First Time Watching It's a Wonderful Life (1946) // Reaction & Commentary // Repost from Dec 2020!

[@donsimpsonshead8809]

Jimmy Stewart was suffering from PTSD when he shot It's a Wonderful Life. He had just come back from 20 missions as the colonel of a B-24 bomber squad over Germany during World War II. He begged Capra to not do any extra takes during the last scene at Martini's/Nick's bar because it was too stressful. After knowing about his PTSD, you can't watch this movie without noticing it all over his performance. Out of all the Hollywood actors who went to war, he was the one who saw the most action and he refused to be treated special. He was a true hero. If you want to know about his military career I can recommend the book Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe.

[@windsorkid7069]

You're close, but James was not stressed about any of his takes in the movie because as he had said many times before, "I let that go."

[@johnmiller7682]

@@windsorkid7069 And that's also a symptom of PTSD.

[@jonrazo7912]

@@johnmiller7682 yeah. Jimmy Stewart wasn't okay. And that's okay.

[@arandomnamegoeshere]

I like to think that Stewart's real-world experiences in War would add additional gravitas to this kind of role; an understanding that might not be so common (albeit all too common at the time). As difficult as that might have been on him. It does make me appreciate the performance even more.

[@lisathuban8969]

Quite an amazing man, Jimmy Stewart. He got a degree in architecture at Princeton as well. He seemed to give 100% to anything he worked on.

[@mjkjelland13]

In 1982, I was on the verge of doing something very stupid. Before I had the chance though, this movie came on the TV. It was the first time I had seen it and it changed my life. This movie is the main reason I am here today to even write this. I watch it ever year and cry and thank God that he placed this movie before me to show me how wrong I was. I hope you get as much from this movie as I did and do each and every time I watch it. I am going to grab some Kleenex now and watch your reaction.

[@rancidcrabtree.]

;

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

Understand that. I've spent too much time in my life, from the late 70s through now, effectively staring into the dark waters of the river like George was, and this movie helps me walk away from that leap. This year has been the worst yet, so I've been watching all the reactions to it to keep me alive. Working so far. :-)

[@mjkjelland13]

@@thatpatrickguy3446 Stay Strong my friend, my prayers are with you.

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

@@mjkjelland13 Thank you my brother. Mine are with you too. Peace and hope.

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

@@JT-gk8rc Thank you for the good words, J T. Therapy is beyond my ability to afford right now, and getting fired from my job two days before Christmas sure didn't help with that either. 😲 But I'll keep struggling to make it through as best as I can for as long as I'm able.

[@tremorsfan]

I love how after Uncle Billy starts crying, the squirrel comes over and gives him a hug.

[@justwatching6186]

Just realized, the lady that only needs $17.50 instead of $20 essentially saves the business. $2 left!

[@JasonRule-1]

Oh wow! That's right. I never noticed that. Great find!!

[@JasonRule-1]

I remember hearing that she ad-libed that amount. And it surprised Jimmy Stewart so much that his reaction to her and kiss were sincere.

[@maximillianosaben]

It's a movie that everyone should see at some point in their life. And it only gets more effective the older one gets.

[@reservoirdude92]

The scene in the bar when the camera closes in on Stewart's face as he breaks down, that's seriously one of the finest, most heartbreakingly realistic performances I'd ever seen in films from that era at the time I'd first seen it when I was a teenager. What an incredible piece of cinematic art.

[@ShanelleRiccio]

Totally agree with you there!

[@erbaldwin1]

I had the privilege of meeting Jimmy Stewart about a month before his death. Absolutely ancient, but classy as hell. He exited the room by backing out of it, as he considered turning his back on someone as being rude.

[@ShanelleRiccio]

that's exactly the story I'd expect from Jimmy! love this, thanks for sharing!!

[@philipbergmann519]

That is pure class. You will be hard pressed to find its' like anywhere today.

[@johndalessandro6433]

Jimmy Stewart was a very humble man. A fellow Pennsylvania boy. Not your typical hero physically speaking as in; Tall, skinny, not a gruff voice , but , he held his own against the best. He was mild mannered , not an outlandish type at all, he even made fun of himself about it, but, you can tell with the other big " stars" of the time, he was VERY respected! He was the typical guy that was too nice, but it was sincere and that's what people loved about him. As far as his military career, many of the actors of that time served but never spoke of it unless asked in interviews. They where the greatest generation without a doubt, but I am hopeful that an even greater generation is yet to come!❤ I'm glad you liked it. I am 55 and have seen this film since the 70's.

[@stefanconradsson]

Oh dear, here is the thing .. I am European (Swedish actually) and I only saw this upon recommendation and it is still, despite this, an immensely powerful experience. The mythology is not ours except in the widest sense .. but the moral essence is. It is just gorgeous. Merry Christmas from us. And do take care. Cheers 🍺

[@ShanelleRiccio]

Thank you! And a Merry (late) Christmas! more like happy new year at this point 😂

[@artbagley1406]

Nowadays, it's called "paying it forward," or "in advance," to gain benefits before you even need them.

[@carolynworthington8996]

God jul!

