Continuity mistake: In a scene early on in the film, where George Bailey (James Stewart), Bert (Ward Bond) and Ernie (Frank Faylen) chat in the street, they suddenly stop due to the appearance of Violet (Gloria Grahame) in her "this is what I wear when I don't care how I look" dress. The camera cuts back to them and we see a dark haired woman in a hat pass in front of Ernie's taxi. As Violet crosses the street and gets honked at, we see another shot of the boys staring after her - and the dark haired woman passes in front of the taxi again.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Plot summary
Directed by: Frank Capra
Starring: James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers
George Bailey (Stewart) has so many problems that he is thinking about ending it all - and on Christmas! As the angels discuss George, the film shows his life in flashbacks. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence (Travers). Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn't been for all his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget about suicide?
More mistakes in It's a Wonderful Life
Little Violet: I like him.
Little Mary: You like every boy.
Little Violet: What's wrong with that?
Trivia: The opening credits list a copyright date of 1947, but distributor RKO rushed IAWL into theaters December 20 1946, to replace 'Sinbad the Sailor' whose Technicolor prints were not ready. It went into general release January 1947. The rush probably cost Capra and his partners their indie studio Liberty Films, whose first production opened in a record blizzard back east and failed to make back its money; it also wound up losing out at the Oscars against a powerful postwar drama 'The Best Years of Our Lives' rather than facing a much weaker Oscar field in 1947. Then again, confusion over its copyright date seems to have allowed it to slip into public domain for about 20 years from 1973, leading to its constant (cost-free) play at Christmas time, cementing its reputation as America's favorite holiday movie.
Question: Why does George keep saying "Hot dog" after wishing for a million dollars and then using the lighter?
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Answer: It was a common phrase at the time, like someone saying "oh boy!" or "hot damn."