Thomaston Opera House is on the mend Nov 22, 2008
The opera house will produce the rendition of "It's A Wonderful Life," on Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. as originally scheduled. The opera house thrives on actors from Litchfield, New Haven, and Hartford county towns who volunteer their talents and time, Dunn said. (Thomaston Express, CT)
What's the best holiday movie? Nov 21, 2008
What's the holiday season without "It's a Wonderful Life" or maybe for you, it's "A Christmas Story." Whatever your pleasure, let us know which of these holiday movies you consider the best of all time ... "It's a Wonderful Life" ... "It's a Wonderful Life". (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Art imitates life on stage this holiday season Nov 21, 2008
A Christmas Carol and It's A Wonderful Life speak to tough times Nov 20, 2008 04:30 AM Theatre Critic ... Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol and Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life are set to open this month and no matter how hard you try, you can't find two works more apt for the world climate in the holiday season of 2008 ... But if A Christmas Carol resonates with the deep bass notes of times gone by, It's a Wonderful Life plays the shriller treble tones of days that are too close for... (Toronto Star)
Montgomery Performing Arts Centre Announces Hot Holiday Forecast for November and December Nov 20, 2008
The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre will also continue its Classic Movie Series, and will feature holiday classics such as "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story" throughout the month of December. For tickets to any of the shows, call (334) 481-5102 or visit. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Family Dysfunction Rules in Holiday Flicks Nov 17, 2008
From Jimmy Stewart's suicidal patriarch in 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life" and Maureen O'Hara's super-rational working mom in 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street" to Chevy Chase's disaster-prone dad in 1989's "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and Tim Allen's can't-win divorced father in 1994's "The Santa Clause," family dysfunction is the gift that keeps on giving at the movies. That's especially true this year with three releases that attempt to put new wrapping paper on an old package. (ABC News)
Sky Is Falling At Venerable Opera House Nov 14, 2008
With the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life" scheduled to open Nov. 28, opera house staff is scrambling to deal with the latest disaster dished up by a venue that can be as cantankerous as it is comely. Last Saturday, part of the decorative plaster ceiling in the 124-year-old Thomaston Opera House fell-without warning or apparent cause. (Litchfield County Times, CT)
• Burley Library receives grant for family film festival Nov 14, 2008
She and Rob Mayer, a College of Southern Idaho English instructor, will select movies from the American Film Institute's list of the nation's finest cinema - beginning with "E.T." and continuing with "It's a Wonderful Life" in December. "Our plan after that is tentative," Bame said, "but each film will be followed by a discussion and question-and-answer period led by Rob Mayer.". (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Great River Players presents a comedic Christmas story you've never heard Nov 14, 2008
Do you have to watch the black and white version of It's A Wonderful Life or one of several versions of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol on TV to make it Christmas for you. Perhaps the more literary prefer the short stories, A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas or The Gift of The Magi by O. Henry. (Keokuk Daily Gate City, IO)
We like our Christmas films wrapped in dysfunction Nov 14, 2008
From Jimmy Stewart's suicidal patriarch in 1946's It's a Wonderful Life and Maureen O'Hara's super-rational working mom in 1947's Miracle on 34th Street to Chevy Chase's disaster-prone dad in 1989's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Tim Allen's can't-win divorced father in 1994's The Santa Clause, family dysfunction is the gift that keeps on giving at the movies ... But De Villa, whose background is Mexican, also wanted to preserve the story's sense of personal sacrifice for the benefit... (USA Today)
Hollywood idols quiz Nov 13, 2008
8 - 10 : It's A Wonderful Life. For a complete archive of past quizzes and our weekly news quiz, 7 days 7 questions, visit the and scroll down. (BBC News -- UK)
At the crossroads of finance and culture Nov 8, 2008
Above, from left, James Stewart, Donna Reed and Thomas Mitchell in "It's a Wonderful Life." (Steve Braun/Sony Pictures Classics) ... You recall George: In the person of James Stewart, he stopped a run on the Bailey Brothers Building & Loan Association that would have destroyed it in the film "It's a Wonderful Life." His predicament, with its eerie prefigurement of the present, provokes a closer look at the crossroads in which culture and finance intersect. (International Herald Tribune)
Events calendar Nov 7, 2008
