Sunday 23 December 2012

It's A Wonderful Life (1946 Frank Capra)

James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi (mother), Gloria Grahame

Written by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett.

Photographed by Joseph Walker (a Capra collaborater from the old days) and Joseph Biroc (a newcomer).
Music Dimitri Tiomkin.
Liberty Films.

Another one we never watch at Christmas:

23 December 2009.

20 December 2010:
There's a great moment when Stewart's greeted at the door of his new 'house' by hat tip trick: he lowers the brim and rain falls off.

A long, serious film that may have emanated from A Christmas Carol.

The telephone scene between Stewart and Reed is one of several highly effective long takes (and Capra's positioning of them so close together charges it erotically).

21 December 2011
"Boys and girls and music.. who needs gin?" asks Lillian Randolph as she steps artfully into close up (Stewart does this too). It's a good trick.

23 December 2012
Lose control of tear ducts the moment it begins.


No comments:

Post a Comment