Posted on 06/07/2008 1:12:23 PM PDT by lunarbicep
Bob Anderson, who played George Bailey as a young boy in the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life," has died. He was 75. Anderson died Friday of cancer at his home in Palm Springs, his wife, Victoria, said Saturday.
Robert J. Anderson grew up in Hollywood to a movie family. His father, Gene, was an assistant director and later a production manager. His uncles were directors William Beaudine and James Flood and his brothers and cousins were editors and production managers.
Anderson's introduction to films began when he was literally snatched from his crib by relatives to appear in a movie scene that called for a baby, his wife said.
He was 7 when he appeared in the 1940 Shirley Temple film "Young People" and went on to appear in other movies such as 1945's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."
But he was best known for his role as the young Bailey in Frank Capra's 1946 "It's a Wonderful Life." In one scene, the story called for him to spot a potentially fatal error made by a drunken druggist, played by H.B. Warner.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Thanks for posting. I’ve seen this movie a hundred times and still cry. I know its schmaltzy but I love the Capra movies and this one always touches my heart. My son and I always have a good laugh about it too because we loved the Saturday night live version....
Bob was just a year older than me.
One of the best movies hollywood ever made, one of my favorites. The most memorialable scenes, was when he saved his younger brother that fell through the ice; and as a boy stood up to old man Potter. God rest his soul.
It is not schmaltzy. That’s your post-modern culture influence talking. It was a truly great movie that inspired most who watched it. There was plenty of reality in the movie. All was not rainbows and lollipops. But one truly decent man made a huge difference, and it was profoundly shown.
“I wish I had a million bucks! BINGO!!”
That scene remains vivid in my memory. I’ve always thought it was wonderfully done. Not a chance in today’s execrable Hollywood of preening doofuses.
I wonder what he looked like as an adult?
Would any adults from the movie be alive?
If this Bob Anderson was 13 or 14 during the filming I suppose the adult Violet, the adult brother, and the kid that opened the dance floor could be alive.
Any others? Any knowledge about who’s still alive?
The guy who played the bartender, Sheldon Leonard, who was also a big shot producer for the Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith shows, came to speak in Chicago about 4 years ago but has sinced died.
I wish I had gone.
Also, Jimmy Stewart was on book tour 10 or 15 years ago and I wish I’d seen him to. When he was signing at the Kroch’s and Bretano’s in the Loop, a black lady in line told an interviewer that she invested the time to come down because she “wanted to see George Bailey”.
IMDB keeps track of most actors deaths.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/fullcredits#cast
SAG might also have records.
That inage is a frame taken when he was telling Violet that he was a member of the National Geographic Society :-)
.JPG)
I wish I had a million dollars . . . Hot dog!
I forgot about George Baily’s kids. They very well could be alive.
(”Can’t you make those kids be quite? Why’d we have to have all these kids anyway?”)
CLOSE SHOT –– George and Mary at fountain.
GEORGE: Made up your mind yet?
MARY: I’ll take chocolate.
George puts some chocolate ice cream in a dish.
GEORGE: With coconuts?
MARY: I don’t like coconuts.
GEORGE: You don’t like coconuts! Say, brainless, don’t you know where coconuts come from? Lookit here –
– from Tahiti –– Fiji Islands, the Coral Sea!
He pulls a magazine from his pocket and shows it to her.
MARY: A new magazine! I never saw it before.
GEORGE: Of course you never. Only us explorers can get it. I’ve been nominated for membership in the
National Geographic Society.
He leans down to finish scooping out the ice cream, his deaf ear toward her. She leans over, speaking
softly.
CLOSE SHOT –– Mary, whispering.
MARY: Is this the ear you can’t hear on? George Bailey, I’ll love you till the day I die.
She draws back quickly and looks down, terrified at what she has said.
CLOSE SHOT –– George and Mary.
GEORGE: I’m going out exploring some day, you watch. And I’m going to have a couple of harems, and
maybe three or four wives. Wait and see.
He turns back to the cash register, whistling.
“Don’t like coconuts . . . Say, brainless . . .”
“George Bailey, I’ll love you til the day I die.”
Beat me to it, LOL! Thanks!
Actually, the guy who opened up the dance floor was Alfalfa of Little Rascals fame—he died a long time ago—murdered.
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