*WE'RE NOT CRYING* It's a Wonderful Life (1946) Reaction: FIRST TIME WATCHING

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WE'RE NOT CRYING It's a Wonderful Life (1946) Reaction: FIRST TIME WATCHING
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*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.

[@dennishuff8342]

I’ve mentioned it before, it’s a pleasure watching your reaction to these older classics. Please buy yourselves a coffee, soda, whatever on me. I’m a 66 year old grouch and just seeing the reaction on your faces and the obvious love you have for one another tells me there are still good people out there. I usually scroll through most reaction videos but I watch yours completely through. I’m subscribing and can’t wait for the next one! “Marty” with Ernest Borgnine is a great movie I think you would both enjoy.

[@nickreacts6394]

Thank you so much for your kind words and your generosity! I will look up the movie "Marty" as I've never heard of that one, we have Willy Wonka & possibly some Hitchcock planned soon :)

[@lsilva4395]

Just subscribed. Wonderful reactors. I second Marty!

[@KurtAnderson812]

Marty is my all time favorite film, I definitely hope Nick and Quỳnh get to it soon

[@meganlutz7150]

Yes, Marty is a wonderful film

[@talltulip]

@dennishugg8342, I couldn't agree more! I'm 64, and I also find it encouraging to discover young people like Nick who are open to the wonderful old movies. I also second your suggestion for Marty. I just watched another reactor's reaction to it recently, and had forgotten what an amazing film it is.

[@KurtAnderson812]

“To my big brother George, the richest man in town”…and I am instantly in tears 😭

[@dedcowbowee]

Me too! Happens every time!😹

[@amariebloom]

Every.Time

[@sharkdentures3247]

For me, it is practically Pavlovian now. (I can't NOT tear up at the ending, even if I wanted to!) If I ever had some sort of medical emergency that required, my eyes to be "washed out" immediately? Play that ending scene and I guarantee that my eyes will be thoroughly cleaned with tears!

[@dedcowbowee]

@@sharkdentures3247 😆

[@billolsen4360]

I have the same reaction to "Every man on that transport died! Harry wasn't there to save them because you weren't there to save Harry."

[@homebuyercoaches4044]

There’s never a wrong time of year to watch this.

[@johnathanstruble1064]

Never, ever , ever underestimate a classic movie. Up next " Cassablanca".

[@meganlutz7150]

Absolutely!

[@johnathanstruble1064]

@@meganlutz7150 ❤️

[@meganlutz7150]

@@johnathanstruble1064 ❤️

[@johnathanstruble1064]

@@meganlutz7150 ♥️✌️

[@dayceem]

Gotta be!

[@Jack.___]

What you see on screen with Jimmy Stewart is very real. He had just gotten back to America from fighting in WW2 and had a real case of PTSD.

[@Mister_Samsonite]

Only back then they called it "shell shock". They didn't start calling it PTSD until several years after Vietnam.

[@nataliefaust7959]

@@Mister_Samsonite Combat fatigue! Shell shock was a WW1 definition. By WW2 they'd assigned it the name "Combat Fatigue". ♥

[@zedwpd]

@@Mister_Samsonite The term "shell shock" originated during World War I, which took place between 1914 and 1918. The term was used to describe the psychological and physical symptoms experienced by soldiers who had been exposed to the horrors of trench warfare and artillery bombardment. During World War II, the term "shell shock" was no longer widely used to describe the psychological impact of combat trauma. Instead, military doctors began using the term "combat exhaustion" or "combat fatigue" to describe the symptoms experienced by soldiers.

[@booboo8577]

He was a bomber pilot and flew missions over Germany.

[@jamesalexander5623]

My Father served in the same Bomb Group with Jimmy Stewart, the 445th based at RAF Tibbenham in England in WW II. They both were awarded the Distingushed Flying Cross and the Presidential Unit Citation!

[@maryrichardson1318]

You two are some of the only reactors who have understood what a run on the bank means. Oh and those strings on Uncle Billy's fingers is an old fashioned way to remind your self of something you need to do. Sort of like putting a reminder on your phone to feed the dog, or pick up the kids from soccer.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

Those old kinds of mnemonics usually do work. Others are putting your watch on the other wrist, change in a different pocket, and tying a knot in your handkerchief. Unfortunately, Uncle Billy was so forgetful, he forgot to look at the strings on his fingers.

[@Bfdidc]

If those technologies all collapse, I’m investing in string.

[@maxine-x4x]

Anyone in possession of even half a brain, an elementary-level education and a minimal degree of consciousness would 'get' / understand *every* reference and aside made in this film if not due, simply, to the context in which it occurred - then certainly through having observed, _at all_ the world around them.

[@SwiftFoxProductions]

@@TedLittle-yp7uj In Uncle Billy's case, it also didn't help that he always had like 6 strings on his fingers! 😂 You're really only supposed to do one at a time. That way, you notice it at some point in your day and it'll help you remember why you put it there. As in: "wait, why did I put a string on my finger? Oh, that's right, I need to pick up laundry soap." Uncle Billy just overrides the system so, he always has strings on his fingers and he doesn't even notice them anymore. Which is not how that's supposed to work.😅

[@RichardM1366]

My mom loved this movie. She would cry every time the bell rang. It was special to her. She passed away after a long painful bout with cancer. On the way to cemetery I heard a bell ring. 'Mom you just got your wings." I said to myself. This movie will always be special to me.

[@Whateva67]

❤

[@gingerfellah5665]

The last movie I saw in the cinema with my mother before she died was this movie.

