It's an American holiday ritual: At Christmas time, families across the country gather to watch the beloved 1946 Hollywood classic, It's a Wonderful Life. Directed by Frank Capra, and starring Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart, the story of a small-town banker who faces financial ruin and emotional despair until he is saved by an angel sent from heaven to show him how much he is loved by his family and fellow citizens of the fictional Bedford Falls, N.Y., is a milestone of American cinema. This LIFE special issue celebrates the 75th anniversary of the iconic movie (which earned three Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture) with an in-depth look at Capra's one-of-a-kind filmmaking and storytelling techniques, the making of the movie just after World War II and its lasting legacy, and why, 75 years later, it's still a heartwarming delight to watch.
LIFE It’s A Wonderful Life
THE SEASON’S BEST • Watching It’s a Wonderful Life, a film once overlooked by critics and audiences but now considered a classic, has become a rite of celebration at Christmastime
MOMENTS TO REMEMBER • Some beloved scenes make the life of George Bailey in Bedford Falls one of the most wonderful tales ever told on film
MAKING A CLASSIC • As life returned to normal after World War II, a director seeking to restart his career gathered cast and crew to turn a charming Christmas tale into a cinema legend
THE WHITE STUFF • Ever exacting, director Frank Capra demanded movie snow that looked more like the real thing
JAMES STEWART • Don’t be fooled by the beloved actor’s “Aw, shucks” image—he was one of the most talented and incisive performers of Hollywood’s golden age
A WAR HERO COMES HOME • In 1945, LIFE photographer Peter Stackpole documented Jimmy Stewart’s return after active duty in Europe
DONNA REED • It’s a Wonderful Life’s graceful lead actress delighted on-screen, and she was also an activist and a determined defender of women in Hollywood
THE CAST IN FULL • To support Hollywood’s leading man and his costar, Frank Capra assembled a company of the finest players of the day, including distinguished Broadway actors, a film noir siren, a member of America’s reigning thespian dynasty, and more
HENRY TRAVERS (1874-1965)
BEULAH BONDI (1889-1981)
SAMUEL S. HINDS (1875-1948)
LIONEL BARRYMORE (1878-1954)
H. B. WARNER (1876-1958)
GLORIA GRAHAME (1923-1981)
THOMAS MITCHELL (1892-1962)
WARD BOND (1903-1960)
FRANK FAYLEN (1905-1985)
SHELDON LEONARD (1907-1997)
KAROLYN GRIMES (1940-)
FRANK CAPRA • The filmmaker behind It’s a Wonderful Life and other heartwarming, all-American hits was, in person, a complex character driven to make his adopted homeland proud
POLITICS ON FILM • It’s a Wonderful Life reflects the conservative Middle American mindset of the postwar years
LIVING LEGACY • One of the greatest stories ever told, It’s a Wonderful Life is also one of the most enduring, inspiring homage and imitation in the cinema, on TV, and on the stage
LIFE IN COLOR • Since the 1980s, prints of It’s a Wonderful Life have been available in either colorized versions or the original black-and-white. Which looks better? That depends on who you ask, of course
PHOTO CREDITS
Experience the Stories of a Lifetime
A Film for Forever • With its range of emotions and its messages of hope, charity, and love, It’s a Wonderful Life remains the gold standard for holiday movies, 75 years after its Oscar-nominated debut.
