Dec 21, 2017 every holiday season, millions of people cozy up near a warm fireplace or at least a warm television to watch a familiar blackandwhite tale, the 1946 classic its a wonderful life. Its a wonderful life 1946 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. George bailey represents all that is good and decent. Going further, kyle smith in a 2007 essay at celebrates mr. Fbi saw its a wonderful life as communist propaganda al. The christmas eve showing of its a wonderful life may be intended to make you believe in the importance of even an ordinary persons life, but underneath that, what are the films. Frank capras movie its a wonderful life has become a holiday classic, and in 2009, americans saw a lot of what george bailey saw. The priests gathered up the money and took counsel together, and bought with the money a potter s field. Potter has insight into george baileys deepest anxieties, and he hits him where it hurts most. Potter is a rich, villainous guy whos trying to control the financial futures of bedford falls. Potter is only the unseen owner of a photography studio and. November 15, 1954 age 76 in van nuys, california, usa. Its a wonderful life, frank capras 1945 fantasy film, may not have been a box office smash, but it is one of the most critically acclaimed films ever made, and a holiday classic the films thematic message about the value of community building over personal ego gratification may have seemed a little out of fashion during the reign of the me generation, but it is just as timely today as.
Potter or just potter is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1946 frank capra film its a wonderful life. Potter is a slumlord who owns a bunch of rental properties in a neighborhood folks like to call potter s field. Hes an allamerican college football star, a genius at research, and a war hero to boot. Because of the serious sum of money involved, bert has a trained detective come in who interviews billy carefully a. Its a wonderful life, he stressed, is also capras greatest film and the one that best captures his catholic view of life. List of its a wonderful life references adventures in. Dec 23, 2016 seventy years after its release, frank capras its a wonderful life remains a holiday classic, with warm and fuzzy messages about the importance of love and family. Matthews gospel, to buy the potter s field, to bury strangers in, which became known as the field of blood. There was a reference to potter s field in its a wonderful life. Coming from someone else, this might be a sympathetic, supportive comment. Jan 14, 2012 one of my favorite james stewart lionel barrymore scenes from frank capras it s a wonderful life. Wonderful life when hermione granger was born, her parents hailed her as a miracle.
As george searches the house calling out for his family, clarence appears. Capra directed, cowrote and produced the film, which was released just before christmas in 1946. I live in a shack in potter s field and my wife ran away three years ago and took the kid. This once again is gods wonderful reminder of the heart of the potter. I watched frank capras classic its a wonderful life on saturday. If potter gets a hold of this building and loan, therell never be another decent house built in this town. Students seeking to understand worldview and filmmakers seeking to make cultureinfluencing movies would be wise to pay careful attention. New york city, for instance, has used hart island, in long island sound off the eastern edge of the bronx, for burial of the indigent since the civil war. The first half of it s a wonderful life is almost an entirely original story, while the second half the final christmas scenes are adapted from the greatest gift by philip van doren stern. Old man potter lived a wonderful life foundation for. It s a wonderful life by frances goodrich albert hackett frank capra jo swerling fade in. Jul 09, 2009 a potters field is a piece of land used as a burial place for the poor or, in some places, strangers to the community.
Hes on the board of the building and loan, and he tries to force georges dad to be less lenient toward the people to whom he lends money. Most large cities in the world today have a potters field. However, the movie does play with it a bit by making it clear that georges frequent sacrifices enable harrys achievements in the first place quite literally. Dec 24, 2009 frank capras movie it s a wonderful life has become a holiday classic, and in 2009, americans saw a lot of what george bailey saw. Most large cities in the world today have a potter s field. After the missing money is covered, the bank examiner convinces them to report the loss to the police.
Potters field comes from the name potters field, which is a term for a place for the burial of unknown or. Potter owns the bank in the fictitious bedford falls, as well as most of its businesses. Ill say that to the public peter bailey was the building and loan. Night sequence series of shots of various streets and buildings in the town of bedford falls, somewhere in new york state. Its a wonderful life 1946 movie mistakes, goofs and bloopers.
