Grimes is one of just a handful of people from the It’s a Wonderful Life cast who are still alive today. Grimes is one of a handful of people from the ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ cast still alive today

But Clarence (Henry Travers), a second-class angel who has yet to earn his wings, shows him what things would be like for his community and loved ones if he’d never existed. That convinces George not to end his life. In the movie, George Bailey is despondent after a series of personal and professional failures. But everybody survives it and I think that’s a reminder of today’s times that if we have hope and if we try to make a difference, if we give of ourselves, I think it can all turn around.” “It’s very positive, but there is a sense of negativity in the film, too. “I think a lot of people turn to this film to give them hope and it’s a film that touches peoples’ lives,” she said. Grimes also had a theory about why It’s a Wonderful Life still resonates with audiences 75 years after its initial release. RELATED: ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’: The Christmas Classic Might Have Been Jimmy Stewart’s Last Movie If Not for His Co-Star ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

I think there’s a story there.” Why ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ still resonates today “The kids would grow up and they’d have lives that are different.

“I think a sequel might be kind of fun,” she said in an interview with the New York Daily News. (NBC now has the broadcast rights.) Given its enduring popularity, Grimes thinks there could be an appetite for a sequel. Though It’s a Wonderful Life wasn’t a success when it was first released in 1946, it eventually became one of the most well-known holiday movies of all time, thanks to repeated airings on TV after it fell into the public domain for a time.

Though she’s a relatively minor character, she has one of the most memorable lines in the movie, telling her father ( Jimmy Stewart), “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” Grimes, who is now 81, was just six years old when she played Zuzu. RELATED: ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’: The Film’s Screenwriters Clashed With and Walked Out On Director Frank Capra Premiered Decemtheatrical wide release January 7, 1947. Seen here from left, Donna Reed as Mary Hatch Bailey, James Stewart as George Bailey and Karolyn Grimes as Zuzu. LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 20: The movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”, produced and directed by Frank Capra.

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