Spend Friday Night At the Flicks with Elizabeth Ellen Carter
Last week Friday Night @ The Flicks looked at the romance between husband and wife sleuths Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man series of films from the 1930s and 40s.
This week we’ll take another offbeat look at a cinematic romance – the time honoured classic It’s a Wonderful Life by the director Frank Capra.
Capra, along with George Cukor created some of the most romantic and engaging films of the Golden Years of Hollywood era.
It’s A Wonderful Life is a perennial Christmas favourite and its theme about showing the worth of ‘everyman’ to be a force of good in his and her community is well known and has been well discussed.
As an aside, it’s not generally realised that It’s A Wonderful Life wasn’t universally acclaimed at the time of its release and it was largely forgotten until it returned as yuletide TV programming in the 1960s.
The story how this beloved classic fell out of copyright is story well worth reading – and exploring at another time, especially for creators of original copyright material like us authors!
This post contains spoilers, so you have been warned!
It’s A Wonderful Life also a treat for students of film and storytellers alike.
Unusually, the narrator is an archangel who we only ever see is a blinking star in the celestial night sky.
We also hear from ‘angel second class’ Clarence whom we see in corporeal form in the second half of the film as he connives to show beaten and despondent George Bailey, how much he has done in his community and how much he is loved which he does by jumping into a freezing raging river just at the point where George is contemplating suicide.
In the toll house much to the bemusement of its owner, Clarence tells George about his mission. For those who take an interest in film construction may have wondered about this camera set up:
Why Mr Capra, there’s a washing line in the middle of this shot!
It looks like a bit of a mess, like the poor over cameraman had to squeeze himself and his huge lens in the corner of a tiny hut. It’s cluttered and separates the two characters who are the centre of the scene.
A mistake from the master director?
No. Consider this – the washing line is actually representative of the line between Heaven And Earth. Clarence, above this line is serene and compassionate, below the line George is in the depths of his despair. Breaching this line is Clarence himself who is both halves. His hands are on ‘Earth’ with George and ready to help.
But that’s all very nice, but show me the lovin’. This is a romance author’s web site!
Okay, your wish is my command.
Frequently overlooked in our focus on George’s life and death moment is the underlying love story which begins almost from the very first scene.
“George Bailey, I will love you until the day I die.”
Young Mary and her friend Violet , both no older than 10, make calf eyes at young teenage George, Mary confesses her undying love into the deaf ear of the engaging and responsible young man.
By the way, Robert J (Bobby) Anderson as young George Bailey gives a heartbreaking performance in a pivotal scene with the drug store pharmacist with his actions as a youngster resonating in both ‘universes’.
While George is single-minded in his desire of getting out of Bedford Falls, Mary herself is steadfast in her desire for George.
A girlhood crush survives high school and a hilarious dance sequence that ends with the entire graduating class (and the principal) falling into to the school’s underfloor swimming pool.
This young beauty’s constancy, at this time unrequited, also survives college years, until at the risk of losing her to the well-meaning but brash Sam Wainwright, George realises what a jewel he has.
Unable to believe his luck, even as a married man, George asks Mary why she ever married him:
George Bailey: Mary Hatch, why in the world did you ever marry a guy like me?
Mary: To keep from being an old maid!
George Bailey: You could have married Sam Wainright, or anybody else in town…
Mary: I didn’t want to marry anybody else in town. I want my baby to look like you.
George Bailey: You didn’t even have a honeymoon. I promised you…
[stops]George Bailey: Your what?
Mary: My baby!
George Bailey: [stuttering] Your, your, your, ba- Mary, you on the nest?
Mary: George Bailey Lasso’s Stork!
George Bailey: [still stuttering] Lasso’s a stork?
[Mary nods]George Bailey: What’re’ya… You mean you’re… What is it, a boy or a girl?
Mary: [nods enthusiasticly] Mmmm-hmmm!
“Mary, Mary, Mary”
Mary is a woman who knows her own mind. Loving and supporting she is in this ‘universe’, she is also true to her word in the world George experiences where he never existed.
Here in the brash, red-light-esque world of Potterville, she is a timid, old-maid librarian who faints at the sight of this mad man who violently insists that he is her husband.
As we know in real life, not everything is toe curling kisses and skipping into the sunset.
Real life is tough – and so is real love.
Due to his addle-brained uncle’s misplacing a large amount of money, George is financially ruined. He snaps at his kids, expresses regret at his life. Mary might well be justified in yelling back, packing her bags and clearing out.
But she doesn’t. The vow she made as a girl, one that she repeated on her wedding day carries her through this tough time and gives her a very clear direction when she realises her husband is in grave trouble.
There has been some criticism of It’s A Wonderful Life in that it cheats us of a ‘real’ ending. Henry Potter, the richest man in town, has George’s money and has no plans to give it back and it is unlikely that he would ever be caught. Uncle Billy whose actions preciptate the crisis never receives the censure he deserves either.
But isn’t that so like real life as well? Not everything comes wrapped in a neat bow and no matter what happens to the Bailey family as the closing credits roll, we know that George and Mary have their Happily Ever After.