It's A Wonderful Life | First Time Watching! | Movie REACTION!

[@eddieevans6692]

I'm a movie technician, a grip. Early in my career, (1980), I worked on a TV movie with Gloria Graham. I was young and didn't know who she was. I certainly didn't connect her to Violet in this movie. After a couple of weeks, she became quite friendly and would regularly eat lunch at my table, much to the chagrin of her assistant. At the wrap party, I was leaving just as she was walking in. She made it a point to pull me aside and give me a big kiss goodby. Kinda silly, I know, but I'll never forget that kiss from an old time Hollywood movie star.

[@edprzydatek8398]

Great story.

[@michaelfontanelli2450]

You lucky dawg! 😊❤️

[@jim6070]

@@eddieevans6692 another miracle!

[@JohnnyUtah15]

Was the TV movie “A Letter to Three Wives”? Maybe not, I’m thinking of Ann Sothern, but she may be in it too.

[@johnmoreland6089]

That is so great! I always loved her.

[@DR-mq1vn]

I am so glad that the younger generation is discovering this movie!

[@JamesLachowsky]

The device George keeps wishing on is a cigar lighter. It didn't ignite every time. If it did on the first try, you got your wish.

[@jim6070]

40 years from now you will both watch this again and cry harder.

[@joeeyaura]

40 years? maybe next year like i do every year

[@Melancthon7332]

@@joeeyaura What OP is trying to say is, that after you've lived a lot more of the ups and downs of life, had dreams die and sacrificed for others, this movie will hit a lot harder.

[@albertjimeno807]

I CRY HARDER WHEN I LOOK AT YOUR MOTHER.

[@jim6070]

@ that is very rude. My dear mother passed away 20 years ago and you are besmirching her memory. Shame on you.

[@deki5119]

Jordan is the only reactor I've seen who knew that it was a run on the bank.

[@mark-be9mq]

Jordan said, 'He gave everything away', he did, his dreams, life, wealth. You could also say he invested everything in others/the town and when he needed it most it gave him back all, with intrest.

[@DavidB-2268]

8:29 such an important moment in the film. The last words George spoke to his father was that he was a great guy. Never pass up the opportunity to tell the people that you love just how you feel. One day it'll be the last time, and you may never know when.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Now, after seeing Its A Wonderful Life so many times, I'm beginning to see how significant that conversation with George's dad is. I'm also sad that that's the last time he talks to his dad

[@dearally4787]

@@LukeLovesRoseI agree. When he said “you were born older” he spoke the truth. That resonates with me in my family as well.

[@michaelwilber774]

I love that the entire movie is on Christmas Eve. The angels at the beginning said Clarence only had an hour to catch up on George's life before he had to help him, on Christmas Eve.

[@alancrofoot]

Fun Fact - @17:22 - The sound of garbage cans being knocked over when Uncle Billy staggers off was actually a stagehand dropping some props. Jimmy Stewart's laugh was genuine and Thomas Mitchell improvised the line "I'm alright, I'm OK". It was one of those very happy accidents, Frank Capra loved it and left it in the final cut.

[@mikecarew8329]

Jimmy Stewart flew 20 combat mission as a pilot of B-24s in Europe in WW2. He was deputy Commander and had to organize the rosters / assign pilots to missions. This was his very first post-war film and he had what today we'd call PTSD and survivor's guilt. His pain is apparent all over this performance. The script didn't call for him to cry in the bar scene, but they came anyway. Stewart was a beloved figure - the Tom Hanks of his time but with war hero layered on top. He stayed in the Air Force reserves for decades and rose to Brigadier General, with his last combat mission as an observer on a B-52 raid over Vietnam. Aside: I love how they try to "Old Maid" a 25-year old Donna Reed just by throwing some glasses and a hat on her. Yeah, OK. Best looking "Old Maid" ever. A lovely film that still resonates.

[@CarlBass-c2g]

People, Something Maybe Nobody has Heard is, the Cab Driver is Ernie, & the Cop is Burt, that's where Jim Henson, Got His Character Puppet Names, "Burt, & Ernie," from !!!! Wild 😜 Huh !!;?? Carl Bass - Chicago !!!!

[@twocents7877]

comparing a legit WWII combat pilot to an actor who flew his 'missions' to epstein island???????????

[@mikecarew8329]

@ I am comparing how widely popular and beloved they were as actors. I made the point that BrigGen Stewart had war hero atop of that. Hanks has never been on Epstein’s island or any list associated with Epstein. It was a viral rumor from the more kooky corners of the internet / Twitter.

[@charlieeckert4321]

31:20 "1A" was the designation for a man who was physically fit and healthy enough for any duty in the military, including combat. "4F" was a designation for a man who could not serve because of physical disability.

