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IMDb > It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
It's a Wonderful Life
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It's a Wonderful Life (1946) More at IMDbPro »

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It's a Wonderful Life (1946) -- An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed.

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Frank Capra
Writers:
Frances Goodrich (screenplay) and
Albert Hackett (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for It's a Wonderful Life on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 January 1947 (USA) more
Tagline:
They're making memories tonight! more
Plot:
An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 4 wins more
NewsDesk:
(26 articles)
Movie Reviews: Up
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 14 May 2009, 2:32 AM, PDT)

Back Catalogue #1 - Synapse Films
 (From Fangoria. 29 April 2009, 1:43 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Sheer brilliance! more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (USA) (complete title)
The Greatest Gift (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
130 min | Spain:118 min (25 fps) (DVD edition)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Sweden:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:6 | Spain:T | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #11656)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) is showing at the movie house as George runs down the street in Bedford Falls. Henry Travers, who plays Clarence, the angel, starred in that film as Horace P. Bogardus. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Ol' Man Gower's cigar disappears when he sends young George to deliver a prescription. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Mr. Emil Gower: I owe everything to George Bailey. Help him, dear Father.
more
Soundtrack:
My Wild Irish Rose more

FAQ

What are the names of George and Mary's four children?
Are Bert and Ernie from "Sesame Street" named after Bert, the cop, and Ernie, the taxi driver, from "It's a Wonderful Life"?
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87 out of 109 people found the following comment useful:-
Sheer brilliance!, 18 April 2000
Author: bradman2000 from Sydney, Australia

After strong performances in films such as "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" and "The Philadelphia Story", James Stewart confirmed his status as one of the greats with his performance as George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life". This movie is, without a doubt, the best of all time.

"It's a Wonderful Life" is a movie that you can watch over and over again. It's movie that makes you think, about life in general and how each person makes a difference, and about how great life can be (hence the title "It's a Wonderful Life). Whilst making you think, it also entertains with many light hearted moments, particularly towards the end of the film.

The direction, sound and casting in "It's a Wonderful Life" are second to none. Yet it is the fact that almost any person can watch this movie and come away feeling inspired that makes it easily the best movie of all time!

A 10/10 without a doubt!

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Hate to admit it but Potter was awsome! enraged_bunny
Original script mark-1602
The movie's hidden message... enigmatically
Favorite Scene aclements27-1
christmas... theRealbrando
Anyone ever feel 'saved' by this film? cara-macdonald
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