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IMDb > It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
It's a Wonderful Life
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It's a Wonderful Life (1946) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 57 | slideshow) Videos (see all 10)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) -- An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) -- Clip: You want the moon?
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) -- MyMovies.Net - Exclusive interview with Karolyn Grimes

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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 160% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Frances Goodrich (screenplay) and
Albert Hackett (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for It's a Wonderful Life on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 January 1947 (USA) more
Tagline:
They're making memories tonight! more
Plot:
An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 4 wins more
NewsDesk:
(68 articles)
User Comments:
Sheer brilliance! more (505 total)
US TV Schedule:

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (USA) (complete title)
The Greatest Gift (USA) (working title)
La vie est belle (Belgium: French title) (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Ist das Leben nicht schön? (Austria) (TV title) (West Germany) (TV title) [de]
¡Qué bello es vivir! (Spain) [es]
¡Que bello es vivir! (Uruguay) [es]
A Felicidade Não Se Compra (Brazil) [pt]
Az élet csodaszép (Hungary) [hu]
Det er herligt at leve (Denmark) [da]
Do Céu Caiu Uma Estrela (Portugal) [pt]
Ihmeellinen on elämä (Finland) [fi]
La vita è meravigliosa (Italy) [it]
Livet är underbart (Sweden) [sv]
Mia yperohi zoi (Greece) [el]
Qué bello es vivir (Argentina) [es]
Que bonic és viure! (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Que la vie est belle (Belgium: French title) [fr]
Subarashiki kana, jinsei! (Japan) [ja]
To wspaniale zycie (Poland) [pl]
Wat een mooi leven (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Zycie jest cudowne (Poland) [pl]
more
Runtime:
130 min | Spain:118 min (25 fps) (DVD edition)
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Frank Capra often said that this was his favorite of all his films. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: When Mary puts on "Buffalo Gals" on the phonograph, she starts a ten-inch, yellow-labeled record, but in the next shot, a dark-labeled record is playing. Also, when Mary breaks the record after the conversation with George, she breaks a twelve-inch, yellow-labeled record instead of the original ten-inch record. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Mr. Emil Gower: I owe everything to George Bailey. Help him, dear Father.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Wedding March more

FAQ

What are the names of George and Mary's four children?
Are Bert and Ernie from "Sesame Street" named after Bert, the cop, and Ernie, the taxi driver, from "It's a Wonderful Life"?
more
93 out of 116 people found the following comment useful.
Sheer brilliance!, 18 April 2000
Author: bradman2000 from Sydney, Australia

After strong performances in films such as "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" and "The Philadelphia Story", James Stewart confirmed his status as one of the greats with his performance as George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life". This movie is, without a doubt, the best of all time.

"It's a Wonderful Life" is a movie that you can watch over and over again. It's movie that makes you think, about life in general and how each person makes a difference, and about how great life can be (hence the title "It's a Wonderful Life). Whilst making you think, it also entertains with many light hearted moments, particularly towards the end of the film.

The direction, sound and casting in "It's a Wonderful Life" are second to none. Yet it is the fact that almost any person can watch this movie and come away feeling inspired that makes it easily the best movie of all time!

A 10/10 without a doubt!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I just watched this movie for the first time... althea-15
Would you rather live in Pottersville? HaroldCarter
Those who own the DVD, do you still watch it on TV? Nikolaj_Costas9
Harry Fell Through the Ice Dsneybuf
Jimmy Stewart katrinayett
Marys ploy in the parlour... andyman58
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