"We are pleased to announce that Michael Willian has published a new edition for this book, *The Essential It's a Wonderful Life -- 75th Anniversary Edition*. Even the most ardent fans of It’s a Wonderful Life will be surprised and delighted by the insightful discussions of film details, cast anecdotes, curiosities, and gaffes found in this charming guide. Providing a fresh perspective, this companion includes a handy film chronology and an overview of the plot, a complete breakdown of the musical score, a fun and challenging quiz, a bookmarking feature designed to give instant access to favorite scenes and other points of interest, informative historical sidebars, the complete lyrics to "Buffalo Gals," and never-before-seen maps and diagrams of downtown Bedford Falls, downtown Pottersville, the Building and Loan, and 320 Sycamore. In addition, film lovers will learn why George should have spent Christmas Eve in jail, who crashes the Bailey family Christmas Eve gathering, the story behind the sudden demise of Mr. Gower’s son, how to make a flaming rum punch, the real-life site of the Bedford Falls High School "swim-gym," and other fascinating trivia related to the classic." "It's a wonderful book. It's like looking at the movie through a microscope." -- Karolyn Grimes, Zuzu Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life "Packed with history, trivia and thoughtful analysis." --The Oregonian "If your holidays aren't complete without Zuzu's petals, 2-cents worth of shoelaces and some flaming rum punch, you'll love this companion guide. A meticulous scene-by-scene reference." --St. Louis Dispatch, Best Bets for the Holiday "To enjoy the movie even more, make sure you go out and buy [this book]. It's a fantastic read." --TVSquad "Packed with historical context, trivia, quizzes, maps, bloopers and tiny details in the film, the book's a fast read for true fans." --Omaha World-Herald "A handy guide to the timeless Frank Capra film." --Sacramento Bee "A scene-by-scene armchair guide to the movie, complete with a map of Bedford Falls and loads of trivia." --Wilmington Star "Jam-packed with trivia, cast anecdotes . . . and even blueprints of the Building & Loan and downtown Bedford Falls." --Chicago Tribune "An armchair companion while watching the film, as [the author] breaks down each scene." --Newsday "Michael Willian is a writer, film buff and corporate attorney and executive, with many years spent in the mobile device industry driving business for the likes of Motorola, Google and Lenovo. In 2020, he published a film guidebook for the classic film Casablanca, titled The Scene-by-Scene Casablanca Film Guidebook. The guidebook features the same page-turning format used in The Essential It's a Wonderful Life. Michael grew up in the Chicago area and currently calls Chicago home. The Essential It's a Wonderful Life A Scene-by-Scene Guide to the Classic Film By Michael Willian Chicago Review Press Incorporated Copyright © 2006 Michael Willian All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-55652-636-7 Contents Introduction, Using This Guide, Film Chronology, 1 — The Angels Conspire to Save George, 2 — George Prepares to "See the World", 3 — The High School Graduation Dance, 4 — George's Plan to "See the World" Gets Derailed, 5 — George Calls on Mary, 6 — George and Mary's Wedding Day, 7 — Moving Day for the Martinis, 8 — The War Years, 9 — Christmas Eve 1945, 10 — Something's the Matter with Daddy, 11 — George "Saves" Clarence, 12 — Pottersville, 13 — George Wants to Live Again, The Musical Score, It's a Wonderful Life Quiz, Quiz Answers, CHAPTER 1 THE ANGELS CONSPIRE TO SAVE GEORGE "Please, God. Something's the matter with Daddy." — Janie Bailey We begin our journey by eavesdropping on the urgent prayers of several Bedford Fallsians this Christmas Eve 1945. In order, we hear from Mr. Gower, Mr. Martini, Mrs. Peter Bailey, Bert the cop, Ernie the taxi driver, Mary Bailey, Janie Bailey, and Zuzu Bailey. The common theme of these prayers? George Bailey is in trouble and could use some help from above, and fast. For reasons that will be made known to us shortly, George has convinced himself that "he's worth more dead than alive." And on his current course, he'll be putting this theory to the test just as soon as he can find a bridge suitable for jumping. Enter the angels, who have heard this chorus of prayers and are now scrambling to come up with an intervention plan. The head angel and his assistant, Joseph, eventually assign good old Clarence to the project. Joseph doesn't have much confidence in Clarence's abilities, but we know better — Clarence is just the right man for the job. All Clarence needs is a little background on this Bailey character, and he and Joseph begin by reviewing a few defining moments from George's youth. In the first of two such vignettes, we find George and his pals sledding down a riverbank during the winter of 1919. Everything is going swell until George's