James Stewart’s Surprising Gripes With ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

For many Aussies, the holiday season just wouldn’t feel right without a viewing of Frank Capra’s classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. The film has become a staple in lounge rooms across the globe, but for James Stewart, who starred as George Bailey, there were a couple of things about the whole experience that never sat well with him.

Box Office Blues and a Slow Start

It’s hard to believe now, but when the film first hit cinemas, it was a complete flop. Not only did it fail to draw crowds, but the financial loss was so severe it played a part in shutting down Liberty Films. These days, it’s hard to imagine the film as anything but a festive favourite, but for nearly two decades, it was mostly forgotten. The turning point came in 1974, when a copyright slip-up meant TV stations could air it without coughing up for royalties. Suddenly, it was everywhere, and its reputation as a must-watch Christmas flick was cemented.

Stewart, who’d just come back from serving in World War II, was gutted by the film’s poor reception. Still, he always held it close to his heart.

“It’s my favourite film,”

he told Michael Munn.

“The whole thing was done, not from a book, not from a play, not from an actual happening or anything, but just an idea. And idea that nobody is born to be a failure. As simple as that. I liked that idea.”

Strictly speaking, the story was based on Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story The Greatest Gift, but that didn’t take away from its meaning for Stewart.

Donna Reed and the Blame Game

Even before the film’s disastrous box office run, Stewart had his reservations about one particular aspect of the production. More specifically, he had issues with a fellow cast member. Donna Reed, who played Mary Bailey, was a fresh face compared to Stewart’s established star power. According to Reed’s daughter, Mary Anne Owen, Stewart pointed the finger at Reed for the film’s lack of success, believing her relative obscurity was to blame. He was so put off by the experience that he refused to work with her again.

It’s a bit rough, considering Reed’s performance is now seen as iconic, but at the time, Stewart just couldn’t let it go. The blame game was real, and it left a mark on his view of the project.

Colourised Version Sparks Outrage

Years later, Stewart found himself frustrated by another development. When he heard that a colourised version of the film was in the works, he was less than impressed. He described the new look as

“a bath of Easter egg dye,”

and was clearly unimpressed by what he saw as unnecessary tampering. He was especially annoyed by the decision to dress Gloria Graham’s character, Violet, in—you guessed it—violet outfits.

“That is the kind of obvious visual pun that Frank Capra never would have considered.”

Stewart reckoned the original black-and-white version captured the spirit of the story, and he wasn’t keen on anyone messing with it.

Despite these gripes, Stewart always considered It’s a Wonderful Life the highlight of his career. But he never got over blaming Reed for its early struggles, and he couldn’t stand the thought of punters watching it in anything but black and white.