The timeless Christmas classic, Frank Capra’s "It's a Wonderful Life," will have a one-time screening at Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library auditorium Thursday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is free, but seating is limited. Children ages 8 and over are welcome. No food or drink is permitted in the auditorium.
The film print to be shown is James Stewart’s own copy that he donated, along with his collection of photographs, scripts, papers and many other items in 1983 to BYU’s L. Tom Perry Special Collections.
"It's a Wonderful Life" was the first feature film production of Frank Capra and the first acting job for James Stewart following their service for the previous four years in World War II. Capra had also joined fellow directors William Wyler and George Stevens to form Liberty Pictures, independent of the major Hollywood studios and "It's a Wonderful Life" was the fledgling company’s first film.
Failing to make a profit on its release in 1947, "It's a Wonderful Life" subsequently became a Christmas staple after being released on television.
Thursday night’s screening is the final presentation of the year for the ongoing BYU Motion Picture Archive Film Series, now in its 15th season, co-sponsored by the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, the Friends of the Harold B. Lee Library, and Dennis & Linda Gibson.
For details, contact James D’Arc, curator, BYU Motion Picture Archive, 801-422-6371, james_darc@byu.edu.
Writer: Brett Lee
