It's a wonderful Life (1946) Film Reaction | First Time Watching | The perfect Christmas movie! 

After the copyright ran out, this movie would be shown twenty or thirty times on different cable TV channels every year before Christmas in the US. It is now part of America’s soul.

Arguably one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, if not one of the best movies, period. You chose wisely.

Thanks for watching this great film. So many people today discount black and white films just because they are old, but there are truly great and wonderful films from the b&w era that move, inspire, and awe. I hope you will be open to more older films. They could be a revelation.

That was a terrific reaction! This film takes on even deeper meaning because Jimmy Stewart had served heroically in WWII flying bomber missions over Europe. As a Hollywood celebrity he could have avoided combat duty and gone into an entertainment or public relations position. He demanded a combat position and was a bomber squadron commander who saw many of his men die. He returned to Hollywood and accepted this role in 1946 from another WWII veteran, the director Frank Capra. Stewart was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder from all he went through during the war. He was on the verge of quitting acting, but the actor playing Mr. Potter, Lionel Barrymore, convinced him to continue acting. The heartbreaking emotion and despair he expresses in the film is very real. Also, when initially released, the film didn't do well at the box office. The population was somewhat turned off to the dark themes. They were looking for more lighthearted entertainment after all the hardship and darkness experienced during the war. The studio executives blamed Donna Reed, who played Mary. They claimed she didn't have a screen connection with Jimmy Stewart! In the 1970s this film went out of copyright protection and was continously broadcast on television during the Christmas season. That's where it gained the great affection of American audiences. And Donna Reed was recognized as giving an absolutely beautiful and sensitive performance. Thankfully, she lived to be celebrated for this role. Thanks for the great reaction!

This movie has been warming my heart for more than 60 years! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!! AND GOD BLESS ALL HERE!!!!!!!!

I love this film. It’s when you’re at your lowest point you find out who your true friends are.

The legendary, Lionel Barrymore [Mr. Potter] was actually the one who talked Jimmy Stewart into taking the role. It was actually his first film after returning from serving in World War II and he wasn’t sure he would return to acting in movies.

I can't begin to tell you how many people that I have watched react to this film. What I can tell you is no matter what their views were going in, they all end the same way. Crying! Some start the movie lamenting how old it is, or that it's in black and white, or some of the repeat saying as corny, or thinking it was going to be to sentimental. All of them ended up crying in the end.

Wonderful reaction! And I'm 54 and I still happy cry at this movie after hundreds of times seeing it.

Mary was quite a heroic person; she helped to keep things together and run smoothly from the moment she and George got married until the end. We found this movie while flipping through channels on late night television when I was 16. My boyfriend insisted that we watch it and I have loved it ever since.

"Cooking the fatted calf" is a biblical reference. It refers to the Parable of the Prodigal Son. A man had two sons. One stayed and worked, the other left and lived a wastrel's life. Eventually the wastrel comes home, having used up all his resources and having nowhere else to go. The father makes a big celebration of it and kills the fatted calf for the great banquet to welcome him home. The loyal son questions his father, noting that he had stayed and worked and no one ever celebrated him for it. The father says "my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." (Luke 15:11-32) It's a metaphor for God welcoming home sinners who have recanted their sins and turned back to God. It's also a metaphor for what is done when someone returns after a long absence; George's brother has returned after 4 years at college. There's no ACTUAL fatted calf. This film covers real history: 1919 (when Mr Gower loses his son to influenza) is the tail end of the world epidemic of the deadly Spanish flu that in 2 years killed 50 million people worldwide. Oct 24 1929 (when George & Mary wed and started off on their honeymoon) is the day of the Great Stock Market Crash, when many banks failed. There was no insurance in those days to protect bank's financials, so the Great Crash put many banks out of business and took people's savings with them. Potter had nothing to do with this; it happened the world over and initiated the Great Depression, which ran until 1935. One of the lessons of this film is that our interactions with others has an impact that ripples out in space, time, and society. We are shown directly how George Bailey's life impacted so many others, including the families and towns of the men on the transport that George's brother saved. But consider the impact Potter had on others as well: the coarsening of Bedford Falls without George to obstruct him; the way people became harder, angrier, more miserable; how a family-friendly town became a fit-for-adults-only environment. Potter's cynicism and me-first attitude made the town a horrible place to live. This film reminds us to take care with ALL our interactions, so that we avoid sending into motion negative possibilities. Look for the best, encourage the best, invest at least a little in others; you can always afford to do a little more. Extend your wonderful life to others a little bit. Merry Christmas, and thank you for viewing this film publicly.

