Mean Mr. Potter. Dancing the Charleston into a swimming pool. “Hee-Haw” Sam Wainwright. Zuzu’s petals!
Who doesn’t love “It’s A Wonderful Life?”
Frank Capra’s 1946 film is arguably the greatest holiday film of all time, a tribute to all things good in people, an homage to small-town Americana, and a testament to the power of a community to pull together, by golly!
Which is why downtown Seymour will turn into “Bedford Falls” Saturday (Dec. 15) for a day of themed events inspired by Capra’s classic.
The idea came from Kim Dulka, the owner of the All-American Valley General store on Bank Street.
The “It’s a Wonderful Life” theme kicks off in her store at 10:30 a.m. with ‘breakfast with Santa.”
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The event culminates at 9 p.m., there will be a showing of the film at the Strand theater.
Dulka said Tuesday that she’s always been a fan of the movie and thought it could be a good theme to bring people downtown for a special event that will give them lasting memories.
“When we do things downtown, we really need to ‘event’ things,” Dulka said. “I don’t think a 10 percent sale here or there is going to create much of a buzz.”
“If you look at how charming it is, the street lamps, the brick buildings, it kind of has that feel of the movie,” Dulka said. “We’re basically going to be transforming the downtown of Seymour into Bedford Falls.”
Thus, Dulka’s store will become “Mr. Gower’s drugstore,” just like the one in the movie.
Special Discount Liquors will become “Martini’s Place” — and they’ll be preparing the preferred libation of Clarence the angel, mulled wine and cinnamon — and Ozzie’s restaurant becomes Ma Bailey’s Country Kitchen, just to name a few.
There will also be horse-drawn carriage rides, a silent auction, caroling, and more.
First Selectman Kurt Miller said he’s looking forward to the event.
“I ran into Kim on Sunday, I didn’t realize how elaborate it was until her and I had a chance to chat a little bit,” he said. “It’s a great idea, a lot of great family activities, and it’ll just be fun.”
Miller said Dulka and other downtown merchants deserve credit for taking the initiative to try to draw people downtown.
“I think they have embraced the downtown area and are really looking to do things that are going to bring people to downtown,” Miller said, adding that Saturday’s event is the sort of thing endorsed by a “downtown action plan” recently adopted by Seymour. “These are the types of events that the plan recommends if you want to revitalize your downtown.”
And according to Judy Simpson, the chairperson of the town’s Culture and Arts Commission, classics like “It’s A Wonderful Life” will be shown more frequently at the Strand.
A new projector that can play Blu-Ray discs has been installed at the theater, she said.
“We’d been really working hard to get it done before the 15th,” Simpson said Tuesday. “It was all assembled and put in last Wednesday. It’s incredible. The sound is probably better than any movie you’ve ever heard.”
Simpson said Saturday’s 9 p.m. showing of “It’s A Wonderful Life” will be preceded by a free concert of the Naugatuck Community Band starting at 7 p.m.
A Halloween concert the band performed drew over 200 people, Simpson said. This weekend the band will be playing “Christmas songs old and new,” she said.