Company of Fools presents "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" for a "pay what you feel" preview at 7 p.m. DEC. 17 at Liberty Theatre ... Company of Fools presents "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" for Educators Night at 7 p.m. DEC. 18 and 8 p.m. DEC. 19 at Liberty Theatre ... Company of Fools presents "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" at 8 p.m. DEC. 20 and 26-27, at 3 p.m. DEC. 21, 24 and 28, and at 7 p.m. DEC. 23 and 30-31 at Liberty Theatre. (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Mary Sanchez: Fantasy: To be able to trust big banking Nov 2, 2008
Jimmy Stewart is delivering lines from the Christmas classic, "It's a Wonderful Life." It's the run-on-the-bank scene ... In "It's a Wonderful Life," George Bailey calmed his worried depositors by assuring them that if they kept their faith in the institution, times would improve and all ships would rise. (Sacramento Bee -- Opinion)
Ricky Gervais has betrayed his genius Oct 28, 2008
Ghost Town's nods to antecedents such as It's a Wonderful Life, Ghost and Groundhog Day respectfully acknowledge its own place in the scheme of things. Of course, there's nothing wrong with providing conventional emotional succour. (guardian.co.uk)
Character trumping experience Oct 28, 2008
Jimmy Stewart, in Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life," makes everyone want to live in Bedford Falls and hand the mean banker his comeuppance. Gary Cooper in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" personified the theme of the noble hick outwitting city slickers. (Boston Globe)
It's a Wonderful Life Collectibles Oct 24, 2008
Frank Capra's 1946 motion picture classic It's a Wonderful Life is huge with collectors ... It's a Wonderful Life starring James Stewart and Donna Reed is one of Hollywood's most beloved films ... It's a Wonderful LIfe Movie. (Suite101.com)
Chinese banks brace for housing aftershock Oct 24, 2008
The mortgage market remains closer to something out of the 1946 Frank Capra movie "It's a Wonderful Life" than to the home loans with no down payments and practically no credit checks that proliferated in the United States over the past few years. In China, roughly half of all home buyers still pay cash for their homes and do not obtain a mortgage at all - although they might borrow some of the cash from friends, families or neighbors. (International Herald Tribune)
A winning voice Oct 22, 2008
For the most part, "It's a Wonderful Life" was entertainment. The scene of the run on the saving's and loan was quite accurate. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
More of this story Oct 21, 2008
Favorite movie: 'It's A Wonderful Life. The Family Independence Program provides cash assistance, health care and child-care services to families in need. (Newport Daily News, RI)
How a picket-fence dream became our nightmare Oct 14, 2008
Yes, Bailey - the hero of Frank Capra's 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life, the most popular man in Bedford Falls, the man so indispensable that a guardian angel showed him how dreadful a world without him would have been. His business was putting the downscale families of Bedford Falls into homes they could not quite afford to buy. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Shawshank in Oscar losers poll Oct 12, 2008
Blade Runner 5= It's a Wonderful Life 5= The Great Escape 7= Taxi Driver 7= Psycho 9 ... It's A Wonderful Life (1946) was nominated for five Oscars including best actor for James Stewart, and The Great Escape (1963), up for a best film editing Oscar, were joint fifth in the poll. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
'Vultures' get ready to feed %%deck%%Opportunistic investor groups raise tens of billionsand wait to scavenge on distressed assets and debts Oct 11, 2008
When financial panic sweeps Bedford Falls in the 1946 movie "It's a Wonderful Life," the villain, Mr. Potter, moves to snap up the Bailey Bros. Building and Loan, offering a fire-sale price of 50 cents on the dollar. (OregonLive, OR -- Business)
Around the Horned - Third Edition Oct 8, 2008
It's a Wonderful Life. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (Gofrogs.com)
Extreme adventure, Arctic style Oct 5, 2008
It's a wonderful life for a biographer to mine, but McGoogan had even more. The dream of every biographer is to find a "lost journal" by his or her subject. (Globe and Mail)
Bailout Blues Sep 23, 2008
New York, Sept. 29The views the financial crisis vis--vis It's a Wonderful Life, casting Ron Hermance, "the CEO of the homegrown Hudson City Bancorp," in the role of George Bailey and Richard Fuld of Lehman Bros. as "the vicious, scheming Mr. Potter." It pushes the analogy to explain how "some dinky local savings and loan is now the darling of high finance, and the old, storied banks are falling by the wayside." A spotlights Alexis Stewart, Martha's daughter, who "has opinions about pretty... (Slate)
Wall Street's Ills Seep Into Everyday Lives Sep 20, 2008
"What keeps going through my mind is that scene from the movie 'It's a Wonderful Life' where everyone rushes to the bank and demands to take their money out," she said. Some people remain defiant. (Wall Street Journal)
