Bedford Falls 90210

Hollywood classic finds new life on the stage

Comments (0) By Clay McNear Thursday, Dec 4 2008

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A few things you might not know about Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, the quintessential “Christmas film”: 1) the name Bedford Falls was combined from two New York towns, Bedford Hills and Seneca Falls; 2) the snowy scenes were shot on a Hollywood backlot during a heat wave; 3) the gym-slash-swimming pool at the dance was located at Beverly Hills High School; 4) Shannen Doherty-era Beverly Hills 90210 aped the movie in one of the most execrable TV episodes of all time, 1992’s It’s a Totally Happening Life; 5) both Donna Reed and James Stewart reprised their roles for radio in the 1940s; 6) speaking of which, there's a theatrical version of the flick, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Written by Joe Landry (Reefer Madness, Hollywood Babylon) and produced by Arizona Theatre Company, the play re-envisions the story as a 1940s-era live radio broadcast. Alas, no Reed or Stewart.
Thu., Dec. 4, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Dec. 5, 8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 6, 4 & 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 7, 1 & 4 p.m., 2008