
It’s A Wonderful Life
Frank Capra, 1946
Initially received with faint praise, this sentimental story of George Bailey, the decent small-town guy dedicated to family and community, was intended by Capra and his pre-war star James Stewart to celebrate their joint return from service in the second world war. On the point of suicidal despair on Christmas Eve, Bailey is escorted by probationary angel Clarence (Henry Travers) around his native Bedford Falls to discover how worthwhile his life has been. It’s Dickens’s Christmas Carol with Bob Cratchit as its hero, and is now the Christmas movie
The Guardian
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