Capra's Great Gift

Hello, again. To conclude this year, I'm writing about the film that was alluded to in December's previous post. It's a truly odd-defying motion-picture. It's inspiration was actually a 1943 short-story by Philip Van Doren Stern, The Greatest Gift. In turn, the film inspired a 1986 musical, A wonderful Life (Fiddler's Sheldon Harnick assisted with the writing). I'm of course referring to Frank Capra's 1946 yuletide masterpiece, It's a Wonderful Life.

The film's opening titles are Christmassy. Black and white footage had suitability for the story. The scenery people designed/built a city (and its alternate version) fantastically. They're mixed with location footage and methodical sets on the RKO lot. The synthetic snow simulated Wintertime sensationally. The shots by the directors of photography meshed with William Hornbeck's editing. Musical compositions were ably merged with Dimitri Tiomkin's score. Edward Stevenson's costumes, the props, hair and makeup were acutely germane. The special effects had ingenuity for the 1940s and forwarded the plot.

The cast of this movie had skills and prodigiousness. Capra-collaborator Jimmy the Raven pops-up. Moroni Olsen and Adrianna Caselotti secured vocal roles. Some young people were pertinently selected to portray younger versions of the characters. The Bailey children were good performers. Ellen Corby, Charles Lane, Sarah Edwards, William Edmunds, Mary Treen, Samuel S. Hinds, Virginia Patton and Frank Hagney had roles. Gloria Grahame was saucy, yet human as Violet Beck. Frank Faylen and Ward Bond were a competented acting duo as Ernie the cab driver and Bert the Cop (history repeated itself). The film has appearances by Lillian Randolph, Frank Albertson, Todd Karns and H.B. Warner (a Jesus actor). Keenly, several performers played alternative versions of their character, notably Sheldon Leonard as Nick the Bartender. Beulah Bondi had a knack for portraying out lead's mother. Thomas Mitchell was enjoyably bemuseful as Uncle Billy. Initially, Henry Travers vocally established the personality of Clarence the Angel. In person, Travers made an adorably cherubic impact. Lionel Barrymore's Mr. Potter was ignobly skinflintish, kudos to the filmmakers for not discriminating Lionel's disabilities. Barrymore was a majorly prompt, loathsome antagonist (incidentally, Lionel's ancestor Drew has a festive project of their own, Olive the Other Reindeer, please give a whirl this holiday season). Donna Reed's Mary Bailey was undoubtedly one of this movie's rocks. Onscreen, the badass Reed enchanted. James Stewart bravely delivered an enrapturing performance as George Bailey. In his 1st post-war movie, Stewart supplied a wondrous piece of acting.

All of the writers contributed to the screenplay sensationally. The source material was fleshed-out. This movie manages to be diverting, devastating and humorous, too. Its opening scene establishes conflict. Crucial events from George's life are enacted. The film has urgency to it. There's chemistry in its romance. Our hero and villain balance each other (interestingly, Potter goes unpunished). Pacing-wise, the movie flows steadily. It has a cast of indelible characters. The alternate reality sequence is nightmaring. The dialogue is capably written. I admire how George isn't perfect, he'll blunder but rectify errors or receive karma. It's a Wonderful Life shows what 1 person can accomplish. Its ending is unbelievably heartwarmable. This film was directed phenomenally, too. Because of Frank Capra, the film has utter belovability. Thanks for reading this post. Wishing you the happiest of holidays. Incidentally, I herby dedicate this post to an absolutely divine, generous, multiskilled person who's also a fan of the movie. They are a person of terrificness.