It Happened One Christmas

1977 ""

It Happened One Christmas

6 | 1h49m | en | Comedy

It's Christmas Eve 1944 in the small town of Bedford Falls, New York. A despondent and suicidal Mary Bailey Hatch is praying for guidance on what to do about an incident no fault of her own which threatens her name and the community standing of her longtime family business, the Bailey Building and Loan, which she took over after the passing of her father. What Mary does not know is that most in town, including her husband George Hatch and their children, are also praying for her. All the prayers are heard by Joseph, God's gatekeeper of prayers. As there are no other angels available on such a busy day, Joseph assigns Clara Oddbody, angel second class (i.e. she has yet to receive her wings), to Mary's case, which he reluctantly does as Clara has never been assigned a case on her own in the two hundred years she's been in heaven for good reason.

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6 | 1h49m | en | Comedy , TV Movie | More Info

Released: December. 11,1977 | Released Producted By: Universal Television , Country: Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

Synopsis

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Cast

Marlo Thomas , Orson Welles , Wayne Rogers

Director

Hal Gausman

Producted By

Universal Television ,

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Trailers & Images

Cast

Marlo Thomas

as Mary Bailey Hatch

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Orson Welles

as Henry F. Potter

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Wayne Rogers

as George Hatch

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Reviews

Neil Smith The acting, sets and script are fine - the producers & cast owe everything to Frank Capra as well they owe his family an apology. There are a growing number of classics being re-imagined from a feminist perspective - which is great when they are a total reversal. In this film a total reversal of the original would mean making the Potter character a woman. The George Baily role is played by a woman as well as the Clarence Oddbody role - also played by a woman. Where they go wrong is with the despicable evil Potter role - that character is still male. The result means rather than the movie being the reverse of the original movie - it simply makes the protagonist and other pleasant characters female.The original movie is much better for several reasons - the foremost is that it is the way that the original writer and Capra together imagined it to be. Capra did not approve of this movie and was not consulted - he considered it plagaristic. Ratings for the movie were very low - which is why the movie is mostly forgotten.I look forward to seeing a real reversal where every single character is reversed - not just the nice or good characters but all the unsavory ones as well.

drwam At the time, Ms. Thomas stated that she undertook this pointless remake of a classic as a way of showing that women could be as valuable as men. That point had been proved in 1946 by a woman named Frances Goodrich who coauthored the original screenplay with a man named Albert Hackett. That was a wonderful screenplay and it showed how the value of women is proved by original creative output not by pallid hackwork like "It Happened one Christmas." I really wish Ms. Thomas had spent her considerable resources and the considerable talents of her cast on something original. They had nothing to add but to switch the male and female leads. Curiously, Ms. Thomas did not switch genders in casting Mr. Welles in the Lionel Barrymore role as the evil Mr. Potter. Evidently, Ms. Thomas belief in the potential of women does not extend to villainy. Pity.

Steve Matrai I don't know if it was because of the time in my life but this movie was so special in my heart. It's a wonderful life might as well been the remake of this. I love, love, loved this movie.. just one question --were did it go, it fell off the face of the earth, I think it came out again maybe 2 years after, then gone for good.I would love to know why this movie isn't around anymore, never replayed on TV anymore, I don't know what kind of rating it got but if it was a poor rating, that was unjust! I stand behind the many comments you see here. What I would love to see in this order is, at best to at least...At best: A faithful 1080p (1920x1080) release of this movie in HD with 5.1 sound as a blue-ray or HD-DVD release. I don't know that even the original master, even if it had this resolution has the color quality but if it could look great, it would be extra special.That it starts to come up on, at least, a cable channel such as, maybe, TBS or USA or even just regular television during the pre-Christmas season or just about any time of the year.At least: As a standard DVD release.Please, please somehow bring this back.Thanks

xxxray69 The people that thought that this was a good remake must be smoking crack.This whole "reverse" concept was dumb and the acting was horrible. The main reason why the original movie was so good and special was that for the duration of the movie I had a complete suspension of disbelief. I believed that I was watching George Bailey not Jimmy Stewart. In the remake, all I could see was Margo Thomas and not "Mary" Bailey.All I could think while I was watching the movie was, "Why is Marlo Thomas ruining her career by doing this movie and why is she hanging out with 'Trapper' from 'MASH'?" Everyone, do yourself a favour and DO NOT watch this movie and ruin your Christmas. Stay with the original Jimmy Stewart version--It's a Classic and should not be tampered with.But for those of us who's already seen this remake, we are all now more dumb and more retarded for having watched it.