[@dabe1971]

11:37 The "crow" was Jimmy the Raven. He was quite the film star in his own right and was insured for the equivalent of thousands of dollars today. In 'The Wizard of Oz' he was the 'crow' that lands, unfazed, on the Scarecrow just before he sings 'If I only had a brain.' Frank Capra cast used him in a movie in 1938 and cast him in all his subsequent films.

[@melenatorr]

That movie was likely "You Can't Take It With You", where Jimmy has some nice work to do. It also stars Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter) in a completely different role, and Jimmy Stewart, this time both on the same side. I love the movie, though it's substantially different from the original play. But it enjoys itself, makes its point, and has kittens on top of everything else. How can you go wrong? Barrymore had crippling arthritis, which limited his acting options, but in "You Can't...", you can see him walking.

[@WoodsToLiveBy]

That's cool trivia; I didn't know any of that. More generally, I thought that since crows are a symbol of bad luck, the fact that there was always one at the Bailey offices was a darkly humorous metaphor for the Building & Loan's own situation.

[@TuttleCapt]

True but the crow, the squirrel, monkey etc are all about Uncle Billy's love for animals.

[@K9TheFirst1]

As for the point of the crow in the movie, I think it's just to show how much George's uncle is scatterbrained, letting wild animals live among his office.

[@bobwallace9814]

Never knew that before, thanks! Now did you know who was the boy that opened the gym dance floor over the pool? It was Alfalfa.

[@centuryrox]

The point where Donna Reed was wearing glasses as an "old maid" made her look even more beautiful than she already was!

[@justinmorgan7564]

I feel this is kind of like how the director of Rocky tried to make Talia Shire look homely and failed. You just can't hide that kind of beauty.

[@CaptainFrost32]

@@justinmorgan7564 I never took it as trying to make her look like an old maid, but a librarian spending too much time straining her eyes.

[@glawnow1959]

This is the glimpse that I think Capra gets wrong; I think it would have been more devastating to George Bailey if he had seen Mary beautiful and happy with different children in a nicer house with a richer man.

[@CaptainFrost32]

@@glawnow1959 I feel it would be more like the shock of Marty McFly meeting his mother in the divergent timeline, married to Biff. Do you remember the guy who came in 4th in a race, who later opened the pool beneath George & Mary? Without George, the other guy dates Mary. He becomes a made man in the Mafia as a loan shark and racketeer instead of a legal Savings & Loans. He gets a piece of the action from the illicit businesses. He keeps Mary dolled up for when they go out regularly.

[@centuryrox]

@@glawnow1959 Devastating to George, yes. But if he saw her with someone else, with children, and obviously happy, would he want to take that away from her? That would show George as kind of selfish, wouldn't it?

[@caseymoe816]

I’m 56 years old. I’ve been watching this movie every year for at least 30 years. And I cry my eyes out every single time. Thanks for the xmas morning cry. Fun facts: Ellen Corby, the lady George kisses in the bank run up, played Grandma Walton on The Waltons.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Right about Ellen, but Nick the bartender was played by Sheldon Leonard.

[@caseymoe816]

@@porflepopnecker4376 Oops. My bad.

[@vly9257]

Nick the bartender is in Guys and Dolls.

[@auapplemac2441]

@@porflepopnecker4376 Sheldon Leonard, a character actor (usually played a heavy) went to become a very wealthy TV producer in the 50s and 60s. His credits include the hit shows, "Danny Thomas Show," "Andy Griffith" and "Dick Van Dyke Show."

[@alanschlesinger8687]

Fun Fact, like you I was in to movies at a young age. I was channel surfing in the late 1970's and came across this movie by chance in the middle of the night. I was so impressed that I had to tell everybody. Guess what, no one ever heard of it back then! It only became the quintessential Christmas movie a few years later. 😊

[@Billinois78]

6:45 I love the way this moment was shot. George is trying to get out and see the world, but then we see him walk into the extreme close-up, his face taking up most of the screen, giving a sudden sense of being stifled or trapped. Great work, along with James Stewart's devastated expression.

[@ShanelleRiccio]

YES! Love that moment too!

[@danhirsch6554]

Such a great reaction! Thank you! My dad, brother and I have watched this every Christmas for over 20 years at our homes. My brother passed away this year. So its a little sadder this year. This movie came out in 1946. The only actors that are still alive are the ones who played his kids in the movie. Its my favorite Christmas movie for sure. Die Hard is #2 lol

[@CraigBrehm]

When the woman humbly asks for $17.50, instead of 20 dollars, it ends up being the reason they have two dollars remaining that save the Savings and Loan at the end of the day. I've watched this movie so many times, and didn't pick up on that detail until I watched your edited-down reaction. The colorized version is available to stream on Prime, and while I think 'colorized' versions of old films have largely been decried as sacrilege, the version of Wonderful Life in color works very well.

[@donceltic4631]

You know it is a great movie when you tear up watching other people make reaction videos of it.

[@barbarastrayhorn4667]

True

[@Godlovesyouneway]

I've seen several reactions to this movie and I'm really shocked at the lack of history knowledge. Most had no idea the "run" on the bank was the start of the great depression

[@MarieAnne.]

Bank runs can occur outside of a depression too. In this movie, George and Mary get married in 1932 according to some sources I've seen, so not quite the beginning of the great depression, but well within the timeline and many bank runs occurred throughout the depression. What really amazes me is that some reactors I've seen don't seem to even understand what a bank run is.