[@artemis2520]

Yes, indeed she did get her wings. This comment is beautiful, I'm tearing up now ❤

[@DeenaSuzanne]

That's beautiful x

[@nickreacts6394]

This is beautiful, may your mother rest in peace

[@dedcowbowee]

People tied strings on their fingers to help remember things, lol 😀

[@jujubegold]

Took my comment 😜

[@nickreacts6394]

Thanks for explaining this! I don’t think I would’ve ever known that without watching (and you kindly telling me of course), just another reason to appreciate classic cinema 👌

[@dedcowbowee]

@@nickreacts6394 Sure thing man! I might as well ask, have you guys seen the older movie I recommended, "12 Angry Men"?

[@hollywhite7449]

@@nickreacts6394 pre-smart phones! :D

[@bookwoman53]

Of course the person had to remember what the important thing was.

[@Whateva67]

Just so you know, the 8000 dollars the uncle Billy was supposed to deposit is equivalent to roughly 145 thousand dollars today 😊

[@mnomadvfx]

Which makes what Potter did grand larceny pretty much.

[@Lensmaster1]

In that day most people dealt with cash, so Billy had to carry that amount of money from the saving and loan to the bank.

[@michaelhallock1428]

Also puts into perspective the $20,000 per year job Potter offered to George.

[@Whateva67]

@@michaelhallock1428 big bux considering an average home was probably between 7-10 grand

[@denisemay6807]

Yeah and nowadays you probably wouldn’t even go to jail if it was missing, IDK, because it wasn’t a crime of violence

[@maryrichardson1318]

Many people don't realize that the young guy who was wanting to dance with Mary and opened up the swimming pool was the same guy who played Alfalfa in the original "Our Gang" Little Rascals comedy shorts in the 30s.

[@EndymionDeVere]

If you ever watch White Christmas, the photo of the old army buddy (“Freckle Face Haynes”), brother of the Haynes sisters, is also the same guy. It’s almost as if the guy played Alfalfa has somehow became an easter egg to look for in classic Christmas movies

[@dedcowbowee]

I had forgotten that.🤣

[@bryter00]

Because George Bailey was visited by an angel, I always like to think that night (Christmas Eve) when he got home, Mr. Potter was visited by 3 ghosts.

[@RexFuturi]

I didn't know he was, but I always thought he looked like Alfalfa.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

The actor's name was Carl Switzer.

[@alanfoster6589]

In 1938, Lionel Barrymore broke his hip. Inadequate treatment confined him to a wheelchair, so roles like Mr. Potter were written to accommodate his disability.

[@jamesalexander5623]

He was so good in "Key Largo"!

[@shasta810]

yes he had crutches in "you can't take it with you" in that year another great Capra film with these two actors!

[@alanfoster6589]

@@shasta810Capra's biography makes excellent reading. Full of details and info about his films.

[@margareth5501]

If you notice his hands, he also suffered terribly from rheumatoid arthritis. He was in constant, major pain. What a trouper!

[@DavidRay39]

I'm pretty sure it was polio.

[@anthonyflinn3305]

Every man on that transport died, Harry wasn't there to save them because you weren't there to save Harry.... wow how deep profound that whole statement was a complete butterfly effect on

[@melenatorr]

Something I like to point out that I noticed not too long ago: in Billy's house, he mentions that he looked for the money in rooms he hadn't gone into since he "lost Laura". Billy is a widower. He seems to have been a widower for a long time, since we never meet or hear about Laura in all the years we've been following these people. He has felt the loss so deeply there are rooms in that house he still can't enter. This goes a long way to explain why Billy is who and how he is when we come into the story, and it explains also why the people around him never express any exasperation. He is in lifelong mourning and endeavoring to live life in spite of it.

[@johnnehrich9601]

He was played by Thomas Mitchell, a popular character actor at the time. It was only recently I also realized he also played Scarlett O'Hara's father in Gone With The Wind a few years early. The two role were so vastly different.

[@melenatorr]

@@johnnehrich9601 He was one of the great ones! He also appeared with Cary Grant in "Only Angels Have Wings" the same year that "Gone With the Wind" came out; along with tons and tons of other movies that were all the better because he was in them.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

@@melenatorr Beside the movies mentioned, Mitchell also played Dizzy in "Mr Smith Goes to Washington," and Doc Boone in "Stagecoach" for which he won the Oscar for best supporting actor. All the films mentioned were made in one year: 1939.

[@melenatorr]

@@TedLittle-yp7uj Truly one of the indispensables among the galaxy of wonderful supporting actors of the Hollywood era! And icing on the cake, he played the character of Lt. Columbo on stage before Falk carried on with that immortal detective.

[@gerstelb]

Thomas Mitchell was the first actor to win an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy. The scene where he stumbles offscreen, then there’s a sudden crash, and he yells, “I’m all right! I’m all right!” wasn’t scripted; the noise was made by some equipment falling down, and Mitchell added his bit to save the take. That little chuckle and smile weren’t from George Bailey, they were from James Stewart, admiring a genius at work.

[@susanalexander6721]

Mr. Potter was played by the incomparable Lionel Barrymore. Acting Royalty. He is Drew Barrymore's Great Uncle.

[@kelaarin]

And contrary to his character, he was apparently the nicest, most genial person on the cast.

[@mattp6089]

Played despicably well too.

[@edwardsadler3348]

He asked for James Stewart to play this part the money men wanted Cary Grant

[@fynnthefox9078]

​@@mattp6089You gotta be a good actor to pull that off. Just ask Walter Peck.

