'It's a Wonderful Life' star reminisces about Christmas classic, calls Lake Shastina home

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Christmas is the busiest time of the year for Karolyn Grimes as she travels around the country warming audiences' hearts with her behind-the-scenes memories of the timeless holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life" and its life-affirming message.

Grimes, 81, portrayed the role of the adorable Zuzu Bailey, the daughter of Jimmy Stewart's character, George Bailey, when she was 6 years old. Movie fans know her for delivering one of the more memorable lines: "Look, daddy. Teacher says, 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.'"

Last week, she was in the small Finger Lakes town of Seneca Falls in western New York. It's a place that's like a second home to her.

The town is believed to have inspired director Frank Capra's Bedford Falls in the movie.

Grimes, who lives in Lake Shastina in Siskiyou County, has traveled back and forth to Seneca Falls since 2002. The movie marks 75 years since its release in 1946.

Karolyn Grimes poses for fan photos at the annual It’s a Wonderful Life Festival in Seneca Falls.
Karolyn Grimes poses for fan photos at the annual It’s a Wonderful Life Festival in Seneca Falls.

Over lunch last Monday, a day after the town wrapped up a five-day festival celebrating the anniversary, Grimes spoke to the Record Searchlight about the lasting impact the film has had on her life.

"There's a lot of people that would like to see a sequel but you just can't mess with the real art," Grimes said. "A remake wouldn't be a success."

She is among a handful of living cast members. Two others are Carol Coombs, 86, who played the role of Janie Bailey, and Jimmy Hawkins, 80, who played 4-year-old Tommy Bailey. All three, including Grimes, were cast as the Bailey children.

Grimes explained in an excerpt from her book "Zuzu Bailey's 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cookbook" how Hawkins and Coombs have become close to her, like a brother and sister. The remaining Bailey kids from the movie went on to have productive lives.

Hawkins became an actor and producer and was a co-star with Elvis Presley in two musicals, "Girl Happy" and "Spinout," according to IMDb, an online database. Coombs has been married since 1957 and has met with Hawkins and Grimes for "It's a Wonderful Life" fan events since the 1990s.

Grimes has a schedule that is jammed with events and tours from September until Christmas Eve. She makes guest appearances in at least 16 towns across the country to commemorate the film that brought her fame.

"I go all around the country to do different venues but this one in Seneca Falls is the only one I do every year," Grimes said.

The only other film Grimes said comes close to "It's a Wonderful Life" is another holiday film she acted in called "The Bishop's Wife," which stars Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven.

What you may not know about the Christmas classic

It was filmed during the summer in Los Angeles and required Hollywood trickery to create a winter setting.

While "It's a Wonderful Life" was set in a snowy, small town, the movie was filmed in several locations throughout Los Angeles. The visual effects used to create a snowy, East Coast town is the reason "It's a Wonderful Life" won its only Academy Award for Technical Achievement.

"Everyone had on wool coats and they were sweating," Grimes said. "As a kid I didn't notice. There's a tremendous interest in those stories because it's Christmas and the fans want to hear it and I'm thrilled to share it because I'm proud to be in that movie."

Grimes was unaware that she was working with famous Hollywood actors.

Walking on the set and seeing famed Academy Award winners like Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore didn't intimidate Grimes. Grimes credited her mother, Martha, with helping her enjoy working on set with the star-studded cast.

"I was just a little kid and my mom kept me from realizing that I was working with stars," Grimes said. "I didn't even know what a movie star was. They protected me from all that. I just saw them as regular people and I liked them a lot."

Stewart was starring in his first movie since serving as a combat pilot during World War II in Germany.

"He was George Bailey in real life and so it was an easy part for him to play," Grimes said. "He helped a lot of people through bad times that no one knows about. Nothing like that was ever publicized, but he did so many good things for people that needed help."

The movie didn't have an immediate positive reception when it came out in 1946.

"It was many years before it took on," Grimes said.

But what may have changed the movie's course was when in 1974, it entered the public domain. It grew in popularity after it could be shown for free by television stations across the country.

Grimes believes the serious tone also hindered the film's immediate potential.

"People weren't ready for that story," Grimes said. "It was right after World War II and the people wanted to be entertained. They wanted to laugh and this movie is a dark movie if you think about it. It's about a man who is considering committing suicide."

A message that endures

The movie's message continues to resonate with audiences 75 years later. Grimes said the sprovides a lesson on how small acts of kindness can leave a large, positive and lasting impact.

She has watched the film hundreds of times and still cries. Her favorite line is when George's brother Harry raises his glass and says "To my brother, George — the richest man in town" during the last scene of the movie. She explained how it's a moment of self-realization for Bailey, as he watches people whose lives he has touched come to his aid.

Inspired by the movie's lessons as well as those in her own life, Grimes has given motivational speeches. She now uses Facebook to mentor people who are dealing with emotional stress.

Karolyn Grimes played Zuzu in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life."
Karolyn Grimes played Zuzu in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life."

Grimes' online site talks about how her acting career was cut short in her teens after her mother and father died and she was sent to live in Osceola, Missouri. Her youngest son died by suicide when he was 18 years old, and her second husband — in a marriage that lasted 25 years — died of lung cancer, according to the online biography.

She uses "It's a Wonderful Life" as a way to lift people's spirits during the holidays.

"I use the film as a background to make them feel better about themselves," Grimes said. "I'm thankful I have that and I'm thankful for the opportunity to actually talk to people and make a difference in their lives."

'We can make a difference'

Three years ago, she moved to Siskiyou County.

Grimes spoke of how she saw a resemblance in the neighbors and first responders that evacuated her and the characters who were depicted in the family classic when the Lava Fire burned close to her Lake Shastina home this past summer.

The lightning-sparked fire, fueled by strong winds and the drought gripping California, destroyed more than a dozen homes and burned through 26,400 acres

"It's like a small town where people rally around each other and it's really lovely living here," Grimes said. "There's a camaraderie where everyone looks after everyone else and this summer was really dreadful with the fires. The people were concerned about their neighbors and it was beautiful."

Karolyn Grimes, left, and Jimmy Stewart in a scene from Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life."
Karolyn Grimes, left, and Jimmy Stewart in a scene from Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life."

Grimes is expected to be back in California for Christmas with her husband, Chris Brunell, who works as a clinical psychologist for Native American tribes in Siskiyou County.

The couple moved to the North State in 2018 after living in Seattle for 20 years.

"If you think about the struggles that George Bailey went through, it's no different than the struggles any of us go through," Grimes said. "We don't realize how we affect people's lives and how we can make a difference.

"So when we watch this movie, we realize we can make a difference. We sit back, watch this movie and we realize that we do actually have a wonderful life."

Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Karolyn Grimes reminisces on anniversary of 'It's a Wonderful Life'