Paramount Movies Trailer
It's a Wonderful Life(1946)
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1946 · FILM
It's a Wonderful Life
A man on the brink of despair is given a second chance when an inexperienced angel shows him the profound impact he's had on his small town, forcing him to choose between his dreams and the people who need him most.
“It's a wonderful laugh! It's a wonderful love!”
Directed by
Written by
Rated
MPA · PG
Color
Black & White
Runtime
131 min
DramaFamilyFantasy
Synopsis
George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. The only thing standing in the way of Mr. Potter, a wealthy and unscrupulous businessman, from taking over the entire town is George.
Credits
Actors
Editor
Director of Photography
Director
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 204+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by William HornbeckShot by Joseph F BirocScored by Dimitri Tiomkin
Box Office
1946 · Box office
✅ Made its money back — grossed 3.0× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$9.6M
Budget$3.2M
Worldwide gross$9.6M
break-even (2.5×)
Re-release box office
- 20238 theaters
- $2K($2K today)
- 2022960 theaters
- $2.2M($2.5M today)
- 2020250 theaters
- $88K($112K today)
- Total re-release
- $2.3M
Domestic gross earned in theatrical re-release, by year · adjusted for inflation
Full synopsis
Also known as
- Ist das Leben nicht schön?de
- It's a wonderful lifede
- It’s A Wonderful Lifeen
- Qué bello es vivires
- La vie est bellefr
- La vita è meravigliosait
Community tags
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Cast & Crew
204 unique people credited
Top billed cast
James Stewart
as George Bailey
James Stewart Nm0000071
as George Bailey
Donna Reed
as Mary Hatch
Lionel Barrymore
as Mr. Potter
Thomas Mitchell
as Uncle Billy
Henry Travers
as Clarence
Beulah Bondi
as Mrs. Bailey
Frank Faylen
as Ernie
Ward Bond
as Bert
Gloria Grahame
as Violet
H B Warner
as Mr. Gower
Frank Albertson
as Sam Wainwright
Supporting cast
132Todd Karns
as Harry Bailey
Samuel S Hinds
as Pa Bailey
Mary Treen
as Cousin Tilly
Virginia Patton
as Ruth Dakin
Charles Williams
as Cousin Eustace
Sarah Edwards
as Mrs. Hatch
William Edmunds
as Mr. Martini
Lillian Randolph
as Annie
Argentina Brunetti
as Mrs. Martini
Robert J Anderson
as Little George
Ronnie Ralph
as Little Sam
Jeanne Gail
as Little Mary
Jeanine Ann Roose
as Little Violet
Danny Mummert
as Little Marty Hatch
Georgie Nokes
as Little Harry Bailey
Sheldon Leonard
as Nick
Frank Hagney
as Potter's Bodyguard
Ray Walker
as Joe (Luggage Shop)
Charles Lane
as Real Estate Salesman
Edward Keane
as Tom (Bldg. & Loan)
Carol Coombs
as Janie Bailey
Karolyn Grimes
as Zuzu Bailey
Larry Simms
as Pete Bailey
Jimmy Hawkins
as Tommy Bailey
Jean Acker
as Townswoman (uncredited)
Ernie Adams
as Ed (uncredited)
Monya Andre
as Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews
as Mr. Welch (uncredited)
Sam Ash
as Nervous Banker (uncredited)
Jack Bailey
as One of Vi's Suitors (uncredited)
Louise Bates
as Building & Loan Depositor (uncredited)
Mary Bayless
as Townswoman (uncredited)
Beth Belden
as Young Girl (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict
as Military Officer in Montage (uncredited)
Joseph E Bernard
as Townsman (uncredited)
Al Bridge
as Sheriff (uncredited)
Willie Bloom
as Bar Patron
Buz Buckley
as Young Boy (uncredited)
Dolores Boucher
as Girl
Marian Carr
as Jane Wainwright (uncredited)
Adriana Caselotti
as Singer at Martini's (uncredited)
Lane Chandler
as Policeman (uncredited)
Michael Chapin
as Young George's Friend (uncredited)
Tom Chatterton
as Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham
as Cop Arresting Violet (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire
as Dr. Campbell (uncredited)
Edward Clark
as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Tom Coleman
as Building & Loan Customer (uncredited)
Ellen Corby
as Ms. Davis (uncredited)
Beulah Christian
as Graduation Dance Guest
Bryn Davis
as Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Lew Davis
as Teacher at Poolside (uncredited)
Harry Denny
as (uncredited)
Don Collins
as Little Pete Bailey
Helen Dickson
as Woman at Graduation Dance (uncredited)
Ron Collins
as Little Pete Bailey
Dick Elliott
as Man on Porch (uncredited)
Tom Fadden
as Tollhouse Keeper (uncredited)
Jimmy The Crow
as Crow in Bank
Frank Fenton
as Violet's Boyfriend (uncredited)
Eddie Fetherston
as Horace (uncredited)
Sam Flint
as Relieved Banker in Potter's Office (uncredited)