[@micpar2]

The loud noise uncle Billy made when he left drunk. Was a stagehand accidently bumped into or fell into something/s. Causing the loud crash the actors just adlibbed the line and Stewart played off it too with his facial expression.

[@chrisstevens410]

'Uncle Billy' knocked over a stage light.

[@larky368]

For all you young whippersnappers. : The string on the finger serves as a reminder. : "Hot Dog" means "Oh Boy" or Hurray." : The run on the bank was caused by the stock market crash of '29 which led to the Great Depression. : VJ Day stands for Victory over Japan. VE stands for Victory in Europe. : It's not real snow. It's probably asbestos.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

While the stock market crash of 1929 may have been an underlying contributor to the run on the bank, the scene depicted cannot be taking place in 1929. A banner at the high school dance clearly shows that Harry's (and Mary's) graduating class wss the class of 1928. Peter Bailey's stroke happens on the same night. George becomes engaged to Mary after she and Harry return from college, four years later, in 1932. So the run on the bank is probably meant to depict the Banking Crisis of March, 1933, which resulted (months later) in the creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC).

[@TheCkent100]

The snow was made up of a combination of 3000 tons of shaved ice, 300 tons of gypsum, 300 tons of plaster, and 6000 gallons of chemicals.

[@Chris-filosifer64]

Harvey is a 1950 American comedy-drama film based on Mary Chase's 1944 play of the same name, directed by Henry Koster, and starring James Stewart and Josephine Hull.

[@melenatorr]

Would love a watch of "Harvey".

[@maryrichardson1318]

The Hee Haw thing was just a Sam Wainwright thing. Started when he was a kid and just still doing it all these years later.

[@micheledaniels6409]

Stewart was an army/air force reserve flyer in WW2. Stewart had flown 20 B-24 bomber missions in Europe. receiving two Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Air Medals, a Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre. Came back to films after the war and this was his first movie. My favorite performance he ever gave on screen. The character James Stewart creates of George Bailey builds a legacy that the town will remember while Potter will be forgotten once he is dead. Potter may have a mausoleum in his name, but the flowers will be on George Baileys grave.

[@rcrawford42]

Stewart was drafted very soon after Pearl Harbor, but failed the physical for being underweight. He petitioned for another chance, and passed the physical -- but he did later say he had some help with "a finger on the scale". He already had his pilot license, so after basic training he was sent to learn how to fly a four-engine bomber. He was sent to a training unit and had to watch as the unit he trained was sent to Europe without him. Apparently someone in the Army had decided it would look bad if a movie star died in combat. But Stewart was determined, and in the only instance of him asking for a favor, he asked a general he had met to get him sent to Europe. Before leaving for Europe he ran into Clark Gable, who had volunteered to serve. Gable wasn't put in a combat unit, but made training films. BUT for one film, to train men on the guns on bombers, he flew along with combat missions in a B-17.

[@leonardshevlin7260]

There's plenty of humor and so many things are tied together. Mary Hatch Bailey is a force. Because George existed, she had a desire to be his wife and bear and raise children in a specific house in her hometown. She made everything happen that was necessary for her to have everything she wanted, and when a crisis threatened to destroy her life she took action and found a way to preserve all that she had. And she knew what George Bailey truly needed to have a wonderful life. Imagine the Christmases to come in that home, when the children have grown and have children of their own, and Tommy Bailey is running the family business. Potter had no one to leave his empire to.

[@kadoom8843]

“His girl Friday” with Carey Grant is a really fun watch. The dialogue is phenomenal. It’s my favorite old movie.

[@pliny8308]

100% agree. Another great old movie with Cary Grant is Notorious.

[@enchantedwooddesigns3462]

Arsenic and Old Lace or Bringing Up Baby too. Monkey Business is good too but many haven't seen it.

[@jamesstrickland517]

Four other Cary Grant's you can't pass up are "An Affair To Remember" "North by Northwest" "Operation Petticoat" and "The Forgotten Man"

[@chrissyhoran404]

When young George asks Violet & Mary if they want some shoelaces-that means licorice.

[@danielallen3454]

Now, to fair to George, who *wouldn't* fall in love with Donna Reed?

[@susanalexander6721]

I watched The Donna Reed show every morning as a kid.

[@zedwpd]

From Denison, Iowa

[@wal6377]

Donna Reed was 25 to Jimmy Stewart's 38. One year younger than the "half your age, plus seven" social rule of "acceptable" age disparity. (38÷2+7=26)

[@rikki2604]

Older movies I would recommend: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), 12 Angry Men (1957), In the Heat of the Night (1967).

[@Lensmaster1]

All good choices to watch.

[@MrRondonmon]

He wasn't in denial about Mary, his DREAMS of being an architectural designer were shattered at every turn.

[@matthewcostello3530]

that was a real pool with a real moving floor and it's still in the same high school, the guy who opened it was Alfalfa from The Little Rascals

[@johnwest5837]

Carl Alfalfa Switzer was shot dead, dispute over a dog.He was disliked as a Rascal by many.

[@brendaclark8344]

About the swimming pool under the gym floor you missed the part when someone thanks George for designing it.

[@goldengirl8355]

So did I! Thanks for commenting this tidbit!

[@margareth5501]

There really was a swimming pool under the gym floor in the high school where they filmed the scene.

[@shadowwynd6641]

@@margareth5501 It is at the Beverly Hills High School. Still exists / still operational as far as I know.

