Nipper, the RCA Mascot

His Master's Voice was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd.  The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud which depicted a dog named Nipper listening to a wind-up disc gramophone and tilting his head.  The painting was famously used as the trademark and logo of the Victor Talking Machine Company, later known as RCA Victor. 

The name, Nipper came about because of a trait of his puppyhood which was his tendency to greet strangers by nipping their legs. The RCA dog named Nipper (1884-1895) belonged to Mark Barraud, Francis' brother who was decorator for a London theatre. The dog was born in Bristol, England.  He died of natural causes and was buried in a small park surrounded by magnolia trees. Nipper, commonly identified as a fox terrier was probably a terrier mix.  Some think he was a Jack Russell terrier.  No matter, he was adorable and will remain famous for his iconic pose. 

His Master's Voice (1898)

This trade

This trademark and the trademarked word, "Victrola" identify all our products.  Look under the id!  Look on the label!  

Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden N.J. 

Advertisement from 1921

The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer.  Victor was an independent enterprise until 1929 when it was purchased by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and became the RCA Victor Division of the Radio Corporation of America. 

The RCA Camden New Jersey plant was originally established as a recording studio and research laboratory under the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1907.  By 1911, it had becoma a large factory producing Victor's highly popular "Victrola" phonograph player. 

The Victor at One Market Place

Camden, New Jersey

Established in Camden, New Jersey, Victor was the largest and most prestigious firm of its kind in the world, best know for its use of the iconic "His Master's Voice" trademark, the design, production and marketing of the popular "Victrola" line of photographs and the company's extensive catalog of operatic and classical music recordings by world famous artists on the prestigious Red Seal label. Its origin dates back to 1902 and is currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment. 

Stained glass window from the Victor Company building in Camden, New Jersey 

showing Nipper listening to the gramophone now on display at the Smithsonian.

Left to Right: Richard Pillat, past president; Sandra Haughton, vice president;

Sandy Levins, president; Ron McHugh and Fred Barnum

Camden County Historical Society Board of Trustees

marvel at the fully assembled "His Master's Voice" window

from the Nipper Tower that was uncrated after decades

in storage. 

 

Ron McHugh, who personally has one of the region's largest collection of RCA artifacts, engineered the uncrating of the stained glass piece. Fred Barnum is author of His Master's Voice in America, the definitive history of RCA. 

The iconic image begins to fully emerge as Barnum and McHugh fit the pieces together, assisted by Society volunteer, James Bennett.  In the early 20th century, His Master's Voice became the symbol of Camden's world fame as the city that pioneered the recorded music industry. 

The condition is amazingly good for 93-year-old stained glass!

Fred Barnum 

The 14-foot window was one of four originals in the Victor Tower made for the Victor Company in 1916 by the famous D'Ascenzo Studios in Philadelphia.  It had been stored in a set of three crates .. for 40 years!  The other three stained glass pieces were given to the Smithsonian, Widener University and Penn State.  At Widener University in Chester PA their stained glass piece offers a pleasant surprise over the main staircase in the Wolfgram Memorial Library on campus.  If you find yourself near the main staircase, look up!  

Jimmy Stewart turned 38 when he made the classic and iconic movie, It's a Wonderful Life. Donna Reed was only 25 years old when she made the movie.  When interviewed Reed reportedly described her role as "the most difficult of her career". Cary Grant was considered to play the part of George Bailey before Stewart was handed the male lead. Ginger Rogers was considered to play the part of Mary Hatch Bailey before Donna Reed was handed the female lead.  I don't think anyone, now can even imagine anyone else playing these iconic lead roles.  

Bedford Falls is the fictional town in which Philip Van Doren Stern's 1943 short booklet, The Greatest Gift and RKO Pictures 1946 film adaptation It's a Wonderful Life, are set. In 1945, Frank Capra visited Seneca Falls, New York to look for inspiration for the town of Bedford Falls.  The real town and the fictional town are very similar as they are both mill towns. They both had a grassy median down the main street (Seneca Falls does not anymore), both communities boast Victorian architecture and a large Italian population plus they both have very similar bridges.  In Seneca Falls, there was a local businessman named Norman J. Gould who owned Gould Pumps and was one of the richest men in town.  Gould also had great control over politics and economics of the area much as Henry F. Potter did in the film.

