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starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Traversdirected by: Frank Capra
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302899153
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC
ISBN: 630289915X
Label: Republic Pictures
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Republic Pictures
Release Date: September 19, 1995
Running Time: 132 minutes
Sales Rank: 8240
Studio: Republic Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: January 07, 1947
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video:
Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a feel-good communal event, but it is also one of the most fascinating films in the American cinema, a multilayered work of Dickensian density. George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot (the director's optimistic vision may have darkened during his experiences making military films in World War II). Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Adding Color To A Classic
What else can be said about this film? It's a classic amongst classics. I'm not usually a fan of colorization, but the studio did a great job with this film. It looks like it was shot in color. I highly recommend that everyone rent it or buy it.
Rating: - It's a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition)
I just love this movie. You can't have enough great black and white classics at home. :)
Rating: - It truly is a Wonderful Life
"It's a Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart is a true Christmas classic. My husband and I watch it traditionally every Christmas for many years now. I think Jimmy Stewart did an amazing job as George Bailey who lived and worked (much to his fret) in a sleepy town called "Bedford Falls". George married and had children but still dreamed of bigger and better things. He truly was a nice man that did a lot to help others. His life was going along okay until one Christmas Eve when he had some trouble, ... Read More
Rating: - Masterpiece
At its center, the film works because we all have wondered what would the world be like if we were never born. Have we had an impact? After all, whether it's leaving behind descendants, works of art, discoveries, or just our name, we all want some recognition, that we mattered, or at least were here. It helps define our sojourn, and allow us to extrapolate meaning from a cosmos which is random, indifferent, and so large and eternal as to defy the meager human ability to fully comprehend. With that as ... Read More
Rating: - This movie is beyond wonderful...
`It's a Wonderful Life' is one of those movies that could easily have fallen victim to its own popularity. Rendered as one of the greatest American films, `It's a Wonderful Life' has a lot to live up to, and with all that hype comes, at times, major disappointment. The nice thing about `It's a Wonderful Life' is that it actually lives up to the hype, and then some. Not only is it one of the most heartwarming films I've ever had the privilege of seeing (sure, it may not seem it at times, but just wait) ... Read More
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