[@marybicanic8269]

I never noticed that.

[@wal6377]

In big cities, where property is a premium, or in small towns, where they never planned for such luxuries, they had to find ways to make dual purpose places.

[@wolfgangwolf6060]

The "crow" is Jimmy the Raven. He has his own Wikipedia page. He shows up in many of director Capra's films. You recently saw him in as the Wizard of Oz as the crow that lands on the Scarecrows arm.

[@jamesalexander5623]

He also instigated the Attack on the Bodega Bay Schoolhouse in "The Birda"! ..... hehehe.

[@4yaears]

Jimmy Stewart’s acting in this is superb. And some have already said he channelled his PTSD from the war into his emotions for certain scenes. The emotion he shows is real, and when he hugs his children crying, and when he prays to God he was genuinely upset apparently. Both those moments make me tear up because it plays it so real.

[@sca88]

I have autographs from the two daughters Janie and Zusu who are still alive. Janie who lives by me is 88 and has a room in her house dedicated to this film. Zusu is now 83.

[@Dej24601]

Druggists/Pharmacists had to use various substances when mixing their prescriptions, that could be poisonous in certain amounts or when mixed with other substances, so those bottles would be marked with the poison sign as a warning/reminder since the bottles tended to all be the same size, color, shape, etc. Today, the pharmacies tend to get their prescriptions already premade from drug companies, and they don’t often have to mix the chemicals themselves.

[@johnnehrich9601]

I was in chemistry c. 1970 and the standard practice to identify chemicals was to either put a tiny bit on your tongue, or open the bottle and gently waft a bit of the vapor toward your nose. We were also told that chemists on average live 10 years less than the average lifespan.

[@talltulip]

To build on that... there are still a few (very few) pharmacies that mix and blend prescriptions "to order." They are referred to as "compounding pharmacies."

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

In Britain (and maybe other countries) pharmacies and drug stores are referred to as "Chemist's Shops" or just "Chemist's".

[@Dej24601]

V-E Day (Victory in Europe) was May 8, 1945. V-J Day (Victory in The Pacific, usually called Victory over Japan) was informally August 15 1945 and formally on September 2, 1945.

[@wal6377]

A two front war. Said to be much harder to win because your forces are divided. But that's why you have allies. One was a victory for Europe over Germany, and Italy. While the Americans had their war with Germany's ally, Japan. The Americans helped in their allies' war in Europe, while Europe helped in America's war with Japan.

[@lynnesears6254]

"Some Like it Hot" for a great comedy. I totally enjoyed you enjoying this wonderful movie. Now you know why it is beloved.

[@Lizmilly108]

Oh yes it's such a great film❤

[@alanfoster6589]

"Some Like it Hot" often rated in polls as the greatest film comedy of all time.

[@kiefcoffee]

Yesss to this one

[@njt2347]

I always love that George tells Uncle Billy that "One of us is found to jail and it's not going to be me!" yet he tells Potter that he lost the money, not Uncle Billy.

[@reysgotplans5005]

2 older movies I have to recommend (include the main actor from this movie Jimmy/James Stewart) are "Harvey" a movie about an imaginary rabbit and "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" really heartfelt movie ❤ perfect for you two to laugh and cry with 🥰

[@bookworm4174]

I added "You Can't Take I With You" and "Shop Around the Corner"

[@talltulip]

As a classic movie buff, I'm thrilled beyond description that you're now reacting to some older classic films. So I'd like to make a few suggestions, in no particular order, of movies at least 50 years old: 12 Angry Men (1957) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Roman Holiday (1953) Casablanca (1942) Rear Window (1954) The African Queen (1951) Double Indemnity (1944) Laura (1944) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) The Apartment (1960) The Best Years of our Lives (1946) Singing in the Rain (1952) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) West Side Story (1961) The Graduate (1967) The Maltese Falcon (1941) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) The Bishop's Wife (1947) (a Christmas movie) White Christmas (1954) Miracle on 34th Street (1947) To Sir With Love (1967) Gone With the Wind (1939) (problematic to 21st century sensibilities, but important nonetheless for myriad reasons) The Great Escape (1963) His Girl Friday (1940) The Grapes of Wrath (1940) What's Up Doc (1972) The Sting (1973) The Andromeda Strain (1971) My Name is Nobody (1973) Sounder (1972) Dial M for Murder (1954) a Marx Brothers movie (Horse Feathers, Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, or A Day at the Races) Some Like It Hot (1959) And some later classics: Field of Dreams (1989) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Dances With Wolves (1990) Norma Rae (1979) Three Days of the Condor (1975) A Christmas Story (1983) Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) When Harry Met Sally (1989) Rain Man (1988) Dead Poets Society (1989) A League of Their Own (1992) Galaxy Quest (1999) All the President's Men (1976) Deathtrap (1982) Somewhere in Time (1980) Heaven Can Wait (1978) This is Spinal Tap (1984) The Color Purple (1985) Ghost (1990) Phenomenon (1996) Secondhand Lions (2003) I mean... I could literally add hundreds more. This is just a start. There are some important films I didn't list because despite their importance, I don't personally enjoy them much; I just included movies that I love, and I'm pretty sure you will too.

[@browniewin4121]

This was like reading a list I would make, and more of course.

[@dow311]

I believe is watch each of those movies. Great selection. I do like musicals too.

