The Everything Family Christmas Book (43 page)

A Television Revival

The irony is that if Liberty hadn’t failed,
It’s a Wonderful Life
might never have become a holiday tradition—television, not the movies, was the medium through which Capra’s film became widely known and loved. This was largely because the company’s failure allowed the film’s copyright to enter the public domain at a time when broadcasters were hungry for cheap holiday-oriented programming. If you had a copy of the film, you could show it, period. (You could also delete as many scenes from it as you pleased in order to accommodate television’s appetite for commercial breaks, a fact that has frustrated many a Capra purist.)

Thankfully, the official, original, and unedited version of the film is available on DVD (Turner Entertainment, which obtained the RKO library, has the original negative). Head down to your local movie rental or retail outlet and check out a copy of the crystal clear, uncut
It’s a Wonderful Life
for holiday viewing. But get there early—you’ll have some competition!

Whoops!

Even the experts aren’t perfect all the time. Watch for these film flubs in Capra’s holiday masterpiece.

• In the dinner scene before the big dance, when Harry Bailey says, “Annie, my sweet, have you got those pies?” the water-pitcher on the table is about one-third full. Later in the scene, without anyone’s assistance, the level has mysteriously risen to about one-half.

• Shortly after Mary loses her bathrobe and dashes into a nearby bush, she tells George that she’s hiding in the hydrangea bush. It’s hard to tell what the set designer was getting at with this “plant,” but one thing’s for certain: It isn’t a hydrangea.

• Watch very closely after George tosses the robe onto the bush; the robe vanishes in the next shot!

• In the scene in which George walks into the Building and Loan carrying a holiday wreath, the wreath magically appears and disappears on his arm in various shots.

• After George leaves Mr. Martini’s on the night he attempts to commit suicide, he crashes his car into an old tree. Before the car hits the tree, the car has no snow to speak of on it, but in the very next shot, noticeable snowdrifts have suddenly appeared on the car’s body.

• Right before George’s line “I wish I’d never been born,” Clarence Oddbody is standing with his arms at his sides. But in the very next shot, Clarence’s arms are crossed.

• Near the end of the long final scene of the film, Zuzu reaches for the pocket watch before the stocky man pulls it out of her coat to surprise her with it.

If you can spot them all, give yourself an extra cup of eggnog!

Four Decades of Holiday Viewing

Ever since television became a focal point of our living rooms in the early 1960s, we’ve gathered in front of the smaller silver screen on Christmas Eve, often with family members. Here’s what we’ve been watching since 1962.

Christmas Eve, 1962

The Bing Crosby Show
Mary Martin joins Bing in a special holiday celebration.

Black Nativity

A children’s special featuring, in the words of a newspaper listing of the day, an “all-Negro cast.”

It’s a Wonderful Life

Countless broadcasts of Frank Capra’s film—about a good man who learns the value of his time on earth—give viewers a dose of holiday spirit.

Christmas Eve, 1963

The Red Skelton Hour

Red spends a special hour in celebration, complete with carols, comedy, and ballet. In a pantomime sketch, a hobo finds a ragged toy doll that magically comes to life.

Petticoat Junction

The plans for Christmas festivities in Hooterville are in trouble—until a railroad magnate pays a visit to the local folks.

Telephone Hour

Hostess Jane Wyatt welcomes Bill Baird’s Marionettes to her Christmas show.

Christmas Eve, 1964

Hazel

Hazel tries to find a way to keep George from acting like Scrooge.

The Burke Family Singers

The Burkes pay a visit to Baroness Maria von Trapp for a special Christmas Eve celebration.

Dr. Kildare

Rip Torn guest stars as a patient whose generosity on Christmas Eve brings unexpected results.

Christmas Eve, 1965

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

The Brothers celebrate their first network Christmas broadcast.

Gomer Pyle

Gomer and Sergeant Carter learn a lesson about the spirit of the season.

Sing Along with Mitch Miller
Mitch hosts a festive family reunion.

Christmas Eve, 1966

Bing Crosby’s Hollywood Palace Christmas Special

Bing’s special guests include Kate Smith, Cyd Charisse, and Bob Newhart.

The Lawrence Welk Show

Welk’s Christmas show is a homey affair, with performances of classic Christmas songs by members of his family.

Heart of Christmas

The program features seasonal music from host/conductor Skitch Henderson and harpist Robert Maxwell.

Christmas Eve, 1967

The Ed Sullivan Show

Ed celebrates the holiday season with his guests Arthur Godfrey, Bobbie Gentry, and the Cowsills.

