It Happened One Christmas

TV Movie
1977
TV-PG
1h 49m

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Orson Welles, Cloris Leachman, Marlo Thomas, and Wayne Rogers in It Happened One Christmas (1977)

In the spirit of "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), a young woman must give up her dream and remain in her small hometown as head of her family's Building and Loan business.In the spirit of "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), a young woman must give up her dream and remain in her small hometown as head of her family's Building and Loan business.In the spirit of "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), a young woman must give up her dream and remain in her small hometown as head of her family's Building and Loan business.

Director
- Donald Wrye
Writers
- Philip Van Doren Stern
- Lionel Chetwynd
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

YOUR RATING

Director
- Donald Wrye
Writers
- Philip Van Doren Stern
- Lionel Chetwynd
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
- 2 nominations total

Photos5

Storyline

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Trivia
This TV version did return to the same Los Angeles high-school gymnasium for the scene where they fall into the swimming pool.

Goofs
Despite the fact that this television film was produced and first broadcast in 1977, "It Happened One Christmas" carries a 1978 copyright date (in Roman numerals) in the closing credits.

Quotes
George Hatch: [Mary is laughing] What're you laughing at?
Mary Bailey Hatch: I think maybe we shouldn't have broken all those windows.

Connections
Featured in The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1978)

User reviews61

Review

Featured review

If all remakes were this good I would watch more of them.

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.