Marion Raymond Davis
as Bandleader in the High School Dance Scene
Lee Frederick
as (uncredited)
Marilyn Dialon
as Girl
Dick Gordon
as Photographer with Sheriff (uncredited)
Jack Gordon
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Herschel Graham
as Townsman (uncredited)
Harry Evans
as Wedding Guest
Joseph Granby
as Elderly Man (voice) (uncredited)
Charles Halton
as Carter (uncredited)
Carl Eric Hansen
as (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood
as Building & Loan Depositor (uncredited)
Harry Holman
as Mr. Partridge (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
as Bar Patron
Art Howard
as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Bert Howard
as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull
as Mr. Randall (uncredited)
John Indrisano
as Man in Fantasy (uncredited)
Eddie Kane
as Building & Loan Depositor (uncredited)
Robert Haines
as Building & Loan Depositor
Carl Kent
as Townsman (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee
as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Jean Harrison
as Woman
Effie Laird
as Townswoman (uncredited)
Mike Lally
as Building & Loan Customer (uncredited)
Harold Landon
as Marty Hatch (uncredited)
Meade Lux Lewis
as Pianist in Nick's Place (uncredited)
Jack Lomas
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
J Farrell Macdonald
as Man Whose Grandfather Planted Tree (uncredited)
Irene Mack
as Townswoman (uncredited)
Beverly Jordan
as Woman
Wilbur Mack
as Building & Loan Customer (uncredited)
Charles Meakin
as Elderly Man (uncredited)
Priscilla Montgomery
as Student in Gym (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse
as Man with Sheriff (uncredited)
Charlott Knight
as Bank Depositor
Evelyn Moriarty
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Philip Morris
as Building & Loan Customer (uncredited)
George Noisom
as School Dancer (uncredited)
Bob O Connor
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Frank O Connor
as Military Officer in Montage (uncredited)
Max Linder
as Graduation Dance Guest
Lynn O Leary Jameson
as Infant Janie Bailey (uncredited)
Moroni Olsen
as Senior Angel (voice) (uncredited)
Garry Owen
as Billposter (uncredited)
Netta Packer
as Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Franklin Parker
as Photographer / Reporter (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgway
as Nick's Waitress (uncredited)
Mark Roberts
as Mickey (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Cy Schindell
as Nick's Bouncer (uncredited)
Almira Sessions
as Potter's Secretary (uncredited)
Jack Mower
as Townsman
Cedric Stevens
as Townsman (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan
as Man in Fantasy (uncredited)
Anton Northpole
as Townsman
Charles Sullivan
as Nick's Bartender (uncredited)
Carl Switzer
as Freddie Othello (uncredited)
Max Wagner
as Cashier / Nick's Assistant Bouncer (uncredited)
Larry Wheat
as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Charles Cahill Wilson
as Charlie (uncredited)
Finn Zirzow
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Beulah Parkington
as Building & Loan Depositor
Edith Russell
as Townswoman
Loretta Russell
as Building & Loan Depositor
Bobby Scott
as Mickey
Mabel Smaney
as Wedding Guest
Carl Alfalfa Switzer
as Freddie Othello
Victor Travis
as Faculty Member
Alan Ward
as Townsperson
Charles C Wilson
as Charlie
Directors
1Writers
6Producers
1Other crew
57Jo Swerling
additional scenes
Jack Okey
Art Directors
William Cameron Menzies
Art Directors (uncredited)
Maurice Dorleac
Arthur Stuart Hull (uncredited)
Arthur S Black Jr
assistant director (as Arthur S. Black)
Henri Ebstein
Charles Williams (uncredited)
Joseph F Biroc
Cinematographer, director of photography (as Joseph Biroc), camera operator
Joseph Walker
Cinematographer, director of photography
Victor Milner
Cinematographers (uncredited)
Dimitri Tiomkin
Composer, director: musical score
Alfred Newman
composer: stock music (uncredited)
Dave Torbett
composer: stock music (uncredited)
Parents Guide
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Ratings & reviews
Official ratings
MPA·PGUSRe-ratedBBFC·UGBRe-ratedFSK·FSK 6DERe-ratedACB·GAURe-ratedEirin·GJPRe-ratedClassInd·LBRRe-ratedKAVI·K-16FIRe-ratedCNC·UFRRe-ratedICAA·APTAESRe-ratedKijkwijzer·6NLRe-ratedIFCO·PGIERe-ratedRTC·B-15MXRe-ratedBELGIUM·14Re-ratedCANADA·14ARe-ratedHUNGARY·KNRe-ratedLITHUANIA·N-7Re-ratedPOLAND·12Re-ratedPORTUGAL·M/12Re-ratedROMANIA·12Re-ratedSWEDEN·15Re-rated
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