Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

It's a Wonderful Life

  • 19461946
  • PGPG
  • 2h 10m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
450K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,269
67
James Stewart and Donna Reed in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Home Video Trailer from Artisan
Play trailer1:00
13 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaFamilyFantasy
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.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.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.
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
450K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,269
67
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Frank Capra
    • Writers
      • Frances Goodrich(screenplay by)
      • Albert Hackett(screenplay by)
      • Frank Capra(screenplay by)
    • Stars
      • James Stewart
      • Donna Reed
      • Lionel Barrymore
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Frank Capra
    • Writers
      • Frances Goodrich(screenplay by)
      • Albert Hackett(screenplay by)
      • Frank Capra(screenplay by)
    • Stars
      • James Stewart
      • Donna Reed
      • Lionel Barrymore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.1KUser reviews
    • 195Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
    Top rated movie #21
    • Nominated for 5 Oscars
      • 6 wins & 6 nominations total

    Videos13

    It's a Wonderful Life
    Trailer 1:00
    It's a Wonderful Life
    Holiday Movie or Not?
    Clip 3:12
    Holiday Movie or Not?
    Guillermo del Toro and Neil Gaiman Find Hope in Powerful, Eclectic Films
    Clip 8:43
    Guillermo del Toro and Neil Gaiman Find Hope in Powerful, Eclectic Films
    What to Watch: Holiday Movies on Prime Video for the Whole Family
    Clip 2:09
    What to Watch: Holiday Movies on Prime Video for the Whole Family
    Holiday Movies and TV Specials That Get You in the Spirit
    Clip 2:06
    Holiday Movies and TV Specials That Get You in the Spirit
    It's a Wonderful Life
    Clip 0:37
    It's a Wonderful Life
    It's a Wonderful Life
    Clip 0:46
    It's a Wonderful Life
    It's a Wonderful Life
    Clip 1:07
    It's a Wonderful Life
    It's a Wonderful Life
    Clip 0:55
    It's a Wonderful Life
    What to Watch: "The Expanse" and Expensive Explosions
    Full Episode 3:39
    What to Watch: "The Expanse" and Expensive Explosions
    What Are These Stars Watching This Holiday Season?
    Full Episode 3:11
    What Are These Stars Watching This Holiday Season?
    What's Your Favorite Scene From a Holiday Movie?
    Video 3:33
    What's Your Favorite Scene From a Holiday Movie?

    Photos203

    James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Karolyn Grimes, Jimmy Hawkins, and Larry Simms in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Jimmy Hawkins, and Larry Simms in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart, Thomas Mitchell, Mary Treen, and Charles Williams in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart, Ernie Adams, Ellen Corby, and Jimmy the Crow in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart and Donna Reed in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart and Henry Travers in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Karolyn Grimes, and Jimmy Hawkins in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart, Ward Bond, Donna Reed, Gloria Grahame, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen, Todd Karns, Thomas Mitchell, Lillian Randolph, H.B. Warner, and Charles Williams in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart and Karolyn Grimes in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart and Donna Reed in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Karolyn Grimes, Jimmy Hawkins, and Larry Simms in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    James Stewart and Donna Reed in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Stewart
    James Stewart
    • George Bailey
    Donna Reed
    Donna Reed
    • Mary Hatch
    Lionel Barrymore
    Lionel Barrymore
    • Mr. Potter
    Thomas Mitchell
    Thomas Mitchell
    • Uncle Billy
    Henry Travers
    Henry Travers
    • Clarence
    Beulah Bondi
    Beulah Bondi
    • Mrs. Bailey
    Frank Faylen
    Frank Faylen
    • Ernie
    Ward Bond
    Ward Bond
    • Bert
    Gloria Grahame
    Gloria Grahame
    • Violet Beck
    H.B. Warner
    H.B. Warner
    • Mr. Gower
    Frank Albertson
    Frank Albertson
    • Sam Wainwright
    Todd Karns
    Todd Karns
    • Harry Bailey
    Samuel S. Hinds
    Samuel S. Hinds
    • Pa Bailey
    Mary Treen
    Mary Treen
    • Cousin Tilly
    Virginia Patton
    Virginia Patton
    • Ruth Dakin
    Charles Williams
    • Cousin Eustace
    Sarah Edwards
    Sarah Edwards
    • Mrs. Hatch
    • (as Sara Edwards)
    William Edmunds
    • Mr. Martini
    • (as Bill Edmunds)
    • Director
      • Frank Capra
    • Writers
      • Frances Goodrich(screenplay by)
      • Albert Hackett(screenplay by)
      • Frank Capra(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Lion King
    8.5
    The Lion King
    Spirited Away
    8.6
    Spirited Away
    It's a Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story
    WALL·E
    8.4
    WALL·E
    Toy Story
    8.3
    Toy Story
    The Wizard of Oz
    8.1
    The Wizard of Oz
    Toy Story 3
    8.3
    Toy Story 3
    Finding Nemo
    8.2
    Finding Nemo
    The Sound of Music
    8.1
    The Sound of Music
    Coco
    8.4
    Coco
    Up
    8.3
    Up
    Aladdin
    8.0
    Aladdin