Office guy a romantic – who knew? Sep 20, 2008
The Apartment, Tootsie, It's a Wonderful Life. Casablanca a love triangle set against a just war, Jesus. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Gervais's On a Role: This Time, Leading Man Sep 18, 2008
It reminded me of something would do, like 'It's a Wonderful Life' or something. I thought: Right, this is me. (Washington Post)
Peggy Knudson enjoys time with family Sep 18, 2008
Ultimate Gift, While You Were Sleeping and It's a Wonderful Life. What is your favorite ethnic food. (Keokuk Daily Gate City, IO)
Pity in the City Sep 17, 2008
" NEGATIVE FINANCE PORTRAYALS Wall Street Bonfire of the Vanities Rogue Trader Mixed portrayals: Mary Poppins It's a Wonderful Life Of course, even in a slump, the best of the banking world will still be in demand as they mill in between the glass towers of City finance. "I understand a few headhunters were setting up in Starbucks just to be portable locations for people to come and see them," says Ms Robinson. And some people may not realise the massive range of salaries in the world of... (BBC News -- UK)
Remembering one of the good guys Sep 14, 2008
" A cop, too. A lieutenant, too. Her guy, gone. Here's the kicker. If the Gulfport City Council approves Mayor Brent Warr's request, the new municipal building that's under construction will be named the Robert J. Curry Complex.Value Remember the Jimmy Stewart movie, It's a Wonderful Life? How things are going lousy and he's about to lose his savings and loan business and how he thinks he's worthless and his life has been for nothing ... He discovers, through angelic intervention, his true... (The Clarion-Ledger)
Film fans owe a lot to booze and skin Sep 13, 2008
A promotional card for a November stage production of It's a Wonderful Life arrived in the mail, but somebody at Toronto's Canadian Stage Company must have been nodding. "Since it's premier in 1996," the card said, "this inventive adaptation of a beloved classic has continued to earn critical acclaim." It may be a premier work, but it had its premiere in 1996. (Globe and Mail)
Two Christmas shows in area this year Sep 12, 2008
The Ivoryton Foundation, meanwhile, will stage the Connecticut premiere of the Christmas favorite, "It's A Wonderful Life," by Thomas M. Sharkey, based on the Frank Capra movie starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, at the Playhouse from Dec. 5 through Dec. 21. Concerning the Goodspeed production, Executive Director Michael P. Price, noting that the riverside Opera House will be decorated for the season, commented, "The magic of Christmastime in this idyllic holiday setting is the perfect... (Pictorial Gazette, CT)
New on DVD: Tina Fey's 'Baby Mama' delivers laughs Sep 12, 2008
There's also plenty of homo-eroticism the censors didn't catch; it's the only movie in which actor Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy in It's a Wonderful Life) repeatedly slaps Claude Rains' obscured bare behind with a towel. "For exercise," his giggling character notes. (USA Today -- Life)
CCT announces auditions for 'It's a Wonderful Life' Sep 11, 2008
CCT announces auditions for 'It's a Wonderful Life. (No comments posted. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
Weekend Calendar Sep 11, 2008
" She teaches workshops nationwide on performance anxiety and has practiced as a therapist in the Danbury area for more than 23 years. Visit www.performanceanxiety.com. Theater NEW BRITAIN - "Barefoot in the Park," Neil Simon's lighthearted look at young love and marriage in 1960s New York City, opens Hole in the Wall Theater's 2008-2009 season Friday and Saturday nights through Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. at 116 Main St., with two matinees, Sept. 21 and Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. Paul is portrayed by Jesse Murphy... (Middletown Press, CT)
Unraveling the Grinch (1) Aug 24, 2008
Mr. Potter, "It's a Wonderful Life". Patient history: Greedy businessman and slum lord intent on shutting down the "Bailey Building and Loan.". (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
In two WORLDS Aug 22, 2008
"It's a wonderful life," he said. "I'm aware every day of how lucky I am to be able to live where I want to live and do something I want to do. Yeah, I'd rather be writing important plays that are gonna get remembered, or movies that they're lining up to make, but in the meantime I'm still floating.". (Juneau Empire)
'Andy Warhol for Pittsburgh' Aug 3, 2008
Here's the pitch: "The Twilight Zone" meets "It's a Wonderful Life" meets Bunuel's "The Exterminating Angel." It occurs to me I relive February 2nd over and over. Welcome home Warhol it's the standard-issue flowered grave. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
REVIEW: 'Frozen River:' In a bleak landscape, a tentative bond is forged Aug 1, 2008
If "Frozen River" has all the ingredients for a weepy Christmas story in the tradition of "It's a Wonderful Life," it is almost the opposite of that. It is grim reality. (International Herald Tribune)
'Swing Vote': When a presidential election hinges on a drunk in a dying town Aug 1, 2008
