There’s truly no more fitting way to kick off your traditional Christmas film viewing journey than by delving into Frank Capra’s timeless masterpiece, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” This cinematic gem is set to grace the screens at the Virginia Theatre on Saturday, December 7, with showtimes at 1 and 7 p.m. The essence of this beloved Christmas film lies in its visionary core, which initially began as a simple Christmas-card insert.

From a Short Story to a Cinematic Classic

Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story, “The Greatest Gift,” about a man’s journey of seeing what the world would have been like without him, faced rejection from magazines. Undeterred, Stern printed 200 copies and sent them out with his Christmas cards. RKO recognized its potential and bought the story for Cary Grant. Successive scripts were commissioned from top screenwriters, but none quite worked. Eventually, Charles Koerner offered the story rights to Capra, who brought in the talented writing team of Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich. Capra also contributed to the writing himself, infusing it with his unique touch.The result is a film that is thoroughly Capra-esque in its ideas and tone. George Bailey (played by James Stewart), who dreamed of leaving small town Bedford Falls and exploring the world, found his life intertwined with saving his family’s building and loan company and the town from the predatory banker Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore). But a series of events led to a crisis when Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) misplaced the $8,000 bank deposit. This gave Potter the opportunity to ruin George completely. Despairing, George contemplated suicide and wished he had never been born. However, angel-in-training Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) intervened and granted his wish, allowing George to see what Bedford Falls would have been like without him.

The Cast and Their Iconic Roles

James Stewart was cast as a nice-guy character, which was his typical role in films. But here, his performance also revealed a darker side when he was in despair. This performance laid the foundation for his later casting in more ambiguous characters by directors like Anthony Mann and Alfred Hitchcock.Lionel Barrymore, a screen icon, was cast against his traditional roles. He played the familiar crusty-but-kind Dr. Gillespie in the Dr. Kildaire film series and an even more endearing grandfatherly figure in various films, including Capra’s own “You Can’t Take It with You.” His portrayal of Mr. Potter earned him a place on the American Film Institute’s list of the 50 most despicable villains, ranking at No. 6.Donna Reed’s casting as George’s ideal wife, Mary, became her most iconic role. Although she won an Oscar for her different character in “From Here to Eternity” (1953), her performance here as Mary stuck with audiences. On television, “The Donna Reed Show” (1958-1966) further solidified her image as a loving wife and mother.

The Production and Its Costs

Capra didn’t initially think of his film as a Christmas movie. It was scheduled for wide release in January 1947. But when a lab workers strike delayed the release of RKO’s holiday color adventure film, “Sinbad the Sailor,” the studio decided to slot “It’s a Wonderful Life” into theaters instead and promoted it as a full-fledged comedy. Audiences were initially confused by the dark fantasy they saw but still enjoyed it.The production costs of the film were extremely high. Capra employed the largest crew of special-effects technicians ever assembled, and Bedford Falls was a massive 4-acre set. The main street George runs down several times was a full three city blocks with 75 stores and buildings and 20 real oak trees. For night scenes, enough electricity was used to light a city of 5,000. The snow in the winter scenes required 300 tons of plaster and 3,000 tons of shaved ice.Most of the story was shot in sequence, which added to the cost. One exception was the prom sequence where the high school basketball court opened up to reveal a swimming pool. This unique set is still in use at Beverly Hills High School.Since the film wasn’t making a profit initially, Capra and Stewart went on promotional tours to attract more viewers. This was their favorite film, and decades later, they continued to promote it. Capra promoted his autobiography, and Stewart appeared on many talk shows, often discussing “It’s a Wonderful Life.”Even if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the numerous Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, make sure to check out “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Virginia Theatre to rejuvenate your holiday movie experience.