You mentioned Jimmy Stewart’s passion in the scene where he is praying for help. That passion was very real. This was the first movie Jimmy made after returning home from WWII, where he flew bombing missions over Germany. He returned with significant PTSD. All of the pent up stress and emotion sort of came to a head and bubbled up in that scene. The tears and emotion were real, but what a great actor he was.

I'm so happy that you enjoyed that bar scene with George praying. I don't know if any other actor could have played that as well as James Stewart. Wonderful reaction to the film, it still gets a tear from me every time I watch it too.

🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈 I see now I never fixed my opening Title, eish, but oh well, hope the rest is better 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈

Mary is Donna Reed who starred in The Donna Reed Show. It was a popular American sitcom in the 50s/60s.

It's probably because Clarence is an angel, but his hat (miraculously) stays on his head when he jumps from the bridge into the river!

I put it in my top 10 movies of all time. your reaction was very genuine and great as usual. Merry Christmas, and glory to the newborn King!!

Your reaction made me teary eyed. So heartfelt. So sincere. Thank you. 💞💞💞

I knew it would make you cry. Makes me cry every time.

Donna Reed who portrayed Mary also starred in “From Here to Eternity” (1953). My favourite Jimmy Stewart film is “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962).

I have to admit this is one of my absolute favorite movies! In fact, this movie in a large way help shape my life. I Loved the philosophy of what the Bailey's family business stood for, so much that my brothers and I all became active tradesmen each in our own field of expertise. My older brother was a carpenter and our general contractor, I became an electrician, and my younger brother runs a large roofing crew that also does siding, windows, and doors. (exterior work) We could have been considered The Bailey's Building and Loan of the last 30 years here where we live. Unfortunately, Cancer took my older brother so my younger brother and I still try to keep up our family name to the best of our ability, but each in our own field.

Nick was played by Sheldon Leonard. He would later become a very successful tv producer. Sheldon and Leonard from the big band theory are named for him. The policeman and taxi driver are Bert and Ernie. They are origin of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street. This was made independently by Frank Capra Shows just how good an independent movie can be.

Another fine Christmas movie starring James Stewart is "The Shop Around the Corner".

Mary Bailey was played by Donna Reed who won a supporting actress Oscar for From Here To Eternity and later starred in her own very successful TV sitcom The Donna Reed Show. Violet Bick was played by Gloria Graham who also would later win a supporting Oscar for The Bad And The Beautiful. James Stewart was one of the all time Hollywood greats with an Oscar win (4 nominations, including one for this film) and a string of classic films that spanned decades.

29:15 "That's what desperation does..." Absolutely, it's a whole different way of thinking.....that is, not thinking

Amazing reaction. Most millennials are shocked at how people of the past don't fit in their little world of expectations, but you were a pleasure to watch because you understood the difficulties these people went thru to rise above and live life to its fullest. Thank you and happy Christmas!

My favorite movie of all time.

ThereThere's a bike shop in our town called Zuzu's Pedals. Best name ever.

Congratulations, you passed the'Am I a human' test. with that reaction in the final scene.

Well, it's that day again...time to watch it again. Because that's just what you do. And by the way...the basketball court/pool? That's the Swim Gym at Beverly Hills High School where I went. It's still there and still in use. And Merry Christmas!

I was going to say that of course Bedford Falls is a real place, it's a well known town. But then i realized that i've heard of it so often because of watching the movie so many times that.. well, the movie made it a place, I've just never been there myself ..or maybe i did by watching the movie when i was a kid.

They say if you don't shed a tear during this movie, you are not human.

Building and loan associations were organizations that provided loans to members for buying homes. The organizations were formed by a community of low income members that made regular payments into the fund. Members owned shares in the organization where they have rights to a loan at some point in time or dividends.

It's a Christmas movie. The whole thing takes place on Christmas eve. Forget the flashbacks.

Donna Reed is the lead actress. Thanks for this great classic, and Merry Christmas 🙂

Forgot you are in the middle of summer there. 😁 My dad was a farmer, he was never wealthy with money, but he was a friend to everyone he met. The largest church in town didn't have enough room for all the people that came to his funeral. That was his real wealth.

My favorite Christmas movie.

Thank you for the sentiment. I do miss a lot of people gone too soon. I miss them everyday but as we all know, it's even more painful this time of year. Thank you for thinking of that.😇 🤗

One of those movies I watch every Christmas!

So glad you enjoyed this movie. Its one of my all time favorites. I think its a great film to watch every year at this time to reflect on all of our blessings and to be thankful no matter what our current situation is. You seem like such a genuine person, that is so rare nowadays.

