Frank Capra?s Wonderful Film Gave America Hope When We Needed it Most – a message film that should be seen throughout the year

by Cookie Curci

During the dark decade of the 1930s, Frank Capra’s films brought light where there was darkness and hope where there was despair to a nation in desperate need of an uplifting message. If only for a few minutes, in a darkened theatre, Capra’s films inspired irrepressible optimism in American audiences and when they left the theater, they left feeling better about themselves and the future of their world.

‘It’s a wonderful life” is arguably one of Capra’s most popular films. The Italian American director emigrated here from Sicily during the great migration. As an immigrant himself, who celebrated his 6th birthday while in steerage aboard a ship bound for America, Capra felt a strong kinship for the suppressed and many of his characters symbolized the prejudice that awaited him in his new country, a prejudice that gripped a post war America and threatened the hope that inspired a generation of immigrants.

Few of us can recall every scene from a favorite film. What we do recall are small memorable pieces of time from these films. Frank Capra?s Christmas classic, “It?s a wonderful life”(1946) is one of these uniquely enduring films. At the close of the film someone bumps the Christmas tree and a bell shakes and rings and little ZuZu says, “Look Daddy! Teacher says, “Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” My generation grew up with ZuZu in our homes each Christmas. To us she represented everything that was still innocent and pure in our lives- the hope of what our world could be. Actress Karolyn Grimes, who portrayed ZuZu Bailey, was six years old when she delivered that indelible line. Today, the actress has released a book titled, “ZuZu?s Wonderful Life in the Movies,” Anyone who is, was, or will be a fan of classic films will relish this book. Each page is filled with photos and personal side notes on her many films and the actors who starred in them.

I recently wrote Karolyn Grimes an email expressing how much I enjoyed her new book and also her work in the Christmas classic”It?s a wonderful life”. I told her how the film had inspired my own appreciation for my community and how I fancied Willow Glen as my own “Bedford Falls” with its friendly neighbors, soda shops, drug stores and, of course, a friendly savings and loan. I received this thoughtful reply from the actress:

Hi Cookie,

It was good hearing from you. I enjoyed hearing how you find memories in writing about your comparison of your home town to Bedford falls. The movie is truly a part of the makeup of the backbone of America. Even through it is fiction there is much reality in the emotional roller coaster ride that the film takes us on.

But in the end it is a feel good, love of family, friends and proud to be an American sort of thing.
I?m glad that you enjoyed the book. I have some great memories. But the best? is that every year I accumulate so many more! Not everything in life is wonderful but we can choose to make it however we like? we have a wonderful gift. I?ve enjoyed reading some of your articles on the web. They are filled with facts, tender truths, humor and a very smooth way you make that transition work for the reader.

God Bless and maybe someday I will have the opportunity to visit your lovely community of Willow Glen.

Karolyn Grimes, a.k.a. ZuZu

“It?s a Wonderful Life” is America’s most beloved holiday movie. In the film, actor James Stewart portrays small town banker George Bailey who grows up in the town of Bedford Falls. He dreams of a life filled with adventure and travel, but life had other plans for George Bailey. Loyalty and responsibility conspire to keep him at home. Then, one Christmas Eve, amid an impending scandal, frustration with his life and the American dream gone badly, George reaches a bleak moment where he contemplates taking his life. Enter Clarence, (Henry Travers) a heavenly angel who arrives on the scene to show George a vision of life had he never been born. George comes to understand his difficulties and disappointments are a small price to pay for his cherished values, love of family, enduring friendships and individual achievement.

To me one of the most important aspects of this film?s “good vs. evil” concept is George Bailey?s unwavering faith in the town?s immigrant population, especially Mr. Martini the owner of Martini?s caf?. Bailey?s social conscience inspires him to give the hardworking Martini family a loan based solely on their good work ethics and their promise to pay. Opposing this form of charitable goodwill is the town?s most powerful banker, the mean spirited Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), who dislikes and distrusts the ethnic minority and refuses to give the struggling immigrants any financial aid. His prejudice is clearly revealed when he refers to the Italian community as “George Bailey?s garlic eaters.” Potter?s attitude keenly represented the prejudicial attitudes that prevailed in America at the close of W.W.II. George Bailey reacts to Mr. Potter’s narrow minded prejudice with these profound words, “Just remember this, Mister Potter, that this rabble you’re talking about do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community?. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?”

Because filmmaker Frank Capra was himself a young Italian immigrant, he was sensitive to this issue and to all the Mr. Potter?s of the world. As the son of a fruit picker Capra?s own success story is a tribute to the enterprising immigrant and a true Horatio Alger story. His service documentaries during WWII earned Colonel Capra the Distinguished Service Medal (the highest American military decoration for non-combat service).

“It?s a Wonderful life” was released to a post war America who were in need of an uplifting film. Wartime battles, tragedies and a growing prejudice had touched everyone?s lives with a grim reality. America ? and the whole world — had changed. Capra’s film renewed old hopes and faith in ourselves and in each other. During the dark decade of the 1930s, Frank Capra became America’s most popular filmmaker.

In his film’s Capra mingled depression-era despair with the laughter of irrepressible optimism and created a winning formula. He packaged hope to the hopeless and a goodwill that lifted national morale as much as FDR’s “fireside chats.”

Perhaps to the newer, more cynical generation, Frank Capra’s work is saccharinely simplistic and too idealistic. Generations of moviegoers would disagree. To us the film is a statement of America?s essential beliefs; its opportunities and the basic hopes that spring eternal in each and every one of us. Granted, we often fall short of these lofty goals, but never do we stop trying to achieve that universal pursuit ? to live la dolce vita, the sweet life-the wonderful life.

Dear David,