The GI’s Christmas Eve Special

American servicemen send messages to their loved ones and show how the season is being observed in Vietnam.

And on Earth, Peace

An hour of Christmas music native to Central and Eastern Europe, hosted by Margaret Truman.

Christmas Eve, 1968

Julia

In the first American network television series to feature a nonwhite protagonist, star Diahann Carroll is joined by Marc Copage and Michael Link in an episode entitled “I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas.”

That’s Life

Robert Morse, Leslie Uggams, and the Doodletown Pipers share thoughts on “Our First Christmas.”

60 Minutes

Harry Reasoner offers his essay “What Christ Looked Like.”

Christmas Eve, 1969

The Flying Nun

Sally Field stars in the Christmas episode “Winter Wonderland.”

Music Hall

Wayne Newton hosts a seasonal celebration with his guests Julie Budd and the Singing Angels.

Space Cantata

A musical special set to official NASA footage from the
Apollo 8
mission.

Christmas Eve, 1970

The Flip Wilson Show

Flip and his guests Burl Ives and Sha-Na-Na present a holiday program of comedy and music.

Boughs of Holly

Host Pete Seeger shares some memorable Christmas songs.

Story Theater

Five fairy tales from the works of the Brothers Grimm, staged by the Yale Repertory Theater Company.

Christmas Eve, 1971

J.T.

Jane Wagner and Kevin Hooks star in this drama about a shy youngster whose closest friends are a cat and a transistor radio.

The Odd Couple

Tony Randall and Jack Klugman star in the Christmas episode “Scrooge Gets an Oscar.”

Beethoven’s Birthday

Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic celebrate the anniversary of the composer’s birth.

Christmas Eve, 1972

Christmas with the King Family

The Kings offer an evening of wholesome musical fun and seasonal celebration.

The Miracles of Christmas

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir offers traditional Christmas favorites.

The Wonderful World of Disney

The Christmas episode “A Present for Donald” is featured.

Christmas Eve, 1973

Gunsmoke

James Arness and Amanda Blake star in the episode “P.S., Murry Christmas.”

An American Christmas in Words and Music

Burt Lancaster hosts this celebration of the American Christmas, with guests James Earl Jones, Peter Yarrow, and Linda Lavin.

A Dream of Christmas

A southern minister has trouble adjusting to his new home in Los Angeles.

Christmas Eve, 1974

Holy Year Jubilee

Pope Paul VI celebrates Midnight Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Christmas at Pops

Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra celebrate the season with the Tan-glewood Festival Chorus.

The Joy of Christmas

The Westminster Ensemble joins the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for an evening of seasonal music.

Christmas Eve, 1975

Tony Orlando and Dawn

Carroll O’Connor and the International Children’s Choir are guests on the Christmas episode of the popular variety show.

A Bicentennial Christmas

The American Christmas tradition is reviewed in anticipation of the nation’s 200th birthday.

The Oral Roberts Christmas Special

Roberts offers inspirational messages for the season.

Christmas Eve, 1976

Donny and Marie

Guests Sonny and Cher, Edgar Bergen, and Paul Lynde help the duo celebrate the season.

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story

Patricia Neal stars as the mother of a rural American family in the 1930s.

The Sounds of Christmas

Doc Severinsen and his orchestra play holiday favorites.

Christmas Eve, 1977

The Jeffersons

In this holiday episode, George is sending gifts and cash to a mysterious address.

A Special Christmas with Mr. Rogers

The children’s television personality and his friends—including King Friday and Mr. McFeely—celebrate the season.

Christmas around the World

Seasonal celebrations from several countries are broadcast live via satellite.

Christmas Eve, 1978

The Nutcracker

Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland star in Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet.

It Happened One Christmas

Cloris Leachman and Wayne Rogers play supporting roles in this remake of Frank Capra’s holiday classic,
It’s a Wonderful Life.

Amahl and the Night Visitors

Teresa Stratas stars in a new rendition of Menotti’s holiday operetta.

Christmas Eve, 1979

A Christmas Special … With Love, Mac Davis

Mac is joined by Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Robert Urich, and the choir of St. Mary’s Church in Van Nuys, California.

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street

Big Bird and the rest of the gang get together for a celebration of the season.

Family

The holiday spirit takes a turn for the worse when Kate learns that Doug is keeping something from her.

Christmas Eve, 1980

The House without a Christmas Tree

A young girl’s desire for a Christmas tree meets with opposition from her no-nonsense father.