It Happened One Christmas 46 years old

It's Christmas Eve 1944 in the small town of Bedford Falls, New York. A despondent and suicidal Mary Bailey Hatch is praying for guidance on what to do about an incident no fault of her own which threatens her name and the community standing of her longtime family business, the Bailey Building and Loan, which she took over after the passing of her father. What Mary does not know is that most in town, including her husband George Hatch and their children, are also praying for her. All the prayers are heard by Joseph, God's gatekeeper of prayers. As there are no other angels available on such a busy day, Joseph assigns Clara Oddbody, angel second class (i.e. she has yet to receive her wings), to Mary's case, which he reluctantly does as Clara has never been assigned a case on her own in the two hundred years she's been in heaven for good reason.

Credits

It Happened One Christmas Cast

Name Character
Cloris Leachman She was 51, now 97 years old as Clara Oddbody
Richard Dysart He was 48, 86 years old when he died as Peter Bailey
Doris Roberts She was 52, 90 years old when she died as Ma Bailey
Orson Welles He was 62, 70 years old when he died as Henry F. Potter
Marlo Thomas She was 40, now 86 years old as Mary Bailey Hatch
Dick O'Neill He was 49, 70 years old when he died as Mr. Gower
Karen Carlson She was 32, now 79 years old as Violet
Wayne Rogers He was 44, 82 years old when he died as George Hatch

It Happened One Christmas Crew

Name Department
Philip Van Doren Stern as Story. He was 77 (83) years old when He died Writing
Lionel Chetwynd as Writer. He was 37 (now 84) years old Writing
Marlo Thomas as Producer. She was 40 (now 86) years old Production
Donald Wrye as Director. He was 43 (80) years old when He died Directing
Carole Hart as Producer. Production
It Happened One Christmas poster
It Happened One Christmas (46 years)

  • Release day: Sunday, December 11, 1977
  • Runtime: 109 minutes