I've seen this movie ( and reactions ) more times than I can remember over the past 40+ years and tear up, just as you did, every single time. One of the all time greats.

This movie Makes me cry everytime...but the scene that cracks me up each time is when George tells Mary as young boy that he gonna get 3-4 wifes & you can see the shock in her face

One of the best movies ever made. I loved your reaction, my first time being here. Merry Christmas!👍😁

Wonderful reaction to a wonderful movie, Lezy. 👍 Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring thoughts with us on this timeless classic, and you can be sure that so many of us were also shedding "happy tears, happy tears" along with you. 🥲May you and your family have a blessed and Merry Christmas, my dear friend! 🤗🎄🙏

What a wonderful reaction video for Christmas!!!!!

I enjoyed watching this classic movie with you. In the US this is played all day and night on Christmas day.God bless.

1:22 Jerry Seinfeld asked the same question! "What's the deal with spiders?"

Wonderful film and a must at Christmas, this was James Stewart's favourite of all his film's it really is a beautiful watch and like you I am in tears at the end, always!

I've seen this beautiful film more times than I can remember and it never ceases to take me to pieces. Just magical.

Beautiful reaction. Thank you for the time.

44:09 love happy cries. the feelings that create that cry are so powerful.

Hallo, dankie...and Merry Christmas from Charlotte, North Carolina. This one gets me every time.

09:44 "I got to go home and see what the wife doing". I didn't understand why he really wanted to see his wife until I grew up.

20,000 per year is 571.428 troy ounces of gold (America was on the gold standard at this time), and so would be the equivalent of 1,032,000 per year today. Most people calculate according to the American Consumer Price Index, which long ago was renormalized to hide the real rate of inflation, so most people will tell you that the modern equivalent is only forty percent of my total, but George and Mr. Potter would have thought in terms of gold, so i stand by my figure.

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" Fun Fact: Lionel Barrymore convinced James Stewart to take the role of George Bailey, despite his feeling that he was not up to it so soon after returning from World War II. Home Run Fact: For the scene that required Donna Reed to throw a rock through the window of the Granville house, director Frank Capra hired a marksman to shoot it out on cue. To everyone's amazement, Reed broke the window by herself. She had played baseball in high school and had a strong throwing arm. Location Location Fact: The set for Bedford Falls was constructed in two months and was one of the longest sets that had ever been made for an American movie. It covered four acres of RKO's Encino Ranch. It included 75 stores and buildings, a main street, a factory district and a large residential and slum area. Main Street was 300 yards long--three whole city blocks. Making Lemonade Fact: As Uncle Billy drunkenly leaves the Bailey home, it sounds as if he stumbles into some trash cans on the sidewalk. In fact, a crew member dropped a large tray of props right after Thomas Mitchell went off-screen. James Stewart began laughing, and Mitchell quickly improvised the "I'm alright, I'm okay!" line. Director Frank Capra decided to use this take in the final cut and gave the stagehand a $10 bonus.

You did a great job of editing. I hope you and yours have a fabulous Christmas!

Donna Reed, the pride of Dennison, Iowa. She won an Oscar for From Here to Eternity.

Loved this! Great fun. I cried too. Really 😂

Thank you for a lovely reaction to this classic movie. Impeccable direction from the master, Frank Capra; a brilliant and original story; beautifully shot in black and white with an outstanding cast, all in top form. Would like to see more reactions to movies from the Golden Era of Hollywood. Many thanks.

"Your title here" 🤣🤣🤣

This movie was supposed to star Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers but for some reason or another it ended up with this cast which I think was perfect

Loved your reaction to this movie. It's one of my favorites. I'd love to see you react to some of Jimmy Stewarts other movies such as: Rear Window, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, The Shop Around the Corner, Winchester 73, Harvey, and many many more.

I'm glad you got to experience this wonderful movie that I have loved for years.

This movie was made in the era of the Hays Code in Hollywood. Good was supposed to triumph over evil. Therefore it is very unusual for the bad guy (Mr. Potter) not to be punished somehow ant the end of the movie.

Fantastic, thank you!!!

❤

Wonderful reaction to a wonderful film. I've watched it dozens of times... and I never fail to be moved to tears. Every. Time. A couple of other amazing films of Jimmy Stewart to check out: "THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER" and "MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON." You'll enjoy both of those, for sure. Other films you'll love: "PLEASANTVILLE" (starts of as a comedy but quickly evolves to a brilliant social satire) "STRANGER THAN FICTION" (amazing cast and spellbinding story)... and "CHILDREN OF MEN" a brilliant and harrowing look at a future that's mesmerizing.... by the director of the most excellent "GRAVITY". Cheers!