The film was shot at RKO Radio Pictures Studio in Culver City, CA and at the 89 acre RKO movie ranch in Encino where "Bedford Falls" that covered four acres assembled from three separate parts with a main street stretching 300 yards (three city blocks) with 75 stores and buildings plus a residential neighborhood.  Capra built a working bank set, added a tree-lined center parkway and planted 20 full grown oak trees to existing sets for It's a Wonderful Life.  Pigeons, cats and dogs were allowed to roam the mammoth set in order to give the "town" a lived-in feel.  RKO created "chemical snow" for the film in order to avoid the need for dubbed dialogue when actors walked across the earlier type of movie snow, made up of crushed cornflakes.  Filming started on April 15, 1946 and ended on July 27, 1946 exactly on deadline for the 90-day principal photography schedule.

Making "chemical snow" on the Set.

Jimmy Stewart was said to say that the Bedford Falls set made him think of his hometown, Indiana PA.

There's nothing quite like It's a Wonderful Life.  The beloved 1946 Christmas film in which James Stewart plays a despairing man who is shown what the world would look like if he'd never been born, is, to many of us, as treasured and esssential a part of the festive period as Santa Claus, himself.

A question I have asked myself regarding this classic film and its plot is this .. what would the world look like if the film had never been made?  I don't think any of us want to find out nor would Jimmy, himself.

 

Miss Donna Reed

Donna Reed was an American actress.  Her career spanned more than 40 years with performances in more than 40 films.  She is well known and perhaps best known for her portrayal of Mary Hatch Bailey in Frank Capra's classic film, It's a Wonderful Life.  Reed won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the war drama film, From Here to Eternity (1953).  Frank Sinatra won for Best Supporting Actor.

Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra hold their gold-plated Oscars 

at the 26th Academy Awards ceremony held March 25, 1954.

Reed is also known for her work in television notably at Donna Stone, a middle-class American mother and housewife in the sitcom The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966) whose character was more assertive and complex than most other television mothers of the era.  She received numerous Emmy Award nominations for this role and the Golden Globe Award for Best Female TV Star in 1963.  Later in her career, Reed replaced Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie Ewing in the 1984-1985 season of the television melodrama, Dallas.  Reed successfully sued the production company for breach of contract when she was abruptly fired upon Bel Geddes' decision to return to the show. 

Reed was born Donna Belle Mullenger on January 27, 1921 on a farm near Denison, Iowa, the daughter of Hazel Jane and William Richard Mullenger.  The eldest of five children she was raised as a Methodist.  In 1936, while a sophomore at Denison HIgh School her chemistry teacher gave her the book How to Win Friends and Influence People.  The book is said to have greatly influenced her life.  After graduating Reed decided to move to California to attend Los Angeles City College on the advice of her aunt. While attending college she performed in various stage productions although she had no plans to become an actress.  After receiving several offers to screen test for studios, Reed eventually signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

From 1943 to 1945, Reed was married to make-up artist, William Tuttle.  After they divorced she married producer, Tony Owen.  They raised four children together:  Penny Jane, Anthony, Timothy and Mary Anne.  After 26 years of marriage, Reed and Owen divorced in 1971.  Three years later, Reed married Grover W. Asmus, a retired United States Army colonel.  They remained married until her death at age 64 on January 14, 1986 in Beverly Hills, California. 

Donna Reed and Tony Owen with their four children in 1959.

Standing is Penny Jane, seated from left

Tony, Jr.; Mary Anne and Timothy

In 1987, Reed's widower and actress, Shelley Fabares plus numerous friends, associates and family members created the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts.  Based in Reed's hometown of Denison, Iowa the non-profit organization grants scholarships for performing art students and offers an annual festival in Reed's name.  

In May 2010, Turner Classic Movies honored Reed as their star of the month which saw Mary Owen pay a special tribute to her mother.  In a 2011 article, actress Shelley Fabares who played Reed's daughter, Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show wrote the following sentiments about her television mother ..

Donna Reed definitely became my second mother.  She was a role model and remains so to this day.  I still periodically hear her voice in my head when I am making a decision about doing something, I hear her urging me on to make the stronger decision of the two.  I just adored her.

The Donna Reed Show was one of television's top 25 shows. Reed was repeatedly nominated for Emmy Awards between 1959-1962. She eventually grew tired of the work-a-day grind involved in the show therefore it was canceled in 1966 after 275 episodes.  The cast of The Donna Reed Show got along very well.  They were close friends both on and off the set.  They supported each other throughout the show's eight-season run from 1958-1966.

Fabares also described Reed as a real Iowa girl.  There is a bedrock decency to people in the Midwest.  They are thoughtful and ready to help you if some things needs to be done.  She never lost that Midwest girl.

The State of Iowa announced January 27, 2021 as Donna Reed Day marking the 100th anniversary of her birth.

