Annie's comment about the money she saved for a divorce if she ever found a husband is the perfect comedic release at a high-emotion point - loved her character.

The thing that touches me most deeply about this movie is that the actor of Mr Potter was in real life a kind and empathetic man who encouraged Jimmy Stewart to accept the lead role. Due to his PTSD, Jimmy Stewart struggled with feeling hollow and hypocritical in Hollywood after what he'd seen and done during his time in the Air Force. So, the actor of Mr Potter asked him if he truly didn't see the point to bringing joy to others' lives through entertaining them rather than taking life as he'd done in the war. Jimmy said afterward he wouldn't have done the movie without his encouragement and mentorship and credited him with helping him overcome his personal trauma.

George's two daughters and youngest son are still alive, Janie 88, Zuzu 83, Jimmie 82. Janie lives near me and has a room in her house dedicated to this film with memorabilia.

About the strings on Uncle Billy’s fingers - an old memory trick was to tie a string around one of your fingers to remind you of something you thought you might forget. We already knew he was forgetful. Showing that he used multiple strings twice and it didn’t work emphasizes that.

The device young George was using was old fashion lighter for smoking. If the spark lit on the first try it was considered good luck and you'd make a wish - "hotdog!" was from the excitement of seeing it light on the first pull. I'm still watching the reaction but I'm already sure its great!!

You should definitely watch "Twelve Angry Men" the 1957 version. One of the greatest movies of all time. Everyone who watches it, absolutely loves it.

"To my big brother George. The richest man in town." Gets me every time. RIP Mr. Stewart - an American treasure. In life you were George Baily.

The line Harry says "To my big brother George, the richest man in town" always makes me cry I've watched this movie every year since I was 5 about to be 48 and that line hits harder now that my big brother has passed away

Jimmy Stewart was a successful actor before World War 2, and had earned an Oscar. But he left Hollywood and went into the Army Air Corps. Eventually he became a colonel and he commanded a B'24 squadron. The stress caused him to lose sleep and lose weight. Then one day, on a mission he didn't fly, his squadron lost 130 men. He had a nervous breakdown and spent months in the hospital. When the war was over, he wasn't sure about acting, and didn't want to take this part because it wasn't a comedy. His friends (including Mr. Potter's actor, Lionel Barrymore) taked him into it. When the serious emotional scenes came (when he told Mary he didn't want to marry anyone, and when he was praying in the bar) the emotions were raw and real, and just under the surface.

I like that George basically became like a son to Mr. Gower after his died.

The absolute brilliance of this movie is that it’s basically a reversal of A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge, a man who was afraid of death realizes that there’s still time to turn things around and be a better man for the world. George Bailey, a man who didnt want to live anymore, only to realize how much good he has brought to the world.

The script girl (that was the title of the position at the time) after the scene where George and Mary get engaged told Capra that 2 pages of dialogue were left out. Kapra's response was, "With acting like that who needs dialogue. "

Both the scene where George emotionally grabs his son after coming home and then again when he prays to God at the bar. Those two scenes are some of the finest acting I've ever seen in anything. Jimmy Stewart was also a great person in real life, so this movie has always been really special to me.

Yes, not only a great story, but this is such a wonderful encapsulated authentic American history from the people who lived through out - the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, the roaring twenties, where everyone and I mean everyone danced the Charleston, the bank runs of the Great Depression, WWII on the home front. And yes, I tear up at all the tender moments throughout the film, and of course at the end, no matter how many times I've seen it.

It’s hard to pick my favorite moment, maybe near the end when George goes to Potter to recoup the 8 thousand he says he’s misplaced. Even after being so angry with Billy and declaring he won’t take the fall for it, he does anyway because that’s who he is. Potter is surprised of course, because he has no concept of sacrificing for others. Or it may be the moment Clarence jumps into the river and George completely forgets his problems, yanks his coat off and goes after him. Both moments solidifying what the film has already shown us, that no matter how much he deserves a break, no matter how dark his outlook, George is simply geared to automatically help where needed.

You are an exceptionally good commentator, emotionally sensitive as well as intelligent. I like how you instantly deduced "the Depression!" when you the run on the bank.

Mr. Potter makes Darth Vader look like a Disney princess.

