It's a Wonderful Life-More Behind the Scenes

I've posted about how Philip Van Doren Stern's Greatest Gift became It's a Wonderful Life.  But there are so many interesting behind the scenes connections to this film, I can't resist sharing some of them.

Wartime Connections
While our hero, George Bailey, was ineligible for service during WWII due to his damaged ear, his brother Harry became a Navy pilot and a war hero. Jimmy Stewart was a pilot in the US Army Air Force and flew 20 combat missions during the war. He became one of the few Americans to rise from private to colonel in only four years during WWII.

A Civil War historian, novelist and editor in his own right, Philip Van Doren Stern served as general manager for Armed Services Editions during WWII. Also known as ASE's, these inexpensive paperbacks were published from 1943-1947 and provided to servicemen on the front lines. Featured authors included William Faulkner, Zane Grey, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain and H.G. Wells.  ASE's were immensely popular with more than 123 million distributed among the troops during the war. I can't help but what wonder what ASE titles Jimmy Stewart might have had with him while he served.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones!

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