[@pscar1]

​@@MarieAnne.It's even more surprising knowing that runs happened as recently as 2008-2012.

[@davidstevenson1933]

@@pscar1 Bank runs are really not something the average person needs to worry about due to FDIC insurance. They certainly can and do still occur (Silicon Valley Bank says hello) but not the way they used to where a small bank could be taken down by panic among ordinary citizens with even small accounts. Nowadays the average person just isn't going to have more than $250,000 in a savings account at one bank and thus would have no reason to panic if their bank looked shaky. I am in my 40s and to be honest I can't remember if I ever learned about bank runs at any point in high school or college. It is possible I did, but it is also possible I only learned about them from watching this movie every Christmas as a child.

[@rlevitta]

You won’t go astray if you watch ANY Frank Capra movie.

[@chrissyhoran404]

And at the drugstore George asks Violet and Mary if they want shoelaces…licorice.

[@david.j9.rabbithole808]

Back to rewatch this amazing reaction for this Christmas season.

[@mdpetty53]

I love how many people look at 1947 through the 2021 lens. Donna Reed was absolutely gorgeous so having her become a glasses wearing old maid librarian was all they could do to play out the story arc. Glasses were the epitome of old maid homliness...THEN. Of course it's silly and anachronistic now but that's the way the world was. "Boy's don't make passes at girls who wear glasses" was a common expression back then. If you want to look at at the movie using a 2021 perspective you could say the Mary was the actual hero of the movie.

[@pliny8308]

Agree with all of that. People have to remember that Mary said George had to marry her to save her from being an old maid. Her circumstances may have changed, but her character did not. Only a very, very, special man could win her; a man like George Bailey. No one in Bedford Falls fit the bill without him around. I do think this is George's story, but the importance of her character is often overlooked. She deeply understands and appreciates George, grounds him and supports him, and is just as compassionate, loving and selfless. George and Mary forever!

[@charlesj1258]

Agree that Mary was basically the hero of the movie. George was spiraling down - feeling alone and trapped and hopeless, thinking everything only depended on him. But as Uncle Billy said, Mary saw the bigger picture and went around and rallied his friends to come to his rescue. Also, I liked the response comment that she wasn't an "old maid" out of desperation and homely-ness but because she never met anyone else with the combination of integrity and creativity that George had. Great movie...

[@TerryYelmene]

The one reactor I couldn't imagine not having seen this classic... "It's A Wonderful Life" has been a personal holiday tradition for the past 44 years.

[@JeremySolo]

I grew up with this movie. I cant even remember the first time I saw it. What I do know is that with each passing year it becomes more and more relevant. Will always be my favorite

[@okiedragonlady2]

My husband and I watch this every year - and each time we catch something new - 50 years of watching this and we see the sad politics and the sweetness at the end - that is just amazing.

[@zombiemom7378]

One of the greatest movies ever made. Jimmy Stewart = movie legend and national treasure. Love it!

[@michaelshockley4270]

Yes. I looked up to Jimmy Stewart as what a man should be. I saw him in many different films and became a favorite actor of mine. As a family , we went to Church on Sunday, came home and after lunch we sat and watched the Sunday Matinee on t.v. usually an old war picture or western. One time we watched "The Man who shot Liberty Vallance " my fav Jimmy Stewart film. We would clap at the end of the movies. It was a cherished memory growing up. Jimmy like John Wayne had a distinctive way of talking. Jimmy does seem to studder. That is how it was and i like it. The coloring of this movie was one of the earliest done. It is destracting and not completely done alot of the time. Blahk! Patui! Thank you for your commenting on film production. It makes me appreciate the movie more. Thank you for keeping the context of when the movie was made and that kind of thing. I understand that many times glasses make a lady homely but i think sometimes glasses can make a lady sexy. Maybe because i have worn glasses all my life? So it is a wonderful life in the end. And i am grateful and thankful. Let us celebrate this life and do good!

[@johncurtis7186]

Another tidbit: Virginia Patton, who played Harry’s wife, is the only living adult member of the cast, at 96. She is the niece of General George Patton.

[@johncurtis7186]

Zu Zu is still with us at 81 🙂

[@tremorsfan]

@@johncurtis7186 He said ADULT member.

[@johncurtis7186]

tremorsfan: Yes, it was me who made the original comment 😂 Wasn’t correcting myself, just pointing out, that the actress who played Zu Zu, is still alive.

[@mythdusterds]

Man even during your reaction video this film can make me tear up. Surprised even by a reaction video made me cry.

[@foley15136]

Somebody probably already mentioned it, but the crash noise from uncle Billy wasn’t in the script. The “I’m alright! I’m alllllright” was ad-libbed. Also, there is no one single colorized version. Since it was all over the place when it was public domain, one version, Mary’s dress is blue. In another, it’s pink. I’m sure that you can find one where it’s green.

[@GoodCorporateRobot]

I’ve watched a half dozen of these reactions this year because I love this movie so much. It never fails to bring me to tears. Beyond all that nonsense I enjoy your reaction/s because you being the smarts. Well done.

[@blueamaranth9419]

I'm going to make a prediction: centuries from now, this film will be the 20th century's equivalent of Hamlet.

