It’s a wonderful life

Battlestar — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 13:12:49 +0000

It’s a wonderful life is my absolute favorite movie. The story follows George Bailey, played by James Stewart to a point in his life where through no fault of his own he is on the verge of seeing everything he worked for his whole life fall apart. He is understandably distraught and thinks that he is better off dead, or worse, having never existed at all. His guardian angel decides to show him how much his life has enriched those around him, by showing him what things would be like in his quaint little town if he had never been born. He gets the chance to see that it’s a wonderful life.

The beauty of it’s a wonderful life is that it contains a timeless realism because the evil nemesis, Mr. Potter never gets his comeuppance. He cheats, steals and devalues humanity with impunity, getting richer and richer. His only competition is Bailey’s savings and loan cooperative that empowers the hardworking individual and helps people realize their dreams. The moral of the story is that all the money in the world won’t make people love you and that for the average person, their value is in their associations, friends and family. Or as Harry Bailey put it, “A toast to my big brother George, the Richest man in town.” – Truly, it’s a wonderful life is a Christmas Gift for the entire family

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The Philadelphia Story

Battlestar — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 18:47:38 +0000

Philip Barry wrote a comic play in 1939 titled the Philadelphia Story, to give Katharine Hepburn’s career a much needed boost. Made into a film in 1940 to appeal to larger audiences, Katherine Hepburn reprises her role as a socialite planning her wedding when her ex-husband and a tabloid journalist show up and complicate the preparations. The socialite is based on a real life acquaintance of the playwright, a Mrs. Helen Hope Montgomery Scott who was married to one of his friends and had a reputation for hi-jinx.

George Cukor directed The Philadelphia Story movie with Cary Grant, Ruth Hussey and James Stewart rounding out the principle cast. Tracy Lord, the principle character is used to things going her way and has high expectations for those around her. First born daughter to a well established Philadelphia socialite family, she divorced her first husband two years past for drinking too much, especially when she criticized him for it. Her ex, C.K. Dexter Haven, portrayed by Cary Grant, belongs to the same social group and is a successful yacht designer, while her fiance George Kittredge is Dexter’s opposite, a regular guy who struggles to fit into socialite circles with his personally earned wealth.

Hoping to cover the who’s who of Philadelphia at the wedding, is James Stewart playing a tabloid journalist. He shows up with his paper’s photographer, played by Ruth Hussey. She has a thing for him, but he is oblivious, taking her for granted, while she loyally gets what he needs to make his articles pop off the page.

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james stewart Archives - Classic TV and Movies

It’s a wonderful life

The Philadelphia Story