Namely that the small town as it was idealized by Hollywood is no longer just a potential trap, the way it seems to James Stewart in Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." It's a dying and dead zone. If that doesn't sound riotously funny, it isn't. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Exclusive: Rush Remade American Politics Jul 29, 2008
Remember the "Married with Children" episode when, at Christmastime, Al Bundy is frantically using his remote to flick from one TV station to the next, in a vain attempt to find some channel, ANY channel, that's not playing "It's a Wonderful Life". That's what driving across Middle America was like before satellite radio -- either aptly-named RUSH, or Country-Western drivel, or local farm reports -- which no doubt were of great interest to the area residents but not at all for passers-through... (Human Events Online)
AFI Names Top Ten Fantasy Films of ... Jul 24, 2008
The other fantasy films to make the top ten incude: Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Rings; It's a Wonderful Life; King Kong; Miricle on 34th Street; Field of Dreams; Harvey; Groundhog Day; Thief of Bagdad and Big ... Judy Garland is teenaged Dorothy, who longingly sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Stars: Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Burke, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley and Bert Lahr. 1939.Lord of the Rings: The Fellow ship of the Ring 2001. In this Tolkien classic, a young Hobbit named... (Suite101.com)
Celebrating Rush’s 20 Years of Broadcast Excellence Jul 24, 2008
Remember the old Married With Children episode where Al Bundy's sitting on the sofa with the TV remote around Christmas time, frantically clicking from one channel to another, desperately trying to find IN VAIN one single channel that was NOT showing "It's a Wonderful Life". Driving through many areas of the USA during midday can be like that -- you get either aptly-named RUSH or inane Country-Western drivel. (Human Events Online)
Shaky market requires cautious investors Jul 16, 2008
"My gosh, I feel like we're in the movie 'It's a Wonderful Life,' " said Jim Paulson, chief investment strategist for Wells Capital Management, the investment management arm of Wells Fargo. "I really don't think there's a big risk there. You just want to make sure you are conscious of your $100,000 limit (the amount insured by the FDIC) in the regular banking industry.". (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
The more the merrier Jul 13, 2008
Although the performer and playwright made a name for himself with the one-man show "Fully Committed" and earned praise for his solo adaptation of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," he says his collaborations with writers Becky Mode (on the former) and Steve Murray (on the latter) gave him confidence as both a writer and actor. "Crafting a narrative isn't one of my strengths," says Setlock. (Boston Globe)
Athens remembers ex-mayor Jul 13, 2008
Your Connection to the. Web Search powered by YAHOO. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Four great films r. Jason R. Edwards Jul 4, 2008
It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas. When December rolls around everyone knows which movies to watch to celebrate the holidays. (Fort Madison Daily Democrat, IO)
Review: 'Kit Kittredge': An American girl doll come to life Jul 2, 2008
After depicting hard times with such an eye for truth for so long, Kit Kittredge turns so unrealistically feel-good, you'd almost think it's a parody of It's a Wonderful Life. The packaging looks good for the most part. (Florida Times-Union)
Business Watch: Life's not wonderful for oil companies Jun 30, 2008
and he'll bring up the classic film, "It's a Wonderful Life.". Unless you're Scrooge, you've probably watched this movie dozens of times when it airs annually around Christmas. (Republican-American)
'Oz,' '2001,' 'Vertigo' among AFI top genre flicks Jun 26, 2008
James Stewart popped up in four categories: Fantasy with "It's a Wonderful Life" (No. 3) and "Harvey" (No. (Carroll County Times)
Making sense of the AFI's 'Top 10 Films in 10 Genres' list Jun 19, 2008
it's a wonderful life is absolutely GREAT, but it's a holiday movie ... Not any single one of these should be listed as a fantasy: It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Groundhog Day, and Harvey ... The category that annoyed me the most was "fantasy," a genre that was defined so broadly it became senseless - "Big," "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," and "It's a Wonderful Life" all in the same category. (Entertainment Weekly)
Oldies are goldies in top ten list Jun 18, 2008
James Stewart popped up in four categories: Fantasy with It's a Wonderful Life and Harvey; romantic comedy with The Philadelphia Story; courtroom drama with Anatomy of a Murder; and mystery with two Hitchcock flicks, Vertigo and Rear Window ... It's a Wonderful Life, 1946. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
AFI picks best films in 10 categories Jun 18, 2008