[@michellebarry1555]

Such an iconic movie. My family watches it every Christmas Eve. A reminder of what is most important…family and friends ♥️

[@eronflemens2977]

Additionally, fun fact. Zuzu's name. When George returns home after his time with Clarence, he says, "Zuzu, my little gingersnap." Nabisco made gingersnap cookies called Zuzus.

[@boomeister2]

Also, not visible in the original black and white airing, Zuzu and her mother are both redheads, making the "ginger snap" nickname have a double-meaning since Zuzu is a ginger (another name for a red-haired person for those unaware).

[@susanalexander6721]

Sabrina, The African Queen, From Here to Eternity, The Quiet Man, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. You have endless option! Lovin you guys, just subscribed!

[@meganlutz7150]

All great suggestions

[@StevesTubes]

The Quiet Man is a favorite of mine..

[@cleonmagabeefy8500]

i think George's idea was to die of hypothermia instead of the jump... thank you, fantastic reaction. i love getting my heart ripped out in the middle of spring!!!

[@dionysiacosmos]

Not enough folks on KZbin react to "Harvey" a very successful Broadway comedy play and movie. The character Elwood P Dowd is one of the most charming mad man to grace the stage or silver screen. His best friend, a 6ft tall rabbit proves it. Or does it? It's hard for me to choose between It's a Wonderful Life and Harvey for which Jimmy Stewart movie I love the most. He later did some work with Alfred Hitchcock, and those more serious roles are first rate. But the older ones are so good too!

[@inapickle806]

It wasn't real snow and this was filmed in a heat wave so everyone was super hot all bundled up. When the uncle leaves the party drunk and walks off before a huge crashing noise, it was actually a big light fixture falling. The actor saved the scene by yelling, "im alright!"

[@philipcochran1972]

James Stewart did "do something big and important". He flew many missions over Germany in WW2 as a bomber pilot VJ Day means Victory over Japan, 2 Sep 1945

[@the_nikster1]

Classic Movie Recommendations: To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) The Miracle Worker (1962) I actually just realized that these two films came out in the same year when I was writing this comment, haha 😄

[@leslieoneal4464]

Definitely second both of these!! 👍

[@pocketsizeforyourtravelcon3325]

“Hot dog!” Is definitely an old expression. My grandma (who was born in 1917) used to say it all the time. It’s like “wow, that’s awesome!”

[@melenatorr]

It isn't Mary who says "Hee Haw" first: Sam's calling card is his saying "Hee Haw" - remember: we hear him do it as a little boy at the very beginning before Harry falls through the ice; we hear it again when the boys say so long to George at Mr. Gower; we hear him again at the school gym. So he would have greeted Mary on the phone with "Hee Haw", and she responds in kind. The first few times I watched this movie (which came on tv every year around Christmas time), I didn't like Sam, but, of course, we get to see there's more to him than meets the eye by the end of the movie.

[@Lensmaster1]

People always assume that he's some kind of a bad guy. He's a little cocky, like some young men are, but he's a good friend. People even misunderstand the phone conversation where he says George is making time with his girl. He is joking.

[@melenatorr]

@@Lensmaster1 He's also serious (and right) about trying to get George on the ground floor of his business; and he takes up the suggestion to bring employment to Bedford Falls. So, yes, he is loud, and a little obnoxious; but his heart's in the right place, and he seems to pull through whenever it's important.

[@zedwpd]

@@Lensmaster1 Yep, Sam is a stand up guy.

[@tigqc]

The Best Years of Our Lives is a great compliment film to this one.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

They were released in the same year and competed against each other at the Oscars. "The Best Years of Our Lives" took all the honours but "It's a Wonderful Life" receive a special award for a new way of creating movie snow. The irony is that the director of "Best Years" was William Wellman, who was a partner with Frank Capra in the newly formed Liberty Pictures but could not direct a film for it until he fulfilled his contractual obligation to Samuel Goldwyn. This meant that "Wonderful Life" had to assume all the financial burdens of the new company. Contrary to popular belief, it was not a failure at the box office (it was something like the 26th highest grossing movie of the year) but was not the blockbuster it needed to be to keep Liberty Pictures afloat. Capra and the others were faced with putting more of their own money into the venture or dissolving the company and selling its assets.

[@tigqc]

@@TedLittle-yp7uj *Wyler

[@josephdonato8154]

@@TedLittle-yp7ujWilliam Wyler directed BEST YEARS not Wellman

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

@@josephdonato8154 Yes, you are right.

[@thewildgoose7467]

You could go back even further, to 1934? "It Happened One Night" is one of only 3 movies which have won all 5 'Big Oscars' (best picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay), the other two being "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Silence of the Lambs". It's a fun rom-com and probably the original 'road movie'.

[@pliny8308]

Another excellent movie that I love.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

overrated

[@Pamtroy]

Tying a string around your finger is an old way of reminding yourself of something.

[@jamesalexander5623]

When I was a little Kid in the 50's my Aunt Hellen did that!

[@traceybradberry3287]

Mr blandings builds his dream house, the thin man (six movie series) and harvey with jimmy stewart again.

[@ocd_collections]

I mentioned them too. Such amazing, fun movies

[@llschnitz]

The Mean Banker Mr. Potter is Drew Barrymore's grand-uncle.

[@danielallen3454]

One of the Barrymore Family. They've been acting royalty since before the advent of film.

[@QuisletEsq]

On their wedding night when Mary tells George her wish she says it into his deaf ear. So he still does not know it.

