On paper, the story of "It's a Wonderful Life" might appeal to pulp-magazine addicts and people who don't know the truth about Santa Claus. On paper, it would hardly suggest to a normal mind that its transformation into movie form could do anything but heighten to the point of nausea its sentimental hokum and turn-of-the-century American idealism. On the screen, however, it becomes as entertaining, as moving, as funny and sad--in short, as fine a picture as ever came out of Hollywood.

This phenomenon can be traced most directly to James Stewart's performance and Frank Capra's direction. Stewart, as a fine, self-sacrificing, humanity-loving, small-town American, somehow manages to seem human. Although a list of his good deeds and worthy aims would put Skeezix to shame, you almost never get that sadistic hope which a saint-like character usually brings on, that overwhelming wish to see him kick an old woman down a flight of stairs or short-change a small boy. Instead, you like him as much as you like the worst heel Bogart ever played, and you're right with him all the way through the picture.

As for Capra's contribution, which includes co-authorship of the script, it is consistently brilliant, but at its most apparent best in a scene in which Stewart sees how things would be if he had never been born. Such touches of fantasy usually are done with the hero on the sidelines, peacefully observing what goes on. Capra makes the scene doubly effective by having Stewart right in its middle, not fully believing or understanding what's happening, and actually going through a desperate and painful experience. It is this combination of reality and fantasy, the merging of the elements of both without spoiling the effect of either, that Capra handles with perfect control, and moulds into a great scene.

Big as their share of the credit should be, Capra and Stewart couldn't have made "It a Wonderful Life" by themselves. It takes quite a supporting cast to seem good in the face of a performance as awesomely fine as Stewart's, but Donna Reed, Henry Travers, and Lionel Barrymore do so throughout. Barrymore, incidentally, is the villain of the piece, a senile banker who lives only to make everybody, especially Stewart, miserable. The plot of the picture consists of Stewart's battle to keep him from succeeding.