[@johnleader8737]

The contraption in the drug store that you're so confused by is a cigar lighter. George makes a wish, and if it lights the first time, his wish is supposed to come true.

[@robertcartier5088]

Exactly, and his exclamation, _"Hot-dog"_ is what polite kids of the day would say instead of 'Dammit!' when it doesn't light. ;-]

[@JohnVinylGen]

I think it's the opposite. If the lighter DOESN'T light he gets his wish. Because we see the lighter always produce a flame and then he goes "hot-dog!" meaning his wish wont come true.

[@robertcartier5088]

@JohnVinylGen you're right, I got it turned around, too. 👍

[@zammmerjammer]

@@JohnVinylGen "hot dog!" means "hooray!"

[@robertcartier5088]

@@zammmerjammer No, not always. It depends on tone... even in this movie, it is used for negative AND positive things. The fact that the lighter lit, means he doesn't get his wish, and he is saying it in a disappointing tone. At other times, it's a positive tone. It seems to be a one-size-fits-all kind of word, much like how we use the F-word today -- it's all about how you say it. ;-]

[@sgt.blkdog3840]

My new tradition is watching reactors react to IAWL. You two were great.

[@nascreates3392]

Mine too

[@jsurace]

Fun fact: The director (Frank Capra) was a graduate of Caltech in Pasadena (my alma mater as well). It's one of the world's greatest science research institutions. He was friends with various astronomers, including Edwin Hubble. The galaxy image is real, it's a famous grouping called "Stephan's Quintet". I'm not sure if the photographic plate came from Mt. Wilson or Palomar. He later willed his ranch house in Fallbrook to Caltech, I attended retreats there in the 80s.

[@jameshunt9208]

It 'was' one of the world's greatest research institutions.

[@alfredroberthogan5426]

@@jameshunt9208 Still is!

[@celticwolff5429]

@17:22 The crash off camera was real not scripted. IMDB Trivia: As Uncle Billy drunkenly leaves the Bailey home, it sounds as if he stumbles into some trash cans on the sidewalk. In fact, a crew member dropped a large tray of props right after Thomas Mitchell went off-screen. James Stewart began laughing, and Mitchell quickly improvised, "I'm all right! I'm okay!" Director Frank Capra decided to use this take in the final cut and gave the stagehand a $10 bonus for "improving the sound."

[@apulrang]

Chandra's question about the interaction between George and Violet early in the movie got me thinking. I don't know if it was intentional, but that little scene does a bit of important work for the film. It helps the audience avoid a situation where we might think that there will be some huge conflict about whether George will realize he belongs with Mary, or get sidetracked by Violent. Here we see that George and Violet are quite different people, with quite different tastes -- friendly, but not compatible. So later in the story when George loans Violet some money so she can move out of town, (strongly implied so she can escape a not so good reputation), we have no worry at all that there's anything to it except George being kind to an old friend. It's just another of many examples of how all the details in the story fit perfectly with each other.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

We can see how it would have turned out if not for George. When he doesn't exist, Violet goes from being the town flirt to being arrested for prostitution.

[@zammmerjammer]

Yeah, I really like that it shows how George and Violet are simply not compatible. She's not what he wants and he's not what she wants. And then that contrast really emphasizes how perfect Mary is for him. Violet would have had a fit over missing her honeymoon and never even thought to offer up their money to keep the building & loan afloat, while Mary does it without hesitation.

[@BEBruns]

In the scene where George loans her the money, there is a rather obvious jump cut. In the screenplay she asks George to come with her.

[@ShawnKavanagh]

@6:40 The genesis of Ernie & Bert

[@MrDevintcoleman]

I was just coming here to say that!! The namesakes, themselves! 🎄

[@deckofcards87]

Bert & Ernie 😅 why I didn't notice that

[@karvald]

In case you missed it, the little girls at the drugstore counter were young Mary and Violet. Even then, Mary realizes she's gonna love George her whole life.

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

If George was 12 then, Mary would have been 8. I was about 8 when seeing Yvonne Craig in her Batgirl costume pulled me out of the "girls are icky" phase of my childhood.

[@richardcarrier9536]

The subtleties in this movie are really great. For example, he begs Clarence to get him back to his wife and kids, but it isn't until he officially acknowledges God that the prayer is answered and it starts snowing again - indicating things are back to normal. I like how the movie shows everyone praying at the beginning knowing George is in trouble. And although George is unaware of it, God already has a plan in place to help him in his darkest hour. (It makes me think of Psalm 34:6 in the Bible which says, "This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.") So appropriate for this movie and so appropriate in life. Thanks for the review! My Christmas traditions - I watch this movie every year with my kids. It's a family favorite. We also go out in search of light displays in other towns and make a trip of it.