3:49 The strings on the hand were a common memory aide, a way to remind yourself of future events, back before smartphones. 5:50 The flame was a drugstore gas cigar lighter. Apparently they didn't always light on first try, so if they did you got your wish

A great reaction. I get a lump in my throat every time I see Harry toast George as the richest man in town. The next B&W classic you should watch is "Casablanca". There's a reason it's at or near the top of everyone's list of the best movies of all time

This is without a doubt the best Xmas movie made. I know generations younger than mine may disagree but the story is timeless. I'm 66 years old and have seem this every year without fail. First with my mom and dad and later with my children. To this day, I still cry at the end because after all, "George Bailey is and always has been the richest man in town".. in so many ways..

Not only the best Christmas movie but also one of the top movies of all time. Its message is timeless.

A couple of classic tear jerkers: The Best Years of our Lives, same year as Wonderful Life, one of favorite movies of Spielberg, Scorcese, it's about returning soldiers from WW2. Marty, 1955, it's about two "dogs" who find each other, and happiness.

Here is a great movie and it is from 1934, "It Happened One Night". It shot Clark Gable to stardom and it is probably the standard by which all RomComs were measured by for decades after. Believe me... a great movie, up there with Wonderful Life, and it was done more than 10 years earlier.

When you started shedding tears at some of the early scenes, I knew you'd never get through the end without a flood of tears.

Beautiful reaction ! Would love it if you watched more old classics since you clearly know how to appreciate them. They have a charm that modern movies just don’t have. I would recommend Casablanca (1942), Arsenic and Old Lace ( 1944), and Rear Window (1954).

The absolute best Christmas film ever. Hands down. I've watched it countless times, the final message gets me through each year. Did you notice it NEVER snows in Pottersville ? Yes you can see it on the ground but look when George is begging to Clarence that he wants to live again - the moment it starts to snow is when you know he's back in good old Bedford Falls. The snow was a new development for the film too. Capra wanted to use live sound for the close up scenes so the usual Hollywood method - cornflakes bleached or painted in white was out as clearly any walking nearby would create unwanted sound so the special effects team came up with a brand new method. There was actually a record heatwave going on whilst the film was being made ! The Raven that Uncle Billy owns is called 'Jimmy'. He starred in 1000+ films and was quite the star - insured for the equivalent of thousands of dollars today. He's actually the 'crow' that lands on the Scarecrow in 'The Wizard of Oz'. Capra found a part for him in every film he made after 1938. Speaking of Uncle Billy, in the scene where he leaves the frame and there's a crash, a set hand dropped some equipment accidentally and the look of concern from Jimmy Stewart was genuine. Some say 'Uncle Billy' improvised the cry that he was alright, others say it was dubbed on in post. But the crash is genuine and unscripted. Another unscripted moment is when Ms Davis asks for 17.50 from George. Capra took young actress Ellen Corby to one side just before shooting and told her to ask George for an strange number. This caught Jimmy off guard so he reacted with the kiss. Older folk like me might recognise her as she went on to play Grandma Walton in the long running TV show - The Waltons. Jimmy Stewart was still suffering with PTSD from his WW2 service and credits this movie experience as being therapeutic. In particular, in the prayer scene it wasn't scripted for him to cry and they weren't really setup for a close up to really capture the emotion. Capra knew he couldn't replicate the emotion in a reshoot so he decided to go with the original footage and zoomed in on the negative for the final cut of the film. If you look, it looks grainier because of that but Capra thought it worked in bringing more emotion and it was certainly better than asking Jimmy to go again. Stewart is one of my favourite actors and even more so when you see this performance. So glad new generations are still enjoying this classic - and in black and white as it should be ! I watched again- on Christmas Eve as is my tradition along with 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and I cried like a baby just like I always do. Being a 52 year old guy doesn't change that such is the power of this movie. Jimmy Stewart said it was his favorite and who are we to argue.

It's a rare movie that can elicit so many strong emotions. Shop Around the Corner, also with Jimmy Stewart, is another must-see Christmas movie.

The part that always makes me tear up is when George yells, “Don’t hit my sore ear again!” Well, I tear up before that and that line kinda makes me sob a little. Fantastic acting from that kid. I think my favorite line is, “He’s making violent love to me, Mother!” Mary is a beast. She really does have all the answers.

Mary - played by Donna Reed...she was a great actress. Won Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 1954's From Here to eternity. Then in 1958 she got her own sitcom simply called the Donna Reed Show that lasted until 1966. There are a lot of great character actors in this, some of whom went on to TV fame.

