It Happened One Christmas

It Happened One Christmas

Mary Bailey Hatch

Henry F. Potter

George Hatch

Clara Oddbody

Uncle Willie

Mr. Gower

Ma Bailey

Peter Bailey

Martini

Ernie Baker

Harry Bailey

Sassini (as Gene Conforti)

Officer Bert Andrews

Judge

Cousin Tillie

Doctor

Helen Bailey

Toll Keeper (as Dan Barrows)

Nick

Bank Examiner (as James E. Brodhead)

Petey Bailey

(uncredited)

Sam Wainwright

Zuzu Hatch

Man at Party (uncredited)

Mary, age 12 (uncredited)

Orson Welles plays the villain, Henry F. Potter. Potter was played in the original It's a Wonderful Life (1946) by Lionel Barrymore. Barrymore played the role of "Ebeneezer Scrooge" on annual broadcasts of "A Christmas Carol" on Welles' Campbell Playhouse radio show. Barrymore had to back out of the 1941 broadcast due to illness, and was replaced by Welles.

The title is a reference to on It Happened One Night (1934), and this TV movie is a remake of It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Both films were directed by Frank Capra

When the townspeople sing Auld Lang Syne in the Baily/Hatch house, there is no attempt to sync the song with their lip movement.

Mary (Marlo Thomas) refers to her family's Building and Loan as a savings and loan twice, once in the taxi in the in the "run on the bank" scene, and another time near the end in the "Merry Christmas Bedford Falls" scene. Other times in the film, she correctly refers to the company as the Building and Loan. Savings and loans did exist at the time period in which this film takes place. She just got the name wrong a couple of times.