[@Sunflower8587]

Fun Fact: Seneca Falls, NY, is believed to be the town used as a model for Bedford Falls. There used to be tree lined medians through town even. They took out the one through the residential area only a few years ago. There is a bridge, pavillion, etc. that resemble what's in the movie. They have an It's A Wonderful Life Festival at the beginning of December every year and the actors who played the kids in the movie try to be there. Seneca Falls is also known for Women's Rights.

[@karlstanc4444]

Great reaction video! You asked for some more suggestions, so I suggest watching: 1. The Shop Around The Corner (1940) (with the same actor) 2. You’ve Got Mail (with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan - based on the The Shop Around the Corner. 3. Quest For Love (1971)

[@gregall2178]

The Shop Around The Corner is with Margaret Sullavan ;-) ...Meg? ;-)

[@karlstanc4444]

@@gregall2178 - Yes, my mistake. Thanks for the correction.

[@louhillen8254]

My favourite film. “We all leave footprints” ❤❤❤

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Trivial stuff: Donna Reed played softball in high school and college. When she threw the rock at the window, a Doley artist was standing by to make the sound of the glass breaking. But she hit ot on the first try. In the bar scene, Jimmy Stewart's closeup appears mors grainy that the rest of the film (mors noticeable in oldsr prints that haven't been remastered). It wasn't originally filmed as a closeup, but Capra was so impressed with Stewart's performance that he had those frames of the film blownup. Mr. Potter is ranked #6 in AFI's ranking of movie villains, outranking even Amon Goth from Schindler's List, who was an actual war criminal.

[@chrisstevens410]

Capra had it blown up (frame by framing those days) because he did not Stewart try to do it again. It was too emotionally draining.

[@TechnicallyTexan]

Not super old, but worth a watch… Cher starring in Moonstruck from 1985. A young Nicholas Cage and a whole host of award-winning actors round out the cast. Cher won an Oscar for her performant. Must see!

[@mattx449]

There’s so many old classics, maybe do poll to see what people want you to see. Citizen Kane Casablanca Gone With the Wind The Philadelphia Story Rebecca Cat on a Hot Tin Roof The Maltese Falcon To kill a Mockingbird Bridge on the River Kawi That’s just a few off the top of my head, there’s dozens more like Vertigo, Charade, Sabrina, The Big Sleep, Seven Samurai or The Seventh Seal. The list could go on and on…

[@sawanna508]

ILet me add "High Noon" and "Nosferatu" to that list and how about some Charlie Chaplin movies.

[@mattx449]

Those are excellent choices. How about The Quiet Man, Metropolis and Double Indemnity?

[@wendydarling5790]

Charade and Philadelphia Story are tops with me!

[@wendydarling5790]

@@mattx449 Double Indemnity! One of the best for sure.

[@James_Loveless]

Jimmy (raven) Jimmy (often erroneously credited as Jimmy the Crow) was a raven actor who appeared in more than 1,000 feature films from the 1930s to the 1950s. He first appeared in You Can't Take It with You in 1938. Director Frank Capra would then cast the bird in every subsequent movie he made. Among his roles were Uncle Billy's pet, seen in the Building & Loan in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), and the crow that landed on the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Jimmy belonged to Hollywood animal trainer Curly Twiford, who stole the bird from a nest in the Mojave Desert in 1934. Twiford trained Jimmy to do an assortment of tricks, such as typing and opening letters. He could even ride a tiny motorcycle. These talents would make him appealing to use in films. Jimmy could understand several hundred words, though only around 50 were what Twiford called "useful". It took Jimmy a week to learn a new useful word, two weeks if it had two syllables. Twiford said that Jimmy could perform any task possible for an 8-year-old child. His human co-stars were complimentary of the bird. "When they call Jimmy, we both answer," remarked Jimmy Stewart on the set of It's a Wonderful Life, noting that the raven "is the smartest actor on the set" requiring fewer re-takes than his human counterparts. After he had become more popular with the studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had Jimmy insured for $10,000. Lloyd's of London wrote a policy to cover Jimmy's $500 a week fee as well as Curly Twiford's $200 handler fee, in the event Jimmy forgot any of the words he would need on the set. Twiford credited these fees with keeping him solvent during World War II. At one point, Jimmy had 21 "stand-ins", 15 of which were female, who would fill in for him when the scene did not require any tricks or movement. Jimmy received a Red Cross gold medal in acknowledgement of 200 hours spent entertaining veterans after the war, and his footprints were enshrined in cement at a large Los Angeles pet store, alongside those of Lassie and other Hollywood animal stars. Jimmy's last-credited film was 3 Ring Circus in 1954, after which little is known about him. Curly Twiford said that Jimmy would "probably live to be 150" years old,[8] which the papers re-printed. In reality, ravens seldom live more than 30 years in captivity. Curly Twiford died on April 5, 1956, at the age of 60.

[@LordNifty]

I like to follow up this movie with the SNL sketch where they all decide to beat up Mr. Potter.

[@wal6377]

The actor who portrayed Mr. Potter is Lionel Barrymore, grandfather of Drew Barrymore. Originally, the script called for not only George Baily's redemption arc, but Mr. Potter was also to have a Ebenezer Scrooge moment and give back the $8,000. Lionel thought it would take away from George's trial of fire, so he fought to have his character's arc removed.

[@charmingjinx9379]

A string tied around your finger is a reminder that you have to do something. Unfortunately, it doesn't remind you WHAT you're supposed to do.

[@walterrutherford8321]

For you Harry Potter fans, it’s like the remembrall Neville Longbottom has in the first movie. It just reminds you there is something you’re supposed to remember.

