#262: It’s a Wonderful Movie—Mary Owen and Karolyn Grimes

This episode debuted exactly four years ago, and I could think of no better show this year to honor my all-time favorite movie, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1947) through the eyes of two women with close ties to its creation.

In this episode you will learn
👉How Donna Reed’s work represents the best of the Golden Age of television and movies
👉Why she made sure she was “just a regular mom” with Mary and her other real-life children
👉The story of how Reed’s children found a shoebox full of correspondence with American soldiers from the War in her Bel Air home 65 years later
👉Why Owens thinks the movie that made her mother a household name has such enduring appeal
👉Who is the oldest living cast member (hint: it’s not one of the child actors)
👉What it was like to be on set with Frank Capra and to appear with Jimmy Stewart
👉The ways in which It’s a Wonderful Life touched the lives of the cast and crew forever.
Resources mentioned in this episode

👉It’s a Wonderful Life: A Memory Book by Stephen Cox https://amzn.to/2DETfwI
👉The Essential It’s a Wonderful Life: A Scene-by-Scene Guide to the Classic Film by Michael Willian https://amzn.to/2D6jNpg
👉The Name Above the Title: An Autobiography by Frank Capra https://amzn.to/2BIOqFi