Free screenings of "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Donna Reed Theatre, December 19

See It's a Wonderful Life as it was meant to be viewed – on the big screen. On Sunday, December 19, the classic holiday movie, staring Denison native Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart, will be shown twice – at 3:30 p.m. and at 7 p.m. at the Donna Reed Theatre. Free admission.

Two displays related to the movie are now on exhibit at the Donna Reed Heritage Museum. A miniature replica of Bedford Falls returns to the front window for a limited showing. The HO scale replica was built by model building enthusiast from the Quad Cities area and, for several years, was displayed by the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center in Davenport, Ia. before being donated to the Donna Reed Foundation.

Also on display are movie-related items from the Donna Reed Collection. They include a letter to pen pal Violet Lindsey that mentions the upcoming filming of the movie; daily call sheets that detail what was involved in the filming of a various scenes; an invitation from director Frank Capra to a screening of the movie; and the review of the movie which appeared in Variety. Of particular interest are photos of a snow-making process developed especially for this film. The process replaced the practice of using painted cornflakes for falling snow.