Top 50 'It's A Wonderful Life' Quotes From The Heart-Warming Classic Christmas Movie

Why Quotes From The Heart Warming Classic Christmas Movie, 'It's A Wonderful Life'?

Produced and directed by Frank Capra, 'It's a Wonderful Life' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film based on Philip Van Doren Stern's short story and booklet 'The Greatest Gift', which Stern self-published in 1943 and which was itself loosely based on Charles Dickens's 1843 novel 'A Christmas Carol'.

James Stewart plays George Bailey, a selfless community activist who contemplates ending his life on Christmas Eve before being visited by his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). The angel shows him how the world would have been if he wasn't born.

The angel showed him how many vital works he had done in his life and how much worse the world would be without those deeds.

What should parents know?

• While Donna Reed had been in over 20 films before her leading part in 'It's a Wonderful Life', she was hardly a beginner in the industry.
• 'It's a Wonderful Life' is now considered a masterpiece of American cinema. However, it was first met with a lukewarm reception. However, it cost Capra $525,000, leaving him struggling to pay for the next film his firm would produce, State of the Union.
• 'It's a Wonderful Life' is often associated with the holiday season; however, the film was initially filmed during a heat wave in the summer of 1946. Capra had to stop production for a day due to the extreme heat, which is why Stewart is visibly sweating at pivotal scenes.

What to discuss with kids?

• The American Film Institute has named it one of the 100 finest American films. It received nominations for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
• The American Film Institute ranked it eleventh among the best films of all time in 1998, twenty-first among the best films of 2007, and first among the most inspiring American films of all time.
• Capra said that, of all the movies he directed, this one was his favorite and that he watched it with his family yearly around the holidays.

Best Quotes From 'It's A Wonderful Life'

1. "Peter Bailey was not a businessman. That's what killed him. Oh, I don't mean any disrespect to him, God rest his soul. He was a man of high ideals. So-called. But ideals without common sense can ruin this town." - Mr. Potter

2. "Zuzu Bailey: I'm not sleepy. I want to look at my flower.
George Bailey: I know, but you just go to sleep, and then you can dream about it, and it'll be a whole garden.
Zuzu Bailey: It will?
George Bailey: Uh-huh."

3. "Senior Angel: A man down on Earth needs our help.
Clarence: Splendid. Is he sick?
Senior Angel: No, worse. He's discouraged."

4. "Boys and girls and music. Why do they need gin?" - Annie

5. "You sit around here, and you spin your little webs, and you think the whole world revolves around you and your money. Well, it doesn't, Mr. Potter. In the whole vast configuration of things, I'd say you were nothing but a scurvy little spider!" - George Bailey

6. "Clarence: There is no George Bailey. You have no papers, no cards, no driver's license, no 4F card, and no insurance policy.
Clarence: They're not there either.
George: What?
Clarence: Zuzu's petals... You've been given a great gift,
George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you."

7. "I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that." - George Bailey

8. "Dear Father in heaven, I'm not a praying man, but if you're up there and you can hear me … show me the way... show me the way." - George Bailey

9. "Zuzu Bailey: Look, Daddy. The teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.
George Bailey: That's right, that's right."

10. "You're right when you say my father was no businessman. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anyone else can say anything against his character." - George Bailey

11. "A toast to my big brother George: The richest man in town." - Harry Bailey

12. "George Bailey: This is a very interesting situation!
Mary: Please give me my robe.
George Bailey: A man doesn't get in a situation like this every day."

'It's A Wonderful Life' Quotes About Love

13. "You know what we're gonna do? We're gonna shoot the works. A whole week in New York. A whole week in Bermuda. The highest hotels. The oldest champagne. The richest caviar and the hottest music and the prettiest wife." - George Bailey

14. "Senior Angel: No, worse. He's discouraged. At exactly 10:45 pm Earth time, that man will be thinking seriously about throwing away God's greatest gift.
Clarence: Oh, dear, dear. His life."

15. "Bert: Isn't there any romance in you?
Ernie Bishop: Sure, I had it... but I got rid of it."

