History Trivia / ItsAWonderfulLife

* VindicatedByCable: While not a big hit on initial release, the film became public domain in 1974, so virtually every TV station around started airing it around Christmas due to it being so inexpensive. Since the early 1990s its copyright has been re-established (see [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_wonderful_life#Ownership_and_copyright_issues the other wiki]] for all the details), but it's still a holiday staple, albeit exclusive to one broadcaster.

* DawsonCasting: 38-year old Stewart and 25-year-old Reed trying to pass as 22 and 18 respectively after the first TimeSkip. {{Justified|Trope}} in that they need to play older versions of their characters as well.
** In a bit of LampshadeHanging, Uncle Billy notes that "Nobody changes, here!" after Harry comes home from college. George's father also Lampshades it by saying that George was "born older" than Harry.

** It was obscure enough in 1968 that Andrew Sarris doesn't even mention it in the Capra entry for his landmark [[UsefulNotes/TheAuteurTheory Auteur Theory]] book ''The American Cinema''. Of course he largely disliked Capra and bashed him in favor of other directors[[note]]Which is weird because this film was actually liked by Creator/FrancoisTruffaut who noted that the French missed the boat on Capra because his films weren't properly available in France until much later[[/note]]. These days it's usually considered Capra's best work.

* OldShame: Capra said that if he could change one thing, it would be Mary's fate in Pottersville.

* DawsonCasting: 38-year old Stewart and 25-year-old Reed trying to pass as 22 and 18 respectively after the first TimeSkip. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that they need to play older versions of their characters as well.

* SpinOffCookbook: "[[https://medium.com/one-table-one-world/book-review-its-a-wonderful-life-the-official-bailey-family-cookbook-7fd4ef52e2e4 The Bailey Family Cookbook]]" was released just in time for Christmas 2021, chock full of recipes that were very popular at the time the movie was set. The 75th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and [=iTunes Extras=] include some of the recipes, either written on or scanned from cards.
* ThrowItIn:

** Many of the actors with smaller parts are unbilled. Among the more notable are ''Film/TheLittleRascals'' regular Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as Freddie, the high school kid who opens the gym floor so George and Mary can fall into the pool beneath; future [[Series/TheWaltons Grandma Walton]] actress Ellen Corby as Miss Davis, the Building & Loan customer who asks George for $17.50; and omnipresent character actor Creator/{{Charles Lane|1905}} as Reineman, Potter's rent collector who warns him George is undermining his monopoly in town.

** Many of the actors with smaller parts are unbilled. Among the more notable are ''Film/TheLittleRascals'' regular Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as Freddie, the high school kid who opens the gym floor so George and Mary can fall into the pool beneath; future [[Series/TheWaltons Grandma Walton]] actress Ellen Corby as Miss Davis, the Building & Loan customer who asks George for $17.50; and omnipresent character actor Creator/CharlesLane as Reineman, Potter's rent collector who warns him George is undermining his monopoly in town.

** In the scene when there's a run on the Savings & Loan, Ellen Corby (in her only scene) threw in her request for a very specific amount of money, not just her entire savings back; Stewart was so amused that his reaction is genuine.
* UncreditedRole: Dalton Trumbo, Dorothy Parker, Marc Connelly and Clifford Odets all did uncredited script work.

* SpinOffCookbook: "[[https://medium.com/one-table-one-world/book-review-its-a-wonderful-life-the-official-bailey-family-cookbook-7fd4ef52e2e4 The Bailey Family Cookbook]]" was released just in time for Christmas 2021, chock full of recipes that were very popular at the time the movie was set.

* CreatorChosenCasting: In his autobiography, Creator/FrankCapra recalled:
-->Of all actors' roles I believe the most difficult is the role of a Good Sam who doesn't know that he is a Good Sam. I knew one man who could play it...Creator/JamesStewart...I spoke to Lew Wasserman, the MCA agent who handled Jimmy, told him I wanted to tell Jimmy the story. Wasserman said Stewart would gladly play the part without hearing the story.

* DoingItForTheArt: During filming of the scene at Martini's Bar, Stewart was so overcome with emotion while praying that he began to shed {{manly tears}} for real. Seeing this, Capra had to reframe the shot in order to [[CloseupOnHead get it closer than was actually filmed]] because he wanted to catch the expression on Stewart's face. At the time this was an ''extremely'' time-consuming project, each frame had to be done individually, making it only one step away from stop-motion animation. Capra spent the whole night doing it.
** Remember, too, that at one point, Stewart had wanted to leave Hollywood behind after his WWII experiences. That Capra was able to woo him back into acting is this all over.

* NamesTheSame:
** [[Series/SesameStreet Bert and Ernie]]. Creator/JimHenson insisted that the naming of the two characters between here and the show have nothing to do with each other.
** Professor Snape would strongly reassess his image of [[Literature/HarryPotter the Potter in his potions class]] as a selfish, conceited jerk if he ever were to meet ''this'' Potter!
** One of George's aunts is named Creator/LauraBailey.

* DeletedScene: An alternate deleted scene (unknown if shot or not) can be read in the script printed in a commemorative book about the film, published in the 80s. In the scripted scene, Potter is seen approaching the door of the Bailey house while the celebrations are going on inside, planning to return the missing $8000. Why he's there isn't explained, possibly it's that he's [[LawfulEvil technically honest, however ruthless]] and only intended to torture George temporarily before "finding" the money. But whatever his motivation, he overhears what's happening inside, realizes at last how worthless his own life has been in comparison to George’s, and turns to slink away in despair.

** While Capra was still proud of the film overall and considered it his favorite, he admitted decades after its release that Mary's fate in Pottersville (becoming an unmarried librarian instead of George's wife) didn't age well and wished he gave her something more timeless[[note]]In the original story, she is married to an abusive alcoholic - a fate that is not only much more unpleasant than just being an old maid, but just as - if not more - relevant today with the greater awareness of domestic abuse and alcoholism[[//note]]

** While Capra was still proud of the film overall and considered it his favorite, he admitted decades after its release that Mary's fate in Pottersville (becoming an unmarried librarian instead of George's wife) didn't age well and wished he gave her something more timeless.

* Some critics writing in the 2020s detract the film for having "no black people." They're overlooking Annie (Lillian Randolph, whose career spanned forty years), the black couple at the graduation dance (watch for'em just as George and Mary start dancing together), who reappear in the laughing crowd who gathered around George and Violet as he invited her to walk in the grass barefoot; [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meade_Lux_Lewis Meade Lux Lewis]] pounding out hot boogie piano at Nick's in the alternative universe[[note]]Ironically, Lewis died when his car crashed into a tree, after being rear-ended[[/note]]; and a black woman in a hat who appears twice, at George and Mary's wedding and in the final scene placing her donation in the cash pile; she may be Mrs. Hatch's maid. Note that Annie and this lady are well-off enough to donate to George's fund.

** Professor Snape would strongly reassess his image of the Potter in his potions class as a selfish, conceited jerk if he ever were to meet ''this'' [[Literature/HarryPotter Potter]]!

* PlayingAgainstType: H.B. Warner, still best-known to 1946 moviegoers for playing Jesus in ''Film/TheKingOfKings'', as Gower.

* ActorSharedBackground: Both Creator/JamesStewart and Creator/DonnaReed came from small towns; Stewart from Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Reed from Denison, Iowa. She demonstrated her rural roots by winning an impromptu bet with Creator/LionelBarrymore when he challenged her to milk a cow on-set.

*** Creator/WCFields was considered for Uncle Billy.