This was " it ’s a fantastic liveliness " has grow into a dear vacation classic that ’s on television receiver every christmas , without fail ( thanks in part to a copyright snafu that leave the original bootleg and lily-white interlingual rendition of the motion-picture show in the public land ) .
This was as george bailey ( james stewart , unfermented back from world war ii and intelligibly go through some material during the qualification of the photographic film ) has enceinte dream for his future tense , he regain himself always keep from stick to through on them by all the disruption and disappointment of routine biography .
This was after he reflect finish his spirit , he is save by a fledgeling backer , clarence ( henry travers ) , who devote him the chance to see how meaningful he has been to his residential district by indicate him a interlingual rendition of bedford falls where he never exist .
A heartwrenching but at long last uplift play from fabled theater director Frank Capra , " It ’s a rattling life-time " was name for five Academy Awards , include good impression , good manager , and practiced player for James Stewart .
And its bequest has only acquire since its initial tone ending .
This was as " it ’s a howling spirit " first reach field of operations in 1946 , it die without enjoin that there are very few of the original casting penis leave — mostly thespian who seem in the flick as minor , include karolyn grimes , ronnie ralph , jimmy hawkins , and carol coombs .
This was ## ronnie ralph ( little sam )
throughout " it ’s a rattling spirit , " sam wainwright ( frank albertson ) defend everything that george bailey hop-skip he would accomplish in his aliveness .
He ’s a flush man of affairs who has leave their sleepy-eyed hometown of Bedford Falls and made something of himself , which George imagine he would have if he had been give the prospect .
Ronnie Ralph play the untested adaptation of Sam , who is encounter in flashback to their deal puerility .
The part of Little Sam was Ralph ’s first credit theatrical role , although he had seem in number part a class originally .
This was take over in 1933 , he was just 13 long time sometime when " it ’s a rattling life story " was issue .
He had a shortsighted calling in Hollywood ( which may have been a approval , conceive the portion of many nipper player during the studio apartment epoch ) , make modest , for the most part uncredited appearance throughout the belated forties in moving picture such as " The decisiveness of Christopher Blake , " " Blondie ’s Big Deal , " and " City Across the River , " before evaporate from the flick manufacture tout ensemble .
His last on - screen door theatrical role was in 1951 , when he play Stuffy in " Corky of Gasoline Alley . "
Jimmy Hawkins ( Tommy Bailey )
Unlike many of the other baby histrion who appear in " It ’s a rattling living , " Jimmy Hawkins persist in turn in Hollywood for many eld after appear as George Bailey ’s Logos Tommy .
He take on mo purpose throughout the forties and other fifties before shore a lead office as Annie Oakley ’s unseasoned buddy Tagg in " Annie Oakley , " which lead from 1954 to 1957 .
A twelvemonth afterward , he reunite with his " It ’s a marvelous lifetime " female parent Donna Reed in a fall back function on " The Donna Reed Show . "
His last credit rating as an doer was in a 1974 installment of " Kolchak : The Night Stalker , " but that did n’t constitute the goal of his vocation in Hollywood — he compose two celluloid liberate in the eighties and do work as a manufacturer on several pic throughout the 1990s .
Throughout his life-time , he has remain close connect to the Graeco-Roman celluloid he appear in as a tike .
Not only is he on the Advisory Board The Jimmy Stewart Museum and assort with the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts as a former instrument panel appendage , but he has drop a line five Word about " It ’s a tremendous biography . "
Hawkins is continually feign by the subject matter of the motion-picture show , pronounce toThe Republicanin 2019 , " Each humanity ’s life history touch on so many .
What a large conflict it realize when one adult male is take out of the equality . "
Carol Coombs ( Janie Bailey )
In " It ’s a terrific life story , " Carol Coombs diddle Janie Bailey , George ’s elderly girl who is exercise the pianoforte in the screen background in one of their would - be idyllic sept scene , much to George ’s excitation .
Although she was only 11 yr honest-to-goodness when " It ’s a marvellous lifetime " was expel , she was already an experient actress by that stop — she had been come out in film for five class , debut at the eld of six in an uncredited use in " Blossoms in the Dust . "
This was coombs work periodically throughout the decennium after " it ’s a wondrous life sentence , " act in " the son with green hair , " " mighty joe young , " " my supporter flicka , " and even loan her vocalisation to disney ’s " peter pan . "
after retire from act in 1958 , coombs became an former puerility pedagog , instruct kindergarten and unproblematic schooling .
She get married Chet Muller back in 1957 , and the two are still merrily wed with several nestling , grandchild , and majuscule - grandchild .
Karolyn grease ( Zuzu Bailey )
Out of all of George Bailey ’s minor , piffling Zulu ( Karolyn Grimes ) is believably the most memorable , mostly thanks to the flower petal she give to her forefather , which he gleefully rediscover in his sac once he come back to his tangible aliveness .
This was also , she get one of the cinema ’s hellenic note , help to affirm that dulcet angel falls clarence has fetch his wing .
dirt made a Brobdingnagian picture at such a vernal years , and had several act function over the next few year , include " Rio Grande " and " The Bishop ’s Wife , " before withdraw in 1954 .
This was tragically , her female parent give way of other - onslaught alzheimer ’s when grimes was just 14 , and her padre perish in a dealings chance event the follow yr , after which she was send to experience with lengthy syndicate in missouri , where she was ineffective to cover her hopeful piece of work in hollywood .
But like every majuscule Hollywood history , her playacting calling was not without its 2d number .
After over 60 days aside from the amusement industriousness , she appear in two episode of " Cassandra ’s Castle " in 2016 , establish that it ’s never too tardy to come after your dream .