[@rebeccalong3360]

I always cry hysterically when I watch this. Such a great film. Timeless.

[@leeyaferguson9019]

Love Jimmy❤💞....and Bert & Ernie.😂😂.

[@johnniekight1879]

Watch "Psycho". 1960. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense. This one proves it.

[@melanie62954]

Psycho isn't my favorite Hitchcock, but it's definitely the best gateway drug!

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

@@melanie62954 I sometimes think that watching "Psycho" as their first Hitchcock film leads people to believe that he was a horror movie director when, in fact, his main genre was suspense, usually with a dash of comedy. I would love to see someone react to "Foreign Correspondent."

[@Gracie-SavedByGrace]

Be prepared for anxiety when taking a shower after watching Psycho.

[@melanie62954]

@@Gracie-SavedByGrace When I first watched Psycho I was a freshman in college and lived in a dorm--with community showers! Very very bad decision. 😅

[@Gracie-SavedByGrace]

@@melanie62954 Ooof! That must have been tough.

[@51tetra69]

Captains Courageous (1937) Nick, I recommend that you guys watch the classic movie “Captains Courageous” starring Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore, and the child-actor Freddie Bartholomew. It’s an action-packed coming-of-age movie with an amazing arc of character development taking place during this touching, heartwarming movie…

[@meganlutz7150]

Great suggestion !

[@dow311]

@@meganlutz7150I love that film!

[@maximillianosaben]

I can’t watch this movie without crying. Absolute classic for a reason, and as feel-good of a movie as you can get.

[@Richie___Rich]

I love seeing these classics! My mom and I love movies from this era. This and White Christmas are our holiday watches. My favorite is Singin’ in the Rain which is one of the classic movie musicals

[@eronflemens2977]

Mentioned during your Wizard of Oz reaction: if you enjoy wholesome content And Jimmy Stewart, watch HARVEY!! Pulitzer Prize winning play. Beautiful story.

[@zedwpd]

Classmates all have a catchphrase with each other. Theirs was Heehaw from the first scene and throughout their lives.

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

You look like the kind of an angel I would get. I love that line. 😂

[@Dej24601]

Another exquisite post-war Christmas-themed film that came out one year after this that is charming, also sweet for families and has a gorgeous cast, great screenplay and heartwarming message is The Bishop’s Wife (1947.)

[@rf3899]

The strings on uncle Billy's fingers were reminders. People used to tie strings to their fingers to be a reminder of something important. Great reaction!!

[@bigdream_dreambig]

26:03 "She _is_ wonderful." Yes. She may not be the protagonist, but Mary is the true hero of this story. ☺

[@Chris-filosifer64]

History class in a movie

[@bigdream_dreambig]

18:30 "She looked more concerned when he was walking away, right?" That's because he turned around and walked _away_ form the direction she had pointed him -- i.e. he was walking _away_ from Mary, not toward her as his mother had planned.

[@rubykrebs9550]

Great reaction! Another classic movie is Twelve Angry Men 1957. My absolute favorite movie of all time. If you haven't seen it yet I would love to see your reaction. Thank you for providing such enjoyable reactions.

[@amariebloom]

They would absolutely love it!! Can’t wait

[@NHarts21]

I love the message of sacrifice in this movie. It's something that our culture is severely lacking. Everything nowadays is "Me, me, me. How much can I get? I have to think about myself and put myself first." Very rarely do we see works of art or entertainment that inspire sacrificing of ourselves for others. It's how we obtain TRUE success, which is success in love and friendship. Great reaction to a wonderful movie! 🥰

[@hawkmaster381]

Back in those days, it was forbidden to say the word “pregnant” in the movies or TV. They had to use other expressions like “on the nest”, or “expecting”.

[@leslieoneal4464]

My favorite was always "in the family way"! 😘👍 (And if it was an unwed situation, hush hush, we just said a girl had "gotten herself into trouble" 😳)

[@SC-gp7kt]

Yes, I've seen older Christmas cards like that in my family's archives. Back then people used to tie a small piece of string around a finger to act as a reminder for something. My grandma, back in the 1980's when she was still alive, used to do that. Hot diggity dog! is an old expression, like Yay!

[@impishsongster333]

"Hot Dog!" is a euphemism, for hot damn. You also, sometimes heard, "Hot diggity dog". Both, good wholesome expressions, of excitement or happiness.😊 I would love to see you both react to: "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) and "Auntie Mame" (1958) I think you'll both really enjoy both of these films. Thanks, for the great reactions!😊

[@Gracie-SavedByGrace]

Bringing up Baby is hilarious!

[@impishsongster333]

@@Gracie-SavedByGrace 💯 Agree!

[@candicelitrenta8890]

The dance scene was filmed at Beverly Hills High School and yes it was designed that way for real

[@karenp7383]

This is such a beautiful movie, love this one - I can also highly recommend 'Harvey' (1950) also with Jimmy Stewart - so sweet! Greetings from Australia, Karen 🌷

[@dianedeck9790]

putting a string on your finger is a good way to remind yourself of anything. I've done it myself at times when I need to remember something. Usually its just annoying enough that It keeps me aware of what I need to remember long enough then I can take it off. Its OG phone reminders. lol Also if you like Jimmy Stewart here watch another won call Harvey. He's pretty charming in that one too.