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For the scene that required Donna Reed to throw a rock through the window of the Granville house, director Frank Capra hired a marksman to shoot it out on cue. To everyone's amazement, Reed broke the window by herself. She had played baseball in high school and had a strong throwing arm.
    • Goofs
      At one point George (James Stewart) calls Violet (Gloria Grahame), Gloria.
    • Quotes

      Clarence: Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

    • Crazy credits
      A ringing facsimile of the Liberty Bell (without the crack) forms the backdrop for the studio logo, which is Liberty Films, and the opening credits are in a scrapbook with Christmas decorations. The bell reappears before the end credits, and the end credits have a Christmas card picture as a backdrop.
    • Alternate versions
      The film was colorized three times. The first colorized version of the film was produced by Hal Roach Studios (now Sonar Entertainment), the second by Republic Pictures. A third colorization of the film was produced by Legend Films for Paramount, the film's current copyright holder, in 2007.
    • Connections
      Edited into Have Rocket -- Will Travel (1959)
    • Soundtracks
      Buffalo Gal (Won't You Come Out Tonight)
      (uncredited)

      Written by William Cool White

    User reviews1.1K

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    A Wonderful Film and Timeless Classic
    This film has become a Christmas tradition in my family. We watch it every year and never tire of it. Frank Capra is a master of creating films with a message that reinforce strong values. This is probably his greatest film in that regard. Both he and Stewart have publicly stated that this is their favorite film.

    The message in this film is one of courage and sacrifice for the greater good as George Bailey, a man with big ideas about seeing the world, continually forsakes his own desires to do what is right for the town. The second message is that each life important. No matter how insignificant we feel we are, we are all inextricably linked to each other and play an important part in the fabric of one another's lives.

    Capra's direction is brilliant. His genius is bringing human stories to life in a ways that not only make a point, but that totally involve the audience in the lives of the characters. He is always extremely optimistic about the human condition. He is known for testing his characters with overwhelming adversity to make them struggle to triumph in a way that causes the world to change and the character to grow. For this reason his films were always crowd pleasers and this film was the best of all in that regard.

    Led by Capra's understanding hand, the actors all did a magnificent job. Stewart's wide-eyed enthusiasm and boyish charm, coupled with an unbending strength of character made him the perfect folk hero. Donna Reed was lovely and charming and attained the right balance between being supportive and inspirational. The romantic chemistry between her and Stewart was subtle and charming. Lionel Barrymore was towering as the greedy old skinflint who was trying to take over the town. Thomas Mitchell plays one of my favorite characters, as the bumbling Uncle Billy in probably his most memorable role.

    This film is number eleven on AFI's list of best films of the century. It was nominated for five academy awards and won none. It was swept in 1947 by `The Best Years of Our Lives', a great film that won seven Oscars that year but in my opinion was the lesser film. History has corrected that minor injustice by rendering `It's a Wonderful Life' an enduring classic that is viewed and loved by generation after generation. Of course, I rated it a 10/10. I can't wait to see it again this Christmas.
    helpful•262
    43
    • FlickJunkie-2
    • Dec 6, 2000

    FAQ15

    • Assuming Harry followed George to the hill. If George was never born, then why would Harry be sledding on that hill?
    • Why would the board members side with Potter if George refused to take over the Building & Loan?
    • What is "It's a Wonderful Life" about?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 7, 1947 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life
    • Filming locations
      • RKO Encino Ranch - Balboa Boulevard & Burbank Boulevard, Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Liberty Films (II)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,180,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $44,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $44,000
      • Dec 20, 2020
    • Gross worldwide
      • $6,184,298
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 10 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    James Stewart and Donna Reed in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of It's a Wonderful Life (1946) in Spain?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.