The favorite Christmas movie “It’s a wonderful life” did not always have the repercussions and fans it has today. More than seven decades have passed since its release and it is now considered synonymous with Christmas and is broadcast annually by NBC. However, in its day it did not have the same success and until 1956 it was considered by the FBI a film that promotes communism.
The justification for this perception according to the FBI was how in the film an attempt was made to discredit the bankers by placing the actor Lionel Barrymore as one of them and presenting him as the most hated and stingy man in the film. For them, this was a common form of communist propaganda.
The case
Frank Capra with this film makes a darker cover of the classic “A Christmas Carol”. The protagonist is the mighty banker Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) who does not allow George Bailey (James Stewart) to succeed financially because of a loan. He desperately thinks of committing suicide on Christmas Eve.
George gave up his dreams to help the people of Bedford Falls. He wanted to travel to study to meet people, but he never succeeded. Instead, he stayed with his parents to help them save their small business from Potter. After a deficit created in the bank by mistake of his uncle and Potter’s cunning, he reflects on his life and the life of his family. Then he realizes that it would be better for them if he was dead. But before he can take his step, Clarence (Henry Travers) ‘s guardian angel arrives to convince him that Bedford Falls would be awful without him.
Defamation
The FBI informant stated that in his opinion the film was deliberately sticking to the upper class to show that the people who had money were bad. In addition, according to the banker, the procedure set by the US loan examiner should have been followed if it was not really communist propaganda. All this despite the fact that the protagonist George and Peter’s father are also bankers. The company they were trying to save was a bank called Bailey Bros. Building and Loan “which Potter was trying to destroy in order to buy the whole city.
In 1947 the Committee on Anti-American Activities auditioned for the film in which the Cretan John Charles Moffitt was called upon to defend Capra. In his testimony he stated that the film could not be communist even though a banker is presented as bad. On the contrary, he showed that money can be used for both good and bad purposes.
It is noteworthy that Franke Capra was a deeply Republican who never voted for President Roosevelt. During World War II he joined the army, and directed the propaganda series “Why we fight”.
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