[@boomeister2]

What a beautiful sentiment. Thank you for that.

[@Tamaah23]

Best movie ever! I’ve been watching it my whole life! That movie has saved me during my darkest times. ❤

[@longago-igo]

When I was in grade school, bottled milk was still delivered door to door, in town, by a horse drawn wagon. The horse knew how far ahead to go before stopping and waiting for the delivery man to come back to resupply. We lived in the country, so our milk came by a delivery van.

[@Jay-j4w3x]

The cast includes some of the best character actors in the history of Hollywood - Ward Bond (Bert), Henry Travers (Clarence), Beulah Bondi (Ma Bailey), Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy) and Lionel Barrymore (Potter). Gloria Grahame (Violet) later won an Academy Award for best supporting actress. She died tragically at the age of 57 from breast cancer. Donna Reed (Mary) later won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in From Here to Eternity and went on to have a successful TV series in the 1960s (The Donna Reed Show). Reply

[@mav2knight]

This is without a doubt the best Xmas movie made. I know generations younger than mine may disagree but the story is timeless. I'm 66 years old and have seem this every year without fail. First with my mom and dad and later with my children. To this day, I still cry at the end because after all, "George Bailey is and always has been the richest man in town".. in so many ways..

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

I'm 64, and I'm right there with you.

[@mikeeckel2807]

When George "returns" to the present and is running thru town the movie playing at the Bijou Theater is "The Bells of St. Mary's." The man that plays as "Clarence" (Henry Travers) was in it.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

"Going My Way" and its sequel "The Bells of St Mary's," though not quite Christmas movies, were traditionally shown on television at Christmas. "Bells" features the best children's Christmas pageant ever filmed. Both films are well worth watching.

[@Dave-hb7lx]

FYI, three of the Bailey children are still alive. Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu) is 84. Carol Coombs (Janie) is 89. Jimmy Hawkins (Tommy) is 83.

[@markdenio4537]

I got to meet Karolyn this past Saturday! She was great fun and hilarious during the Q&A. Karolyn is also in The Bishop’s Wife.

[@Dave-hb7lx]

@@markdenio4537 So cool. Yes, Bishops Wife and she played Fred McMurrays daughter i Pardon My Past in 1945.

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

"Make love" didn't mean sex back then, it meant flirting (talking love).

[@bob5074]

Dude who opened the pool floor was the guy who played Alfalfa in Our Gang and Little Rascals shorts.

[@markdenio4537]

They use his picture in White Christmas as the Army buddy of Bing & Danny, and brother to the two sisters.

[@bostonvair]

I'm 62 and I've watched this movie more times than I can remember, and i still end up in tears at the end. A timeless classic. Loved your reaction and just subscribed to your channel!

[@raymonddevera2796]

When George was praying in Martini's Bar, Jimmy Stewart was suffering from PTSD reflecting on all the men of his squadron blown up over skies of Europe. He flew over 20 daylight missions, he retired from the USAF reserves as a one star general. The gymnasium floor was not a set but an actual gymnasium floor that opened to a swimming pool. It is located at Beverly Hills High School, Beverly Hills California. And yes Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) is related to Drew Barrymore, her great great uncle. There was a motto under Peter Bailey's portrait:All You Can Take With You Is That Which You Have Given Away. Sounds like something we can live by today.

[@brianelliott8050]

There is no evidence that Stewart suffered from PTSD.

[@promisemochi]

@@brianelliott8050 you don't come away from what he did unscathed. there's literally countless stories about how this film and this role changed his life and helped him through the trauma he was going through.

[@boomeister2]

Jimmy Stewart also used those emotions when he was hugging and kissing his little boy and Mary saw that there was something terribly wrong. BTW, that gymnasium floor and swimming pool at Beverly Hills High are still in use today.

[@brianelliott8050]

@@promisemochi Sorry, you're making suppositions. His military records and medical records show no such diagnosis. Most commentators have been repeating this old saw for years without any evidence.

[@promisemochi]

@ you do realize how inaccurate things were even up to ten years ago, right? so much was still misunderstood. this movie was something so raw and real for him and it's you who are making suppositions. why are you so threatened by the idea of a man having ptsd?

[@interghost]

One of the best movies ever made!

