re: It's a Wonderful Life

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I can't remember a time when it wasn't shown on NBC

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I was afraid of that and think it's sad that a lot of people are in that situation.


What they did made the whole world mad at the time.

NBC MADE IT A NOT-VERY-WONDERFUL 'LIFE'

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THIS YEAR, the Grinch didn't steal Christmas. NBC bought it and, in some ways, ruined it. If the tree at Rockefeller Center represents everything good about the holiday when it comes to network-TV involvement, last Saturday's NBC telecast of "It's a Wonderful Life," for the second year in a row, symbolized the sort of greedy shortsightedness and stinginess that only a Scrooge could love. For the last decade and more, until recently, Frank Capra's 1946 movie was a holiday TV staple shown just about everywhere you turned on local TV stations, cable superstations and even major cable outlets. It would run uncut and uninterrupted on some, and bursting with commercial interruptions and choppy edits on others. Some tasteless cretins even showed a colorized version, but whichever version you wanted, it was out there somewhere. The reason had a lot less to do with the heartfelt desires of programers to entertain and inspire their viewers than it did with the fact that the film's copyright had lapsed, which meant that, once a station or network purchased a print, they could show it for nothing. And at Christmastime, isn't pure profit the best holiday gift of all? A revived copyright claim by Republic Pictures, the original studio, changed things two years ago. Suddenly, "It's a Wonderful Life," starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, was sold to NBC, on an exclusive basis. Beginning last December, the holiday chestnut became a once-a-year, one-showing, one-network TV event, like "The Wizard of Oz. ...

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I watch it every Christmas Eve. Coincidentally enough, it is not a Christmas movie

When is the other 98% of the movie set in?
Decades of George Bailey's life

The movie is not Christmas. It’s about a suicidal man wrestling with his decision on whether or not to jump off a bridge.

Great great movie though. And an all time favorite of mine

frick UNCLE BILLY FOR LOSING THAT CASH TO POTTER

My parents had the color version on VHS when I was growing up. Had no idea it was a black and white movie until I was about 10.

The only scene that I think is better in color is the scene where George looks around Pottersville (after he "wasn't born") and all the signs flashing in neon. They look really cool in color.

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When is the other 98% of the movie set in?
Decades of George Bailey's life

The movie is not Christmas. It’s about a suicidal man wrestling with his decision on whether or not to jump off a bridge

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It opens on Christmas Eve though and about 75% of the movie is flashback for Clarence the angel to see George Bailey's life. Technically it is set on Christmas Eve for the entirety of the movie.

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1. Donna Reed

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