Given the films popularity and the theater fields unflagging appetite for holiday programming and smallcast shows, wonderful life could well have an active future on stages around the. Ap i moved to the boston area in 1997, exactly 50 years after frank capras its a wonderful life was released. For millions around the world, watching this inspiring, heartwarming movie starring jimmy stewart and donna reed is as much a part of the christmas celebration as putting cookies and milk out for santa claus, caroling, drinking eggnog, or trimming the tree. As the dispirited foil to jimmy stewarts generally caring and pleasant george bailey. Its a wonderful life is a movie that you can watch over and over again. Dec 06, 2016 religious authorities used the money, according to st. Potter is a fictional banker portrayed by veteran actor lionel barrymore in the 1946 frank capra film its a wonderful life. When george asks ernie about his life, ernie tells george that his wife left him three years ago, and that he now lives alone in a place called potters field. George marries mary hatch after a difficult introductionhe mistakenly thinks mary is in love with his lifelong rival sam wainwright frank albertson. Potter is on the board of directors for bailey building and loan, and he wants it.
Donna falls through the ice while sledriding, just like the beginning of it s a wonderful life. However, that doesnt negate the fact that barrymore hit a home run with his depiction of the despicable despot. Potter as the unsung hero of its a wonderful life, the canny businessman who tried and, alas, failed to turn boring, repressed bedford falls a town full of drunks, child beaters, vandals and racial and sexual harassers into an. Its a wonderful life is not only one of the best christmas movies of all time, it is also a remarkable example of using worldview conflict to construct a compelling story and live a wonderful life. Merry christmas, you wonderful old building and loan. Jimmy stewart as george bailey with his guardian angel, clarence, in the 1946 classic, it s a wonderful life.
The town where all the poor people lived is called potter s field, and mean old mr. Just like the potter cannot mold the piece of clay into the piece of pottery that he is trying to make unless it is perfectly centered in the middle of the wheel in the same way the lord cannot begin to properly work with us in this life unless we are perfectly centered in him in this full surrender pat actually shows this with a piece of clay. Potter starts to lose a good part of his business when bailey park takes off, funded by the building and loan. And they only had one condition, and thats the best part. Its a wonderful life is atheist, communist propaganda. After 70 years, its still a wonderful catholic life. Nov 30, 2016 religious authorities used the money, according to st. The morality of banking in its a wonderful life in addition to its holiday cheesiness and religious moralizing, the 1946 classic touches on financial themes. With james stewart, donna reed, lionel barrymore, thomas mitchell. At the end of its a wonderful life, what happens to the. Potter in it s a wonderful life were called potter s field isnt paying attention to the.
The first theory being put into evidence by all places, saturday night live. As the dispirited foil to jimmy stewarts generally caring and pleasant george bailey, potter represents the worst qualities of capitalism and greed that. They realize that without the building and loan, people in need of independent housing will become dependent on renting substandard houses in potters field. The morality of banking in its a wonderful life the. There was a reference to potter s field in it s a wonderful life. Pottersfield press has been publishing quality fiction, nonfiction, poetry, literature, and maritimeinterest books since 1979. Clarence tells george that his brother died at the age of 9 because he wasnt there to save him from falling through the ice, but when you see the tomb stone, it shows harry bailey was born in 1911 and died in 1919. After 70 years, its still a wonderful catholic life uexpress. Liberty films the mercenary balding businessman attempting to seize total power in bedford falls.
In the movie its a wonderful life, george and mary bailey forego their honeymoon to save bailey brothers building and loan. China, at least its despotic regime, has essentially become sinister mr. He eventually loses potter s field tenants to george baileys nicer, more affordable bailey park. After 70 years, its still a wonderful catholic life in. Anyone who thinks it was a coincidence that the slums owned by bitter banker henry f. The gospel message in its a wonderful life the christian. Jun 28, 2016 309 videos play all harry potter amv soln96 vines that you have probably seen a billion times but you still love duration. A potter s field is a piece of land used as a burial place for the poor or, in some places, strangers to the community. The oregon legislature recently passed a new law which requires lenders to meet with you and discuss your home. Joanna newsom makes reference to the term in the song sapokanikan, from her album divers. But, this is henry potter, who really doesnt care about george at all. One of my favorite james stewart lionel barrymore scenes from frank capras its a wonderful life. Its a wonderful life is not particularly complex, deep or stylistically marvelous.
