5 Things You Might Not Know About ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
Many movie fans consider Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life one of the greatest Christmas films ever made, and we definitely don’t disagree! With unforgettable characters and life lessons that we can still learn today, this 1946 film is a holiday classic. But did you know that It’s a Wonderful Life would never have appeared on our screens if Phillip Van Doren Stern hadn’t self-published his short story “The Greatest Gift” in 1943? Here are five more festive facts about one of the most iconic holiday films of all time!
1. Cary Grant was the original George Bailey.
Imagining anyone but Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey is probably impossible for fans of It’s a Wonderful Life. However, a certain charming, debonair English actor was originally slated to play the film’s protagonist. Yep, you read that right: Cary Grant was almost George Bailey! After RKO Pictures sold the movie rights to Frank Capra’s company, Capra replaced Grant with James Stewart. Fortunately, it worked out for the best, as Grant went on to star in The Bishop’s Wife the following year. (Another classic Christmas movie we love and recommend!)
2. The movie wasn’t shot in winter at all.
The snowy landscape in It’s a Wonderful Life may have you reaching for a blanket and some hot chocolate, but we doubt the cast would have done the same. That’s because the classic holiday movie was filmed in the summer of 1946. During a heatwave, no less! Temperatures soared so high that Capra even shut down production for a day. Now, we know why Stewart was sweating profusely in some scenes!
3. The film was a box office bomb.
Those who love this film might be surprised to learn that it didn’t exactly make waves at the box office. Sure, it had one of the strongest box office openings in 1946, but it still failed to turn a profit. It actually caused Capra’s studio, Liberty Films, to shut its doors! It might have been the end of more than Capra’s studio if Republic Pictures hadn’t failed to extend the movie’s copyright in 1974. After that, It’s a Wonderful Life became royalty-free to any TV station that wanted to air it until 1994 and found a second life with a whole new generation of movie-goers. A comeback story not unlike that of George Bailey!
4. A ‘Little Rascal’ was behind the swimming pool prank.
One of the most memorable scenes in It’s a Wonderful Life is when the gym floor opens in the middle of the dance floor, plunging Mary and George into the swimming pool below. Not only was the pool real, but Beverly Hills High School still uses it today. Also, did you know that the rascal who pushed a button to open the button was an actual Little Rascal? Though uncredited in the role, Freddie Othello was played by none other than Carl Switzer, better known as Alfalfa.
5. Reed really broke a window on the Granville House.
Donna Reed was many things: actress, trailblazer…markswoman. Though a stuntman was standing by to throw a rock at the window, Reed broke it on the first try. “Mom threw the rock herself that broke the window in the Granville House,” her daughter Mary Owen proudly recounted. “On the first try.” We can see why the actress played high school baseball! Though Reed had appeared in nearly 20 projects by 1946, It’s a Wonderful Life was her first starring role.
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Originally published December 04, 2024
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