It’s that time of year again where we cozy on the couch after a long day and put on our favorite holiday movies. And if your favorite Christmas movie happens to be the 1946 black and white classic It’s a Wonderful Life, you may not realize that a little town Upstate is responsible for inspiring the film, or so it’s believed. The charming little town of Seneca Falls, New York has long been considered an inspiration to the iconic movie.
Though the entire film was actually shot in California, the movie takes place in a fictional town known as “Bedford Falls.” However, anyone who has been to Seneca Falls can immediately draw upon the similarities between the movie’s setting and Seneca Falls’ similar architecture, from the steel bridge to its Victorian homes. Not to mention, it’s rumored that film director, Frank Capra, spent time in Seneca Falls while working on the screenplay.
A plaque currently residing on the steel bridge in Seneca Falls honors a man, Antonio Varacalli, whose story is even believed to have changed the direction of It’s a Wonderful Life. Varacalli had sacrificed his life to save a drowning girl in the canal. This is parallel to the famous scene in the movie when George Bailey jumps into the water to save a drowning Clarence. The town still honors Varacalli for his heroism today.
There are so many similarities between Seneca Falls and the fictional town that residents even claim it’s the real-life Bedford Falls. However, Capra has never officially confirmed that the fictional town was inspired by Seneca Falls.
If you plan on visiting this winter, there’s even an entire museum in the town dedicated to the movie called the Seneca Falls It’s A Wonderful Life Museum.
Moreover, Vogue just declared Seneca Falls one of the best Christmas towns in the country!