theclassicmoviemuse Hear ye, hear ye! One of the most beloved movies of all time is turning 75 years old this December! What better way to celebrate than with a blogathon honoring this timeless holiday classic?
Director Frank Capra didn’t set out to make a Perennial staple when choosing his next film project after returning from WWII, he simply liked the story.
Over time, It’s a Wonderful Life grew a fascinating life story all it’s own. And it keeps on growing as more fans embrace and tune in to the heartwarming tale of George Bailey and his triumphal realization that he really does have what the title claims – a wonderful life!
This blogathon is dedicated to all things It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). You may write about anything from George Bailey’s lasso to the various parodies/homages done over the years – except for sources with potentially sensitive material (such as Saturday Night Live).
Like the film itself, let’s keep this event as family friendly as possible 🙂
You may also choose to reflect on what the film means to you personally or to analyze a particular scene.
The choice is all yours, and I’m looking forward to seeing what direction you creative bloggers choose to take!
Even if you’re not a fan of the film, there might be something here for you too! Just remember to keep your post respectful, diplomatic, and clean, please. Thank you!
Here are some ideas to get you started…
- Pre-Production
- Post-Production
- The Casting
- The Cast
- The Character Actors
- The Child Actors
- The Director
- The Writers
- The Source Material
- The Music
- Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart Collabs (as long as ‘Life’ is included)
- The Legacy of the Film
- The Special Snow Effects
- AFI Listings for the film: Potter, George, & More
- Favorite Moments
- Personal Remembrances
- Scene Analysis
- Noir Elements
- Remaining Cast Members
- Nominations & Awards
- Any of the Books about the Film
- Adaptations: Radio, Stage, Film & TV
- Remakes
- Sequels
Websites of Interest
Check out the film’s IMDb HERE…
See the film’s Wikipedia HERE…
Find Parodies and Adaptations HERE…
The Nitty Gritty
1. For this blogathon you may write about anything pertaining to It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and its adaptations, sequels, parodies, and remakes, providing they do not include potentially sensitive material (such as Saturday Night Live). Like the film itself, let’s keep this event as family friendly as possible 🙂
2. A topic may be covered no more than 2 times, however there are no limits on personal remembrances of the film.
3. I will be accepting no more than 2 posts per person. All contributions must be new material only.
4. Whatever you choose, please make sure to mention the original film in your post as that’s what we are celebrating through this blogathon. Also, please keep the posts respectful, otherwise they will not be accepted.
5. In your post, please include one of the blogathon banners and link back to my blog and the post that I will release on December 11th so that others may read the wonderful entries.
6. To express your interest in participating, simply leave me a comment below with the name and URL of your blog and your topic of choice. I will add you to the roster once I’ve confirmed your topic.
7. The blogathon will take place on December 11th-13th, 2021. Please publish and send your link to me on a day that the event is running…And that’s it!
Please help yourself to a banner from down below to include in your post and to help spread the word. I am looking forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of It’s a Wonderful Life with you!
Thank you, and I will see you in December!
Topics No Longer Available
The Noir Elements of It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
List of Participants:
The Classic Movie Muse | The Five Keys to George Bailey’s Wonderful Life
Movies Meet Their Match | TBA
Realweegiemidget Reviews | It Happened One Christmas (1977)
Taking Up Room | My Favorite Moments from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Caftan Woman | Bert & Ernie: An Overview of the Careers of Ward Bond & Frank Faylen
Old Books and Movies | Adventures in Odyssey’s Radio Show Remake“It’s a Pokenberry Christmas”
Journeys in Classic Film | The Use of Flashbacks & Nostalgia in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
I Found it at the Movies | Personal Thoughts on It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Nitrateglow | H. B. Warner as Mr. Gower & An Overview of His Career
Coffee, Classics, & Craziness | Top 5 Moments that Make me Cry in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Flapper Dame | Why It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Still Matters and Always Will
Silver Screen Classics | A Study of the Themes in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Dbmoviesblog | Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life & Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol
Magic Time | The Noir Elements of It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Hamlette’s Soliloquy | Modern Dream Casting for It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Lee Mac | The Significance of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
18 Cinema Lane | TBA
The Classic Film Connection | It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – The Turning Point of James Stewart’s Career
A Person in the Dark | One of the Sexiest Kiss Scenes Ever
The Edge of the Precipice | Review of The Greatest Gift & Capra’s Inspiration for the Film
Cine Gratia Cinema | The Noir Elements of It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Banners
I love this idea so much! I’m trying very hard to not lose my composure, but we’re talking about the best movie ever made so it is very hard. Ahhhh!!!! There are too many ideas to deal with! I either want to talk about all the reasons I love It’s A Wonderful Life, how I relate to George Bailey, or why I think it’s the best film ever to be made. I will get back to you as soon as possible once I decide. The banners are so much fun, too! This is going to be an absolute blast!
