It's a Wonderful Life

Continuity mistake: When Violet is leaving for New York, right before she says "I'm glad I know you George", the scene cuts. This is the same camera angle as before so the scene appears to be an edit splice. The jump cut is obvious. The reason for the rough edit is that a short sequence was cut where Violet asks George to run away with her to New York. It doesn't excuse the jump, but does help explain it.

manthabeat

Continuity mistake: On the day before Christmas, George is showing a couple guys the newspaper about Harry being decorated by the President. The paper goes from being folded in half to open depending on the angle.

manthabeat

Continuity mistake: At the beginning in the soda shop, the first little girl (Mary) is facing toward the camera, away from the other girl that comes in. When they start talking however in the next shot, both are facing outward.

manthabeat

Mary: Bread, that this house may never know hunger. Salt, that life may always have flavor. And wine, that joy and prosperity may reign forever.

More quotes from It's a Wonderful Life

Trivia: The opening credits list a copyright date of 1947, but distributor RKO rushed IAWL into theaters December 20 1946, to replace 'Sinbad the Sailor' whose Technicolor prints were not ready. It went into general release January 1947. The rush probably cost Capra and his partners their indie studio Liberty Films, whose first production opened in a record blizzard back east and failed to make back its money; it also wound up losing out at the Oscars against a powerful postwar drama 'The Best Years of Our Lives' rather than facing a much weaker Oscar field in 1947. Then again, confusion over its copyright date seems to have allowed it to slip into public domain for about 20 years from 1973, leading to its constant (cost-free) play at Christmas time, cementing its reputation as America's favorite holiday movie.

DougM

More trivia for It's a Wonderful Life

Question: After George gives away most of the honeymoon money, only two dollars are left. Would two dollars have really kept the Building and Loan open?

Answer: No. It's just that they didn't have to tell anyone that their funds were unavailable, which really would have made them go under.

Brian Katcher

More questions & answers from It's a Wonderful Life

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