Jimmy Stewart, A World At War, And Why ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ Was Almost Less Wonderful: Part II

Editor’s Note: This article was previously published on December 20, 2023. Since “It’s A Wonderful Life” remains a holiday classic, we’re bringing it back. * * * Months after his return from combat, actor James “Jimmy” Stewart was still adrift - unmoored in the Hollywood he had previously called home, living with fellow veteran Henry Fonda, and waiting for film offers that just weren’t coming in. After a couple of months had gone by, director Frank Capra - who had worked with Stewart before in 1936’s “You Can’t Take It With You” - first pitched “It’s a Wonderful Life.” A meeting was set, and Capra described the story to Stewart and his agent Lew Wasserman. Stewart, who had been adamant about doing a comedy upon his return to Hollywood, was reportedly taken aback at first. “You want me to do what?” he asked, and according to Capra’s notes walked out of his initial pitch meeting. But Capra believed in the strength of the story - and he was equally adamant that Stewart was not just the right person to play George Bailey, he was the person who could do it. only Stewart eventually sat down to listen to Capra’s pitch in full, and he recalled the director’s awkward description of the story in a 1987 interview for Guideposts. “‘Now, listen,’ Frank began hesitantly. He seemed a little embarrassed. ‘The story starts in heaven, and it’s sort of the Lord telling somebody to go down to earth because there’s a fellow who’s in trouble, and this heavenly being goes to a small town, and ... Well, what it boils down to is, this fella who thinks he’s a failure in life jumps off a bridge. The Lord sends down an angel named Clarence, who hasn’t earned his wings yet, and Clarence jumps into the water to save the guy. But the angel can’t swim, so the guy has to save him, and then ... This doesn’t tell very well, does it?'” The actor said his response was simple: “Frank, if you want to do a picture about a guy who jumps off a bridge and an angel named Clarence who hasn’t won his wings yet coming down to save him, well, I’m your man!” “It’s a Wonderful Life”, produced and directed by Frank Capra. Seen here from left, Henry Travers as Clarence and James Stewart as George Bailey. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) For Capra and Stewart both, the film was a do or die project. For Stewart, it was his chance to prove that he still had something to give to fans. And Capra - who had also been away from Hollywood making movies for the War Department - believed so much in the story that he put everything on the line, even forming a new independent studio (Liberty Films) to produce it. But making the film was not without its difficulties. As actress Donna Reed - who played Mary Bailey to Stewart’s George Bailey - put...

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