"All those men on the transport died. Harry wasn't there to save them because you weren't there to save Harry." Gives me chills every time. Shows the massive ripple effect George's action caused. Not just the people he's directly interacted with, but people & families he's never met. Always makes me think, what domino effect like that have I caused?? Love it. Thanks for the reaction!!

People used to tie strings around their fingers as a reminder of something they needed to remember. The fact Uncle Billy has quite a few strings indicates he very forgetful.

The strings on his fingers are a 1919 version of a Harry Potter remembrall. The device is a cigar lighter that was known to not always light, so George thought it was good luck when it did. Donna Reed was a softball player back in her home town of Denison, Iowa and hit the window with a rock in one take.

This movie is so endearing to so many generations of people. The part that gets me is when Harry toasts to George and calls him the Richest man in town. To me it beautifully represents a full circle moment. George had unwaivering love and respect for his father and what his father meant to people and sacrificed of himself for people. George calls his dad the richest man in Town in the first scene with Potter. And considering what George unselfishly sacrificed for his brothers stability and future, to hear that Harry views George as George viewed his father just opens the flood gates for me. This movie and Jimmy Stewarts performance will never not be relevant.

Thanks for a very empathic and sensitive reaction. There's nobody who watches it who fails to tear up, especially when, as you put it, the community he helped create rallied around him in the last scene.

The actor who played Mr. Potter was a member of a very famous acting family. His name was Lionel Barrymore and he was a brother to John Barrymore who is Drew Barrymore‘s grandfather. Lionel Barrymore was instrumental in convincing Jimmy Stewart to take this role after Stewart served in World War II. Lionel Barrymore played the kindly Dr. Gillespie in the doctor Kildare series of movies. His playing the evil villain was not a typical role for him.

Hee-Haw! ... When we first meet George, the second boy to slide down the mountain was his friend Sam "Hee-Haw." That is the way they say hi to each other throughout the movie.

Jimmy Stewart won an Academy Award for The Philadelphia Story and also was in The Rear Window and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. He was the Tom Hanks of his day.

Great reaction! I've watched a dozen reactions, probably two, to this film, and yours is top-notch. You knew this was the time of the Stock Market Crash/Depression in 1929, which no one ever gets. And you mostly avoided the political correctness often used to gauge a time when it didn't exist. Yay you! As for tears, they come with so many scenes... the impact of a classic, well-made film.

This Film changed me and SAVED me. A TRUE-GENUINE-ALL-TIME-FILM My All-Time FAVORITE FILM GREAT CHOICE

Five actors in this movie are 21:54 Oscar winners: Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed (Mary), Lionel Barrymore (Potter), Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy) and Gloria Graham (Violet).

Of all the movies Frank Capra directed this was his favorite. But of all the movies lead actor, Jimmy Stewart, starred in this was his 2nd favorite To see his all time favorite role, check him out in the timeless comedy, HARVEY, an iconic film so highly regarded in Hollywood it is referenced in several of the greatest modern movies including SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, FIELD OF DREAMS and A BEAUTIFUL MIND, And they too should be on your must watch list too if you haven't already seen them. as every one is as inspirational as IT"S A WONDERFUL LIFE if not more.

I think you would like The Bishop's Wife, with Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. It also features an angel coming to Earth to help someone.

Too many teary eyed moments to list. The part where the Uncle is telling George how people didn't even ask any questions. They just heard George in trouble and that's all they needed to know.

There's something about Mary...she was present for the whole poison pills incident. She probably felt a secret bond with George as she seems to have never talked about it either. Mary would probably have either majored or minored in Home Economics in college. Her ability handle renovations on the house wasn't magic. My paternal grandmother had that training. The Bailey family specializes in finding affordable quality construction materials, as well as who are the best contractors in town. Also not magic. Education and experience made it possible. Idk, for sure, but I think the device on Gower's counter my have been a cigar and cigarette lighter. If the flame lit, maybe, you'd get your wish. That's what makes sense but it's just speculation, as I'm unaware of any contrary explanation. Potter in smearing virtue in others and stealing the $8,000 puts him squarely in the category of malignant narcissist. Enough was known about the disorder even back then, that he doesn't deserve any attention. Being ignored is the worst punishment for him.

This was Jimmy Stewart's first movie after he crewman on bomber flying missions over Europe. He was from PTSD from all the combat missions. When he was praying in Martini's bar he recalling all those missions. He retired as a Air Force Brigadier General, true Patriot and great actor.

