The timeless story follows George Bailey as he learns the true worth of his life after experiencing a world without him in it. However, some Amazon Prime Video users were shocked to find a truncated version of the film that omitted a pivotal sequence, described as the emotional heart of the movie by critics.
According to a report from the New York Post, viewers who stumbled upon this edited rendition expressed their discontent on social media, labeling it as “an abomination” and “sacrilege.”
Upon searching for the movie on Prime Video, users were presented with various options, including a black and white version, a colorized version, and a conspicuously labeled “abridged” version. This abridged edition boasted a condensed ending while promising to retain the sweetness and Christmas magic of the original.
It remains unclear whether Amazon recently added the “abridged” designation to this version of the film, and the company has yet to comment on the matter.
The missing sequence at the center of this controversy plays a pivotal role in the film, depicting George Bailey’s realization of his impact on his community as he witnesses the bleak transformation of Bedford Falls into a dystopian “Pottersville” in his absence.
Contrary to popular belief, the existence of this abridged version is not the result of Amazon’s editing but rather stems from the complex copyright history of the movie, as highlighted by the New York Post.
A blog post from the University of Connecticut’s law school delves into the film’s journey into the public domain due to a copyright oversight in 1974. This oversight inadvertently led to the widespread broadcast of “It’s a Wonderful Life” on television during the holiday season for many years without royalties.
In the 1990s, Republic Pictures reclaimed control of the film by asserting rights to the original story and musical score, prompting TV networks to cease airing the movie without proper authorization. The abridged version on Amazon Prime Video seems to be a workaround to avoid infringing on key elements of the copyrighted material.