[@melenatorr]

Mr. Potter is played expertly by Lionel Barrymore. He was the brother of Ethel and John Barrymore. John Barrymore was the grandfather of Drew Barrymore. The Barrymore siblings were all extremely gifted. The three of them appeared together in "Rasputin and the Empress"; the two brothers acted together in "Grand Hotel" and "Dinner at Eight", though they shared no scenes in "Dinner...". Lionel and Jimmy Stewart had acted together before in "You Can't Take It With You", also directed by Frank Capra (who directed this movie). Barrymore is very, very different in the older movie. He also suffered from crippling arthritis, which led to his later roles in a wheelchair (including this, of course). He had been slated to act as Scrooge in 1938, interestingly considering your reference to "Scrooge blood"; but was unable to take it on. He recommended Reginal Owen, who did a lovely job. Here's a bit of Lionel in "You Can't Take It With You", along with evidence that things never really do change: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4uUd5lmmMyep5o

[@melanie62954]

Okay, I adore It's a Wonderful Life and Lionel Barrymore is great in it, but it makes me sad that it's the only thing most people know him for! I love him in YCTIWY and On Borrowed Time.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

John and Lionel Barrymore also appeared together in "Night Flight." (1933). Lionel did play Scrooge on radio at Christmas.

[@melenatorr]

@@TedLittle-yp7uj Thank you for that! I haven't seen "Night Flight" and now I have to.

[@melenatorr]

@@melanie62954 I love "On Borrowed Time": I read the play in junior high school long before I had a chance to see the movie. In addition to Lionel, we get a chance to see Beulah Bondi (Ma Bailey) as Barrymore's wife; and Henry Travers (Clarience) as the doctor. Cedric Hardwicke is great and plays off Barrymore and young Bobs Watson really well.

[@johnwest5837]

The Barrymores started acting with Shakespeare.

[@kimcutts6153]

🇬🇧 This has always been my favourite movie, ever since I first saw it 50+ years ago (I'm 60 next week). I've lost count of how many times I've watched it, and I still bawl my eyes out every time. 🎬🎥❤

[@TheDaringPastry1313]

Believe it or not, there are some people that complain that it takes too long for the angel to come, but if the movie didn't build up George's current life and then show how much it has fallen apart, the ending wouldn't have been as powerful. Can't wait until y'all finally get to 12 Angry Men from 1957. Tying something on your fingers is a way to remind you that you need to remember something, that's all it was. James Stewart in Rear Window 1954 as well is really good. It's a Mystery film

[@RexFuturi]

I come to tears every time I watch this movie. It's a beautiful film.

[@wolfgangwolf6060]

There is a very old saying that if you want to remember something put a string on you finger.

[@BlueShadow777]

On the basis of this ‘reaction’, you’ve got my subscription! For a young couple, you two *got* the film 99%… while so many others (often older) just don’t ‘get’ it and never will. Just one thing you didn’t know about… tying a string around your finger was to remind yourself there’s something you need to do. I’m very impressed with you both 👍🏻

[@dedcowbowee]

12 angry men (1957 version) is a great older movie!

[@blackpinkinyourarea4455]

I wholeheartedly agree!

[@dedcowbowee]

@@blackpinkinyourarea4455 Oh, thanks! I hope they check it out!👍

[@JoeOrlando-rw8tn]

Yes! 12 Angry Men.

[@talltulip]

Amen!

[@elvwood]

I concur

[@victorsixtythree]

Found this at the "wonderful life museum" web site: Before “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Cornflakes painted white were used for snow. To avoid the “crunch,” Frank Capra used three types of snow in “It’s A Wonderful Life”: Ivory soap flakes, chipped ice, and something called foamite, which is similar to what is used in fire extinguishers today. Soapy suds can be seen in the shot of Clarence and George in the river.

[@palecorpse]

There is a comedy called "Harvey", that I really liked.

[@dayceem]

Donna Reed is so lovely. She went on to have her own family-centric show which ran for 8 seasons.

[@lisamoanaSoprano]

His uncle wore strings on his fingers to remember what he was supposed to do. It was a thing back then.

[@raymeedc]

~ What happened at the bank in the film when they were headed out for their Honeymoon was the beginning of The Great Depression of 1929 ~

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

20:34 In those days (and before) "making love" meant flirting (talking love), not sex.

[@leonardshevlin7260]

and "loving" was a euphemism for coitus, as in "Okie From Muskogee" and "Sundown".

[@KlooKloo]

No it wasn't. It has meant (in the USA) sexual intercourse since the 20s (the NINETEEN twenties). It doesn't make sense that George could "violently" flirt with her and that that would scandalize Mary's mother into silence.

[@leonardshevlin7260]

@@KlooKloo The meaning was still ambiguous in 1946.

[@KlooKloo]

@@leonardshevlin7260 no it wasn't

[@manueldeabreu1980]

Mr. Potter is played by Lionel Barrymore. He is Drew Barrymore's grandfather. At this point in his career he was restricted to a wheelchair as his type 1 diabetes got worse. A great movie he is in is Captain's Courageous.

[@susanalexander6721]

Lionel is Drew's Great Uncle. His brother John is her Grandfather. John, Lionel, and sister Ethel were wonderful actors.

[@blackpinkinyourarea4455]

Definitely one of my favorite films of all time. I didn't appreciate it until i watched it as an adult. Mom always loved it.

[@glstka5710]

17:44 The actor who played uncle Billy wasn't acting drunk, he WAS drunk and actually ran into something so that crash was real so he said "I'm all right. I'm all right" so they wouldn't stop the take and have to redo the scene. The improvisation was put in the movie.