Overview

Not a hit upon release, It’s a Wonderful Life gained its popularity largely due to a clerical error at with the copyright office that made it public domain and led to television stations being able to broadcast it for free during the holiday season, which they did repeatedly thus deepening the film’s association with Christmas for generations. A variation on A Christmas Carol theme, the Christmastime glimpse into the future here belongs to George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) who has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all. As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), who then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn't been for all his good deeds over the years.