Frank Capra’s perennial festive favourite stars James Stewart as a desperate man offered salvation by an impish guardian angel.

George Bailey, a smalltown family man, is having a rough time. Just when he hits rock bottom, a guardian angel arrives to show George how his good deeds have had a positive influence on the lives of those around him and what life would have been like had he not existed. Frank Capra’s film didn’t immediately chime with critics and audiences. But over the decades, this beautifully crafted film, which features a number of standout performances, has come to be seen as a classic.