Actors Karolyn Grimes and Jimmy Hawkins were just kids when they found themselves in the bright spotlight after appearing in the now-iconic 1964 holiday film "It’s a Wonderful Life."
In celebration of the season, Paramount has restored the film, to be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. It was only fitting that Grimes (Zuzu Bailey) and Hawkins (Tommy Bailey) reunited for an interview with Fox News to share their favorite movie moments.
Revisiting those early days, the two child stars, not even 5 at the time of filming, recalled one particular incident that has kept them amused for decades.
It was the day of the wrap party, which was a group picnic by a lake. A highlight of the event was a watermelon contest, which Hawkins insists he won despite having his claim long disputed by Grimes. Much later, evidence emerged to prove Hawkins was right.
"We were at a special screening at the Academy," he recalled. "They said, 'We have a surprise for you.' And I said: 'Oh, well, that's great. I like to be surprised.' And up pops nine minutes of this picnic. Whoever shot it must have liked us Bailey kids because there's a lot of footage of us. And footage of me winning the watermelon contest."
There were many other special memories made during filming for "It’s a Wonderful Life." Working alongside James Stewart was one of them. Grimes remembered a small but meaningful moment when she was feeling ill and messed up her lines.
"Jimmy Stewart said: 'That's OK, Karolyn. You'll get it right next time.' We did the scene again and I got the line perfectly. I’ll tell you, it was really good for my ego and my self-confidence," she said. "He really gave me a pat on the back there, and I'll never forget that. He was a wonderful, wonderful man. He touched a lot of lives, just being him."
Director Frank Capra also left a lasting impression on the two co-stars. "He was very kind," Grimes said. "He'd get down on his knees and look us in the eyes. On our level, so that he could get us to do what he wanted us to do. It worked every time. It really did."
Capra was also very patient, Hawkins said.
"I had asked him one time, 'What was the most difficult scene to shoot in the movie?' And he said, 'It was the one with you kids,' Hawkins said.
It was not that the children were difficult, Capra explained to Hawkins, there was just a lot going on around him. From piano-pounding to burping, persistent questions and "all these funny things going on," but it was all part of the fun and the scene did get shot.
"He wanted them to laugh with you, and the scene really turned out perfect," Hawkins said. "You just go, 'That's the way families are,' and he captured that. He was doing a balancing act, he felt. But it turned out great... It was a great scene and he did a wonderful job. He really was a great man."
Of all the experiences on set, the most special part of filming "It’s a Wonderful Life" was the friendships forged, the two stars agreed.
"The thing you remember most is years after the movie, how when you run into Jimmy Stewart, or — I had the pleasure of working with Donna Reed years later, too, — and how nice they were," Hawkins said. "They were just very nice people. And very giving. That's the best memory you can take away from doing a picture at four-and-a-half years of age. These people were very nice. Very, very nice."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.