In the greatest gift, the short story that the movie is based on, mr. Mar 25, 2011 what would the christmas holiday season be like without frank capras 1946 classic, its a wonderful life. The baileys burn with resentment that so many residents of bedford falls prudently choose to live in potter s less expensive housing than buy a house they cant afford, financed by the baileys ponzi scheme. Dec 24, 2015 the christmas eve showing of its a wonderful life may be intended to make you believe in the importance of even an ordinary persons life, but underneath that, what are the films. Every holiday season, millions of people cozy up near a warm fireplace or at least a warm television to watch a familiar blackandwhite tale, the 1946 classic its a wonderful life. Barry lionel, the rich man in pokenberry falls, is a parallel of mr. Its a wonderful life movie meaning why pottersville is.
Hes written as a greedy, moneymad robber baron and slumlord, which the feds thought was anticapitalist and therefore antiamerican. At the same time, though, you could see its a wonderful life as anticommunist. The bad town in its a wonderful life jumps and jives 247 with hot bars and cool chicks while wholesome bedford falls is a claustrophobic snooze. Every holiday season, millions of people cozy up near a warm fireplace or at least a warm television to watch a familiar blackandwhite tale, the 1946 classic it s a wonderful life. In 1945, frank capra visited seneca falls, new york to look for inspiration for the town of bedford falls. In its a wonderful life, pottersville actually looks way more fun than bedford falls the complicated multiverse of this holiday classic seems to hinge on george baileys existence.
Youll recall that potter was the miserly, misanthropic rich banker who sought to pull bedford falls into his sinister grip. The character is a building and loan banker who sacrifices his dreams in order to help his community of bedford falls to the point where he feels life has passed him by. He feeds georges doubts about himself and his disappointment in being stuck in bedford falls. Redirected from george bailey fictional character george bailey is a fictional character and the protagonist in frank capra s 1946 film its a wonderful life. None of that is a criticism of the film it is, in fact, the very reason why this movie is so brilliant. Perhaps the most beloved of christmas movies, frank capras sleeper classic its a wonderful life has inevitably become a target of seasonal, iconoclastic culturewarmongering. Potter in its a wonderful life were called potters field isnt paying attention to the gospel according to frank capra. Dec 21, 2008 why i watch it s a wonderful life every christmas. Its a wonderful life quotes 66 total quotes clarence oddbody george bailey mary hatch multiple.
And it was known thereafter as the field of blood, matthew 27. Potter is arguably barrymores most famous role probably due to the fact that its a wonderful life has had such a wonderful life in living rooms across the world every christmas for decades. A photo from the final scene of its a wonderful life. He visually signals for bert the policeman to follow them. He had no friends in town, just collaborators, employees, and pawns. Potter s housing development intended for those too poor to live in his slums. Its a wonderful life, the 1946 movie directed by frank capra and. The morality of banking in its a wonderful life the atlantic. Its a wonderful catholic social justice life national catholic. The only sad part left in her life was the empty nursery upstairs, especially when she saw her nieces and nephews running around in the back garden when they were over for a visit. In the film it s a wonderful life, potter s field is henry f. In a skit performed during the 1986 season, william shatner introduces an alternate ending to the christmas classic.
It argues that the individual matters in a big way. How much money did uncle billy lose in its a wonderful. Mr potter in its a wonderful life is so familiar but why. Their commitment is so strong that when the bank patrons. An angel is sent from heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.
A terrible, wonderful life, a harry potter fanfic fanfiction. Through some sort of an accident, my companys short in their accounts. Potter lionel barrymoreand who only comes to realize his accomplishments by witnessing what terrors might have occurred had he never lived. The two towns are very similar as they are both mill towns. Its a wonderful life 1946 movie mistakes, goofs and. Potter s field and violets lake are references to mr. Its 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 its a wonderful life. Aside from being a director, composer, screenwriter, radio performer, stage actor and an accomplished author, lionel barrymore also found spare time to become a. The tempter, henry potter, offers george bailey everything he has ever wanted.
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