Chloe the MovieCritic | Movies Meet Their Match
Hi, Chloe! Your enthusiasm for the film and the blogathon is infectious and I am loving it!
Sure thing! For now I’ll put you down as TBD. Thanks so much for joining! I can’t wait to hear what your topic will be. I know it will be awesome!! 🙂
P. S. So glad you like the banners!
Hi there, a great topic as I have already reviewed the Dallas homage (surprise, surprise) but would love to review the TV Movie remake for this film, It Happened One Christmas (1977)
Hi, Gill! You’ve got it! Sounds great, thanks so much for joining!! 🙂
Cool thanks, the Dallas episode is a fabulous take on the film and is also the final episode and has a major twist. Btw you hooked now on Blogathons?
Sounds really fun! Maybe somebody will review it 🙂 Like a potato chip, you can’t just have one 😉 But really, I didn’t want to let this important milestone slip by otherwise I would have planned one for a later date. And yes, I’m hooked, love ’em!
Good to hear! And you have chosen some great topics.
Thanks, Gill! You as well 🙂 Looking forward to your Bond not Bond blogathon!
Got a few planned for next year you might be interested in…
Thanks for the invite!!! I’ll admit, I’m one of those people who has struggled with this movie, but I had an idea jump into my head as soon as I read this over and now I’m really excited to write on it, lol. I’d love to look at It’s a Wonderful Life and the use of flashbacks and nostalgia. (Writing for Journeys in Classic Film).
Awesome topic! Thanks for joining, Kimberly! 🙂
That is not my blogathon. I think you meant to send this to the Classic Movie Muse, this is mine… https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2021/11/01/the-bond-not-bond-blogathon/
I completely understand! I was getting some things in my feed to that had me wondering what the heck happened, lol. All good! (Thank you re: your Blogathon! I’d stumbled on it and was trying to brainstorm a good idea. I just commented on the page. I’d love to join).
Sorry I thought you were someone else as your comment came up on my feed as weirdly it seemed like a reply that they might have sent!, but you are welcome to join my blogathon!!
What a great idea! I’d like to write about some favorite moments, please.
Thank you, Rebecca! Absolutely, and thanks for joining!! 🙂
I would like to offer a look at the characters of Bert and Ernie, with an overview of the careers of Ward Bond and Frank Faylen.
Love that idea! Thanks for joining us, Paddy! 🙂
A fabulous idea, and I love your banners. Sadly, I won’t be able to participate, but just wanted to pop in as a cheerleader. 🙂
Thank you, Ruth! I appreciate it 🙂
I am very excited about this blogathon! “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of my favorite movies. I would like to write a post about “Adventures in Odyssey’s” radio show remake “It’s a Pokenberry Christmas.”
I might also like to write another post, but I have to think about what to write.
My blog is: Old Books and Movies https://oldbooksandmovies.blogspot.com/
Hi, Old Books and Movies! Sure thing! That sounds great, and I’m looking forward to your other choice as well. Thanks so much for joining! 🙂
Would you mind having a blog post from someone who doesn’t really have a blog right now? IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE was the theme for our wedding and our house is decked out in various memorabilia year-round. I have a very special way of watching IAWL because I have seen it countless times, and I’d love to tell that story. Let me know if you need further explanation.
[email protected]
Hi Kelly, I would love to have you join us in the blogathon with your very special connection to It’s a Wonderful Life! If you are able to send me your post by December 4th, that should give me time to get it formatted and all running smoothly.
Thanks for your interest in the blogathon! 🙂 Looking forward to your post.
P. S. With such a fantastic topic, you really should start a blog one day! 😉
Thank you so much! CineMaven has offered to host my blog so you two can arrange things between you. I’m giving myself a deadline of Dec 3rd to get it done.
I so appreciate you and Theresa going over and above for me and this.
This film has a very special place in my life and in my heart.
That’s so kind of CineMaven! That works for me 🙂 Thank you for joining, Kelly! Indeed, I can’t wait to read about it.
I’d like to write a post about H.B. Warner’s contribution to the film as Mr. Gower– both a look at his performance and an overview of his career.
You got it. Thanks for joining, Nitrateglow! 🙂
I absolutely LOVE It’s A Wonderful Life–so cool that this year marks its 75th anniversary!!! I would like to write a post about the top five moments in the film that make me cry (there are a lot and I love it when a movie can make me cry, so it’s pretty much the perfect topic for me). =)
Yay! You’ve got it, Eva! I have a feeling we are all going to be reaching for the Kleenex while reading the posts as this special film touches people on many levels. Thanks so much for joining! 🙂
I’d like to write a piece on why this film still matters and why it always will matter!