"Hee haw" is simply Sam's little signature phrase. It has no other significance other than it's Sam who does it, and there's a tiny, lovely little callback to it way at the end.

This was the first movie Jimmie Stewart did after fighting in WW2. He flew 20 combat missions in a B-24.

Tying a string around your finger was used as a reminder to do something. He had 2 strings around each of 2 fingers, so it was either a reminder for each of 2 things or 2 reminders of 2 thing! HeeHaw was just the way Sam always greeted people! 👱‍♀👱‍♀👗👗👠👠❤❤

Just found your channel due to this fantastic movie. One of the most heartwarming films ever; a great story, terrific cast & the black & white really holds up. The scene where George is in Martinis & is at rock bottom…his gut wrenching prayer is so good. Jimmy Stewart gives one of the best performances I’ve ever seen & I don’t think color could be as powerful. Also, can anything more be said about Mary, what a woman…what a wife & mother. Really enjoyed your commentary & sharing with us. You have a kind soul, the world could use more people like you. If you do more classic films, think I’ll stay around.

Such a pleasure to see you experience this wonderful movie for the first time Plasti. Your empathy, compassion and intelligence shone brightly throughout your reaction.

What is another indicator of how much of a difference George made, consider this. It was about 11 pm when George went back home. That makes it 4 am in London. Sam took care of the cable at that hour for George.

The flame device was a cigar lighter that was notoriously unreliable. So George makes a wish and if it lights it should come true. Back in the day, the strings on your fingers were used to remind you to do something

You did a great job showing all the key moments from the movie to give your viewers perspective. 👍

More classics include: Lifeboat. To Kill a Mockingbird. The Good Earth. Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The African Queen.

Back in the days (long) before smart phones were around to pop up reminders for us, people would tie a string to their finger to serve as a constant reminder until the task, event, etc. was complete.

10:16 That basketball court with the swimming pool under it is still there, too. The high school doesn't dare get rid of it.

Back in the day,, we used strings on our fingers to remind us of things. If you needed to do something later that day or tomorrow, you’d tie a string around your finger to remind you to do it.

2:13 That was a tabletop cigar lighter. It was said that if you could get one to light on the first try, your wish would be granted. 3:50 Before smartphone reminders, people would tie string around their finger to remind themselves to do something. Uncle Billy's memory is so bad, he had a string around almost every finger. 11:10 George graduated from high school, then worked for the Building and Loan for 4 years until Harry graduated and could take his place. Harry and Mary graduated together, so George is 4 years older than Mary.

People would tie strings around their fingers to “remember” things. Uncle Billy tries to remember things, but it never seems to help.

the strings that Uncle Billy had tied around his fingers were reminders of things. obviously he didn't know *what* he needed to remind himself of, just that he needed to remember something. imagine using a post-it note attached to your body to remind yourself to buy milk but never writing "buy milk" on it. that the basic concept of the strings

I love this movie, and your reaction. You have a huge, open heart. As for the moments when I teared-up, the ending always gets me.

I tend to tear up earlier and earlier with each watching, but the moment that always gets to me is when he finds Zuzu's petals in his pocket again. If you have in interest in classic films you've got a deep well to dive down. Sadly, except for a handful of the ones younger generations know most of them won't do much to boost views. That said, here are a handful I think you'll find particularly eye-opening: _M_ (1931; Germany; crime, thriller) directed by the great Fritz Lang and starring Peter Lorre in his most challenging role, it is a riveting crime thriller. _City Lights_ (1931, comedy, romance) written, directed by, and starring Charles Chaplin, it is one of the finest romantic comedies ever made. Though sound movies were appearing in 1928, when he began work on _City Lights,_ Chaplin decided to film it as a silent movie. Chaplin also composed the score. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked it 11th on its list of the best American films ever made _It Happened One Night_ (1934, comedy) directed by Frank Capra ( _It's a Wonderful Life_ ) and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, it was the first film to win all of the "big five" Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. _His Girl Friday_ (1940, comedy) directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, it is one of best of the screwball comedies. If you like witty, fast-paced dialogue spoken by smart characters this one is for you. It also happens to be in the public domain, so no copyright blocks. _The Maltese Falcon_ (1941, mystery, film noir) directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor, it is generally regarded as the first full-length film noir. It is also considered to have one of the finest screenplays ever written. _Citizen Kane_ (1941, mystery, drama) written, directed by, and starring Orson Welles, it is universally regarded as one of the greatest, and most influential, films ever made. It is not going too far to say that modern cinematography begins with _Citizen Kane._

18:55 "C'mon, you can do this George. Open that Hatch ..."