[@JusBidniss]

Karolyn Grimes, who played little Zuzu, is still with us at age 84. Her character's name bore a striking resemblance to that of a cookie made at the time by Nabisco (then called NBC, National Biscuit Company), Zu Zu Ginger Snaps, which came in a distinctive yellow box with reddish type. In the scene at the end, George rushes up the stairs, hugs his kids and says, "Zuzu, my little ginger snap!" In a 2018 interview, Karolyn laughed, “I was named after a cookie!” 😊

[@Anjuli50]

The line "He's making violent love to me" didn't mean the same thing in those days. It had no sexual connotations - "making love" meant courting, talking romantically and passionately about love, begging a woman to marry you, etc.

[@flerbus]

but burt the cop staring down Violet in her sexy dress and then "going home to see what the wife is doin" is exactly how it sounds

[@custardflan]

George turns down two chances to get out. He says no to Sam and no to Potter. He chooses Mary. Check out The Family Man with Nocholas Cage. He chooses "Sam Wainwright" and learns what he misses.

[@DR-mq1vn]

I have watched this movie every year since the early 80s, when I first saw it. I cry every time too!

[@cbmx1x1]

If ever there was a movie that’s actually GOOD for your health! ❤

[@jerrywalters8885]

The pool unde4 the floor is a real thing still in use today in Beverly Hills High School. And the boy who opened it was same actor who played Alfalfa in Our Gang in the 30s with Buckwheat and them

[@flerbus]

ohhhh tayyy!

[@joshuagoforth1658]

@@flerbus😂 classic

[@omgbygollywow]

Jimmy Stewart was 38 years old at the time of this movie, playing a young man just a bit out of high school. But he had already been a decorated World War 2 hero and bomber pilot when he filmed this movie.

[@cindyknudson2715]

He wasn't playing ONLY a 22 year old.

[@charlieeckert4321]

Lionel Barrymore (Mr.Potter) was Drew Barrymore's great-uncle. He was confined to a wheelchair because of congenital arthritis and injuries from a fall. The last movie he made was Captains Courageous (another movie you really should watch!) Jimmy Stewart was the first actor to sign up to fight in World War II. He became a bomber pilot and flew 20 missions over Germany. He got PTSD from his duties as deputy commander for his unit, because he had to assign aurcrews to missions, and a lot of them didn't come back. He was reluctant to return to acting, and Frank Capra and Lionel Barrymore talked him into it. It meant the start of a more varied and critically acclaimed career, ranging from movies like Harvey to Anatomy of a Murder, Winchester 73, Rear Window, Vertigo, Call Northside 777, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. All of those are well worth watching!

[@leif712009]

The man who shot Liberty Valence is a great movie!

[@custardflan]

Captains Courageous was one of our fa es as a family when our kids were little.

[@joegreene7619]

Rear Window is a top 5 all time movie for me. Just brilliant and many of the copycats are pretty good as well.

[@terpcj]

For B/W movies, you can't go wrong with _Casablanca_ (1942); _Mr Smith Goes to Washington_ (1939 -- more Jimmy Stewart); and an outlier few react to - _The Miracle Worker_ (1962). If you want B/W and silent: _Metropolis_ (1927 - groundbreaking SF); _Wings_ (1927 - the first Academy Award best picture, and the only silent one). And so much more. I'm a boomer and even people in my generation did themselves a disservice by eschewing B/Ws and silents. There are so many treasures to mine from this era.

[@craigfuller1532]

Amen!

[@markjz2011]

Thanks! HAVE A MERRY HOLY CHRISTMAS! 🎄

[@adnap]

Another lesser known, but GREAT Capra film with Jimmy Stewart and Lionel Barrymore is "You Can’t Take It With You.” Quirky, fun and rewarding.

[@maxmaven99]

You forgot to mention the crow. He's in it to.😀

[@adnap]

@ These aren’t the Droids you’re looking for.

[@phillipsuttles1926]

Great Movie!

[@timcrandall9046]

Every Christmas we always watch "Noel" with Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Paul Walker, Penelope Cruz and Alan Arkin, and the original "A Christmas Memory" written and narrated by Truman Capote. As far as food, every Christmas morning before opening presents we eat Pillsbury Orange Danish rolls with coffee. This started with my parents and continues into the third generation with my son and his wife. I especially remember when I was a kid my Dad would eat his rolls very slowly just to drive me nuts waiting to open the gifts.

[@brucevidito4923]

It's the greatest Christmas movie ever made.

[@dereamajackson4725]

This movie has been part of our family tradition since I was a child. Once my children were born, we started the tradition of Santa's presents always being wrapped in brown paper (paper bag type) with colorful ribbons. This way the kids would know immediately which gifts came from Santa. They always went to those first. Wonderful memories.

