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1[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/its_a_wonderful_world_1939_movie_poster.jpg]]
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3A 1939 ScrewballComedy/mystery film directed by W. S. Van Dyke II, starring Creator/ClaudetteColbert and Creator/JimmyStewart.
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5Guy Johnson (Stewart) is a fugitive {{private detective}} whose client, Willie Heyward, was framed for the murder of a glamourous Spanish singer, Dolores Gonzalez. Willie’s wife Vivian and her lover are really the ones who committed the murder, in order to get $10 million out of Willie's insurance once he gets capital punishment. Consequently, Guy is indicted for hiding Willie but escapes after he finds a clue in a newspaper; turns out that Vivian's long-lost husband, who she thought died in Australia, is alive and has evidence to frame her.
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7Guy resolves to locate this lost husband and prove Willie’s innocence. Unfortunately, he also runs into “poetess” Edwina Corday (Colbert), who decides to follow along with this tale of intrigue.
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9Not to be confused with ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'', despite the similar title and the presence of Jimmy Stewart in the cast, or ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', which has the exact same title in Japanese.
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11----
12!!Tropes associated with this film:
13* AbhorrentAdmirer: Edwina to Guy. She sticks around him even when he clearly doesn’t want her there to cramp up his investigation, but she has a major crush and won’t leave.
14** She does become useful, though.
15* AshFace: Happens to Guy during the play, unfortunately, and is played as a {{Blackface}} gag.
16* BelligerentSexualTension: Is it any surprise?
17* BoundAndGagged: Guy ties up a boy scout and his leader since they were helping the police in finding Guy.
18* CloudCuckoolander: Edwina is kinda nuts.
19* DeadpanSnarker: Every second answer by Guy is some snarky remark.
20* HaveAGayOldTime: Guy is frustrated that he’s lost time with Edwina, and there’s probably a lot of "dicks" on his tail. Of course, "dick" being the old term for a detective or policeman.
21* FacePalm: Guy and the police chief both do this in back-to-back scenes, in reaction to the "help" received from other characters.
22* FailedASpotCheck: The police have Guy right under their nose and don’t recognize him because they're distracted by Edwina.
23* InsuranceFraud: The reason why Heyward’s wife and her lover have framed Willie. $10 million are at stake.
24* {{Jerkass}}: Guy is really a big jerk, but under the circumstances, it kind of makes sense.
25** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He eventually softens up with Edwina.
26* KubrickStare: When Guy finds out Edwina saw him jumping out of the train with the policeman.
27* MacGuffin: The half-dime charm.
28* MuggedForDisguise: The Boy Scout leader.
29* NerdGlasses: Part of Guy’s disguise is putting on a horribly thick version of these, stolen from the Boy Scout. He can barely see out of them.
30* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Guy says that for a $100 a week nothing is undignified even if it means taking care of an embarrassing client.
31** Guy only tries to exonerate Willie to get the $100,000 he promised him.
32* PoliceAreUseless: They lose Guy on the train while he’s handcuffed to one of the policemen. Eventually, they catch up to him but don't recognize him even though his fake accent is none too convincing.
33* PurpleProse: Edwina Corday is a poet (or as the movie says, poetess), and her poems are awful.
34* TitleDrop: Edwina’s poem uses the title of the film.
35* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: InUniverse: Guy’s attempt at an English accent is atrocious, but manages to fool the police force.
36** Ditto with his Southern Accent.
37* WouldHitAGirl: Guy punches Edwina, and she’s not too happy about it.

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