Fantasy: "The Wizard of Oz," "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "It's a Wonderful Life," "King Kong," "Miracle on 34th Street," "Field of Dreams," "Harvey," "Groundhog Day," "The Thief of Bagdad," "Big.". Gangster: "The Godfather," "GoodFellas," "The Godfather Part II," "White Heat," "Bonnie and Clyde," "Scarface: The Shame of a Nation," "Pulp Fiction," "The Public Enemy," "Little Caesar," "Scarface.". (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Lesbian pioneer activists see wish fulfilled Jun 17, 2008
She thought more about the significance for a few minutes and then likened it to the classic Christmas movie "It's a Wonderful Life" - but with a twist. In the movie, the character played by James Stewart gets to see what his small town and family would be like if he hadn't existed. (San Francisco Chronicle)
How the west wing was won Jun 15, 2008
For Reagan it was It's A Wonderful Life: saccharine twaddle, but what the hell, Reagan was a cowboy. And for Gerald Ford, Home Alone. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Robert Anderson, child actor in 'Wonderful Life' Jun 9, 2008
LOS ANGELES - Robert J. Anderson, a former child actor best known for playing the young George Bailey in the 1946 Christmas film classic "It's a Wonderful Life," has died ... Known as Bobbie when he was young and Bob as an adult, Mr. Anderson died Friday of melanoma at his Palm Springs home, said Stephen Cox, a family friend and author of "It's a Wonderful Life: A Memory Book.". (Boston Globe)
Wonderful Life child actor dies Jun 9, 2008
Bob Anderson (right) acted with HB Warner in It's A Wonderful Life. Bob Anderson, who played the young George Bailey in classic Christmas film It's A Wonderful Life, has died at the age of 75 ... On the 50th anniversary of It's A Wonderful Life in 1996, Anderson told the Los Angeles Times about filming a scene where his character was slapped by a drunken pharmacist, played by HB Warner. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
'Wonderful Life' Boy Actor Dies At 75 Jun 9, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- The actor who played the young in the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" has died ... But he was best known for his role as the young Bailey in Frank Capra's 1946 "It's a Wonderful Life," the same character portrayed in adulthood by James Stewart. (WNBC.com, NY)
"Wonderful Life" actor Bob Anderson dies Jun 8, 2008
Bob Anderson, who played George Bailey as a young boy in the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life," has died ... He was 7 when he appeared in the 1940 Shirley Temple film "Young People" and went on to appear in other movies such as 1945's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."But he was best known for his role as the young Bailey in Frank Capra's 1946 "It's a Wonderful Life." In one scene, the story called for him to spot a potentially fatal error made by a drunken druggist, played by H.B. Warner. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Zohan vs. Guru Jun 6, 2008
Sandler went on to do the very sober Reign Over Me, the underrated 2007 movie in which he was a Sept. 11 widower in a fugue of grief, and, the year before, the highly sentimental Click, which begins as a comedy (guy discovers magic remote control, flips past interpersonal connection) only to become It's a Wonderful Life (guy tearfully realizes family comes first). For comedians, the transition into pathos -- and it's one Sandler is continuing to make -- is hardly easy. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Garden Theatre announces 2008-09 season May 29, 2008
L'Ange Avec Les Fleurs, Zombies from the Beyond, Voci Dance Presents, It's a Wonderful Life - Radio Play, Driving Miss Daisy, SNACK, The Iliad, the Odyssey and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less, Our Town, I Do, I Do and Noises Off ... It's a Wonderful Life - Radio Play, Dec. 5-21. (Winter Garden West Orange Times, FL)
Memories of Stewart Live at Y May 23, 2008
Photo Courtesy of U.S. Air ForceMovie star Jimmy Stewart is known for his films like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "It's a Wonderful Life." He joined the Air Force in 1944 and flew combat missions throughout World War II. ... They met with the First Presidency, toured BYU campus and concluded their visit by showing one of Stewart's classic films, "It's a Wonderful Life," in the de Jong Concert Hall. (The Daily Universe, UT)
'Time of Your Life' timely but inconsistent in style, mood May 21, 2008
Written in 1939, this play is sort of like "It's a Wonderful Life" meets "Cheers." Saroyan's barflies are down-and-out eccentrics who haven't given up hope, no matter if their dreams are as big as finding love or as small as besting a pinball machine. Joe (Ross Emerson) is a champagne-swilling Samaritan with mysterious wealth who acts as the master of ceremonies in this booze-drenched circus. (Anchorage Daily News)
Kentucky's Summer Theater Trail May 17, 2008
15; "Frankenstein," Oct. 15-24 (at the Mountain Arts Center); "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," Nov. 28-Dec. 6 (at the Pikeville High School Alumni Auditorium). (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
