It Happened One Christmas airwaves on an annual basis, the remake slipped into obscurity. The reviews were mixed. After its initial airing a "New York Times" follow-up article revealed that Frank Capra, the director of the 1946 film "It's A Wonderful Life", had denounced the remake as "plagiaristic." The ratings, however, were good enough that it was rebroadcast on ABC twice, in 1978 and 1979. But by that time the original "It's A Wonderful Life" had begun its resurgence on television and eventually eclipsed the remake. "It Happened One Christmas" is rarely shown today, and has not, as of 2017, been issued on DVD.
It Happened One Christmas and the cinematography by Conrad Hall. The film premiered on Sunday, December 11, 1977, and was a rare instance when "The ABC Sunday Night Movie" showcased a made-for-television film rather than one that had been shown in theatres. It was the fourth-most watched prime time television program for the week, with a Nielsen rating of 27.5, or 20 million homes. "It Happened One Christmas" was first broadcast at a time when "It's a Wonderful Life" was rarely aired on television and, as a result, many viewers were unfamiliar with its source. However, once the original 1946 film returned to the