Wonderful Memories of It's a Wonderful Life

by Jimmy Hawkins (Reader)

Actor Jimmy Hawkins, who played four-year-old Tommy Bailey, takes you behind the scenes of the movie classic, It's a Wonderful Life, to meet Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Frank Capra, and all the people who made Bedford Falls America's favorite small town. Their memories and anecdotes take you through the movie's creation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christmas, Biography, Audiobook, History, Adult

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[SheriC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short collection of anecdotes and audio clips of various actors and others involved in the production of my favorite Christmas film. It's nothing earth-shattering, but it made me happy.

Audiobook, borrowed from the Audible Plus catalog.

[Star Forbis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some things I learned about this Wonderful film:

The first scene was filmed at Beverly Hills High School, which boasted of having a pool under the gymnasium.

The snow you see in films to this day was created for It's a Wonderful Life!

Donna Reed was 25 when filming It's a Wonderful Life, but she had to play from a teenager to a 40-year-old Mother.

The actor who played Alfalfa in the Little Rascals was the guy with the key to open the Gym floor to the swimming pool.

The actor who played the Skipper on Gilligans Island was in the Charleston Dance scene, but was left on the cutting room floor.

[Carol Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a Wonderful Life is in my top 5 favorite movies and Jimmy Stewart is my favorite actor (He is from Indiana, Pennsylvania, and his dad and my great grandfather were elders in the same church, and my father's cousin's earliest memory was dressing Jimmy Stewart's Oscars in doll clothes while my great grandfather and Jimmy Stewart's father talked in the Stewart Hardware Store (they were displayed in the window)).

This has recordings of interviews with many of the actors, and it tells all the in and outs of the production. It was absolutely DELIGHTFUL!!!!!

I got it from Library2Go. It is narrated by one of the kids in the movie. Great thing to listen to since we watch it every Christmas!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Double Review for "Wonderful Memories of It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Greatest Gift."

A fan of this heartwarming movie that only grows into an even bigger worldwide love every year, I picked up the first as an audio to listen to during this season. It gave me all the information about it that I never knew about. How the first story was written as a Christmas Card, the process of it becoming a movie, behind the scene adorable pieces, and how RKO made the snow we use in movies still today.

During the middle of this listen, I ordered my own copy of "The Greatest Gift," the short story the movie is based on. It did not disappoint and warmed my heart with the reading of its genesis, too.

[Gail DiVico · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful audible listen about a wonderful movie! This was a short listen but one I will return to again and again. What a pleasure it was to learn about the behind the scenes happenings and also listen to actual interviews with the people involved, like Capra. Each segment of the film was gone through with memories from past actors. I highly recommend this to all fans of the movie and, if you haven't seen it yet, it will be a favorite and this audible book is a wonderful companion!

[Nathan Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet book! Obviously I was gonna love it, I mean this is first-hand experiences from my favorite movie of all time! Loved hearing Frank Capra speak about why he chose to do this movie, why Jimmy Stewart did, the behind the scenes on certain scenes, the legacy It’s a Wonderful Life left, and everything in between. So good!

[Marisa Maloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this audio on Hoopla. It is an interesting listen to those who love the movie “It’s a wonderful life” movie. You learn lots of facts and little stories from those who worked on and acted on the story. Definitely makes you want to watch the movie after hearing the book.

[Vincent Andersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short, sweet look back at some of the making of an American classic by actual participants. Your enjoyment of this audiobook will be directly proportionate to your feelings towards the movie. I loved the movie and found this charming.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little compilation of facts about one of my all-time favorite movies. We often romanticize “old Hollywood”, and while it wasn’t all good, it sure seems like it was an incredible time to be alive. It seems like they don’t make movies quite like this anymore and I watch it every year.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet.
I highly recommend the audio book, as it provides the real voices through interview of the people who participated in the movie.
this book made me feel warm and fuzzy. I think I'm gonna go curl up, with a cup of coffee and watch the movie again.

[Finnoula · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was unbelievable! I loved this so much!!!! The stories I got to hear from the movie are so cool! I loved every second of it

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great details and behind-the-scenes information.

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST LISTEN if you love It's a Wonderful Life!

[Tamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute stories and facts from the set by some of the children from the film. Quick and easy listen.

[Ida Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

:)

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, not quiet what expected.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting trivia, memories, and effects of the classic movie.

[Keren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and fun if you know the movie. Kind of wish I were watching a TV special, so I could see the movie clips played and people interviewed.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie.

[Jessica Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved learning some behind the scenes information that I never knew before about my favorite Christmas movie. Highly recommend!

[Sarah]

This was a wonderful book! So full of the sweetest and most interesting stories from one of the most beloved films ever made!

[Coralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely. An interesting and accessible background to one of my favorite movies.

[Jeff J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoir from the actor who played the son in the movie.

[LorenzoT · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Wonderful Audiobook, and it is a audiobook in every sense of the word… But, to describe this book in one word - beautiful…!

[Kelsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible, and it was a fun listen, with real recordings from cast members and even the director. Very short but fun look behind-the-scenes at one of my favorite movies.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chock full of interesting behind the scenes tidbits. Love hearing them in the actors’ own voices.

[Kelly | Bookmarks 'n Blankets · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I read Stern’s original story, I came across this audiobook that was written and narrated by Jimmy Hawkins, who plays little Tommy Bailey in the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. It was less than two hours, so it was easy to listen to quickly, especially if you increased the speed. I loved hearing original sound clips and interviews from many of the actors, the director, and other people who worked on this movie. It was fun to go behind the scenes and learn more about how they made this classic movie and people’s thoughts and opinions about it. There are a lot of little “fun facts” that are told. There are even audio sound bites from the movie itself. Highly recommend it if you’re a fan of the movie! I love it!

[Tracy Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book read mostly by the author. It was sweet and much like what might be found on the special features section of the DVD. There were several different contributions including some from other actors and the director. It was enjoyable to listen to and quite short, but the audio quality was lacking in a few spots, likely because of the age of some of the recordings. I predict that in direct correlation to the amount you enjoyed the movie, you will enjoy this book as much!

[Tommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of a cute little collection of stories and interviews, especially if you love the movie "It's a Wonderful Life."

The stories aren't groundbreaking, beyond belief, or overly inspiring but it's a nice little walk down memory lane and you'll learn things you didn't know.

Overall an average experience but probably worth it if you really love the movie.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about the history of the movie. I listened to the audiobook and heard actual interviews of the stars, etc.