By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
People can debate if Die Hard is a Christmas movie or if it’s Hallmark or Lifetime that has the better Christmas catalog, but there’s no debate that when it comes to Christmas, nothing can compare to It’s a Wonderful Life. A staple of Christmas viewing for generations, the 1946 film starring Jimmy Stewart isn’t just the greatest Christmas movie ever but one of the greatest films ever made. And yet, if not for the fact that its copyright expired in the 70s during the boom of television viewing, it would have been lost forever.
A Box-Office Disaster
It’s an ironic twist that the film, about a man who feels like he has nothing left to live for until his guardian angel saves him and shows the difference he’s made in the world, was also on the verge of fading into obscurity. Except instead of Clarence the angel coming to the rescue, it was desperate network executives looking for a cheap way to fill air time, and when the copyright for It’s a Wonderful Life expired, it could be played multiple times every Christmas season and cost them nearly nothing (just royalties for adapting the original story it was based on, The Greatest Gift). Prior to the constant re-airings and networks trumpeting the film as a Christmas classic, it was known as a box office flop.
It’s a Wonderful Life lost money for the production company RKO, over $500,000 in 1946, or over $8 million when adjusted for inflation. At the box office, the film pulled in $3 million, barely beating out fellow Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street. Considering the esteem that the film is held in today, it’s stunning to look back and realize that in 1946, no one cared.
Hated By Critics
Over the years, It’s a Wonderful Life has gone through ups and downs in the eyes of the public, with every few years a backlash forms against it to argue that the film really isn’t good at all, and then it’s reappraised, and then torn down again, in a neverending cycle of criticism and cynicism. Critics in 1946 felt the same way, with most praising both Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed for their performance but also slamming the film for its optimism and a schmaltzy plot that allegedly went too far into sentimentality only one year after the end of the most devastating conflict in human history.
It’s a Wonderful Life is actually a rather dark film, at first, as we follow Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey as he butts heads with the evil banker, Mr. Potter, played by Lionel Barrymore, and yes, he is Drew Barryome’s great-uncle, over missing money and land rights. That’s the majority of the film, which is a bold decision that pays off when George wishes he had never been born, and Clarence the angel grants his wish. Now we see that no matter how hard his life seemed, the world was worse off without George in it, and no matter how you feel about the film itself, the message behind it is important.
One Person Makes A Difference
Christmas time can be joyful and a time to be around loved ones, but it’s also one of the most depressing times of year for people who feel like they don’t have family or any friends and might start to wonder about what the world would be like without them. It’s a Wonderful Life tackles this head-on, and in the end, it’s clear that one person can make a difference, and the world is better for having George Bailey in it. No matter the year, no matter what has happened since 1946, that message that you matter, that you make a difference, and that the world is better with you in it will still have meaning.
Though It’s a Wonderful Life was saved from the trash heap by cheapskate network executives, and it was artificially marketed into becoming a Christmas classic, it has, finally, been recognized as one of the greatest movies ever made. The 1970s marketing campaign wasn’t a lie; it was just ahead of its time.
You can stream It’s a Wonderful Life today for free, including an abridged version on Amazon Prime, or the full version on The Roku Channel.