Sunset Boulevard is also a gem from 1950, not in the same vein as this though still a great oldtimey movie! Great reaction PlastiSeen

The phrase "hotdog" is like saying oh wow. The apparatus where George asked for a million dollars was for lighting g cigars. It didn't always work. If it lit on the first try he would get his wish.

Your reaction(s) to the closing scenes of the kindness of the community matched my own, when I first saw this powerful film. I was home with the flu, on Christmas Eve, and my family was out at Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. They all arrived back home as the final bells rang in the logo of Liberty Films. I was a wreck, sobbing and blubbering and wishing they’d all had seen what I just saw! Thank you for sharing your reactions with us.

Such a great reaction to one of the best movies, not just Christmas movies, of all time in my mind. Even as a bitter and heartless old man (or so I hear myself called) I tear up every time I watch this movie. And for someone who has struggled so much with depression and self-destructive thoughts throughout my life, the lesson of this movie has always been one of the reasons I've never given in to those urges. And better late than never is right. Whenever I'm feeling low I'll often watch this movie to get me through it, no matter what time of year it is. And I'll often watch it on reaction videos like yours so I'm not the only one tearing up. As a side note, tying a string around one's finger was done as a reminder for past generations that one needed to do something. My grandmother kept a couple of tied loops of string on her end table to slip onto her pinkie finger to remind her of whatever she needed reminding of. She never really needed them as far as I could tell, but just the routine of doing it made her more mindful of things she needed to do. If she had more things to remember than she had strings she also had a little spiral bound notepad on her end table where she'd list everything she was supposed to do (generally used around the holidays when she and granddad would have a variety of family, church, and community events that they were involved in). Jimmy Stewart was pretty much fresh out of serving as the pilot of a B-24 bomber in WWII when this movie started production. After flying so many bombing missions over Germany in the course of his service and seeing all the death and destruction of a world war, he was suffering from what we'd now call PTSD. Lionel Barrymore (the hated Mr. Potter) was the main person who got Jimmy Stewart to take this role when he really didn't want to, and the end result was playing the character that he called his favorite of all the ones he played. The movie was therapeutic for him as Stewart said that acting out the scenes where George was enraged was cathartic for him. While filming the scene in which George prays in the bar James Stewart was so overcome because of how low he felt in his own life that he began to sob. Frank Capra later re-framed and blew up the shot because he wanted to catch that expression on Stewart's face. It really hammers home the feeling of Stewart BEING George Bailey. James Stewart was such a brilliant actor anyway, but this role might have been great therapy for him as well as a perfect role for him to play. And if nothing else we can be thankful to Mr. Potter for getting Jimmy Stewart to do this movie. 🙂 Another great Christmastime movie starring Jimmy Stewart is The Shop Around The Corner. It was made in 1940, and one can see some interesting differences in the pre-war and post-war roles he played. Or maybe my interest in psychology just means it is interesting for me. Still, it's a great movie to watch and it was used as the foundation for a more recent romantic movie in the late 1990s.

The "device" George makes wishes on is a cigar lighter. The strings on Uncle Billy's fingers are reminders (obviously didn't always work).

What a beautiful and touching reaction.

Seeing the joy and challenges of this legendary movie on Plasty's sweet face makes this reaction a real treat to watch. Thank you so much for sharing, Plasty, and keep up the great work!!!

nice to see another good reaction, Btw the strings were used by Uncle Billy to remind him of things to do lol. If you noticed the raven, He was like a warning of bad things to happen and that Bird was used in a lot of films in the 30's

You're one of the few from the younger generation of reactors who actually understand the timeline (great depression, WW2 etc.) so well done and a great reaction overall. Btw the 'string on a finger' was a reminder to do something important as each time you see it you'd keep being reminded so it would stay fresh in your thoughts. Doesn't work with multiple strings though as it only becomes confusing as demonstrated by Uncle Billy in the movie?

You know it's a classic when after 75+ years from its debut, the movie still tugs at the heartstrings of every new viewer. After a rough day, it was nice and enjoyable coming home and watching your reaction to one of my favorite movies. Thank you senorita Plasti.

