Released nearly eight decades ago,It’s a Wonderful Lifeis now considered one of the best films in American cinema. Chronicling the life of George Bailey (James Stewart), the movie follows him after an angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) shows him what life without him would look like for all the ones he loves. While the film initially takes place during the Christmas season, the majority of the film is shown in flashbacks as George and Clarence revisit the past and explore an alternate reality George doesn’t recognize.
Initially slated for release in January 1947,It’s a Wonderful Lifewas moved up when the film’s distributor wanted something in theaters before Christmas. Hoping to rally post-war nostalgia, Frank Capra, the film’s producer and director, believed audiences would flock to see it on the big screen. However, upon its theatrical debut, it was forced to compete withThe Best Years of Our Lives, which went on to win eight Oscars and dominated the box office. As a result,It’s a Wonderful Lifelost its box office battle and was widely considered an immediate dud.
However, over the years, it has become known as one of thegreatest Christmas movies of all timeand a must-watch every year. The film’s opening credits immediately evoke the spirit of Christmas with its music and visuals of holly, snow, Christmas trees, and holiday bells. However, it took some time for the film to become synonymous with the holiday season. WhileIt’s a Wonderful Lifeeasily tells its own version of the classic Christmas tale,A Christmas Carol, the biggest reason the film managed to become so ubiquitous during the month of December is the result of an overlooked copyright renewal.
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Facing financial ruin, as well as legal repercussions, after his uncle misplaces the bank’s deposit money, George ends up on a bridge in the middle of a snowstorm, wishing he had never been born. Despite all the good he’s managed to accomplish and all the lives he’s affected positively, George only sees the negative in front of him. Having set aside his dreams of traveling the world after the death of his father, George’s life looks much different than he imagined it would be as a boy. As the pressures of life begin to reach a boiling point, George only sees a single solution to his situation.
Much like the classic tale ofA Christmas Carol,It’s a Wonderful Life, as a similarlydark and sad Christmas movie, shows George a glimpse of what life would be like without him. By granting his wish, God hopes to show George just how wonderful his life truly is. However, rather than encountering three different ghosts who show him the past, present, and future, George meets Clarence, a second-class angel tasked with saving George and helping him to see what really matters in life. Clarence sticks with him throughout the entire journey down memory lane, including the alternate reality Geroge’s loved ones would be living without him.
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Copyright Issues Created the Ubiquity With It’s a Wonderful Life
Its a Wonderful Life
Although many nowadays grew up watchingIt’s a Wonderful Lifeon television every year, its presence on the small screen wasn’t always omnipresent. The film only managed to accrue its popularity nearly three decades after its initial theatrical release. Thanks to itscopyright glitch, the movie was able to inundate American homes at Christmastime. When the film’s copyright holder forgot to file a renewal in 1974, the film entered the public domain free of charge. As a result, television networks across the country could play the movie as much as they wanted during theholiday seasonwithout having to pay a dime to anyone.
It wasn’t until 1993 that the film found itself at the center of a Supreme Court decision inStewart v. Abend, which paved the way for the film’s original copyright owners, Republic Pictures, to regain ownership of the movie. Since the company owned the copyright of the film’s score and the short story it was based on, the Supreme Court ruled they still owned the movie. In the wake of the court’s decision, NBC became the only network that secured exclusive rights to airIt’s a Wonderful Lifeeach year.
Despite having such a close connection to Christmas, Capra, the film’s director, has clarified that he never meant forIt’s a Wonderful Lifeto be a Christmas movie. In aninterview, he stated, “I didn’t even think of it as a Christmas story when I first ran across it. I just liked the idea,” adding that he saw the movie as an examination of “the individual’s belief in itself.”
Thanks to its nearly 20-year stint in the public domain, the film captured the hearts of a generation and became a nostalgic movie future generations flocked to NBC to watch every Christmas Eve. However, in recent years, other affiliated NBC networks have aired the film throughout December, and streaming services have made the movie available on demand. Nonetheless,It’s a Wonderful Liferemains synonymous with Christmas and is still a classic American film enjoyed by almost every family during the holiday season.
It’s a Wonderful Lifeis currently streaming in its original black and white form on The Roku Channel and PLEX. The film will air on NBC on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 8/7 pm.
