervous he wrapped a
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| | television's most wholesome mothers. And
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| phone chord around them so he wouldn't
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| | It's A Wonderful Life fell into the
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| run away. James was also helped by the
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| | public domain in 1973 because no one
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| film's villain Lionel Barrymore who was
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| | renewed it's copyright. The forgotten
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| confined to wheelchair because of
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| | film was shown repeatedly on almost every
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| crippling arthritis. "Son, I want you to
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| | cable television station, finally got a
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| cheer up. Don't you know you make people
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| | huge viewership, and became a perennial
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| happier being a movie star than you ever
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| | Christmas Classic.
|
