It's a Wonderful Life Child Actor Dies

Bob Anderson, who played the young George Bailey in flashback scenes of 1946's It's a Wonderful Life, has died at the age of 75, BBC News reports.



When Frank Capra cast him in the role of Jimmy Stewart's younger counterpart, he was just 12 years old. One of the movie's most famous scenes features a young George Bailey being slapped about the ear by his drunken, but tormented boss, played by H.B. Warner. "He actually bloodied my ear. My ear was beat up, and my face was red and I was in tears. At the end when it was all over, he was very lovable. He grabbed me and hugged me, and he meant it," Anderson recalled.

Aside from It's a Wonderful Life, Anderson also acted in 1940's Young People, with Shirley Temple, and 1945's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. In the 1950s, Anderson moved behind the camera - first as second assistant director, and finally as production manager of films and television.

Anderson also served in the United States Navy during the Korean War, as a photographer on aircraft carriers.

It's a Wonderful Life has endured as a classic piece of celluloid. In 2006, it topped the AFI's list of the 100 Most Inspirational Films.