16. "You know, George, I feel that in a small way we are doing something important. It's deep in the race for a man to want his own roof and walls and fireplace, and we're helping him get those things in our shabby little office." - Pa Bailey

17. "I couldn't face being cooped up for the rest of my life in a shabby little office … spending all your life trying to figure out how to save three cents on a length of pipe. I'd go crazy. I want to do something big and something important." - George Bailey

18. "Help me, Clarence! Get me back! Get me back, I don't care what happens to me! Get me back to my wife and kids! Help me Clarence, please! Please! I wanna live again. I wanna live again. Please, God, let me live again." - George Bailey

19. "But George Bailey is not a common, ordinary yokel … A young man... the smartest one in the crowd, mind you... A young man who has to sit by and watch his friends go places because he's trapped … Do I paint the correct picture or do I exaggerate?" - Mr. Potter

20. "What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary." - George Bailey

21. "Ma Bailey: Why she lights up like a firefly whenever you are around? Besides, Sam Wainright is off in New York, and you're here in Bedford Falls.
George Bailey: And all's fair in love and war, right?
Ma Bailey: Well, I don't know about war."

22. "All you can take with you is that which you've given away." - Pa Bailey

23. "Is this the ear you can't hear on? George Bailey, I'll love you 'til the day I die." - Little Mary

24. "You see, George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?" - Clarence

25. "Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends." - Clarence

26. "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" - Clarence

Funny Quotes From 'It's A Wonderful Life'

27. "Harry Bailey: Say, where's Mother?
George Bailey: She's home cooking the fatted calf."

28. "Uncle Billy: They're putting us out of business. So what? I can get another job; I'm only 55.
Cousin Tilly: 56!"

29. "What's a pretty girl like you marrying this two-headed brother of mine?" - George Bailey

30. "Mr. Emil Gower: [George is whistling to himself] George! George!
Little George: Yes, sir.
Mr. Emil Gower: You're not paid to be a canary!"

31. "Cousin Tilly: Mrs. Bailey is on the phone.
George Bailey: I don't want Mrs. Bailey; I want my wife... Mrs. Bailey? Oh, that's my wife."

32. "Little Violet: I like him.
Little Mary Hatch: You like every boy.
Little Violet: What's wrong with that?"

33. "George, I am an old man, and most people hate me. But I don't like them either so that makes it all even." - Mr. Potter

34. "George Bailey: I know one way you can help me. You don't happen to have 8,000 bucks on you?
Clarence: No, we don't use money in Heaven.
George Bailey: Well, it comes in handy down here, bud!"

35. "George Bailey: There she blows. Do you know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are?
Uncle Billy: Uh-huh. Breakfast is served; lunch is served; dinner…"

36. "I been savin' this money for a divorce if ever I got a husband." - Annie

37. "George Bailey: How old are you anyway?
Mary Hatch: 18.
George Bailey: 18! Why it was only last year, you were 17!"

38. "Little Mary Hatch: I'll take chocolate.
Little George: With coconuts?
Little Mary Hatch: I don't like coconuts
Little George: You don't like coconuts? Say, Brainless, don't you know where coconuts come from?"

39. "Mary Hatch: Have a hectic day?
George Bailey: Oh yeah, another big red-letter day for the Baileys!"

Most Important 'It's A Wonderful Life' Quote

40. "Do you know how long it takes a working man to save $5,000? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community.

Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him.

But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you'll ever be!" - George Bailey

41. "Is this the ear you can't hear on? (She whispers in George's bad ear) George Bailey, I'll love you 'til the day I die." - Mary Bailey

42. "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" - Clarence

43. "What'd you say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? - George Baily (to Mr. Potter)

44. "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. And when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" - Clarence

45. "Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends." - Clarence

46. "You've been given a great gift, George, a chance to see what the world would be like without you." - Clarance

47. "Teacher says, 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.' - Zuzu Bailey

48. "I want to live again." - George Bailey

49. "I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and next year, and the year after that." - George Bailey

50. "You see George, you really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?" - Clarence

You Might Also Like

28 Heart-Warming Hagrid Quotes From Everyone's Favorite Half Giant

50+ Heavenly Names That Mean Angel

Christmas Poodle Coloring Page

Main image credit: Jeff Bukowski / Shutterstock.com