[@paulgxi]

Someone mentioned James Stewart's role in WWII; he was a pilot who flew bombing missions over Germany and had a long military history (he may have retired from the Army Air Force). Relatively few know that Donnna Reed contributed in her own right to the war effort. She served in the Hollywood USO working weekly at social functions for service men and women. She danced with servicemen, served, and performed at these weekly shows. She is known for writing personal letters and corresponding with many servicemen during WWII. She also saved hundreds of letters from servicemen who related touching stories of their experiences overseas, requested pictures and let Reed know how much her letters meant to them.. Nice news story on TV sometime back about the letters that were still part of her estate.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

Growing up, every adult I knew as a boy in the 1960's did something to contribute to the War effort--my father and uncles all served (and one never made it home), my mom worked with the USO giving tours of Chinatown and Little Italy, an aunt became a doctor in the VA hospitals--even my grandfather sold War Bonds to the Italian community of the East Bronx. A neighbor was an English War Bride, the local deli owner a survivor of the Concentration camps. Even the monsignor at the local church had been a chaplain.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

Donna Reed appeared in many good movies, including: "They Were Expendable," (1946) "The Human Comedy" (1943), and won an Oscar for "From Here to Eternity (1953).

[@redjeeper943]

A bit of trivia so the bartender at Martinis is Nick. He is played by actor/producer Sheldon Leonard. In honor of him that is where they got the names for Sheldon and Leonard on The Big Bang Theory from.

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Leonard also had a career in radio, appearing on the show Duffy's Tavern and many others, thanks to his pronounced accent.

[@markdenio4537]

I’m pretty sure he’s in the Frank Sinatra Guys & Dolls as well.

[@meganlutz7150]

Beautiful reaction. I hope you watch more old classics. There are so many more great ones to explore !

[@flightgamer7849]

It really is a wonderful life and a wonderful movie. Have a very Merry Christmas.

[@Avalon1951]

See what you guy miss, all these classic movies are so good, they are not called classic for nothing:) My best friend what he does is when they get their Christmas tree they slice the bottom of the tree and make a yearly Christmas ornament out of it, now after 4 kids, they've put their first grand baby's face on it.

[@shawnpatrick1877]

45:30 that part gets me every time. It's not just the people you affect directly, but that ripple effect of how it even touches everyone they know or interact with in some way.

[@AH87saxo]

In terms of Christmas traditions here in Spain, we basically celebrate Christmas Eve (having dinner with the family), Christmas (family lunch), New Year's Eve (dinner), New Year's Eve (lunch) and, of course, the meal on January 6th. The main difference between Spain (and in each part of the country there are small "local" traditions) and the United States or Anglo-Saxon customs is the theme of January 5th and 6th: Three Kings' Night and Three Kings' Day. In a way, Three Kings' Night, without dinner, would be like Christmas Eve in 🇺🇸, and Three Kings' Day is like Christmas except that basically the morning and the day are mostly about children going around the family houses to see what the Three Kings left for them in each house... I don't know if I explained myself. Oh! I didn't want to forget that on New Year's Eve, with the chimes of 12, 12 grapes are eaten, one for each chime and they are eaten as they ring.

[@socalpaul487]

For older classics, I recommend "Boys Town" 1938, "The Grapes of Wrath" 1940, "Sahara" 1943, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" 1947, "The African Queen" 1951, "Bad Day at Black Rock" 1955, "Fail-Safe" 1964. "Lifeboat" 1944, "The Flight of the Phoenix" 1965. "The Spirit of St. Louis" 1957.

[@DavidB-2268]

23:41 as paraphrased by the Beatles in The End: "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." And the central theme of George's life was said by John Lennon in his song Beautiful Boy: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

[@josephpaul4548]

This was Jimmy Stewart's finest performance, simply towering. Nobody could top it.

[@handfuloftrains4781]

Just a little misty eyed, Maplenuts? Heck, I turn into a blubbering mess every single time I watch this film. Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[@jameshunt9208]

It's onion ninjas I tell ya.

[@Albinsable]

What a wonderful reaction. Whenever I watch this film (anytime, not just at Christmas), I often wonder how many people's lives were "saved" by this movie at times of personal despair?......A movie with a timeless message.

[@lazerithlazerith4012]

Being together with friends and loved ones is the number 1 best Christmas tradition.

[@jasontoddman7265]

The first time I saw this movie I had never heard of it and caught it in the middle just as George is contemplating suicide and Clarence jumps into the water. For some reason I soon assumed I was watching an old episode of The Twilight Zone; it certainly felt like it except no Rod Serling at the end (a fact that did not register in my head as I hadn't seen an episode of Twilight Zone in many years by then). I didn't learn what I was really watching until by chance I caught the entire movie on cable about ten years later; unaware that I had seen it before until it got to Clarence jumping into the water again.