It’s all yours, Emily! Great topic and thanks so much for joining! 🙂
A great idea for a blogathon! May I contribute with the working title “Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life & Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”? I would comment on the inspiration behind the booklet “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern which then turned into this major film and draw some comparisons in terms of themes and characters between the final film and its very distant inspiration – “A Christmas Carol”.
Yes indeed, love your topic! Thanks so much for joining! 🙂
Hey, could I do a post with modern casting ideas for if this movie had been made now instead? Making it very clear that I DO NOT think that they should ever remake this movie, but that it’s fun to play around with casting ideas like that?
Go for it! I think if the qualities that were in the original cast are clearly outlined in the post, you’re golden 🙂
Cool! I’ll start working on it. And I’ll definitely be mentioning how crystal-perfect the originals are 😉
Awesome, thanks for joining us, Rachel! 😉
Could I also contribute a review of the short story that inspired the movie? It’s “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern, and I would review it on my book blog, The Edge of the Precipice. I would include a little history of how Frank Capra chose to make a film of it.
Please do! That would be awesome. Thanks, Rachel! 🙂
Hi, Ari! I’ve decided I’d like to write about It’s a Wonderful Life in terms of its noir elements (as long as that’s still an open topic, of course). Thanks again for the invite, I’m very excited!
Hi Laurie! That sounds great!
You’re very welcome 🙂 Thank you for joining!
I’d like to write about James Stewart and how this film was a turning point in his career. (I also have a small personal story that connects to this topic, too. 😀 I’ve discovered I like telling those.)
PS – Love the banners! <3
Excellent! I will add you with that topic. Thanks for joining, Jillian! 🙂 Yay, I’m so happy you love the banners ❤
Also, an update: I saw Sergeants 3 (1962). I can’t say it captured me all the way through, but I did think the way it was inspired by Gunga Din was pretty cool!
And I also revisited The Picture of Dorian Grey (1945) for Halloween time. I noticed Peter’s sleuthing abilities once again, as he just knew something wasn’t right with that Dorian. Great movie!
Oh, I’m so happy you tried Sergeants 3! 😀 I’m sorry it wasn’t an entirely entertaining experience for you, but if you made it to Sergeant Boswell & the tonic and Chip & Mike’s knockout “fight” (with Peter Lawford’s perfectly delivered “Personal matter?” as the cherry on top), you saw the best of what it had to offer, comedically. (Honestly, I think those scenes are two of the funniest I’ve ever seen in my life! 😀 They just get me.) Come to think of it, I’ve played that movie a handful of times in the past few months – so I must like it more than I realized. 🙂 I agree, it’s a more clever adaptation than it first seems.
And I’m glad you got to revisit The Picture of Dorian Gray. 🙂 I’ve only seen that one time, but if I remember correctly, there’s a scene where Peter gives off a lot of exposition – talking about his sleuthing. I don’t mind hearing about it (I could listen to Peter Lawford read the phone book), but I wish we could’ve seen “detective Peter” in action instead! 🙂
Not a problem 🙂 It’s fun to try new things, that’s part of the experience! Those parts were cute and funny. I think you hit the nail on the head. It would have been more exciting to see the sleuthing Peter in action! 😉
I’d love to participate – only if I can write about one of the sexiest kiss scenes ever (I promise to keep it squeaky clean),
A Person in the Dark ([email protected]).
Ooh, that would be terrific! Thank you for joining 🙂
Hello Ari! I know I am pretty late to answer here but I didn’t want to confirm unless I was sure I could contribute so just me letting you know that I wanted to post a video about the Noir Elements/connection of “It’s a Wonderful Life” if that would be alright. Thank you!
Hi Miriam! That would be great…Thanks so much for joining! 🙂
Hi there,
Here is my review for tomorrows Day 1 post… https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2021/12/10/one-christmas-1977/
Love Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews
Hi Gill! Thanks so much 🙂 Can’t wait to get the party started x
My blog post is up.
https://flickchick1953.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-its-wonderful-life-75th-anniversary.html
Great! Thank you, Flickchick! 🙂
Bert and Ernie are Live! and living in Bedford Falls: https://www.caftanwoman.com/2021/12/its-wonderful-life-blogathon-75th.html
Fabulous, can’t wait to join them in good ol’ Bedford Falls…Thank you, Paddy! 🙂
Here’s my review of “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern 🙂
Awesome! Thank you, Rachel! 🙂
I just watched my copy of this film tonight, then found your blog talking about taking about this classic film starting today of all day 😁
Hi Matt! I’m so glad you discovered my blog in time to join us for the blogathon! If you would be kind enough to include this link in your post so that all the entries may be viewed, I would greatly appreciate it.
https://theclassicmoviemuse.wordpress.com/2021/12/11/welcome-to-its-a-wonderful-life-blogathon-a-75th-anniversary-celebration/
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