No Christmas story starts out as a classic. And the road to classic status is often a long one filled with unexpected turns. It's a Wonderful Life wasn't a big success when it debuted in 1947. It wasn't until a quirk of American copyright law gave it a second life on television in the 1970s that it earned its place as a cornerstone of Christmas cinema. Movie critic and author Alonso Duralde joins in this episode. 

Links

Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, by Alonso Duralde

Music

• "Bipolar Christmas" — pftq, via SoundCloud
• "Wonder Cycle" — Chris Zabriskie, via Free Music Archive
• "Continue Life" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Luminous Rain" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist

Connect with Me

• Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links
• Email: [email protected]

Books

Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life.

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)