You had the best response!

33:06 Loved this... tell me if I interpreted your reaction correctly: "Who do you think you are.... OHHHH, that's who you are. Understandable."

Bedford Falls is based on Seneca Fall, NY

Casablanca was Humphrey Bogart. You may have seen Stewart in Rear Window.

Beautiful reaction.

First time on your channel. Loved your reaction! You got me with your tears at the end. I guess we all need a good cry from time to time. What a great movie! And speaking of great movies you should react to "The Green Mile" and "The Shawshank Redemption". Amazing stories and world-class acting! Subscribed.

So glad you watched this, made my night. Thanks and Merry Christmas.

New subscriber here. Great reaction! I love this movie and its timeless message. Have a happy New Year!

43:29 ❤😢👍🏼

Wonderful to see you again. Merry Christmas!

Another wonderful reaction video. Really put me in the Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas!

It's a wonderful reaction. :)

New the tears would make an appearance; just had to wait that one out. Beautiful story. Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas, my dear.

I'm late! I couldn't get off the phone. lol I've been waiting for you to do this movie.

You've never seen thix? Its like not seeing The Wizard Of Oz. One of the greatest movies of all timd.

The Great Depression 1929-1933 saw many bank runs and bank closures. Confidence in the banking system began to recover after the Roosevelt administration inaugurated the FDIC.

George: "Is it a boy or a girl?" Mary: "Mmm hmm." She absolutely answered the question - it WILL be either a boy or a girl. lol

Mary is Donna Reed. She used to have her own half hour TV show. She played a wife with 2 teenage children. Paul Petersen and Shelley Fabares were the real names of the actors who played her children. They both were famous as they both were singers. Shelly Fabares was in 2 movies with Elvis Presley (1965 & 1966). Donna Reed made about 50 movies in her lifetime.

Love your reaction because it's very genuine. The look of the opening I think is intentional because the story originated as a part of a Christmas card. You might know Mary (Donna Reed) from the WWII movie "From Here to Eternity."

Good review thanks!

Nice Pink Panther!

You asked at the beginning if Bedford Falls is a real place, and others have already answered, there is no literal Bedford Falls. It's purposely a fictional location, that could be any small town in the northeast quarter of the U.S. That said, there are two real U.S. towns that have some claim to being the inspiration for Bedford Falls. Philip Van Doren Stern, the author of the short story that became the movie, supposedly said he modeled the story's setting on the real village of Califon, in western New Jersey. But for the film, the layout and architecture of Bedford Falls was evidently patterned after the real village of _Seneca_ Falls, in the "finger lakes" region of western New York state. (And Seneca Falls now markets itself as "the _real_ Bedford Falls".)

If you haven’t seen, try: “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947) “The Bishop’s Wife” [1945]

2:17 i prefer honesty, actually.

Oh my goodness a random recommendation to a gorgeous woman with a FANTASTIC accent! :D

Back then many got married at courthouses in a quick ceremony because of the war. Not much celebration when your spouse was shipped out to the battlefront a week later.

It's more than one place, but check in upstate New York. Found out that is why American entrepreneurs only give bits of information unless you garner up to ask further. . . Well, the " plastics " was more so in the stocks and investing in them early. Talk about timing in life, and entire movie has these lessons experienced during a lifetime. . .

t's a Wonderful Life is more than a Christmas movie I am not christen and I love it. It is a feel good movie and one of the first time travel element movies. It is so much about time travel or alternative realities that Back to the future allude to it :). Fun fact the movie was not a financial success when it came out and was forgotten. Only because of a copyright registration error ( Which was fixed decades later) the movie was considered public domain for years and because of the that the Tv Networks aired over and over every Christmas till it became a cult classic. Another fun fact the scene with the uncle that was drunk and fell down was adlib because one of the stage worker dropped something in the middle of filming. I love George speech to Mr Potter about the working class. The actor who plays Mr Potter is by the way Drew Barrymore great uncle. If you want another great Jimmy Stewart movie you should watch Mr Smith goes to Washington.

Bedford Falls is a fictional town set in upstate (hinterland) New York State. Pretty much all of the State outside New York City is considered upstate. Imagine if Diepkloof were ten times as far from Johannesburg, but people still assumed you were from Johannesburg when you said Gauteng. That’s the upstate experience.

Worth watching just for the spider bit and I haven't gotten to the reaction yet!! lol

Happy New Year Beautiful 🥂🎇🥳🌹❤️🙏

vibrations are felt through a spider's web

11:07 nice edit. a subtle moment.