[@Harkness78]

I think more likely candidates 400-500 years from now would be Citizen Kane, Schindler's List, and Vertigo. And Robocop.

[@cindyknudson2715]

@@Harkness78 I respectfully disagree

[@blueamaranth9419]

@@Harkness78 Citizen Kane is in the same ballpark, and I could see multiple future versions of it being made with recasting, even new takes on it, as happens with Hamlet, but Schindler's List, as brilliant as it is frame for frame, and Vertigo strike me as being more a single version that no one could replace with a new directorial vision the way Hamlet gets played with. The Godfather might go in the list of possibles, though.

[@jsat5609]

@@blueamaranth9419 While Vertigo isn't my favorite Hitchcock movie, I believe no one could remake a Hitchcock movie without destroying it.

[@maureenseel118]

I watch it every year. And I remember to be thankful for this crazy and unpredictable experience called life. Live every day like your last. Happy holidays all.

[@VonPatzy]

Barrymore family has been an established acting family forever. Lionel (Mr Potter) is Drew’s Grandfather’s brother and his Mother’s Maiden name was Drew. It’s part of the reason Drew started being cast in stuff when she was like 3.

[@melanie62954]

I don't know how many times I'd seen the last 20 minutes of this movie on TV growing up, but when I was 16 in the late '90s, I decided to watch the whole thing. I had recently become an obsessive film buff (a movie about two lovers on a sinking ship may have had something to do with that), and watching It's a Wonderful Life was the start of my obsession with film history. The AFI did their 100 years...100 movies program the next year and I watched as many of those films as I could get my hands on. A decade later, I moved on to Sight and Sound's greatest films worldwide. My love for cinema of all kinds continues to this day, and I work it into my art history lectures when I can. And I will never NOT have a crush on 1940s Jimmy Stewart. It's a Wonderful Life, The Philadelphia Story, and especially The Shop Around the Corner--you just can't get better than his characters. Although some of his best performances were in the '50s with Alfred Hitchcock.

[@robertpearson8798]

A bit of trivia. The Actor who plays Nick the bartender was Sheldon Leonard. He became a television producer and the characters Sheldon and Leonard in Big Bang Theory were named as a tribute to him.

[@charlieeckert4321]

Sheldon Leonard produced The Danny Thomas Show, Gomer Pyle USMC, The Andy Griffith Show among others.

[@robertpearson8798]

@@charlieeckert4321 And one of his last acting jobs was as the owner of “The Hungry Heifer” restaurant, Norm’s favourite eatery on Cheers.

[@Madbandit77]

@@charlieeckert4321 He also created "I Spy".

[@wolverinefangowings]

16:00 There's a deleted scene from the cemetery where he also sees a Martini gravestone, because in that timeline the Martinis got sick living in Potter's slums. They presumably took it out because it would have thrown off the emotional one-two punch of his mother not knowing him and his brother dying in childhood.

[@Kae6502]

I remember watching this on TV when I was a kid and I'm in my 60's now. Despite having seen it countless times, it still makes me cry every time I watch it. Thank you for taking the time do do this one! Love your videos!

[@nathanbouldin2475]

How have you never seen this movie before!?!? So. Much. Fun. Seeing you watch it for the first time!!

[@Umptyscope]

The kid at the dance who opened the retractable dance floor was Carl Switzer, who had played Alfalfa in _Our Gang._ From what I understand, they shot the sequence at Beverley Hills High School, as it had a retractable floor above their pool.

[@hughdavidvisor1769]

Switzer also had a reputation as a prankster; at 29, he played a prank on someone who reacted by getting a gun & killing him.

[@BlackMatt2k]

B&W has deliberate control of light and shadow for dramatic effect. The colorized version muddles some of that work, and is also distracting due to not-quite-right colors.

[@artmanjohn2]

Probably my favorite actor of all time, James Stewart, as a bomber pilot during World War 2, was assigned to the Second Combat Wing of the Eighth Air Force in England, he was successively the operations officer, chief of staff and squadron commander. He led 20 bombing missions over Germany, hitting targets in Bremen, Frankfurt and Berlin. He won a cascade of decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, one of them for piloting the lead plane in a spectacular raid on key aircraft factories in Brunswick, Germany. He also received the Air Medal, a succession of oak leaf clusters, six battle stars and the Croix de Guerre with Palm.

[@msdarby515]

ZUZU was a brand of gingerbread cookies and it's adorable that their little redhead is called Zuzu. George even says, "Zuzu, my little gingersnap!"

[@seaneendelong8065]

I am 62 but we didn't have a tv at age 9 so I first say this on TV in the mid 80s as a working wife and mother. Keep in mind the Crash and Depression were well inown events to us, and for many their parents had been raised then and the grandparents had survived it as young adults like George and Mary. Seeing as the 80s had hyper inflation and union busting, and we were a young family with a blue collar hubby and mortgage... This always felt very current to me. I just didn't have the small town cohesiveness, and that made this a Wonderful Life presented

[@paulonius42]

Early colorization was pretty dreadful, but it eventually became good enough that there's at least one decent color Wonderful Life that I've seen. Even when color was/is offered, I watch it black and white because it just looks better that way. The snow, the streets, the entire film feels colder and more wintry in b&W.

