It Happened One Christmas

I absolutely love this version made with Marlo Thomas. Really heart felt. More touching in some ways than the original. I wish they played it more often.

Not being a fan of "It's a Wonderful Life" may have made it easier for me to find "It Happened One Christmas" a refreshing change. I should first admit that I am not usually a fan of remakes. I almost always enjoy the original better, however in this case I felt that the remake was indeed done better. Even being a fan of both Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed could not keep me loyal to the original. And maybe being a fan of "That Girl" made it easier for me to be receptive to this particular remake. I thought that Marlo Thomas' portrayal of Mary Bailey was done rather well. I am not a chauvinist so having a woman play the part that may have been meant for a male did not bother me. I feel that "It Happened One Christmas" just seemed to move along better, even though it was virtually the same. I don't think because it was in color made a difference because I grew up on Black & White. I think Marlo Thomas did a better job doing Mary Bailey in the lead. I thought that Orson Welles as Mr Potter and Cloris Leachman as Clara the Angel did a fine job as well. I have looked for this to be re-aired each year since 1977. I enjoyed this movie so much that it should not have Happened only One Christmas.

I saw "It Happened One Christmas" in about 1978, I think on Christmas Eve, while sitting alone waiting for my wife to get off work and join me for the holiday. I hadn't seen Marlo Thomas since the original airing of "That Girl" in the '60s. It was wierdly fun to see her on something, and I had never seen nor heard of Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." Later when I did see "It's a Wonderful Life," I immediately connected the story to that of "It Happened One Christmas," and thought it was scandalous how the original had been ripped off, and how geeky it was by comparison to the classic it had been "appropriated" from.

Today I wish I could find the knock-off on DVD. Now that I've seen Capra's original so many times, it would be fun to see the Marlo Thomas version again, if for no other reason than to bring back the nostalgic feeling of that evening that I first saw it. I remember that I was very touched by the story that night, geekiness of the treatment notwithstanding (or perhaps partly because of it!), and that it contributed to setting me up emotionally for a very special Christmas holiday with my spouse.

This is a wonderful remake of It's a Wonderful Life. Not only is Marlo Thomas much more animated than Jimmy Stewart could ever hope to be, she is a better actress besides. This movie is what made me interested in seeing It's a Wonderful Life...before that, I couldn't get past the slow speech and boring attributes of the original movie. Marlo Thomas is wonderful in this movie. She has a way of expressing herself and her character that brings out the joy of the story. It turns into a story of love, friendship, and strength. I have watched year after year after year for this movie to be put on video but for some reason, they never bother. I think it's the fear of people liking it better than the original that keeps them from actually doing it. After all, a WOMAN trying to take Jimmy Stewart's place? How dare she? It's a really special movie, well worth seeing, especially if you find yourself dozing off while watching the original. Give it a try. You'll love It Happened One Christmas!! Vicky in Michigan

I was 11 when it came out and looked for it on television every year since. I thought it was a nice twist on the original and more up-to-date. If you like one, you'll like the other.. If you didn't like the Jimmy Stewart version, you prob will not like this one either