People used to tie strings around their fingers to help them remember things. I'm 57 and I can still recall older folks in the 70s doing that when I was a kid.

Hi Plasti. I have to admit this was the 1st time watching you. What a pleasure. Your commentary and reaction was so smart and insightful. Even your honest emotions, display what a good head and heart you have, There are a ton of great movies, many of them older. I am going to leave you with just a few for now. All of which have great casts and stories. Most of which will take you on the kind of ride great old movies did. Laughter, tears, warm feelings etc. The entire spectrum. Here is a spattering of genres for you to maybe try. The Sting (sort of a heist/con movie). The Great Escape (a war movie that doesn't take place on a battlefield). Tombstone ( a western based on real stories and characters). Then for a really older one that will tug at your heart strings a bit either (or both) White Christmas or Going My Way. Oh, the Hee Haw thing was just a thing the kids in town did. The fire thing that George wished on was a coffee table cigarette lighter (everybody smoked back then). Uncle Billy's strings, that's a thing people used to do to remind them there was something they were supposed to remember. Looking forward to watching more from you. Hope you get to enjoy some of these movies. Good luck with the channel.

George got to see how his life made the whole community better. But to me, Mary is the real hero of the show. George really owed so much to Mary; he needed her by his side to accomplish all he did. Apart from his illustrious acting career, Jimmy Stewart was a military officer and pilot. He flew bombing missions over Germany during WW2 and may have been dealing with PTSD when filming It's a Wonderful Life. He stayed in the Air Force Reserves and was a Brigadier General when he retired from the military. Donna Reed also had a great acting career, appearing in over 40 movies in 40 years, and starred in her own TV sitcom, The Donna Reed Show, for eight years. Yes, Henry Potter was miserable pond scum. It was an excellent acting job by Lionel Barrymore that made Potter what he was. Lionel's acting career on stage and film spanned over 50 years. He was part of the Barrymore family which was more or less acting royalty. BTW he was Drew Barrymore's (the little girl in ET, one of Charlie's Angles, the lady who couldn't remember in 50 First Dates) great-uncle.

Frank Capra was the director. He loved to direct films about the little guy standing up to and beating the big guys in power. Another film that ends with an emotional ending at Christmas Eve was the movie "Meet John Doe" starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. That was made years before this one. He directed two other films with Jimmy Stewart. One was "Mr Smith Goes to Washington " with Jean Arthur, and "Can't Take It With You " also with Jean Arthur and also Lionel Barrymore AKA Mr Potter as the good guy. Another one with Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur is "Mr Deeds Goes to Town".

Great reaction to one of my favorite movies! I must have watched this one 30 times and I still get teary eyed at the end. Would love to see you from time to time watch more of the old movies.

Wow, how sweet, what a beautiful, touching reaction -- thank you!! 🤗 Now, you asked for some other *gems* to watch. Here are a few of my favorites from that same era of old Hollywood: "Sullivan's Travels" (1941), "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946), and "The African Queen" (1951). All three are absolutely great, with laughter, tears, romance, and excitement. I guarantee you will love them!

It seems that most reactors have difficulty understanding George's reaction to Mary's cartoon of him lassoing the moon. Mary meant it as a tribute but George sees it as an accusation. He had promised her the moon but none of his ambitions were being realised. "Some joke." That is the way he was thinking then.

My goodness.... you are truly beautiful, and your empathy was literally spilling out of you! What a lovely reaction. Happy 2024!

6:40 The device is simply a cigar or cigarette lighter. In those times, drug stores usually offered pharmacy service, a soda fountain/ice cream counter, various sundries, and a smoking section, with cigars and cigarettes, plus pipes and cans of pipe tobacco. The gas lighter was provided as a service, and they were not very reliable at igniting. Therefore, George has made a game of using it as a wishing device. If the flame sparks, his wish is granted!

Jimmy Stewart eventually rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Air Force. He flew many missions in WW2.

Great reaction! What everyone misses is Sam Wayne Right would never had been rich if George never told him about plastics.

People used to tie a string around their fingers in order to remember something in a time before smart phones. In the scene where Uncle Billy walks off screen and there is a crash, it was actually a stage hand who dropped some props, and he was given $10 for 'enhancing the soundtrack', of course, the line: 'I'm alright, I'm alright.' was not in the script. The only person in the movie that didn't change was the guy with the tree. Years ago SNL did a 'lost scene' of this movie where Potter gets his.