[@arandomnamegoeshere]

Agreed. Colorization tech has improved greatly. There's some really excellent examples out there. If color gets people to overlook the "old" aspect of black-and-white or the color brings additional information to the table, then it serves a purpose. But that last bit is the stickler. Instead of bringing new insights, I find that it muddles the scene. Movies aren't just imagery captured on film. Shots are crafted with careful attention to what is going to be captured on film (and if the movie in question isn't that kind of movie, why bother with inferior craftsmanship when there's so much better to spend our limited mortal time on enjoying?). Those who created these movies expected the greys and blacks to present a specific imagery that color throws off. Indeed - it's the black-and-white image captured that is the basis of stories like Psyco's chocolate syrup blood or the Easter pastel colors of the Adams Family home. Color wasn't the consideration. It was light and shadow. That's why it is worth keeping the original black-and-white. Not because that was just the (limited) tech available at the time. But because that was the medium with which art was created.

[@unclejack123]

Black and White movies were based on telling a story with lighting techniques. Two of the best examples are Psycho and Citizen Kane, although they are all based on this fact ..... colorizing them destroys that imagery. .......... just sayin' ........ Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

[@jonathanross149]

There was a joke about colorizing the 1st part of Wizard of Oz at the time

[@jsat5609]

@@arandomnamegoeshere Completely agree. Incidentally, color was available in 1946, but it was expensive, hard to use, required much more light, and most importantly, people would not pay extra to see a color movie, so not a lot of films were shot in color.

[@user-sw4qd2up2s]

Black n White is the only way to watch this. Colorization is blasphemy! When this was released in color in the 80s there was a backlash. Nobody wanted it, and the VHS sales/rentals were low. This is why to this day you will rarely see the colorized version being played.

[@moviemikerod]

This movie has always just been around for me I honestly can't remember the first time I've seen it I just know I was pretty young. I've always liked it but as I've grown older and become more able to appreciate all the nuances of it, my appreciation has only grown. For instance, when you pay attention and watch throughout the movie you see how all his big dreams that he just wanted so badly keep on having to get kicked down the road till eventually he just almost has to give up on them. And it tears at him. Unable to see how his sacrifice not only benefited him but all those around him. Even though he didn't get to accomplish his long held dreams he still accomplished so much more than most. Most of all helping all around him rise up. Gaining loyal friends and family along the way. Another way of putting what the movie says is: he who is rich in friends is rich indeed!

[@ChrisMaxfieldActs]

8:53 It's the start of the Great Depression. After the stock market crash, the banks were closed until the government could figure out how to deal with that collapse. Lots of smaller banks and savings and loan businesses were destroyed.

[@AxillaryPower2]

There's three holiday movies that I watch every year, in the same order, on different days. Miracle of 34th Street marks the start of my holiday season on Thanksgiving, a Christmas Carol on Christmas eve, and It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Day to close things out.

[@mei31680]

Jimmy Stewart in Hitchcock's “Rear Window” is a movie and cinematography. One of my favorites

[@nathanmerzke3590]

Wonderful reaction! I particularly liked how you took into account when it was made and allowed yourself to get into the story.

[@ellenb2498]

This is my desert island movie, I never tire of it. I've watched it countless times, as it was constantly on tv in my younger days, then tape, then disc, now streaming. I tear up every single time I have ever seen it. I live near Seneca Falls, NY which is a possible inspiration for Bedford Falls, and they have an annual festival in honor of the film. It's incredibly well acted, directed and filmed. I enjoyed your perspective! To answer the crush question, I admire James Stewart's acting talent, and I'd love to find someone with the qualities of George and Jimmy. Who wouldn't? Merry Christmas!

[@lonnieellis3778]

I saw this as a young kid back in the 70''s. I loved it immediately and was surprised later on when I learned it had been a flop originally. This movie and all other movies by Jimmy Stewart have taken on more significance since I began impersonating him. He talks slowly with stutters and stammers and I have pretty much perfected his voice and delivery. Jimmy Stewart was a class act and after John Wayne, he is my favorite actor.

[@popandroid]

haha you just made me yell at the tv for the first time…”Three Hundred THOUSAND!! SAY THOUSAND!!!” 😹🎅🏻

[@stevehutnikoff5964]

Someone needs to learn her numbers! Haha

[@ShanelleRiccio]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@ShanelleRiccio]

Notice how i had a year to learn and didn’t…

[@KMH6290]

I'm a 90's kid but I grew up watching black and white movies with my mom. We've watched this every Christmas since before I can remember, but I think I was a teenager when I really grasped the plot and appreciated it.

[@johnvaccaro7022]

This movie should be a watching requirement at Christmas-time once every year.

[@AJ21969]

One of my favorite movies. The Line I Cry Sooo Hard At Is "To My Big Brother George. The Richest Man In Town." Because of True Riches. 32 almost 33

[@txheadshots]

This movie became a running joke in my house... for years, I had never seen the first hour of this movie... every single time I found it on TV, it was ALWAYS at the point when Clarence jumps into the river. I finally got to see the entire thing as an adult... and the ending always makes me want to go cut onions

[@hawkmaster381]

You will notice that no one ever said "pregnant". They weren't allowed to say "pregnant" back in those days. "I Love Lucy" had the same challenge. It was always "stork visit", "expecting", "with child", or "on the nest".

