"It's A Wonderful Life," Flop to Fan Favorite

 

Image: "It's a Wonderful Life," Title Poster image from Wikipedia accessed 20 November 2025

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: Flop to Fan Favorite by Gail K. Kachnycz on 20 November 2025

     The film, "It's a Wonderful Life," is one of my favorite Christmas movies. Directed by Frank Capra, the lead roles are played by Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. In my opinion, anything starring Jimmy Stewart is worth watching, but I have a friend who says she has never watched it to the end because she finds the beginning storyline boring. Apparently, so did the original audience when it was first released in theaters December 20, 1946. The movie was a box office flop. It did not become a holiday classic until 1976, when NBC broadcast it frequently during December. Due to a clerical oversight, the copyright was not renewed in 1974, so NBC could fill air time for free using the movie. It has since been ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest American films ever made. [1]

     Wikipedia describes the opening scene this way [2]:

"On Christmas Even 1945, in Bedford Falls, New York, George Bailey contemplates suicide. The prayers of his family and friends reach Heaven, where guardian angel second class Clarence Odbody is assigned to save George and earn his wings. Clarence is shown flashbacks of George's life."

-Why is George considering ending his life?

-Will the prayers of those who care for him have any effect?

-What request does Clarence make to try to convince George that his life is worthwhile?

     I hope these questions have piqued your interest in viewing "It's a Wonderful Life" this Christmas Eve. If you have other plans, perhaps a family gathering or a church service, I hope you will arrange to record it on NBC from 8 PM to 11 PM on 12/24/25, or stream it on Peacock. My post after Christmas will share some of the lessons from this movie that encourage me. 

[1] [2] https://en.wikipedia.org accessed 20 November 2025