# Things that bug you about It's A Wonderful Life **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 25, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941 "2003-12-25T01:45:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/41 "2003-12-25T08:49:25Z")
“You’re” isn’t the only mistake. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > \*\*You’re brother wasn’t there to save them becuase … \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/42 "2003-12-25T11:06:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DesertDog \* > \*\*Well, apparently having babies helps your eyesight, since the Bedford Falls Mary didn’t need glasses, while the Potterville Mary did. > > Maybe George was too poor to get glasses for her? > > DD \*\* No, no, it’s all the reading. In the properly ordered universe, Mary should never have had to worry her pretty little head with all that book learning. It’s only in the terribly wrong universe where Mary had to spend all the time reading books, thereby making her unsuitable for marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/43 "2003-12-25T11:14:27Z")
And how can you lasso the moon? That rope would have to be, like, ten miles long! ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/44 "2003-12-25T15:08:18Z")
> [@](#): > > What always bugged me and the rest of my family was: “So nobody else EVER wants to marry Mary? And of course, if she never meets george, she becomes as mousey as humanly possible?” That was to emphasize that the whole town revolves around George. If Clarence had said, “Oh, Mary ended up marrying Fred Reynolds who works at the box factory. They have two kids and she’s reasonably happy”, that would have given him an incentive _not_ to go back to his former life. (What could he do for a living had he decided to stay in the new reality? He has no Social Security number; he was never born and thus is not a U.S. citizen. Technically, he’s an illegal alien! 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/45 "2003-12-25T15:32:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Roadwalker \* > \*\*I don’t like how the bush Mary is hiding in shakes. It’s too unrealistic and looks like a crewman is shaking it, not a naked woman. \*\* And how would [i[you\* know how a naked woman’s bush shakes? . . . Ummm, I mean . . . ---
**Author:** ![Phelan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Phelan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phelan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/46 "2003-12-25T15:53:23Z")
When George comes back to the reality where he has existed, it immediately begins to snow. Does George Bailey have an effect on weather? ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/47 "2003-12-25T17:32:33Z")
**interface2x** I can’t remember the name of the movie, but Donna Reed played Pocahontas and pretty much looked like hell. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/48 "2003-12-25T17:38:02Z")
Me and the wife were wondering, did Jim Henson name Bert and Ernie after Bert the cop and Ernie the cabbie. ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/49 "2003-12-25T17:42:28Z")
> [@](#): > > When George comes back to the reality where he has existed, it immediately begins to snow. Does George Bailey have an effect on weather? Well, if a butterfly flapping its wings in Topeka can cause a Tsunami in Tokyo… ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/50 "2003-12-25T18:09:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*I’ve never seen it. > Really. > Whats its about? \*\* [I think I’m seeing a trend here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=4331952&highlight=jedi#post4331952). [http://www.theonion.com/onion3604/doesnt\_own\_television.html](http://www.theonion.com/onion3604/doesnt_own_television.html) ---
**Author:** ![presidebt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@presidebt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/presidebt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/51 "2003-12-25T18:24:02Z")
Wow, can’t believe I haven’t seen this one posted yet. At the very end, when everyone is singing _Auld Lang Sinh_, Jimmy Stewart isn’t singing anything intelligible at all. Like he doesn’t know the words or something. Drives me nuts every time. ---
**Author:** ![YiBaiYuan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f475e1/32.png) [@YiBaiYuan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YiBaiYuan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/52 "2003-12-25T18:29:06Z")
My sentiment echoes that of **wolf\_meister** : Mr. Potter _stole_ that deposit (if you hand a stack of money to a bank president, is it reasonable for him to keep it for himself?), yet he is never held to account for it (by the story). In a formula Hollywood movie you expect the good guy to get the girl and the bad guy to go to jail; but in this film the bad guy gets away with his crime. Yes, things work out for the good guy another way, but the bad guy walks off with the money. Tsk, tsk! ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/53 "2003-12-25T19:22:01Z")
Actually, I read somewhere there was a problem getting the movie released originally because of just this point. I believe movies had to comply with the “Hayes Code”, which meant you couldn’t show someone profiting from crime or evil-doing and ‘getting away with it.’ Which Potter did. I’m not sure how they convinced whomever policed such things in Hollywood to let them release it anyway. Could be complying was a voluntary thing. Satch ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/54 "2003-12-25T19:30:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hlanelee \* > \*\*Me and the wife were wondering, did Jim Henson name Bert and Ernie after Bert the cop and Ernie the cabbie. \*\* I always thought they were, but according to [this](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063951/trivia), the answer is no. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/55 "2003-12-25T21:09:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*What always bugged me and the rest of my family was: “So nobody else EVER wants to marry Mary? And of course, if she never meets george, she becomes as mousey as humanly possible?” \*\* Mary’s other suitor was Sam “Hee-Haw!” Wainwright. I would have considered it a far more horrible fate to be married to this braying jerk than being left to close up the library, but The Powers That Be evidently feel differently. The subtle subtext that I pick out of this movie is that nearly everyone in Bedford Falls is a hopeless loser, incapable of managing their own lives, and they would all fall into misery and ruin, were it not for George Bailey keeping them on the right track. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/56 "2003-12-26T01:50:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Baldwin \* > \*\*By the way, did you ever see the parody they did on SNL, where Uncle Billy suddenly realizes that Potter got the money, and the whole gang breaks into Potter’s house and beats him to death? \*\* I won’t buy this movie on DVD until a collector’s edition comes out with the SNL skit as bonus material!😃 ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/57 "2003-12-26T02:09:41Z")
> [@](#): > > The subtle subtext that I pick out of this movie is that nearly everyone in Bedford Falls is a hopeless loser, incapable of managing their own lives, and they would all fall into misery and ruin, were it not for George Bailey keeping them on the right track. I thought that was the wohle point of the movie! “Not only are you a good man you’re the _only one keeping this idiots alive_.” I mean, he had to convince George to continue living, why not convince George that he truly is the center of his Universe? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/58 "2003-12-26T04:49:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > **What was the deal with that gym floor over a swimming pool?** That was not just some plot device dreamed up for the movie; that scene was filmed at Beverly Hills High School, which actually [had a pool under the gym floor](http://www.seeing-stars.com/Schools/BeverlyHillsHigh.shtml). Presumably it worked just as depicted in the movie, though I don’t know how you could not realize the floor was beginning to move under you. ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/59 "2003-12-26T06:01:13Z")
Slight hijack: Have you seen [this parody](http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.toostupidtobepresident.com/shockwave/wonderful.htm) of the movie? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941/60 "2003-12-26T06:46:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BwanaBob \* > \*\*I won’t buy this movie on DVD until a collector’s edition comes out with the SNL skit as bonus material!😃 \*\* Well, as additional detail, that episode was hosted by (and the sketch was introduced by) William Shatner. That episode also had the classic “Get a life!” sketch set at the Star Trek convention. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-its-a-wonderful-life/220941.md?page=4)