This film sounds like it was an absolute nightmare to make!
Between firings, battles with the screenwriters, sexism, the FBI, the movie being a big flop and then suddenly becoming one of the most beloved Christmas classics of all time, making this movie sure has been a wild ride for Frank Capra!
‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ is a beautiful story about loss and family.

The story behind making the movie isn’t as beautiful.
It involves a lot of pain and suffering for director Frank Capra, as well as pain and suffering for everyone around him.
The movie itself bombed so bad, it sunk a whole studio.

After the movie came out, ran it’s course, etc, it was found that the studio who made it, Liberty Films, was going to lose $525,000.
Liberty Films couldn’t handle that kind of blow, so they had to sell the company.
But don’t feel too bad for Frank Capra…

Cause he was kind of a sexist.
While making this movie he tarnished his relationship with two writers, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, mostly because he wouldn’t stop calling Frances “My dear woman”.
And finally…

The movie might have been propaganda for communists, or at least that’s what the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) thought.
They investigated the movie and no one was arrested. But we still have our eyes on you, Capra.
Last Updated on December 11, 2019 by Jake Bean