[@jsat5609]

Desi Arnaz said the fact that he had to use "expecting" worked to his advantage, because when he said it, it came "'specting," like "spaining" (explaining) and he could get a laugh out of it.

[@amwfan88]

My favorite way in which I Love Lucy got around that was the name of the episode where she finds out she's pregnant. The episode's title is "Lucy is Enceinte," which is French for "pregnant."

[@westboundno8]

I saw Jimmy Stewart on stage in London, the play 'Harvey' in 1975. The moment he first walked on stage he got a standing ovation.

[@raymeedc]

I’m 73 years old. Jimmy Stewart has been my favorite actor since I was a kid. He can & has done it all, classic comedy, screwball comedy, drama, melodrama, westerns, a trio of Hitchcock films, over the course of a career that spanned from the beginnings of talkies in the 30s up until the 80s 👌❣️

[@ClaudeNolan]

Wonderful reaction for a wonderful movie and some great golden age stars. Jimmy Stewarts' life and career is unmatched by any other star before or since. To have combined such a successful career in movies along with a long and successful career in the military is amazing. He was a star when he enlisted in the service in 1940 (a year before Pearl Harbor). Rose from the rank of Private in the Army Air Force to retire as a Major General in the U.S. Air Force. He served more than 28 years in the military and flew more than 20 combat missions during WWII and one final combat mission as an observer on a B52 mission over Vietnam in 1968. A wonderful man lived a wonderful life... in more ways than one.

[@tdrewman]

I remember back in the 70s and early 80s this movie would be on every channel this time of year.. Just thinking that a company was ready to front George up to 25,000 dollars, that is like 356K today. My mother forced my nephew a few xmas's ago to watch the movie and he was happy he did. My father always will tell the story when he was a young 18 year old US Airman, that he had lunch with General Jimmy Stewart and being so star struck, he never got a chance to ask him about this movie.

[@Shanghalla]

I can't even remember the first time I saw this movie. When I was a kid this was something that played on tv several times every year during the holiday season. So, it's something that was just always there. You are correct, Jimmy Stewart was "astonishing." Perfect word for his very understated, yet incredibly powerful style. Here's my Top 5 list of Jimmy flicks to do reaction videos on, if you haven't seen them already: 1. HARVEY 2. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON 3. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 4. THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALENCE 5. REAR WINDOW

[@erickenneycreative]

This movie has been a part if my life for, at the least, 35 years or so. It's taken me 45 years to realize what George realizes at the end of the film. The film is timeless because it's true.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Its A Wonderful Life is not only the greatest Christmas movie ever made, its the greatest Christian movie this side of The Passion. This movie shows us how wonderful a true Christian society can be. And then Its A Wonderful Life shows you the flipside, which we live in Pottersville.

[@cosmicslice7267]

When I was a kid in the 70s, this was on tv every Christmas. I watched it every year and always had a crush on James Stewart. He's just such an amazing actor. And I loved the friendship he had with Johnny Carson. Carson would always ask after Harvey (another brilliant moviie.) This is one of three movies I watch every Christmas now along with White Christmas and The Bells of St. Mary's.

[@MrGpschmidt]

My fave film of all-time. First time I saw this I was a pre-teen and found it one late night on local tv during the holidays - had zero clue what it was - started watching when George Bailey has met Clarence and if felt like a TWILIGHT ZONE episode! Jimmy Stewart is my fave actor of all-time and he s/gotten the Oscar for this incredible performance. Donna Reed is radiant and I fell in love w/her. For about 15 yrs now IFC Film center in NYC hosts an annual screenings of the films w/Reed's daughter Mary Owen who does a pre-show Q&A and reads letters sent to her mom by WWII servicemen. I am lucky enough of have met her and befriended her (at least thru the screenings) - she's very down to earth and nice. Fun fact - her mom was a raised on a farm girl and on the set one day Lionel Barrymore bet she couldn't milk a cow (I think for $75) and the props dept. secured her one and she did so single-handedly; she said it was the easiest money she ever made! :D On a persona note: my parents are named George & Mary. Glad you enjoyed this hon; and colorization is an abomination altogether.

[@Drewit1]

I’m so happy that you were able to bring this back. I’ve missed it. Merry Christmas Shanelle!

[@josephciolino5493]

New York City 1982 Christmas Eve - my two friends and I had dinner and we’re considering where to go what to do in the rest of the evening. We passed by what was at that time a revival movie theater on Saint Marks Place here in the East Village. Outside of the theater a poster told us that, “it’s a wonderful life,” was being shown. None of us had seen it before so we went in not knowing what to expect. Theater was full and when uncle Billy came in with the basket of money and said everyone helped out the theater exploded. Some people were unashamedly crying. Many were cheering pumping their fists some were laughing and crying but it was a scene I will never forget and was even more impactful than the movie itself, which is a kind of guess, is the point. I myself was cheering with one or two tears rolling down my cheek as it hit me that the theme of the film was, “as you sow, so shall you reap.” Great reaction video. Thank you

[@scottywright1212]

I was in 3rd grade the first time I saw this movie. It was coming on PBS right at my bed time and I saw the stars talking and really wanted to watch but my Mom made me go to bed. Luckily I had a TV in my room. I kept the volume low and got really close to the TV. I loved this movie so much that I started watching anything and everything staring Jimmy Stewart or directed by Frank Carpra. There are 6 movies I watch every year at Christmas time and It's a Wonderful Life tops the list.

