Have you seen Frank Capra’s family drama movie, It’s a Wonderful Life? If not, then you can read this piece and find out where was It’s a Wonderful Life filmed, along with some other intriguing details.
It’s a Wonderful Life is an American family drama movie that was released back in 1946. Apart from
directing this amazing film, Frank Capra also pitched in as a screenwriter. However, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett also contributed to making the overall story more intriguing.
The basic premise of It’s a Wonderful Life is centered around the character of George Bailey, a middle-aged American man with an existential crisis. The story gets interesting when a heavenly angel guides the lead actor and makes him realize how lucky he actually is.
It’s a Wonderful Life collected a number of prestigious nominations, including a few at the Oscars, and bagged 7 major awards in total. The commercial performance of this classic fantasy drama film was pretty impressive as well. It’s a Wonderful Life grossed over $3.3 million at the box office.
So, if you’re all set to find out where was It’s a Wonderful Life filmed, then without waiting any more, let’s get started.
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Where Was It’s A Wonderful Life Filmed? Let’s Know This Fantasy Drama Film Closely!
The story of It’s a Wonderful Life is set in the small town of Bedford Falls. So, right at the beginning of this project, Capra and his team started scouting for filming locations in America that could eventually be used to depict the backdrop of a small American town.
At first, Capra and a couple of members of his team searched around various filming locations in North Carolina and Missouri. On the other hand, a secondary team was looking for suitable shooting locations in and around the state of Pennsylvania.
However, when both teams didn’t couldn’t find any suitable locations which matched the description of the director, they returned to California. Capra spoke with other contemporary directors and took their advice.
Eventually, the director of It’s a Wonderful Life reviewed the shooting budget for the second time and then asked the production members to scout for filming locations in California.
Within a couple of months, the production members were able to locate a number of ideal shooting locations, which completely matched the background that Capra was looking for. Soon, the director checked the scouted locations in person and then made the final decision.
The principal photography of It’s a Wonderful Life began in the third week of April 1946 and continued till the end of July. Since Capra had to release the film in the same year, he asked the production members to complete the filming process quickly.
However, it didn’t necessarily affect the quality of the scenes. The shots came out absolutely brilliant, and it could hardly be distinguished while watching the movie.
Coming back to the filming locations of It’s a Wonderful Life, the majority of the outdoor scenes were captured in and around the city of Los Angeles. However, some minor scenes of the movie were also filmed in Culver City.
After the outdoor scenes were captured, the production members used a well-equipped studio located in Los Angeles and filmed the remaining interior scenes.
Let us now discuss in depth where was It’s a Wonderful Life filmed.
California | USA
The opening scene of the movie, where we see George’s house in the fictional town of Bedford Falls, was actually filmed in California. The production members used a medium-sized house located near Moreno Drive to capture the outdoor shots of George’s home.
Other important scenes, however, were mostly captured in and around the city of Beverly Hills. The sequences depicting the dance contest in the movie were filmed inside Beverly Hills High School, located at 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, California.
The production members set up a floating stage on the pool and captured the sequences of the moving gymnasium floor shown in the movie. The sequences depicting the outdoor studio set of Bedford Falls town were captured inside RKO Encino Ranch.
This famous filming location in California is located between Balboa Blvd and Burbank Blvd, Encino, Los Angeles. Over the years, a number of critically acclaimed filmmakers have used this facility to capture some brilliant outdoor scenes for their films and shows.
So, after the outdoor scenes of It’s a Wonderful Life were shot, the production members moved to the next filming location. The remaining interior sequences of the movie were captured inside RKO-Pathe Studios, located at 9336 Washington Blvd, Culver City.
The shooting process of It’s a Wonderful Life ended by the final week of July 1946, after which the production members started working on the promotion of the film.
Ok, now let me give you an overview of It’s a Wonderful Life. Meanwhile, you can also read How To Restore Deleted Instagram Story, Prospect, and The Boondocks.
Plot Of It’s A Wonderful Life | What’s It About
The basic premise of It’s a Wonderful Life is centered around the character of George Bailey, a middle-aged American man who is dissatisfied with his boring life. At the very beginning of the film, the lead character appears to be disappointed after he is underestimated by his friends.
As the story progresses further, the lead actor eventually walks up to his wife and talks about the problems he seems to be facing for the past couple of years. The next day, a heavenly angel miraculously appears in front of George. The lead actor gets startled by the appearance of the spirit but soon understands its main goal.
Watch It’s a Wonderful Life and find out how George is finally able to appreciate his life after meeting with the angel.
Final Words
Friends, if you haven’t watched this fantastic movie, make sure to watch it with your family this weekend. I am sure you’re going to have a great time. I’ve already mentioned all the filming locations of this movie so that it’s easier for you to spot them the next time you watch this amazing movie.
If you have any more questions regarding where was It’s a Wonderful Life filmed, let us know in the comments section below.