The best Christmas movie of all time! The part that gets me everytime is when his brother Harry toasts to his big brother, the richest man in town.

Lionel Barrymore was a wonderful actor--Mr. Potter--and really, the reason Jimmy Stewart did the movie because Jimmy didn't know if he could do the movie after all he had been through during the war. Lionel was Drew Barrymore's great uncle. His brother John was her grandfather.

Another Jimmy Stewart classic you might enjoy is The Shop Around the Corner.

Great reaction to my second favorite movie of all time! Favorite scenes are the walk home from the graduation and the visit to Mary when she returns from college. However, my favorite piece of acting is the transformation of Beulah Bondi from the loving mother of George to the hard, crusty boarding-house owner---like two different people! Bondi had been leading lady on stage and in silent films in the 20s, but when she aged out of those roles she became one of the best female character actors in the 1930s and 40s Hollywood. I recommend my favorite movie, "The Best Years of Our Lives," followed by "Casablanca" and "12 Angry Men." To answer your question, the device that George wished on was a lighter that stores that sold cigars would have so a customer could light up. And string used to be tied on a finger to remind a person that they needed to remember something. People still did that when I was a kid, 60 years ago, and I even did it myself once or twice.

A classic, but I hadn't seen this before either! Will probably add this to my list to watch the entire movie after this. Love seeing your emotions with these reactions. Great video!

Young lady, your reaction to my favorite movie of all time is touching and adorable. ❤️🎄

You are a big 'ol softie! Excellent job with the editing, keeping all the important lines in. You got all the plot points and emotions and gave commentary without talking over the dialogue. Great reaction.

I still say the phone scene with George and Mary is one of the most romantic scenes ever. Once he got that close to her, he was done for.

The strings around his fingers are reminders, and he still forgets about things. This is why he forgets about the money. And in the alternate timeline ends up in an asylum. "Hee Haw" is just that guy's personal greeting. I've known people sort of like that. I believe the thing George wishes on at the drug store is an old fashioned lighter. "That looks really cold." The film was shot in the summer during a heatwave. Potter is played by Lionel Barrymore, granduncle of actress Drew Barrymore. The entire street that is the middle of town is actually all a set, the largest at the time.

The story behind the scenes of this film are just as dramatic. Stewart was suffering PTSD and both his and Capra’s careers were on the rocks. Capra created a brand new production company for the film. They *invented a new method for making movie snow.* The actors quarreled. Stewart genuinely broke down into tears while reciting his prayer to God, and Capra sacrificed picture quality to get the moment in close up. The film flopped and was shelved but the audience wouldn’t let it die. Stewart said that out of his 80 plus films this one was his favorite, and it’s easy to see why! Valentine’s Day is coming up, and if you want a good romance with similar themes, I suggest Casablanca. It’s the only other black and white that I would say is a must see, not that I’m any kind of film buff, but most people like it.

During filming, Jimmy Stewart was suffering from PTSD from his efforts in WW2. He flew bombers in Europe. This film put him back into life. The strings on the fingers were reminders that he a certain thing to do. A truly great Christmas film. Oh yeah, the raven was Frank Capra's. It was in a lot of his films. Glad you liked it. Your reaction gained you yet another new subscriber for sure. As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.

Just for a little context on the money values back then. George said he made $45 per week, which adjusted for inflation is just under $1k today. So he made roughly $52k per year. Not bad. Potter offered him $20k, which is close to $400,000 today. I’d have dropped my cigar too 😂 And that $8000 that uncle Billy lost was worth like $140,000.

You're such a soffttyyyy! Glad to have the first reaction of Wonderful Life I've seen to be yours. One dreams of the relationship George and Mary have here. "Remember the night we broke some windows in this old house? This is what I wished for." Her wish brought on the great depression 41:06 "How bout you, angel, you want a drink?" *Plasti drinks*

Even the teacher got her redemption in the end. 😭

Thanks so much for such a heartfelt response to this beautiful movie, I have seen It's a Wonderful Life countless times in countless venues and still struggle to restrain the tears during the closing scenes. Evidently, James Stewart acquired PTSD flying missions over Germany during WW II which, I believe contibuted much to the depth and power of his perfprmance in this film - a brilliant portrayal in Frank Capra's masterpiece. Could I recommend another film for your reaction, also released in 1946, called The Best Years of Our Lives? it is abeauty. Thanks again for your great reaction to the movie.