[@melissanichols4643]

What are the others? Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra are great! Meet John Doe is not exactly a Christmas film, but very good.

[@stevenmillikin558]

I've heard other commentators be confused about the crow. I think Uncle Billy was just a big-hearted animal lover. Hence the little squirrel giving Uncle Billy a hug at a crucial moment.

[@hollyodell4012]

Characters having unusual animals as pets in movies also seems like a way to signal how eccentric they are. We find out in the "no George" timeline Uncle Billy ends up in an insane asylum. A lot of people probably wouldnt've been understanding about his forgetfulness and entourage of wild animals. With no George, after Peter Bailey died, who would've let the old guy with strings on his fingers and a squirrel perched on his arm work for them? but George and crew just accept him, eccentricity and all, rather than pushing him to the outskirts of society.

[@BigMike246]

I still can't believe this movie bombed when it was first released.

[@tgriffin8179]

Hi - loved the react. This is part of the Capra trilogy which also includes Mr Smith Goes to Washington and Mr Deeds Goes to Town; both worth a watch. Thank you and Merry Christmas 🎄

[@stevejuzefski5421]

I think a lot of younger people don't get the point of why Mary became an 'Old Maid" because this come from an era where most people still believed in one true love, findng your one true soul mate for all eternity, so if George was never born, their 'souls' could never meet on earth. They could of gone another way in filming/story telling, with Mary married the wrong man, that 'beat her, cheated on her etc etc. but that would of been a lot longer to tell and the movie is already pretty long. :)

[@alanzlotkowski2695]

Take note of the music cues during George's alternate reality: that's horror music! The close-up of George's face when he finally realizes what's happened - pure terror! The Pottersville sequence is a horror movie!

[@JasonRule-1]

Wow! I never noticed that. I'll watch for it the next time around.

[@user-lj9pb9io8n]

It all depends on the person because i 💖Love both the Colored version & the Black & White .. It's an all around BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL MOVIE 💋💖😍😊🇺🇸🙏😇👍

[@JasonRule-1]

Agreed! 👍

[@matvangogh]

16:45 George said in the beginning" he wanted to travel and do great things"...... but, he didnt have to leave town to accomplish this. George never realized before that he- and he ALONE - kept Potter in check, which prevented the town from turning to vice and misery ... just by taking up his fathers mission,- becoming his successor, he prevented this from happening.Not to mention he saved his brother- a future war hero's life,and prevented a child from dying by a distraught pharmacist.

[@Progger11]

12:52 "who is she?" Violet. You've known of her character since the beginning of the movie. You've seen her several times. :)

[@wessheppard4858]

I saw this for the first time in 1974 when it was running 24/7 on one tv channel just before Christmas. Because of the copyright issue. I was ten at the time and never did watch it though in one sitting. Love it now though.

[@claudettesmith8328]

Just another reason to love Jimmy Stewart. Great actor, sense of humor& a real class act.

[@mariannegoldweber1577]

When I'm feeling some kind of way this is my go-to movie. It reminds me how one life affects so many.

[@steveclevenger5826]

OMG, I SO fell in love with gorgeous Donna Reed when I watched this as a kid. The HEAT of that first kiss scene is astonishing, especially for the times.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

And Donna later had her own long-running sitcom "The Donna Reed Show" with Carl Betz as her husband and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as her daughter and son.

[@Madbandit77]

@@porflepopnecker4376 Before her sitcom, she earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the military drama, "From Here To Eternity".

[@steveclevenger5826]

@@user-sw4qd2up2s That always surprised me too. In fact, she actually said "He's making VIOLENT love to me, mother!"

[@greglavergne7373]

I have watched this movie every year at Christmas time for 50 years

[@davidcandelaria4411]

I can't remember how old i was when i first saw this(61 now) but i do know i have seen this every Christmas since...it is one of my all time favs and always makes me cry. As for Jimmy Stewart, what an actor. One of my favs, along with Gary Cooper..just genuine, real. BTW another awesome movie similar to this is Meet John Doe with Gary Cooper...also directed by Frank Capra

[@robertsmith3883]

Shanelle..that particular crow is in quite a few movies of the director Frank Capra. Yes that crow is also in the Frank Capra movie, "You Can't Take It With You"

[@hawkmaster381]

A movie was filmed in black & white when color was available for two main reasons - first, color was expensive back then, and second, it was done on purpose (i.e. Young Frankenstein) to make use of the Italian word "chiaroscuro", meaning chiaro, “light,” and scuro, “dark” shadow technique (credit to my son for teaching me this). It provided more mystery.

[@USCTROJANFAN1000]

The reason why James Stewart was laughing at the end was the little girl was singing the wrong words to the song 😂

[@LadyAneh]

So glad to see you react to this! Merry Christmas! 🎄 I’m in western NY. I’d say Bedford Falls is supposed to be in one of the counties either slightly east or south of the Buffalo/ Niagara area. Lots of Italian and Polish-background people- also a lot of waterfalls that could be the fictitious Bedford Falls. :)

[@pliny8308]

That or upstate New York, i.e. Glens Falls.

