Backstory: It's a Wonderful Life

No Christmas story starts out as a classic. And the road to classic status is often a long one filled with unexpected turns. It's a Wonderful Life wasn't a big success when it debuted in 1947. It wasn't until a quirk of American copyright law gave it a second life on television in the 1970s that it earned its place as a cornerstone of Christmas cinema. Movie critic and author Alonso Duralde joins in this episode. 

Links

Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, by Alonso Duralde

Music

• "Bipolar Christmas" — pftq, via SoundCloud
• "Wonder Cycle" — Chris Zabriskie, via Free Music Archive
• "Continue Life" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Luminous Rain" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist

Connect

• Facebook page
• Facebook group
• Instagram
• Bluesky
• Twitter / X
• Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com
• Website

Book

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life. Available in hardcover and audiobook. Find it wherever books are sold, like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.