When we first arrived at the Hollywood Palms Cimema we weren't sure what kind of a line to expect. However, we were quite surprised when we found ourselves to be the second couple in line and no Karolyn Grimes in sight. Then, as Dan made a quick run out to his car, he spotted a limo as it pulled up right behind his car. The lovely Karolyn Grimes stepped out and made her way into the theater.
We stood in the little line (that nearly doubled in size about 15 minutes later) and we watched Karolyn get set up and ready to meet her fans. Just before 2:00 p.m. she was all smiles and ready for her meet and greet to begin. By this point there were about 20 people in line to meet her.Karolyn had a lot of various photo prints to choose from. We found a lovely image that featured a large group of cast members, so we purchased it for her to sign.
I'm a nerd, I know, but I was excited to tell her that my first name was the exact same as hers! She was so cute when I told her too. "You're kidding! With a K?" She went on to say that in all her life she has met very few Karolyn's with a K - I felt special.
Just before 3:00 p.m. we went into our theater to watch the movie. Karolyn came in and introduced the film. She shared some fun stories, a few fun facts, and even took a few questions from the very-packed theater. Here are some things that she shared...1. Before filming It's a Wonderful Life, snow in Hollywood was made out of corn flakes, painted white. However, the loud crunch of the "snow" caused a lot of audio problems, so the creators of It's a Wonderful Life wanted some new "snow." So they created "snow" out of the foam that was used in fire extinguishers and ivory soap. So if you watch carefully, sometimes you'll see suds on the cars and dripping down lights, clothes, and buildings.
2. In the scene where George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) guides tipsy Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) towards his home, Uncle Billy stumbles off camera and you hear a loud bang and crash. Shortly after, Uncle Billy calls out, "I'm all right!" Well, it turns out, a crew member dropped a bunch of props and Thomas Mitchell was simply improving the scene. Instead of getting fired, like the crew member expected, he got a "big fat" $10 bonus!
3. Karolyn Grimes' favorite scene is when George Bailey is back on the bridge, praying, begging to live again... and just as he mentions "God" the snow starts to fall. Karolyn believes in faith, love, family, and miracles.
4. When George Bailey goes into Martini's for a drink, there is a young lady with a flower in her hair, sitting behind him, singing. Listen carefully! She was the original Snow White!
5. Jimmy Stewart's favorite scene from the movie was when George Bailey first prays to God in Martini's bar.
6. Jimmy Stewart was a war vet and it was placed in his movie contract that they couldn't use his military experience to promote the movie. Karolyn explains, he was a humble man and didn't want the special attention for his service.
7. Tommy Bailey (Jimmy Hwakins) burped a lot!
8. Karolyn Grimes grew up in California, so she was very excited about seeing "snow" on the set.
9. The film was made in 1946, Karolyn was six. "Save your fingers," Karolyn playfully instructed, "I'm 71."
10. Jimmy the Crow, is the same crow that flies into the scene where Dorothy meets the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. Apparently Jimmy the Crow was a high-demand crow actor.
After the movie was over and we made our way to the exit, we noticed that Karolyn's meet and greet line had certainly grown in size. There were at least 50+ guests of all ages waiting in line to meet her and get her autograph.
It was a wonderful experience! Especially with Christmas right around the corner.
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