IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

Jimmy Stewart has lived his entire life in the small town of Bedford Falls, New York.  As a child his main goal in life was to escape the town and explore the world.  That never happened.  Life and Fate prevented his ever leaving, but maybe that wasn't so bad because he ended up marrying the beautiful Donna Reed, having some cute children and giving the townsfolk a banking alternative to the wicked Lionel Barrymore who is a slumlord and runs the towns biggest bank. (I always get a kick out of seeing Lionel play an evil character, since, in my mind, I always see him as Kringelein from GRAND HOTEL.)  Things are actually going pretty good for Stewart...all the way up until Christmas Eve, 1945.  That's when Stewart's banking partner, Thomas Mitchell, makes a foolish mistake which could destroy Stewart's life and pretty much the hopes of the entire town.  Stewart is beside himself with fear and decides to throw himself into the river to make it look like an accidental drowning.  That way his family could cash in on his life insurance.  But then, right as he's about to jump, some blinking star creatures send an angel down to talk some sense into him and show him what life would be like if he had never been born.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a wonderful film with great acting from an impressive cast.  It also looks really nice, but one of the things that always bothered me is when Stewart turned down his childhood friends offer of investing in plastics.  His friend ends up filthy rich and Stewart ends up literally one mistake away from suicide!  I felt that twist in the story was unneeded.  Another thing that bothered me: the last act went completely over the top with the unrealistic sentimentality.  And Lionel Barrymore never got any punishment for being a total asshole for decades or for stealing the other banks money!  And while the "never been born" part was very entertaining, it was (for somebody like myself who cannot see that my being alive is beneficial to anybody) kinda depressing.  If an angel-in-training was ever sent to talk me out of suicide with this "never been born" bullshit, he'd probably slit my throat and walk home defeated and wingless.

That said, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is still required viewing for anybody who loves Cinema...mainly because of the acting.  Also (for anybody keeping score), I fully believe that THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES was the correct choice for Best Picture of the Year.  It's simply a better film than IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

TWENTIETH CENTURY (1934)

"She loves me. I could tell that through her screaming."

Egomaniac Broadway director John Barrymore discovered and created Lily Garland. They become lovers, but after three years of his psychotic jealousy she splits for Hollywood and becomes a huge movie star. Back in New York, Barrymore has had nothing but flop after flop. He's desperate for a hit and deeply in debt when, during a train trip, he discovers that Lily Garland is in the very next cabin! Nothing in the world will stop him from signing her to his next play...that he hasn't even written yet.

I cannot say enough great things about this movie. There is just so much energy blasting off the screen you can't help but get pumped up just watching it. Pretty much the entire movie is just people screaming at each other. I'd be hard-pressed to think of another screwball comedy with so much non-stop screaming. Even after dozens of viewings I still grin ear to ear watching Barrymore's antics.

If you look on IMDb it has a couple of writers credited for the screenplay and one uncredited Preston Sturges. I'm curious just how much of the dialogue was actually written by Sturges cause it really has that rapid fire, everybody-screaming-at-once quality that he's so good at.

The other great thing is the cast. Everybody is perfect, especially John Barrymore. He's amazing, but Carole Lombard is right there with him toe-to-toe the entire movie. She's wonderful.  In fact, I think both of them are more deserving of the acting Academy Awards than Gable or Colbert were from IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT.  Best Picture also.  I really like IHON a lot, but TWENTIETH CENTURY is better.  It's a pure joy from beginning to end.  I cannot recommend it enough.  All fans of classic Hollywood should have a copy in their collection.

 Gigi Parrish was fine as Hell!  See...even John Barrymore agrees with me: