Here, a sign welcomes you to Seneca Falls, the town which many people think was director Frank Capra’s inspiration for the fictional Bedford Falls in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Christian Johnston
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It’s a wonderful life indeed in Seneca Falls, where the resemblance to the film’s fictional Bedford Falls is evident as you ride along the main drag.
Christian Johnston
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Fall Street’s Zuzu Cafe is named for the youngest daughter in the classic film.
Christian Johnston
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In this scene from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey is paid a visit by a guardian angel, Clarence, who tries to convince him not to take his life by jumping off this bridge.
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On the Seneca Falls Bridge (a.k.a. Bridge Street Bridge), this old plaque describes how the village of Seneca Falls may have inspired the fictional Bedford Falls.
Christian Johnston
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Seeing the old mill town’s piece de resistance, pictured here, it’s easy to see how this steel-truss bridge may have inspired Capra to recreate it in the film.
Christian Johnston
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This plaque on the bridge honors a man who saved a suicidal woman from drowning — much like George Bailey! — in 1917. However, Jeanine Basinger, who wrote “The It’s a Wonderful Life Book,” notes that key plot element comes from “The Greatest Gift,” a 1943 short story by Philip Van Doren Stern that was originally optioned by RKO as a vehicle for Cary Grant.
Christian Johnston
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In this scene from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey sits at Martini’s Bar and wonders how he’ll come up with the money his uncle Billy lost.
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Here, Antonina’s Restaurant and Bar in Seneca Fall’s is the “real” Martini’s Bar.
Christian Johnston
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It’s a Wonderful Life” plays 24/7 in the lobby of the Clarence, a landmark renamed for the angel who saves George Bailey in the movie. Locals hope the $6 million renovation of the Clarence will work a similar miracle for Seneca Falls, which has fallen on hard times during the recession.
Christian Johnston
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Various signs, including this one here, are named after characters in the 1946 classic film.
Christian Johnston
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More than half the stores along Seneca Falls’ main street are empty, and Victorian bed-and-breakfasts like Barrister’s (pictured here), which closely resembles the house where the Baileys “lived” in the movie, could use the business next weekend’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” festival (therealbedfordfalls.com) brings.
Christian Johnston