This beloved iconic classic movie starring Stewart was in production for several months from May through July even though the movie is set during winter.  Stewart turned 38 when he made the movie and Donna Reed was only 25 years old when she made the movie.  When interviewed Reed reportedly described her role as "the most difficult of her career".  Stewart felt his role of George Bailey was his favorite role. Cary Grant was considered to play the part of George Bailey before Stewart was given the role. Ginger Rogers was considered to play the part of Mary Hatch Bailey before Reed was given the role.

Bedford Falls is the fictional town in which Philip Van Doren Stern's 1943 short booklet, The Greatest Gift and RKO Pictures 1946 film adaptation It's a Wonderful Life, are set. In 1945, Frank Capra visited Seneca Falls, New York to look for inspiration for the town of Bedford Falls.  The real town and the fictional town are very similar as they are both mill towns. They both had a grassy median down the main street (Seneca Falls does not anymore), both communities boast Victorian architecture and a large Italian population plus they both have very similarly styled bridges.  In Seneca Falls, there was a local businessman named Norman J. Gould who owned Gould Pumps and was one of the richest men in town.  Gould also had great control over politics and economics of the area much as Henry F. Potter did in the film.

The film was shot at RKO Radio Pictures Studio in Culver City, CA and on an 89 acre RKO movie ranch in Encino where "Bedford Falls" covered four acres, assembled from three separate parts with a main street stretching 300 yards (three city blocks) with 75 stores and buildings plus a residential neighborhood.  Capra built a working bank set, added a tree-lined center parkway and planted 20 full grown oak trees to existing sets for It's a Wonderful Life.  Pigeons, cats and dogs were allowed to roam the mammoth set in order to give the "town" a lived-in feel.  RKO created "chemical snow" for the film in order to avoid the need for dubbed dialogue when actors walked across the earlier type of movie snow, made of crushed cornflakes! Filming started on April 15, 1946 and ended on July 27, 1946 (your blog creator/writer was born a few days prior on July 14, 1946) exactly on deadline for the 90-day principal photography schedule.  Eventually, Capra had the special effects department mix foamite (a fire-fighting chemical) with sugar and water.  A whopping 6,000 gallons of this "chemical snow" transformed the California set into a winter wonderland.

RKO's movie ranch in Encino was razed in 1954.  There are only two surviving locations from the film.  The first is the swimming pool that was unveiled during the famous dance scene where George courts Mary.  It is located in the gymnasium at Beverly Hills High School and is still in operation as of 2023.  The second is the Martini home at 4587 Viro Road in La Canada Flintridge, California. 

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well at this La Canada residence featured in the 1946 Yuletide 1946 holiday classic.  The Bailey Park model home was purchased by Giuseppe Martini (William Edmunds) and his wife, Mrs. Martini (Argentina Brunetti) in the film.  This home is in much the same state as it appeared onscreen many decades ago. 

Some interesting facts and quotes under the heading of movie trivia I learned in my research for this article are the following:

Actor, Lionel Barrymore, who played Mr. Potter was a wheelchair-using actor in real life. Barrymore convinced Stewart to be in the film.  Stewart was also nervous about the phone kiss scene, his first on-screen kiss since returning from war. 

H.B. Warner, the actor who played Mr. Gower, was a method actor and he actually got drunk for the scene.  He slapped the actor playing George as a young boy so hard his ear started to bleed.

Three film quotes among many are as follows:

I'm shakin' the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world.  

George Bailey

What is it you want, Mary?  What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.  Hey!  That's a pretty good idea.  I'll give you the moon, Mary."

George Bailey

"George Bailey, I'll love you 'til the day I die."

This was Donna Reed's first starring role at the young age of 25. In the film Reed really broke a window on the Granville House. While a stuntman was standing by to throw a rock at the window, Reed broke it herself on the first try which could apparently be attributed to her playing baseball with her brothers on their Iowa farm.  Capra later admitted that making Mary a librarian was a mistake.  She would go on to become arguably the world's most famous TV housewife, thanks to The Donna Reed Show.  Reed would later state that IAWL was her favorite film of her career.  She also said it was "the most difficult film I ever did.  No director ever demanded as much of me".  Before Reed got the role as Mary Hatch Bailey it was offered to Olivia de Haviland, Ginger Rogers, Jean Arthur, Ann Dvorak and Martha Scott.

Even though Jean Arthur and Jimmy Stewart never bonded off-screen, Jimmy called Jean "the finest actress I ever worked with.  No one had her humor, her timing". Stewart and Arthur starred together in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Bedford Falls was one of the most elaborate sets ever built at the time.  The film had a big budget for the time ($3.7 million) so it's no wonder the drew put much time and effort into contructing the town  The set took two months to build and included 75 buildings stretched out over 4 acres in Encino, California.

While the fictional town's name combines those of Bedford Hills in New York's Westchester County and Seneca Falls in New York's Finger Lakes Region, the latter claims to be the .. real deal!  Seneca Falls even has a website which is dedicated to pointing out all of the similiarities between the two towns. 

TheRealBedordFalls.com

Surprisingly, the movie struggled at the Academy Awards!  While the film didn't win any of the five major Oscars it was nominated for, it did take home a trophy!  The RKO Effects Department received a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  

Director, Frank Capra didn't think the film would become a Christmas film .. let alone a Christmas classic.  Capra had multiple jobs on the film.  Not only did Capra direct this film, but he also was a producer and one of the screenwriters.  Additionally, his production company, Liberty Films, funded the movie. Liberty Films was an independent motion picture production company founded in California by Frank Capra in April 1945.  It produced only two films, It's a Wonderful Life and State of the Union (1948). Liberty Films' logo was the Liberty Bell ringing loudly.  The production company existed until 1951. Capra later wrote that the creation of Liberty Films was to "influence the course of Hollywood films".

The film has a life of its own now and I can look at it like I had nothing to do with it.  I'm like a parent whose kid grows up to be president. I'm proud, but it's the kid who did the work.  I didn't even think of it as a Christmas story when I first ran across it.  I just liked the idea.

Frank Capra, Director and Producer of It's a Wonderful Life

Carl Dean Switzer (a.k.a. Alfalfa from The Little Rascals') played Freddie Othello at the dance scene. Switzer played the character who pushes the buttom that opens the gym floor to reveal the pool, but he is uncredited in the movie. As to the reason, it is unknown as I was unable to locate any information regarding this fact.  

Alfalfa

The same day, Uncle Billy goes to the bank for a routine deposit of $8,000.00 in cash, Potter happens by and Billy proudly points out the newspaper with the news about Harry.  He accidentally folds the newspaper with the cash envelope in it and Potter takes it back.  Billy then realizes that he has lost the money.

It's a Wonderful Life's characters are familiar to a large number of Americans and George Bailey's scatterbrained Uncle Billy is one of the most memorable.  The crux of the film is George Bailey's "dark night of the soul", a crisis directly caused by Uncle Billy's forgetfulness. 

$8,000 in 1946 = $130,460.21 in 2023

3.69% average inflation from 1946 to 2023

The rousing tune at the end of the movie was changed. The original final scene had the cast singing Ode to Joy instead of Auld Lang Syne.

 

Tommy Bailey, the youngest Bailey child in It's a Wonderful Life

 played by Jimmy Hawkins

Tommy reaches up to gently pull on his father's coat pocket 

during a touching living room scene while saying ..

"excuse me".

Behind the Scenes 

With

Jimmy Hawkins

Jimmy went on to be in four seasons of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet as Jimmy and two years on Petticoat Junction.  He also appeared on Leave It To Beaver as Dudley McMillan; Dennis The Menace as Chuck Long; Gidget as Paul; My Three Sons, Hitchcock Presents, Red Skelton and Lux Video Theatre. Hawkins also co-starred as Elvis Presley's sidekick in two MGM musicals, Girl Happy as Doc and Spinout as Larry.

The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriett

Spinout (1966)

Girl Happy (1965)

Gary Crosby, left as Andy, Elvis as Rusty Wells, Jimmy Hawkins as Doc all playing guitar

while Joby Baker as Wilbur plays drums in the background on stage in front of 

an audience during the musical number, Girl Happy.

During Jimmy's acting career he played Tagg Oakley on the Emmy nominated

Annie Oakley western series on CBS.

Not only did he portray the youngest son of George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life he portrayed the son of some of Hollywood's most popular cinematic movie stars of the 1940s (Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Greer Garson, Lana Turner and Jessica Tandy).  He was invited by The USO & Department of Defense to entertain troops in Vietnam in 1968.  As a producer, he created a three-hour NBC Emmy Award winning television special The 50th Anniversary Motown Returns to the Apollo.  Mr. Hawkins also produced the PBS Television special all-star radio version celebrating It's a Wonderful Life's 50th Anniversary.  Over the years he has helped raise millions of dollars for a variety of charities.  He is the author of five popular It's a Wonderful Life books, sits on the Advisory Board of The Jimmy Stewart Museum and for 20 years served on the Board of Directors of the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts.  And Jimmy has celebrated over 50 years as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

Jimmy was born James F. Hawkins in Los Angeles, California on November 13, 1941. In 1960, he was Grand Marshall of the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.  He rode his horse, Pixie in the parade.  

Jimmy was reunited with Donna Reed when he was signed to play Shelley Fabares' boyfriend, Scotty, for eight seasons on The Donna Reed Show on ABC from 1958-1966.

Thanks for the Memories, Jimmy!