MovieChat Forums > You Can't Take It with You (1938) Discussion > Help list the similarities to 'Wonderful...

Help list the similarities to 'Wonderful Life'

posted 17 years ago by markbromberg
19 replies | jump to latest

There are a lot of things, people, and themes this movie shares with Capra's other classic "It's a Wonderful Life" eight years later. Besides a lot of the major cast, the unpleasant IRS man who shows up to question Grandpa about his income tax, Charles Lane, is also Mr. Potter's unpleasant rent collector in "Wonderful Life." And strangely enough, both films have a crow in them! Can you spot other similarities?

1) People collecting money to help characters out of a jam

[–] novastar_6 17 years ago

2) Stewart's character having all odds against him.

[–] markbromberg 17 years ago

3) Grandpa saves the neighborhood from Kirby's business deal; George Bailey saves "Bailey Park" from becoming Pottersville.

[–] markbromberg 17 years ago

4) The funny business with chairs: Mr. Kirby repeatedly sits down in the broken chair in Grandpa's living room; George Bailey sits uncomfortably in the low chair in Mr. Potter's office.

5) Both movies feature kissing scenes that happen while people are on the phone.

6) Tony Kirby and George Bailey both embarrass girlfriends in public: at a swanky restaurant (by not removing the Big Apple sign), and on the street (by not returning a bathrobe so Mary Hatch has to hide in the hydrangea bush.)

[–] viaggio1 17 years ago

7.) YCTWY --- when the Kirbys ring the doorbell to Grandpa's house, everyone inside shouts, one after another, "Someone's at the door !"

IWL --- On Christmas Eve, when the telephone rings, all the Bailey children shout, "Telephone !"

8.) YCTWY --- Ann Miller's character lights Mr. Kirby's cigar with the same type of giant cigar lighter that George Bailey "wishes on" in Mr. Gower's drugstore in IWL.

9.) YCTWY --- Grandpa (Lionel Barrymore) chews out Mr. Kirby in the jail cell, after Mr. Kirby compares the other prisoners to cattle and worse things.
Grandpa then tells off Kirby --- that the other prisoners will die richer men than he, because they'll have friends who'll "shed a tear" when they're gone.

IWL --- George Bailey tells off Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore !), at one point after Mr. Potter calls the town citizens cattle, a "lazy, discontented rabble,"and again during the great "warped and frustrated old man" tirade.
George tells Potter that George's father "died a richer man than you'll ever be !"

[–] markbromberg 17 years ago

10.) Musical repetition: In "Wonderful Life" it's the song "Buffalo Gals"; in YCTWY, it's Ed Carmichael's xylophone solos.

11.) Friends vs. money: Grandpa in YCTWY says, "As near as I can see, the only thing you can take with you is the love of your friends." Clarence's copy of "Tom Sawyer" in IWL is inscribed "No man is a failure who has friends." (And Harry Bailey exclaims, "To the richest man in town!")

12.) More multiple cast appearances -- and coincidences -- in both films: H.B. Warner (Mr. Gower in IWL, Ramsey in YCTWY); Ward Bond (a detective in YCTWY, and Officer Bert in IWL). One of the neighbors in YCTWY is an actor named Harry Bailey. And Jean Arthur was Capra's first choice to play Mary Hatch in IWL.

[–] droppo76 17 years ago

The Crow's name is "Jimmy!"

[–] soccin 17 years ago

13. Lionel Barrymore's character says "Not with my money!" in both films.

14. In both films, when a collection is taken up to settle a financial obligation, the original collector realizes his futility and adds his own contribution.

15. Both films have authority figures who "give up" trying to restore order--the judge in the courtroom in YCTWY, the high school principal in IWL--and decide to just enjoy the chaos.

16. The development of romance b/w James Stewart and his female lead involves a scene of dancing.

I'm sure there are more, but this is all that comes to mind at the moment.

[–] Thomas-White2 15 years ago

15. Both films have authority figures who "give up" trying to restore order--the judge in the courtroom in YCTWY, the high school principal in IWL--and decide to just enjoy the chaos.

Also in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington!"

[–] DolphENDO 16 years ago

It isn't just with those two movies. I have noticed that a lot of Frank Capra's movies share common similarities. I've noticed that Jean Arthur, the actress who played Tony Kirby's (James Stewart) fiance in You Can't Take it With You also played the part of Babe Bennett in Mr. Deeds goes to Town. She was also in Mr Smith Goes to Washington with James Stewart. Frank Capra used a lot of the same actors in his movies, and likewise he used a lot of the same ideas. Pretty cool stuff, I think.

-------

Watch my Videos on YouTube: www.youtube.com/okiemerrod83

[–] viaggio1 16 years ago

19. In IWL, Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed move into the drafty old house on Sycamore St., while in YCTWY, Jimmy Stewart dates a woman whose last name is Sycamore.

"A bride without a head !"
"A wolf without a foot !"

[–] rdetjen 16 years ago

20. In YCTWY everytime something something crashed the picture fell off the post. So they spent all their time putting it back. In IWL they kept putting the banister top back on. Not exact, but that's what I thought of when I saw that picture.

[–] practicepiano 15 years ago

The theme of gentle, seemingly "useless" people actually being of great value.

The idea that work is a good thing, regardless of whether one makes big money doing it, and that it need not be impersonal and miserable. In IAWL, the work is to help others, in YCTIWY, it is mostly hobbies and artistic pursuits.

That wonderful crow!

[–] justaudrey 15 years ago

Wow, I am floored by the intelligent and thoughtful response everyone gave here. It was so fun to read this board!

One thing I have notice in all the Capra movies I've seen (not sure about IWL, though) is that newspapers flash across the screen at some point. It's in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, and Meet John Doe. I'm curious to see if this was in more films.

I loved this movie. Capra is one of my favorite directors ever. His work always has so much heart, and that's what I love.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hami-dreza 12 years ago

It's funny. Same thing happens in Arsenic and old lace. Clock hands fall every time Teddy goes CHAAARGE!

[–] megadance03 14 years ago

This is very interesting! I just wanted the movie last night and it's incredible how much is similar to IWL. I've seen many Jean Arthur movies and she is just great. Knowing she was up for the part of Mary in IWL, at first I didn't think she would fit the part. But after seeing YCTIWY I think she would have been great in the part.

Plus, I have one question about a particular part. There is a moment when Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur are sitting in her office together after the mother walks in on them. Then a young boy comes in to get Jimmy. At first glance it looks just like the boy that plays Young George Bailey in IWL. Does anyone else think it's the same boy?

[–] HunterSVonnegut 14 years ago

There are a lot of things, people, and themes this movie shares with Capra's other classic "It's a Wonderful Life" eight years later.

LOL. I'm glad it just wasn't my imagination.

[–] g_mantwo 11 years ago

If you look in the additional cast in YCTIWY, there is an actor named Harry Bailey, the same name as Jimmy Stewart's character's brother in IWL.