logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
57 m

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) and Saving ...

Simon Brew
About this episode

Ah, It's A Wonderful Life. A Christmas classic, that managed to basically bankrupt the production company of its director, and also lose money at the box office. In fact, were it not for an admin error, there's a good chance it wouldn't be regarded as arguably the best Christmas movie of all time. One that was targeted for original release in January. Lots to chat about here.


A fair amount to talk about with 2013's Saving Mr Banks too, a movie script that Disney reportedly nearly bought simply to stop anyone else making the film. After all, Walt Disney is a key character in the movie - and Disney had hardly been keen to make a Walt Disney biopic before. Had the project been developed in-house, it likely wouldn't have happened at all.


Stories of both are told in this episode...


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 7
The Godfather Part III (1990) and Clueless (1995)
Nearly 500 episodes in, and the Film Stories podcast finally arrives at a Godfather film. Specifically, The Godfather Part III, a fascinating project whose behind the scenes story went on for over a decade. The number of attempts to get the film made climbed into double figures, ... Show More
1h 10m
Jul 4
In conversation with Ilya Naishuller: Heads Of State, Hardcore Henry, Nobody and more
In a very special episode of the Film Stories podcast, director Ilya Naishuller joins Simon to talk about his new film, Heads Of State. Thing is, they talk about a hell of a lot of other things too before they get there. Nunchuks, sausages, Hardcore Henry, grief, CG on a pint of ... Show More
58m 22s
Jun 30
Aladdin (1992) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze (1991. Includes sausages.
1992's Aladdin is one of Disney's most successful animated films. There have been sequels. There's been a live action remake. A Broadway show. Yet on one point in 1991, a day known during the production as 'Black Friday', things went very wrong. And the creative team had less tha ... Show More
1h 3m
Recommended Episodes
May 2020
Ep 17 - Brave
This one's for all the gingers out there as Ellie's pick has us reviewing our 2nd Pixar film to this point in Brave   Ellie,  Georgia, Ethan, and Ian debate at length the importance of a fishing montage when the goal of the film is to prevent someone being a bear long-term, why i ... Show More
1h 57m
Nov 2021
Ep 71 - The Nightmare Before Christmas
What's This? What's This? There's powder everywhere. Join your favourite Disney podcasting crew – Ian, Liam, and Georgia - as we review the most popular film that intersects the Venn Diagram of Christmas and Halloween in The Nightmare Before Christmas.  We're taking 12 photograph ... Show More
2h 2m
Sep 2021
A Preview of What A Cartoon Movie for The Lion King
The Talking Simpsons Network ends its summer of Disney Renaissance films in stirring fashion with the biggest film of that era, The Lion King. In this extended preview, we dig into how this film came to be over a veeeerry complicated development, how it is entwined with the caree ... Show More
47m 43s
Oct 2022
Disney's Frozen
Disney's smash hit Frozen, or Walt Disney's frozen? The question on everyone's mind. Dani discusses the conspiracy behind the movie and the body and why the Disney corporation would want to distract us. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_(2013_film) https://www.britannica.com/b ... Show More
38m 39s
Jul 2021
Disney's Live-Action Movies: The Good, the Bad, and the Unnecessary
Disney has already pulled on our nostalgic heartstrings with live-action versions of classic animated movies like Aladdin, Cinderella, and The Lion King (just to name a few), and many more are in development. On this week's episode, we're taking a closer look at these remakes and ... Show More
40m 38s
Dec 2021
It’s A Wonderful Premiere
Festive favourite 'It’s a Wonderful Life' originated as a short story transcribed into Christmas cards by its author Philip Van Doren Stern. But it received disappointing box office returns following its premiere on 20th December, 1946 - and was not considered ‘a classic’ for dec ... Show More
11m 50s
Apr 2015
Janeane Garofalo, Brad Bird and Really Smart Cartoons
Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles and Ratatouille, first caught the attention of Disney after making his first animated film at age 14. Now one of the premier filmmakers in the Pixar camp, Bird is going live-action with the upcoming blockbuster Tomorrowland, based on the Dis ... Show More
50m 58s
Mar 2021
376 Justice League Leaks & Small Details That Ruin Movies
Visit bigsandwich.co for a bonus weekly show, exclusive movie commentaries, early stuff and ad-free podcast feeds for $9 per month. My goodness. It''s very nearly time for Zack Snyder's Justice League and interpretation for this Warner Brothers leaked the movie for some reason. I ... Show More
1h 37m
Mar 2021
Flashback - Titanic
My heart will go on. « Titanic », c’est le blockbuster des blockbuster. Une des plus belles histoires d’amour jamais écrites et réalisées au cinéma, sur un fond d’histoire et de politique, le drame des habitant.e.s du paquebot est à voir et à revoir. La production est monstrueuse ... Show More
39m 38s
Dec 2020
Hollywood Is at War with Itself. Plus: The Inaugural “You Blew It!” Movie Awards.
The fallout from Warner Bros.' HBO Max announcement is still rippling through Hollywood. Sean and Amanda talk about the responses from Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, producers at other studios, agencies, and fans. Then, they use the announcement of a glut of new film and TV ... Show More
1h 28m