I wonder if this is a little backstory that few people know about, but it's one of my favorite actor anecdotes, so here it is: James Stewart had just gotten out of the service in World War 2, and this was his first film upon his return. He later recalled that he had a lot of trouble with the script, memorizing his lines and stuff, whereas before he said that he'd only had to look at it once and he would know it. He was having a tough time adjusting after the war, and was seriously considering finishing It's a Wonderful Life and then quitting the acting business.

Noting Stewart's difficulties, director Frank Capra called in old pro Lionel Barrymore to give him a pep talk. He told Stewart that the most important thing was "not to apologize for not being in town the past four years." He told him not to make excuses, not to feel sorry for himself, but to just do it. He would be feeling around at some point, and Barrymore would come up and say something to help him out. Stewart said that, "It was wonderful for me...I'll always be grateful."

After hearing this story, one really must come to the conclusion that, without the help of Lionel Barrymore, It's a Wonderful Life may not be the movie we all know and love today, and the same goes for James Stewart's marvelous performance. He may very well have quit after that, too, and we wouldn't have all the classic Stewart films made after that. Just a few examples of this are Harvey, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Anatomy of a Murder.

As Potter said, "Do I paint a correct picture, or do I exaggerate?"