‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
Released in 1946, “It’s a Wonderful Life” became a beloved Christmas movie by accident. After the movie only made $3.3 million (on a $3.18 million budget) at the box office, RKO Radio Pictures didn’t bother renewing the film’s copyright. Once it entered the public domain, television channels started playing it regularly because it was free to air, and audiences fell in love with the story of George Bailey.