[@rmar67]

@@pliny8308 Bedford Falls was loosely, but only loosely based on the town of Seneca Falls, NY.

[@gijoejarhead428]

I just love how emotional your reviews are! You get so into the movie and just let your feelings come through. Great job!

[@nomiau]

I've always loved this movie, one of my all time favourites, also loved your reaction to it!

[@leosarmiento4823]

A wonderful reaction to one of the most memorable of Christmas movies. At 52, I've seen this yearly for as long as I can remember. With age has come different understandings of this film, and it's messages. I hope it continues to be a part of your holiday traditions. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[@njw5869]

It never gets old watching someone new react to this movie!🥲 Merry Christmas 🎄.

[@yourthaiguy]

Shirley Maclaine once commented the scene of George contemplating his suicide at the bar as the "single greatest piece of acting ever caught on film"...

[@merkerb]

This is either my favorite or second favorite Christmas movie of all time!!! Either way it’s a truly timeless classic!!! Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!!

[@BrutallyGoofyBuddha420]

I know you've stated Miracle On 34th Street is your favorite Christmas film, and I can fully understand why, but for me, It's A Wonderful Life hits home more deeply precisely because its theme, while grounded in Faith in a higher power (which I don't have as an Agnostic Atheist), could have just as easily been written and produced with say...another device other than an angel showing George what life would be like if he'd never been born. The theme stood on its own in that regard, and there's never been a heartfelt movie like it, in my opinion, that truly delved into the ideas of how important and influential all of our lives are, whether we realize it or not. To me, that tugs at my heartstrings more than anything else could. I think far too many people suffer, sadly, from the mistaken belief their lives don't matter. That they've had no impact on others. We're not meant to fully understand our impact in life, and most never come close to understanding it. But it's VAST, for each and every one of us, whoever we may be, or how we feel about ourselves. None of us are saints, but you can be assured, all of us, at some point (in fact, at many points), have had a profound effect on other lives...😊

[@vicsage890]

And she got teary-eyed near the end. She is now one of us. Merry Christmas!

[@groothewanderer3710]

Thanks for the re-post and for sticking with the BW version and watching it as it was intended. Colorized BW are blasphemy! Ha! Jimmy Stewart is the classic good guy underdog. I would also recommend him in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939). It's another Frank Capra film. The Philadelphia Story(1940) is also another good movie with Stewart. He plays opposite Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. Classics! Enjoy! Lastly, if you haven't seen Casablanca yet,.. :O It's my favorite. I never get tired of it. :)

[@hughdavidvisor1769]

Stewart sings an excellent version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow in Philadelphia Story.

[@victoriah.3491]

And don't forget: HARVEY, BEND IN THE RIVER & MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON...My picks after WONDERFUL LIFE for Stewart favs, besides Hitchcock leads.🎥👍

[@spongebobandplanktonshould2920]

Don't forget The Glen Miller Story.

[@victoriah.3491]

@@spongebobandplanktonshould2920 This is an ok movie . To showcase JS acting chomps, not so much. Bend in the River is tour de force. Also, The Two Rode Together w bff Hank.

[@twoheart7813]

Excellent reaction and commentation, really enjoyed it on Christmas day, thank you for the repost.

[@petercastaneda5338]

Jimmy Stewart was the original Tom Hanks, not to mention he was a genuine war hero, combat veteran, and General in the Air Force, during WW2. And he demanded from his agents that they never mention his service record, not wanting to gain fame from it. They don't make'em like him any more.

[@cluster_f1575]

Agreed. That's a great comparison!

[@petercastaneda5338]

Thanks, Happy Holidays.

[@pauld6967]

Nice that you reposted this. Merry Christmas. After watching this for many years I noticed a glaring production mistake during a DVD watch and I was amazed that I hadn't spotted it before. No, I won't say what that was because it would be contrary to the spirit of the film and the season.

[@ocularnervosa]

Here's an interesting twist, in this film Lionel Barrymore plays the greedy banker and Jimmy Stewart plays the benevolent savior of the town, however they were also in the film You Can't Take It With You in which Barrymore played the benevolent hero of a small neighborhood and Stewart plays the son of the evil banker trying to take over the area.

[@NOLAgenX]

I've been a very fanatical movie fan all my life, and have in the last few days bingeing your reactions learned more about film rules, and camera shots than I learned being a fan in my 54 years. Thanks for sharing your insights! 😊

[@sevenruvalcaba]

I hope you watch "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." It's equally good though it doesn't have the same type of emotions. Stewart's acting is, once again, top notch, and I think you'll also find a theme which we can relate to today.

[@ShanelleRiccio]

I did catch this in High School! I had a great Government teacher -- wonder what I'd get out of it today!

[@marklehuray1091]

@@ShanelleRiccio only one way to find out :)

[@mattslupek7988]

Jimmy Stewart was from a small college town in western Pennsylvania called Indiana, which is very similar to Bedford Falls. My mom grew up in Indiana as well, and there used to be a Jimmy Stewart museum, which went bust. There’s also a town in western Pennsylvania called Bedford! 😜