Amazon Prime Studios is under fire for shortening the classic Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life by cutting out the key scenes where George Bailey sees what life would have looked like if he was never born. The suggested reasons have varied from removing disturbing scenes for modern sensibilities to a copyright dispute.
I read once of a movie theater owner who wanted to show a doubleheader film with the Sound of Music but did not want over four hours of viewing…so he cut out all the songs.
For viewers, the impact is the same when the scene goes from the angel Clarence telling George he has to earn his wings to George running through the streets of Bedford Falls in his unrestrained happiness. There is reportedly no explanation of why he came to the epiphany.
One explanation is that the suicide scene is now considered too dark. There is also a suggestion that, even though the film is now in the public domain, there is a continuing copyright dispute over the struck scenes.
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