FBI once feared ‘It’s A Wondeful Life’ featured communist themes
"It's A Wonderful Life" didn't seem so wonderful to the FBI upon its initial release.
An FBI agent once feared the classic Christmastime movie featured communist propaganda, prompting him to file complaints to the government agency, according to the Smithsonian magazine.
The agent — whose identity was not been revealed — reviewed the beloved 1946 holiday flick as part a broader FBI campaign created to uncover communist influences in the movie business.
In his report on the film, the agent concluded "It's A Wonderful Life" used "two common tricks used by Communists to inject propaganda into the film," according to author John A. Noakes, who wrote an article about the FBI's connection to the movie.
One of those apparent tricks, Noakes explains, was the filmmakers inclusion of an antisocial capitalist banker, which the agent interpreted as a shot at American's values.
The other revolved around the movie highlighting turmoil and depression, which the agent considered a "subtle attempt to magnify the problems of the so-called 'common man' in society."
The FBI reportedly submitted these complaints to the House Un-American Activities Committee, but the HUAC never carried the case any further. Those connected to the movie were never contacted, and the movie was not subjected to any changes.
The film has since overcome mixed initial reviews to become a staple of American culture and the holiday season and is now widely considered one of the greatest movies in the history of cinema.