[@cindyknudson2715]

I was reminded recently that the night they sang that song and he said he'd lasso the moon was the night his father had the stroke which killed him. And, i would guess, George also feels like it is a sort of cruel joke remembering all of the optimism about life he felt at the time he said it. Like even lassoing the moon could be within his power to achieve. But.... now here he is, feeling entirely powerless. The difference between the George who believes the whole world is going to be his oyster and the George who sent his brother to college believing it would be his turn next and now, this George who feels trapped by circumstances.

[@JasonRule-1]

The next MUST SEE, all-time classic, black & white movie: CASABLANCA!

[@jkgbucks77]

I’ve seen this movie no less than 20 times and it never fails to make me ball like a baby at the end. It’s a wonderful film.

[@jameshunt9208]

*bawl. And indeed it is.

[@QuisletEsq]

During their honeymoon when Mary tells George her wish, she is saying it into his deaf ear. He never knows.

[@custardflan]

I've watched this dozens of times and that never occurred to me. Thanks. Made my day.

[@charlieeckert4321]

27:44 This actor is Charles Lane, who became the oldest ever active member of SAG/ AFTRA (the actors union) at age 100. He died in 2007 at age 107.

[@dearally4787]

37:50 - Jimmy Stewart later said “When I first read the first draft of the script [It’s a Wonderful Life]…that scene, the little prayer, affected me then and it still does. And this is a theory that I’ve always had - creating moments in movies, this I think is the important thing. Nobody knows exactly how it happens. What you should do is prepare yourself, as best you can, to make these moments happen.” Stewart had recently returned from war and broke down sobbing filming that scene, although he wasn’t directed to do so. Frank Capra chose that take to be the one to use for the movie.

[@alexcastillo8892]

Great reaction! Watching this movie , and "Charlie Brown Christmas " , and of course - attending church to celebrate the birth of Christ are yearly traditions. Merry Christmas!

[@flerbus]

stares at violet "gotta go home and see what the wife's doin" bow chicka wow wow

[@boki1693]

Amazing how many reactors miss that.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

Ho ho ho! I noticed that---this was so cleverly written.

[@omgbygollywow]

Kind of racy for the times. Also, the time Mary tells her mother, "He's making violent love to me" was pretty racy for that period. Back then, I don't think you could even use the word "pregnant", so George asks Mary if she is "on the nest" instead of if she is pregnant.

[@Linda-y9h]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@scottls]

I have to admit this is one of my absolute favorite movies! In fact, this movie in a large way help shape my life. I Loved the philosophy of what the Bailey's family business stood for, so much that my brothers and I all became active tradesmen each in our own field of expertise. My older brother was a carpenter and our general contractor, I became an electrician, and my younger brother runs a large roofing crew that also does siding, windows, and doors. (exterior work) We could have been considered The Bailey's Building and Loan of the last 30 years here where we live. Unfortunately, Cancer took my older brother so my younger brother and I still try to keep up our family name to the best of our ability, but each in our own field.

[@guillaumehuet-yw3tm]

Merry christmas Chandra and Jordan!

[@fenix6297]

For reference - the scene with Potter after his father's death was around 1925 - so 5K would the equivalent of about $89K in today's dollars. The scene where Potter offers him a job would be mid 30s.....say about 1934 so $20K a year would be about $460K a year. Simply put, Potter offered George - a man making about 50K a year - almost $1.5 million dollars over three years to sell out and George turned him down. Oh - and Uncle Bill basically gave Potter $138K in an envelope.

[@maxmaven99]

Potter also says that they loaned Ernie $5000 for a house, which means a bungalow (shown in Bailey Park in the film) was worth roughly $89,000 in today's money. Which just goes to show how inflation has far surpassed average income. In my area, a mobile home on a half acre lot is $250,000 (Canadian) But, you know, all the avocado toast these Millennials are eating is the reason they can't afford a house....

[@longfootbuddy]

no, 5k is equal to 5k today

[@johnathanstruble1064]

Merry Christmas kids❤

[@custardflan]

Mary is the Sam to George's Frodo.

[@hmsljj]

So glad you liked the film. A Very Merry Christmas to you.

[@Bruce-Wayne-101]

Yay, more Christmas movies with our elf Chandra. Merry Christmas Maplenuts. 🎅🏻🎄🦌

[@lino9222]

Thankyou Merry Christmas

[@EricAntonsen-uz2tq]

If we don’t get misty eyed at the end of this movie … I’m sorry but … you aren’t human.

