It's A Wonderful Life

A bit of a flop at the boxoffice upon its initial release in 1946, Frank Capra's heartwarming perennial Christmas classic opens as George Bailey (James Stewart) prepares to jump off a bridge into an icy river--thereby ending his miserable life. Jump cutting to heaven where celestial officials appoint Clarence (Henry Travers) to be George's savior, filling him in on George's life up to this point, the film transports viewers to the magical little town of Bedford Falls, where Bailey's plans for college are derailed when he unhappily takes over his father's Building and Loan Company. Squaring off against the crotchety Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), a wealthy, mean-spirited man who buys up all the land available, and then sells squalid little crackerjack boxes of houses to the town's low-income workers, Bailey's problems are compounded when an error on the part of his uncle (Thomas Mitchell) threatens to sink the family business. It's at this point that George decides to take a dip--permanently--and Clarence (who, make no mistake, is bucking for his wings) enters to try and convince him that it's not the money, nor the education, nor the fame, but the comforts of family and friends, and the knowledge of time spent honorably that make for a wonderful life. The digitally mastered video and audio on the DVD transfer make this a "wonderful" viewing experience, enhanced by a "making of" documentary (viewers will learn that the story began as a Christmas card) and a tribute to Capra from his son, Frank Capra, Jr. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review—Nov. 27, 2007—Paramount, 2 discs, 130 min., not rated, $24.99—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1946's It's a Wonderful Life (2-Disc Collector's Set) boasts a fine transfer. DVD extras are identical to the 2001 release, but this edition includes a second disc with a new colorized version of the film (not that anyone would want to watch it that way). Bottom line: if you own the 2001 release in its original glorious b&w, you can safely skip this release—if not, pick this one up.] [Blu-ray Review—Nov. 5, 2019—Paramount, 2 discs, 130 min., PG, Blu-ray: $22.98—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life features a nice transfer with a Dolby TrueHD mono soundtrack. Compiling both the black and white and colorized versions, extras include the production featurettes 'Secrets from the Vault' (22 min.), 'Restoring a Beloved Classic' (13 min.), and 'It’s a Wonderful Wrap Party' (8 min.), plus a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: Capra’s holiday classic looks wonderful on this new Blu-ray edition.]