Passes the Bechdel test

It's a Wonderful Life

Name: It's a Wonderful Life
Released: 1947

1947. Directed by Frank Capra, written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett and Frank Capra.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

3 / 3

Passes

Yes 1. At least two women
28 women characters. 12 of them speak.
Yes 2. Who talk to each other
In 5 scenes out of 171.
Yes 3. About something besides a man
In those scenes, our script parser found no man named. See the scene.

Second opinion

Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 3 out of 3, though someone marked that rating as dubious.

The film

George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George's modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, his Uncle Billy loses the business' $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Mr. Potter finds and hides it from him. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Mr. Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, Mary, their four children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, coming to Earth to help him, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows him what things would have been like if he had never been born.

Released: 07 Jan 1947
Genres: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Rated: PG
IMDb: 8.6 / 10
Metascore: 89 / 100
Awards: Nominated for 5 Oscars. 11 wins & 7 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

Women
Men
Not in the cast list
Bigger name, more lines

George 586 lines, man
Mary 132 lines, woman
Clarence 103 lines, man
Uncle Billy 71 lines, man
Potter 61 lines, man
Joseph 44 lines
Ernie 32 lines, man
Violet 30 lines, woman
Sam 27 lines, man
Harry 26 lines, man

Full cast, 117 people

James Stewart as George Bailey
Donna Reed as Mary Hatch
Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Potter
Thomas Mitchell as Uncle Billy
Henry Travers as Clarence
Beulah Bondi as Mrs. Bailey
Frank Faylen as Ernie
Ward Bond as Bert
Gloria Grahame as Violet
H.B. Warner as Mr. Gower
Frank Albertson as Sam Wainwright
Todd Karns as Harry Bailey
Samuel S. Hinds as Pa Bailey
Mary Treen as Cousin Tilly
Virginia Patton as Ruth Dakin
Charles Williams as Cousin Eustace
Sarah Edwards as Mrs. Hatch
William Edmunds as Mr. Martini
Lillian Randolph as Annie
Argentina Brunetti as Mrs. Martini
Robert J. Anderson as Little George
Ronnie Ralph as Little Sam
Jeanne Gail as Little Mary
Jeanine Ann Roose as Little Violet
Danny Mummert as Little Marty Hatch
Georgie Nokes as Little Harry Bailey
Sheldon Leonard as Nick
Frank Hagney as Potter's Bodyguard
Ray Walker as Joe (Luggage Shop)
Charles Lane as Real Estate Salesman
Edward Keane as Tom (Bldg. & Loan)
Carol Coombs as Janie Bailey
Karolyn Grimes as Zuzu Bailey
Larry Simms as Pete Bailey
Jimmy Hawkins as Tommy Bailey
Jean Acker as Townswoman (uncredited)
Ernie Adams as Ed (uncredited)
Monya Andre as Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews as Mr. Welch (uncredited)
Sam Ash as Nervous Banker (uncredited)
Jack Bailey as One of Vi's Suitors (uncredited)
Louise Bates as Building & Loan Depositor (uncredited)
Mary Bayless as Townswoman (uncredited)
Beth Belden as Young Girl (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict as Military Officer in Montage (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard as Townsman (uncredited)
Al Bridge as Sheriff (uncredited)
Buz Buckley as Young Boy (uncredited)
Marian Carr as Jane Wainwright (uncredited)
Adriana Caselotti as Singer at Martini's (uncredited)
Lane Chandler as Policeman (uncredited)
Michael Chapin as Young George's Friend (uncredited)
Tom Chatterton as Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham as Cop Arresting Violet (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire as Dr. Campbell (uncredited)
Edward Clark as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Tom Coleman as Building & Loan Customer (uncredited)
Ellen Corby as Ms. Davis (uncredited)
Bryn Davis as Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Lew Davis as Teacher at Poolside (uncredited)
Harry Denny as (uncredited)
Helen Dickson as Woman at Graduation Dance (uncredited)
Dick Elliott as Man on Porch (uncredited)
Tom Fadden as Tollhouse Keeper (uncredited)
Frank Fenton as Violet's Boyfriend (uncredited)
Eddie Fetherston as Horace (uncredited)
Sam Flint as Relieved Banker in Potter's Office (uncredited)
Lee Frederick as (uncredited)
Dick Gordon as Photographer with Sheriff (uncredited)
Jack Gordon as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Herschel Graham as Townsman (uncredited)
Joseph Granby as Elderly Man (voice) (uncredited)
Charles Halton as Carter (uncredited)
Carl Eric Hansen as (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood as Building & Loan Depositor (uncredited)
Harry Holman as Mr. Partridge (uncredited)
Art Howard as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Bert Howard as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull as Mr. Randall (uncredited)
John Indrisano as Man in Fantasy (uncredited)
Eddie Kane as Building & Loan Depositor (uncredited)
Carl Kent as Townsman (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Effie Laird as Townswoman (uncredited)
Mike Lally as Building & Loan Customer (uncredited)
Harold Landon as Marty Hatch (uncredited)
Meade 'Lux' Lewis as Pianist in Nick's Place (uncredited)
Jack Lomas as Bar Patron (uncredited)
J. Farrell MacDonald as Man Whose Grandfather Planted Tree (uncredited)
Irene Mack as Townswoman (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack as Building & Loan Customer (uncredited)
Charles Meakin as Elderly Man (uncredited)
Priscilla Montgomery as Student in Gym (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse as Man with Sheriff (uncredited)
Evelyn Moriarty as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Philip Morris as Building & Loan Customer (uncredited)
George Noisom as School Dancer (uncredited)
Bob O'Connor as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor as Military Officer in Montage (uncredited)
Lynn O'Leary-Jameson as Infant Janie Bailey (uncredited)
Moroni Olsen as Senior Angel (voice) (uncredited)
Garry Owen as Billposter (uncredited)
Netta Packer as Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Franklin Parker as Photographer / Reporter (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgway as Nick's Waitress (uncredited)
Mark Roberts as Mickey (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Cy Schindell as Nick's Bouncer (uncredited)
Almira Sessions as Potter's Secretary (uncredited)
Cedric Stevens as Townsman (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan as Man in Fantasy (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan as Nick's Bartender (uncredited)
Carl Switzer as Freddie Othello (uncredited)
Max Wagner as Cashier / Nick's Assistant Bouncer (uncredited)
Larry Wheat as Building & Loan Board Member (uncredited)
Charles Cahill Wilson as Charlie (uncredited)
Finn Zirzow as Bar Patron (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 4 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 6% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 171

Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.

Show the numbers

Scenes	Women's lines	Men's lines
1 to 4	17	45
5 to 8	2	20
9 to 12	0	35
13 to 16	1	39
17 to 20	33	131
21 to 24	15	74
25 to 28	6	39
29 to 32	27	28
33 to 36	19	20
37 to 40	20	10
41 to 44	9	16
45 to 48	5	19
49 to 52	0	16
53 to 56	0	4
57 to 60	11	55
61 to 64	1	16
65 to 68	1	10
69 to 72	4	9
73 to 76	11	51
77 to 80	0	0
81 to 84	0	0
85 to 88	0	1
89 to 92	0	2
93 to 96	0	0
97 to 100	0	5
101 to 104	3	49
105 to 108	3	9
109 to 112	8	19
113 to 116	0	14
117 to 120	13	16
121 to 124	16	22
125 to 128	12	48
129 to 132	0	26
133 to 136	0	1
137 to 140	0	125
141 to 144	0	36
145 to 148	0	10
149 to 152	7	31
153 to 156	2	39
157 to 160	0	15
161 to 164	0	4
165 to 168	4	13
169 to 171	14	27

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: the passing scenes

The scene our parser counted as passing, word for word.

VIOLET: She was here first. MARY: I'm still thinking.

MARY: I'll be downstairs, mother. MRS. HATCH: All right, dear.

JANE: Awfully glad to have met you, Mary. MARY: Nice meeting you.

MARY: How do you like it? MARY AND CHILDREN: Bless you! MARY: Did you bring the wreath?

ZUZU: Fine. JANIE: And not a smitch of temperature.

Exhibit B: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 19 are women's.

264 lines from women, 1149 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who's in it

28 women and 80 men in the cast. 12 women and 32 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit D: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 3 of 1,498. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 258 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 13% of the words (1,889), men 87% (13,220). Women have 19% of the lines, so their lines run shorter than men's.

Exhibit E: the test the other way

Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.

Conversations between two named characters

Two women

Two men

104

Exhibit F: behind the camera

1 of the 10 people in these jobs is a woman. Across the whole crew, 9% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Frank Capra (man)
Written by: Frank Capra (man), Albert Hackett (man), Frances Goodrich (woman)
Produced by: Frank Capra (man)
Shot by: Joseph F. Biroc (man), Joseph Walker (man)
Edited by: William Hornbeck (man)
Music by: Dimitri Tiomkin (man)
Costumes by: Edward Stevenson (man)