[@kbrewski1]

Jimmy Stewart was one of the iconic actors of the WWII generation. He played the straightforward "everyman" role to perfection. Closest actor in the Boomer Generation would probably be Tom Hanks. Must see Stewart movies if you already have not: Hitchcock classics like REAR WINDOW VERTIGO THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH Anthony Mann Westerns like THE MAN FROM LARAMIE ANATOMY OF A MURDER (w George C. Scott)

[@alwaysdriveing]

Another great classic is Danny Kay In The Court Jester. It was colorized but it is amazing. Back then actors actually had to have talent. Singing, dancing, sword fighting many talents back in the day.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

It is a great film but was originally made in colour.

[@alwaysdriveing]

Yeah it was filmed in Vista Vision I believe. Poor choice of wording on my part. Was just saying it was not quite as old of an movie.

[@eschiedler]

Since you're watching Band of Brothers, you should know a lot of Hollywood actors fought in WW2, including James "Jimmy" Stewart, the star of this movie. He was part of the bombing missions over Europe and had PTSD while filming this movie, you can really see the grief. When cable TV took off, this movie ran over and over as a marathon during December. Part of it's popularity is the nostalgia for small town America that is pretty much gone now.

[@davidcorriveau8615]

From Pvt. to Lt.Col. during the War Years as a US Army Air Force Pilot...one of the most meteoric trips through the ranks of any officer in American History...after the War he stayed in the Reserves...Ronald Reagan made Jimmy a Brig. General during his Presidency.

[@DavidB-2268]

The reason the movie was in constant rotation was that the copyright on it was allowed to lapse in 1974. As a result, TV and cable stations were able to air it as much as they wanted, without having to pay royalties. So they naturally took advantage of the opportunity for free holiday programming. And by that time, the American public was much more receptive to the themes of the movie than they were in 1946, when it bombed in the cinema.

[@rikk319]

Nostalgia is only something for the living; otherwise it's called history. You may notice that no one is nostalgic for the thousands of years of history most people don't read about. Small town America has only been a blip on the radar of history.

[@itsjuliescottyay]

James Stewart’s good friend was very concerned about his emotional state after the war. Stewart was originally going to turn the film down, but his friend convinced him to do it. Stewart said it helped him tremendously, and was his first step to being able to get back to living his life. The good friend was Lionel Barrymore, who played Mr. Potter. 🙂

[@raymeedc]

James Stewart has been my all time favorite actor most of my life, since I was in grade school back in the 50s/60s ✅

[@kramermile114]

I’m so happy I was able to rewatch this movie with you guys experiencing this for the first time. This is one of my fav movies ever, such a beautiful story, and timeless, as you guys stated. No matter how many times I watch this I still get choked up. I’m fairly new to your channel, maybe 8 months or so and I’ve seen about 15ish videos maybe. You guys seem like amazing people, so genuine and kind. I wish you both nothing but the best!! Merry Christmas!! ✌🏻 ❤

[@3Kings_Industries]

Merry Christmas 2024!!! Remember, no man is a Failure, who has friends. You guys are loved, and thanks for providing a community of fellow film lovers. For more black & white films, I suggest some of the classic THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, the classic CASABLANCA, and for noir elements I suggest THE MALTESE FALCON, and THE THIRD MAN.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

All these are excellent movies, though THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) is in spectacular colour.

[@stobe187]

I absolutely love that this film takes its time with really fleshing out the backstories, makes the last 25 minutes hit that much harder. A bona fide classic with a timeless message.

[@steve6valdez]

My mom is in her 70s, and she still loves watching this every year when we get together at Christmas. It's a great tradition and an excellent reminder of what is really important. So glad that you enjoyed your first time watching.

[@Emma-3010]

We've been collecting old Christmas movies for a while. Here are a few titles I'd recommend that are rarely mentioned these days. In no particular order: It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), Christmas Eve (1947), I'll Be Seeing You (1944), Remember the Night (1940), A Christmas Carol (1951), Scrooge (1935), The Bishop's Wife (1947), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) and The Great Rupert (1950). If you can watch only one or two, I'd recommend The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant and Loretta Young) and I'll Be Seeing You (Joseph Cotton, Ginger Rogers, and a grown up Shirley Temple). Merry Christmas!

[@markdenio4537]

Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu) is also in The Bishop’s Wife.

[@trekkiejunk]

Well, the inspiration for this film also comes from the 150 year-old Charles Dickens's book "A Christmas Carol."

