Strong and Moving!

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

"It's a Wonderful World" fits nicely in the group of comedy-crime films that The Thin Man series helped establish. As a comedy, though, it's very slow getting started. And, the crime aspects are much heavier and foreboding than in most films of this genre. The plot is interesting and a good one; but it seems to be a bit choppy in places. That may be due to the editing more than the direction. The story and screenplay by Ben Hecht are very good. Jimmy Stewart and Claudette Colbert give wonderful performances as Guy Johnson and Edwina Corday. The supporting cast adds a lot to this film. As some other reviewers have noted, Guy Kibbee has a fine role as Cap Streeter; and Nat Pendleton and Edgar Kennedy are excellent as police Sgt Koretz and Lt. Miller. The humor may be slow getting started, but the film makes up for it in some very funny scenarios. Colbert comes up with various schemes that help Stewart's character out of one jam after another. The funny scenes are peppered with occasional witty lines. In other scenes, the humor often comes from a single line here or there. I think Jimmy Stewart showed some of his acting skill in different scenes. Early on, he is foreboding and even has a frightening or menacing look when talking to Corday. This is an entertaining film that most should enjoy. Here are some funny lines I particularly enjoyed.Guy Johnson, "They're tame apples. You don't have to shoot 'em."Guy, "Now listen, stupid. I've committed a few crimes here and there, but I'm no criminal." Edwina, "It's all in the point of view, isn't it?"Guy, "Did you ever see anybody with a bullet hole through the head and his brains all leaking out?" Edwina, "Oh, you know, you're so sweet to worry about me like that."

Private detective Jimmy Stewart is sentenced to prison for helping a client accused of murder. On the train ride to the slammer, Stewart escapes. He takes poetess Claudette Colbert hostage as he tries to follow a lead that may exonerate his client. She's resistant at first but quickly becomes excited by the adventure and decides to help him.Fun screwball comedy with stars in top form and backed up by wonderful cast. Jimmy Stewart is great and has nice chemistry with Claudette Colbert, who's in her element in this type of movie. Good comedic support from Guy Kibbee, Nat Pendleton, and Edgar Kennedy. Frances Drake and Sidney Blackmer play the villains. The bit where Stewart poses as a scout leader is a hilarious highlight. An underrated gem.

I know I ought not to go crazy over this simple comedy, but pairing Claudette Colbert as a poetess who "swears by her eyes" with James Stewart - who goes all out to prove that the man, who's sentenced to die for a crime he didn't commit, is innocent - is totally an outrageous hoot. Claudette is kidnapped by James, when their paths cross, after his escape from a prison truck transferring him. She of course is missed and an APB is put out for her. But she fights with and of course falls for him. In all the excursions together, they tackle and tie up a Boy Scout when he's on to them, she says he's her fiancé when he's decked out in clothes too big for him and with glasses that make him look cross-eyed, and they wind up in a little theater group, when a clue for the real killer leads them there. Guy Kibbee is great in a supporting role, as a friend on the police force, who tries to help him out, but is only successful in being knocked or conked out three times in the movie. And, Guy's convinced if you throw a fit, you can plead insanity. "Oh no, that's them. I'm serious. Now throw a fit." Loopholes? Imperfections? Probably. Laugh-out-loud belly laughs? Silly antics? Incredible situations? A good time for all? Definitely. This is a prime example of a screwball comedy. It may not be in the same class as "Bringing Up Baby," but if you haven't seen "It's a Wonderful World." then you have missed one of the craziest and most delightful screwball comedies ever.

Was IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD hurt by the fact that it is difficult for me to imagine Jimmy Stewart as a hardball character, even a chauvinist, or was it helped by the fact that this movie would have been nothing without him? Granted, Claudette Colbert plays the poet, the hopelessly romantic dreamer, well, and that plays off Stewart's greed-driven detective splendidly.The detective, crime-solving part of the film is well done within its confines, Edgar Kennedy and Nat Pendleton are cast well as the rather slow-witted police. If this 1939 film had been made two and a half decades earlier, they would have fallen over each other, broken things, and caused ultraviolence in a Mack Sennett sort of way.) Guy Kibbee is, of course, perfect as the Stewart's partner. I will not spoil the ending, but I can say that as with all well-written screwball comedies, the film has a delightful way of meandering through situations and reaching a conclusion which satisfies.I don't know if this will help, but before viewing, I had to promise my wife that it was not that Christmas movie.