1946 It's a Wonderful Life Lobby Card Complete Set First Release Christmas

Date: 1946 
Artist: Unknown 
Size (in): 14” x 11” (8) 
Size (cm): 35.5 x 28
Condition: A/A-
Linen backed: N/A

This is a complete set of eight vintage original lobby cards for the 1946 first American release of the beloved Frank Capra directed Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life.  Lobby cards for the 1946 first American relase of It’s A Wonderful Life were issued in two types, a blue set and green set.  These lobby cards are the rarer blue set.  The two different sets of lobby cards are otherwise identical other than the blue or green background shading color.  

This film really needs no introduction but it has a more interesting backstory than most people realize. First, the film received mixed reviews and had lackluster box office ticket sales resulting in a loss of over $500,000 for RKO following the film’s initial release in December 1946. Although not a commercial success initially the movie was nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Picture but was largely forgotten soon after.

Copyrights were not renewed and the film lapsed into the public domain. Once in the public domain It’s a Wonderful Life began to appear regularly on television in the 1970s and enjoyed a rebirth not only becoming the Christmas classic loved by millions today but also widespread recognition as one the greatest movies ever made. The rebirth of the movie 30 years after its disappointing initial release came as a great surprise to the film’s director Frank Capra who told the Wall Street Journal in 1984 "It's the damnedest thing I've ever seen. The film has a life of its own now, and I can look at it like I had nothing to do with it. I'm like a parent whose kid grows up to be President. I'm proud ... but it's the kid who did the work. I didn't even think of it as a Christmas story when I first ran across it. I just liked the idea.”

The film was distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and starred James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and Henry Travers among others. The movie is a mainstay on the AFI’s periodic lists of the 100 Greatest American Movies Of All Time and was No. 1 on AFI’s 1998 America’s Most Inspiring Movies list and is included in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

This vintage original fully complete set of eight lobby cards from the film’s 1946 first American release is in excellent condition with no writing, no tape, no stains and only light handling wear and modest toning from age.  These lobby cards look pretty well unused. Overall condition is excellent.  GoldenAgePosters offers a lifetime guarantee of authenticity and a letter of authenticity can be provided upon request.