[@johndrews206]

37:47. The raven haired singer in the back is Adriana Caselotti. She's the voice of snow white

[@otisroseboro5613]

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 Everyone,Katy & Otis

[@johnnehrich9601]

The 1920's were called "the roaring twenties." Autos started replacing horse and buggy, which among other things allowed girls to go places unchaperoned. Also, it pretty much wiped out the horse fly problem. Horse flies were a by-product of the tons and tons of horse manure that had lined the streets before autos. Horse flies are bigger than house flies, and they BITE! Up until the 1920's, people basically covered every inch of skin to protect themselves - long dresses and pants, high collars, gloves, hates. Suddenly the limits were off. Women's dresses rode above the knee for the first time in a thousand years, and the man's short sleeve shirt was invented. Women "bobbed" (cut short) their hair, a reversal of the long hair of Victorian times. The 18th amendment was adopted in 1920, outlawing beer and liquor (in America), and so contrary to this, just about everyone indulged in bootleg liquor. With women's legs now unhampered, crazy dances swept the country, with jazz on phonograph records and on radio. The most famous was the Charleston, with lots of leg action. People danced it on top of moving autos in the cities, on top of flagpoles, on the wings of the early airplanes, while the older generation looked on askance. Lots of KZbin video will show you period dancing and how to dance it: "The Charleston Dance (1923 - 1928)" "1920s dances featuring the Charleston, the Peabody, Turkey Trot and more" ____ The Beverly Hills High School built a combination gym/swimming pool, perhaps the only one in the country. This movie was filmed there for the big dance number. This is still there and apparently still works. ____ The crow in the office was Jimmy the Raven, a trained animal that appeared in over 1,000 movies between 1930 and 1954. (In the Wizard of Oz, he swoops down and grabs a piece of hay from the scarecrow as the scarecrow was lamenting how bad it was at his one purpose in life.) Jimmy was insured by Lloyds of London for $10,000. He could perform most tricks said to be compatible to an 8 yo child.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

My mom grew up in Little Italy in New York City during the 1920's and told me how they always wore dark colors, even in summer, because light ones would get dingy from all the gunk on the streets including horse manure and coal muck.

[@johnnehrich9601]

@@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 In the eastern cities, many a fancy Victorian rowhouse was built of an easy-to-carve sandstone, which when fresh is a beautiful rose color. But at the time, all houses were heated with coal, and the stone took on a dingy chocolate color - which we today call "brownstone" and "brownstone rowhouses." (In restoration, the stone can be cleaned back to its stunning color)

[@edprzydatek8398]

Thanks. Lots of good historical information.

[@benbennington8859]

So much wrong information.

[@3DJapan]

I think it's associated with Christmas a lot because it was always played on TV at Christmas every year.

[@Stogie2112]

It’s associated with Christmas because Christmas is a major part of the setting and because George experienced a Christmas miracle.

[@cindyknudson2715]

The entire movie happens in one day, Christmas Eve.

[@ammaleslie509]

The entire movie takes place on Xmas Eve

[@MikeTunnicliff-sk7wd]

Thanks!

[@shawnjones1483]

My second favorite Christmas movie after It’s a Wonderful Life is White Christmas. (Another movie you should watch.) Every year at Christmas time my two daughters and I get together and watch it. We have been doing this for over 35 years. It is one of my most cherished family traditions. Thank you for this reaction!

[@3XLDave]

Merry Christmas! Thank you for the video

[@axspike]

One of my fav films.. Watch it every year and it's perfectly normal to get a spec of sentiment in your eye! 😁 Fun fact, the barman nick is played by actor Sheldon Leonard... The two main characters in the big bang theory(Sheldon and Leonard) are named after him. Happy Christmas from the 🇬🇧

[@larryairgood4320]

So many black and white classics highly meritorious: "Casablanca" (1942), "The Treasure of Sierra Madre"(1948), "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940, from Steinbeck's great novel), "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939, James Stewart and director Capra again), "It Happened One Night" (1934, Clark Gable and director Capra), "Double Indemnity" (1944), "Some Like It Hot" (1960), "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1943, vigilante justice themed western), "Sunset Boulevard" (1950)--- to name a few.

[@emilywolfe7319]

Ever since i watched this 15 years ago, this movie IS my Xmas eve tradition, as i tie together all loose ends .. But the past two years, its been watching reaction videos like this one. I love watching people experience this masterpiece. Thanks for being part of my xmas eve ❤️

[@joshspencer1]

Merry Christmas you guys!!!

[@raymeedc]

Do yourselves a favor by checking out Jimmy Stewart in another movie a bit earlier than this one that also winds up on Christmas, the delightful Shop Around The Corner, later on remade as You’ve Got Mail, which pales in comparison to the charming original 👌

[@allenjessup6266]

Congratulations. Few get the Heavenly conversation scene ar the beginning of the movie. Fewer actually enjoy it. Merry Christmas!

[@2011Stylus]

So nice to watch a classic film with two pleasant young people like you. Happy Holidays.

[@JoDean1545]

Love this movie, thanks guys. Merry Christmas 🎅