It Happened One Christmas is a 1977 made-for-television movie starring Marlo Thomas and Wayne Rogers. The film, a gender-reversal remake of the classic It's a Wonderful Life, centers on Mary Bailey Hatch, a young woman who dreams of seeing the world but is forced by circumstances to remain in her small hometown as head of the family's Building & Loan business. On one particular Christmas Eve, in a moment of financial crisis, a severely depressed Mary contemplates suicide but is rescued by her guardian angel, Clara Oddbody, who shows her the positive effect she's had on everyone she's met... throughout her life. Lionel Chetwynd's teleplay, directed by Donald Wrye, varies little from the original screenplay, even using most of the original dialogue. The supporting cast includes Orson Welles, Cloris Leachman, Doris Roberts, Christopher Guest, C. Thomas Howell, Barney Martin, Richard Dysart, Karen Carlson, Cliff Norton, and Archie Hahn. Leachman received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special. Thomas served as executive producer for the project.
more