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It Happened One Christmas

  • TV Movie
  • 1977
  • TV-PG
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Orson Welles, Cloris Leachman, Marlo Thomas, and Wayne Rogers in It Happened One Christmas (1977)
ComedyFantasy

In the spirit of "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), a young woman must give up her dream and remain in her small hometown as head of her family's Building and Loan business.In the spirit of "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), a young woman must give up her dream and remain in her small hometown as head of her family's Building and Loan business.In the spirit of "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), a young woman must give up her dream and remain in her small hometown as head of her family's Building and Loan business.

  • Director
    • Donald Wrye
  • Writers
    • Philip Van Doren Stern
    • Lionel Chetwynd
  • Stars
    • Marlo Thomas
    • Orson Welles
    • Wayne Rogers
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    1.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Donald Wrye
    • Writers
      • Philip Van Doren Stern
      • Lionel Chetwynd
    • Stars
      • Marlo Thomas
      • Orson Welles
      • Wayne Rogers
    • 62User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
      • 2 nominations total

    Photos4

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    Top cast28

    Edit
    Marlo Thomas
    Marlo Thomas
    • Mary Bailey Hatch
    Orson Welles
    Orson Welles
    • Henry F. Potter
    Wayne Rogers
    Wayne Rogers
    • George Hatch
    Cloris Leachman
    Cloris Leachman
    • Clara
    Barney Martin
    Barney Martin
    • Uncle Willie
    Karen Carlson
    Karen Carlson
    • Violet
    Dick O'Neill
    Dick O'Neill
    • Mr. Gower
    Doris Roberts
    Doris Roberts
    • Ma Bailey
    Richard Dysart
    Richard Dysart
    • Peter Bailey
    Cliff Norton
    Cliff Norton
    • Martini
    Archie Hahn
    Archie Hahn
    • Ernie
    Christopher Guest
    Christopher Guest
    • Harry Bailey
    Gino Conforti
    Gino Conforti
    • Sassini
    • (as Gene Conforti)
    Morgan Upton
    Morgan Upton
    • Bert
    Robert Emhardt
    Robert Emhardt
    • Judge
    Ceil Cabot
    Ceil Cabot
    • Cousin Tillie
    Bryan O'Byrne
    Bryan O'Byrne
    • Doctor
    Rita George
    • Helen Bailey
    • Director
      • Donald Wrye
    • Writers
      • Philip Van Doren Stern
      • Lionel Chetwynd
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews62

    6.11K
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    Featured reviews

    10lmcmackin1

    I loved this movie!! It happened One Christmas.

    I saw this movie when I was 15 years old. I never forgot it. It has remained in my heart all these years. I forgot the name of the movie but not that Marlo Thomas was in it. I have been trying to get a copy of this movie now, that I know the name of the movie. It is a great movie. I have Its A Wonderful life and its good too. I just like It Happened One Christmas better. It touched my heart and got into my soul. Some movies do that to you and this one did it for me. I loved that it was in color. I love the modern version. I liked the switch of gender. I related to the struggle in the movie. I was going through a hard time in my life at the time and it gave me hope.It also made me realize that perhaps our lives are not only for ourselves but for others as well. This movie is a real jewel. You can watch it alone or with your family. One movie is not hard to find and the other should be made available so more people can decide for themselves. I wish It happened One Christmas to everyone. We are not all going to be moved by the same movie.This movie did it for me. If you want a copy of this movie I just found a great website for those hard to find movies. Go to www.myhouseoffilms.net/TVHOMEPAGE click on holiday movies. scroll down until you find the title of the movie,It Happened One Christmas. You can also try My Houseoffilms.net/ and contact Toni and give him the name of the movie you are looking for.

    I can't wait to see the movie after all these years. I have only seen it the one time. The impact of It Happened One Christmas is profound to me. I want it in my collection, and so should anyone who wants it.
    6michaelt281702085

    The wonderful acting of Marlo Thomas makes this version stand up on it's own.

    Frank Capra's It's a wonderful life stands on it's own as a classic film with a timeless message.

    Marlo Thomas whom I have never seen before, turns in a superb and dedicated performance in James Stewart's role.

    This movie reverses the original roles taken by Donna Reed and James Stewart.

    This movie does not have the warmth of the original, or the characterization of the original.

    It is solely the acting of Mario Thomas that makes this version stand out on it's own.
    TAF619

    Loved it as a child

    I was 11 when it came out and looked for it on television every year since. I thought it was a nice twist on the original and more up-to-date. If you like one, you'll like the other.. If you didn't like the Jimmy Stewart version, you prob will not like this one either
    5activist_art

    Weird enough to merit showing and DVD release

    I saw "It Happened One Christmas" in about 1978, I think on Christmas Eve, while sitting alone waiting for my wife to get off work and join me for the holiday. I hadn't seen Marlo Thomas since the original airing of "That Girl" in the '60s. It was wierdly fun to see her on something, and I had never seen nor heard of Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." Later when I did see "It's a Wonderful Life," I immediately connected the story to that of "It Happened One Christmas," and thought it was scandalous how the original had been ripped off, and how geeky it was by comparison to the classic it had been "appropriated" from.

    Today I wish I could find the knock-off on DVD. Now that I've seen Capra's original so many times, it would be fun to see the Marlo Thomas version again, if for no other reason than to bring back the nostalgic feeling of that evening that I first saw it. I remember that I was very touched by the story that night, geekiness of the treatment notwithstanding (or perhaps partly because of it!), and that it contributed to setting me up emotionally for a very special Christmas holiday with my spouse.
    jllawrence

    I wish I could get a copy

    I totally disagree. This was and is a wonderful picture. I don't view things as whether they match up to the remake but if they are enjoyable and worth watching for my family. I would gladly show this to my family and have asked TCM to dig up a copy this Christmas so they can see it. Cloris Leechman is fabulous and Marlo does a great job.

    I can't wait for my family to see it and enjoy both It's a Wonderful Life and It Happen One Christmas.

    Go to turnerclassicmovies.com this Christmas and search to see if they found it.

    I always like to see both along with The Bishop's Wife and the new one The Preacher's Wife and I hope they will find a copy of Christmas Eve for us to enjoy. Love that Loretta Young.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This TV version did return to the same Los Angeles high-school gymnasium for the scene where they fall into the swimming pool.
    • Goofs
      Despite the fact that this television film was produced and first broadcast in 1977, "It Happened One Christmas" carries a 1978 copyright date (in Roman numerals) in the closing credits.
    • Quotes

      George Hatch: [Mary is laughing] What're you laughing at?

      Mary Bailey Hatch: I think maybe we shouldn't have broken all those windows.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1978)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 11, 1977 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sucedió en Navidad
    • Filming locations
      • Beverly Hills High School - 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA(Gym over pool scene)
    • Production companies
      • Daisy Productions
      • Universal Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 49m(109 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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