Poems at Play “It’s “Poems at Play “It’s a Wonderful/#1-derful Life” – by Dr. Sue
Poems at Play is Dr. Sue’s rhyming, rapping, rhythmic review of public and private events.
“It’s a Wonderful/#1-derful Life” is inspired by the classic holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” We’ll begin with a few facts about the film, followed by my (Dr. Sue’s) somewhat satirical, sassy poem.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a 1946 film produced and directed by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and marvelous character actors.
The film was based on the story “The Greatest Gift” by Phillip Van Doren Stern (1943), and purchased as a star vehicle for Cary Grant, who never played the role.
The film flopped at the box office, and the studio failed to renew the copyright.
Then, wonder of wonders, the film found a new life on television and it became a beloved holiday classic! Today, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is considered one of the greatest films of all time, and every year it is watched by millions of adoring fans!
“It’s a Wonderful Life” tells the story of George Bailey (played by James Stewart) , an ambitious, talented man, who sacrifices his dreams to save his family and community. George is a tortured soul, and when his sacrifices seem in vain, he almost commits suicide. He is saved by a guardian angel, who shows him the nightmarish alternative reality if he had never existed. With new found insight, George embraces his life choices and realizes his own worth,
Aside from trusting in guardian angels, i believe that the ultimate success of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is largely based on the fact that the message (fulfillment through family and friends, self-sacrifice for the good of the community, and the value of a seemingly ordinary person) hit the right chord with family audiences gathered around the television Yule log.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of my favorite films. I hope you enjoy my sassy, satirical, rhyming rap homage to this holiday tradition!
Poems at Play “It’s a Wonderful/#1-derful Life” – by Dr. Sue
It's a Wonderful/#1-derful life
Look out for #1 or #2
#2 means you don’t take care of you
#1 is a banker who's a mean old Scrooge
With a sack of cash and an ego that's huge
In the movie he’s defective like Richard the Third
to put it plainly, he's a turd
#2 is the hero, George Bailey
#1-nnabe a wanderer, a wonder, and a hero
Stuck in his town and feeling like a #0
Saved his little brother who fell through the ice
George lost his hearing: #2’s sacrifice
Then he saved his bank lost his ticket to ride
Got a picket fence and a perfect bride
Gravity was something that he never defied
After years of slaving and saving the town
He jumped off a bridge and almost drowned
but an angel answered the power of prayer
he discovered what would happen if he hadn’t been there
He ran back home to his kids and his wife
and everyone knows it's a wonderful life
a holiday movie with a moral at the end
“a man is rich if he has friends”
now I'm not a hero or a #0
I love my friends and I am true
But money is a good thing for #1 and #2
my ego is midsized not mini, not large
Here is my poem, free of charge
- by Susan "Dr. Sue" Horowitz
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Susan (“Dr. Sue”) Horowitz, Ph.D.
Motivational Speaker-Author-Educator
Book: “Queens of Comedy” (Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller)
smashwords.com/books/view/219367
“Rainbow To Oz” A Modern Musical! RainbowToOz.com www.rainbowtooz.com