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Over the years, the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" has become a holiday tradition. But when it was first released in 1946, it was considered a major flop.

Directed by the legendary Frank Capra, "It's a Wonderful Life" had a dream cast, including leading man Jimmy Stewart, the lovely Donna Reed and the acclaimed actor Lionel Barrymore.

Based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern, "It's a Wonderful Life" tells the story of George Bailey, an everyman who gives up the dreams of his youth to settle in the small town where he was born and take over the family business. But, there is a lot of back-story in this movie.

Bailey's life, seen through the eyes of an angel named Clarence, unfolds throughout the movie. We see all of the things that George has done over the years, including an accident in his youth, meeting the woman he will marry, and how he comes to stay in Bedford Falls, the small town that he strives to get away from.

In the end, after a financial tragedy, George wishes that he had never been born. It is then that his wish is granted-- he gets to see how the lives of the people he loves would have been if he hadn't been born. It is a huge wakeup call and in eth end George is ready to face his troubles and embrace life.

So why is this movie considered a Christmas classic 60 years after its release? While not a holiday movie per se, the pivotal scenes take place on Christmas Eve. And the message of the movie is heartwarmingly clear: that money is not what makes a man rich.

In addition to Jimmy Stewart's great performance, Donna Reed is perfect as George' wife, Mary Bailey. Lionel Barrymore plays the role of the evil banker and George's nemesis, Mr. Potter. Other great performances include Henry Travers as the angel, Clarence, and Sheldon Leonard as Nick, the bartender. The town "tramp', Violet Bick, is flawlessly portrayed by Gloria Grahame. And here's a bit of trivia: when you watch this movie, check out the scene at the school dance, right before the floor opens up to reveal a swimming pool underneath. If the guy in that scene looks familiar, perhaps you remember him-- it's Carl Switzer, better known as Alfalfa from the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" series from the 1930's.

The most classic scenes revolve around George and his family on Christmas Eve. The usually happy-go-lucky George Bailey becomes despondent and begins complaining about his house, and all of his kids, etc. The bright spot seems to be his youngest daughter, Zuzu, who fell ill on her way home from school. Bailey's scolding of Zuzu's teacher, Mrs. Welch, is another classic scene and displays Jimmy Stewart's phenomenal acting talent.

Lionel Barrymore, of the great Barrymore acting family, is downright frightening as the evil banker, Mr. Potter. The best scenes involve George and Potter arguing over George's father's skills as a businessman. Barrymore plays this part to perfection and I can't imagine anyone else playing this role, although legend has it that Vincent price was considered for the role of Mr. / Potter.

Todd Karns plays the role of Harry Bailey, George's handsome younger brother who gets to live all of the dreams that George once had. And then there's Henry Travers, who plays the angel named Clarence-- although he doesn't look exactly the way I would envision an angel to look, Travers plays the role in an endearing way.

This movie has become a fan favorite over the past few decades, breathing new life into it. At one point, in the early 1990's, the movie was shown on television repeatedly throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Currently, it only airs once or twice a year, usually on Christmas Eve on one of the major networks. The movie is also available in VHS and DVD, in both colorized and in black and white versions. While purists despise the colorization of classic films, I actually prefer it-- I feel that the colorization of "It's a Wonderful Life" is subtle and adds depth to the film.

Critics of "It's a Wonderful Life" peg it as corny and overly-drawn out. In my opinion it's a heartwarming tale of Americana and of what is truly important in life. "It's a Wonderful Life" is a definitely a movie that everyone should see.