It’s a Wonderful Life

Once again, I have finally watched one of those classic feel good movies that comes on every Christmas and realized what I have been missing.  It’s a Wonderful Life is full of Jimmy Stewart’s aw-shucks attitude, Christmas spirit and Frank Capra’s simple wholesome movie magic.

The movie starts with everything looking like Christmas time and prayers going out.  They are received by some cosmic masses, who discuss sending an angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), to go convince this George (Stewart) from taking his own life.  This is Clarence’s big chance to finally earn his wings, but first ,he needs to learn a bit more about George.

From here on, we’re shown the major events in George’s life, beginning with his episode as a boy saving his younger brother when he fell through some ice.  This incident left George deaf in one ear.  As he grows older, all he dreams of is traveling, getting an education and building the next great things in the world.  But all that is sacrificed when his father suddenly dies and to prevent the heartless, money driven Henry f. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) from taking the business and ruining the good people in town, George takes over.  From then on, George marries his sweetheart, Mary (Donna Reed), and lives an honest and happy life never having much money.

But this day, this Christmas Eve, his business partner Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) has accidentally lost eight thousand dollars.  In 1946, that’s enough to ruin the business and if George can’t find the money he’ll be arrested, thrown in jail and his family will go hungry.  The most valuable thing he has is his life insurance and he realizes that he’s worth more money dead than alive.

When Clarence intervenes, George is no less morose, and wishes he had never been born.  So Clarence shows George exactly what his town would be like today if he had never been born.  It’s enough to shock George to realizing that no matter how bad his life gets, he has done a lot of good for his world and he just wants to live.

Capra loves to play on the idea of giving rather than receiving, no better setting to put one of his films than Christmas.  Throughout the film we see so many examples of this, George sacrificing his travels, his education even his honeymoon for the sake of others.  Under a portrait of George’s father in the office is the caption “All you can take with you is what you’ve given away.”  Wonderful words to live by.

Through generations we have upheld It’s a Wonderful Life, and every December you’ll find it airing on a few channels.  I can finally understand how this film warrants this honor, its message warms the heart and make us all see and appreciate the wonderful life we have.  No matter how little we have, we should cherish and be grateful for the live we are given.

“Each man’s life touches so many other lives.”

You Can’t Take it With You

I think most people are embarrassed by their family at one point or another.  It’s almost natural at some ages.  But when we grow out of that and can step back and see that we love our folks for all the odd things we used to be shy about, what a great revelation.

In Frank Capra’s You Can’t Take it With You, greedy company owner Anthony P. Kirby (Edward Arnold) is about to create a monopoly, all he needs is to buy one last house.  His son, and therefore vice president, Tony (James Stewart), is less interested in business and is seeing his stenographer, Alice (Jean Arthur).  As he talks of marriage there is that need to meet her family.

Alice’s grandfather, Martin Vanderhof (Lionel Barrymore), owns that last house that Kirby needs for his monopoly.  Inside that house, holds a family doing whatever it is they love most.  Alice’s mother is writing a play, her father builds fireworks, and her sister dances to her heart’s delight.  The family’s house is always buzzing with music, movement and visiting friends.  When Tony first meets everyone, he’s bowled over seeing everyone doing just as they please with no interest or concern with money.  We can see an instant admiration for the idea, but with his business upbringing becomes confused by it.

As the big day for the Kirbys to come over and meet the Vanderhofs nears, Alice politely asks her sister not to dance, nor her mother to talk about her play.   It’s normal for us to sweep a few things under the rug when we’re expecting company.  However, Tony wants his parents to meet Alice’s family in their natural state and brings them over a day early, acting like he got the days mixed up.  He could not have come over to a more hilarious scene.  The rest of the film is a wonderful misadventure and comparison of the miserably rich and happily poor families.

One of my favorite moments is the way Mr. Kirby is portrayed when he first meets the Vanderhofs.  He looks like a miserable toad stewing in unsavory mud.  The family offers him a chair, that every time he moves a certain way it hit him in the back of the head.  He sinks deeper in his muck with every annoying jolt.  The family tries to be friendly and make polite conversation, but it turns to the fact that Kirby has horrible indigestion, which they diagnose as ulcers.  I doubt a more miserable creature had ever entered that happy home.

You Can’t Take it With You is full of wonderfully fun moments and great values about the importance of family and living happily.  As kids, we are encouraged to pursue whatever it is that we love to do.  Sadly, as we grow into adulthood and find our lives ruled by money, that can become more difficult.  This film may be a little unrealistic, but it puts everything into the correct perspective.  I’d rather be a happy film-blogger than an office slave caged in a cubical, I’m thankful for this opportunity and no one has scolded me for it yet.

“Well, Sir, here we are again. We’ve been getting along pretty good for quite a while now – we’re certainly much obliged. Remember all we ask is just to go along the way we are, keep our health; as far as anything else is concerned, we leave that up to you. Thank you.”

Grand Hotel

We see right away that Berlin’s Grand Hotel is a place of hustle and bustle, but it seems that a new drama lies behind every door.  Otto Kringelein (Lionel Barrymore) just got news that he doesn’t have long to live, so he plans to spend a few days living in the grandest luxuries the hotel can offer.  Baron Felix von Gaigern (John Barrymore) is broke, but won’t show it, even when he’s caught trying to steal pearls from the ballerina dancer Grusinskaya (Greta Garbo).  The young dancer has nearly lost her passion for the ballet until she falls for him.  There’s also General Director Preysing (Wallace Beery), having an affair with his stenographer Flaemmchen (Joan Crawford) and trying to close a big business deal.  When Otto, a lowly book keeper who’s worked his whole life away under Preysing’s thumb finally has the upper-hand what will happen within all the drama in the Grand Hotel?

The story is done well with so many characters weaving in and out of individual plot lines.  At first, it can be hard to keep track of everyone and what exactly is going on with them, but as the film progresses everything gels together.  In fact, there were so many actors that they never got together as a full ensemble.  Of course, the onset rivalry between Garbo and Crawford probably didn’t help.

One little detail that I found so interesting is the hotel elevator.  To symbolize the movement of the elevator, a light is shown moving up and down the wall.  It nearly looks like the walls are very thing and the elevator is illuminated as it rises.  Sorry to gush on such a tiny detail, but the simplicity and effectiveness was so intriguing to me.  I doubt there was a working elevator at all, just doors that open and close.

It seems there is a character for everyone to identify with.  The Baron is too proud to admit his money problems and certainly won’t take charity.  Flaemmchen is a nice girl who is pulled by work and doesn’t seem happy with her relationship with Preysing.  The dancer is a spoiled girl discouraged to be dancing in half empty theaters, but turns energetic on a dime when the Baron claims to love her.  Preysing is a tyrannical business man who hides an ace up his sleeve during negotiations.  And poor sweet Otto is finally living his life to the fullest.

My biggest complaint is that the story did not contain much emotional connection or excitement between all the characters to make me feel involved.  To me, it felt like these things just happen, like I’m two doors down in the hotel and just want to get to sleep.

“I want to be alone. I think I have never been so tired in my life.”