Frank Capra was a sweet, unassuming man whose genuineness was evident even in a short meeting. In late October 1979, Capra and James Stewart were in Salt Lake City for the Utah-U.S. Film Festival (which later evolved into the Sundance Film Festival, now held each January in Park City).

Though I was not yet the full-time film critic at the Deseret News, I did cover some festival activities and had an opportunity to briefly meet Capra and Stewart at a reception. They were very gracious and it was a momentous event in my life, though to them I was just another blur in the sea of young faces that surrounded them.And during that festival I saw "It's a Wonderful Life" on the big screen for the first time. I had seen it on television, but its impact in a theater full of people was much greater and it made a real impression.

A few years later, shortly after Christmas, a letter ran in the Deseret News Forum section from a man who had recently been laid off and was feeling quite despondent. In his letter, he wrote that he took his family to the Avalon Theater, which was showing "It's a Wonderful Life" for free (something Avalon owner Art Proctor still does each year around Christmastime). He said the film uplifted him and rekindled his spirit. His letter was intended as a "thank you" to Proctor for showing it and to Capra and Stewart for making it.

Remembering how gracious Capra had been to all of us during that film festival in 1979, I badgered festival employees for Capra's address, clipped the letter from the paper and sent it to him with a short note.

Though I didn't expect a reply, a few weeks later, there in my mail was a note from Capra thanking me for passing the letter along, saying it had made his day. His "thanks" was written on a photograph, which, needless to say, is a personal treasure.

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Frank Capra is gone now, but he will never be forgotten, not as long as "It's a Wonderful Life" and the many other wonderful films he made are available for new generations of filmgoers.

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