the old hotel has been named clarence after the film's angel who earns his wings by saving george baileyyour guardian angel. >> reporter: and the zuzu cafe is named after one of george's daughters. they hold the "it's the wonderful life" festival each december where fans gather to celebrate their favorite film. >> it's like a mecca for wonderful life fans. >> this is the original bedford falls. that's what brings us here. >> close down for a week and then.... >> reporter: look-alikes perform the show "merry christmas, george bailey." and this year fans lined up to meet two real actors from the 1946 film, stars once more. caroline crimes who played zuzu. >> daddy! >> my little ginger snap. how do you feel? >> fine. not a bit of temperature. >> reporter: and carol coombs mueller who played her sister janey. >> i had six minutes of film footage if that movie. >> i had six minutes of film footage if that movie. >> reporter: but zuzu had one of the most memorable lines in film history. >> look, daddy. teacher says.... >> every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. >> reporter: fans come

. >> reporter: banker george bailey, famously giving his customers his honeymoon money in the classiconderful life." >> you don't have to sign anything. you pay it when you can. >> reporter: these days, many think bank is a dirty word. but meet someone who says all the george baileys are not gone. >> you have a merry christmas, all right? >> reporter: jim smith, president of webster bank in waterbury, connecticut. >> george bailey was there to help his customers when they needed him. i think that's a lot of what we're all about. >> reporter: his father founded the bank in 1935 during the great depression to help the struggling country buy and build homes. the notion of profiting by helping people is bedrock, says smith. why aren't you foreclosing on homes when people can't pay like other banks do? you're a bank, not a church. >> because we have a responsibility to our customers to work with them. so, 1977, we moved here. >> reporter: so, webster makes foreclosure a last option, rewarding bankers for modifying loans. nationally, banks modify a third of their loans. webster modifies mor

george bailey is depressed because he wanted to travel the world but never got to.es him crazy. he is always depressed about it. all he needs to do is fix the banister. go to home depot. and get the stuff to fix it, you lazy bah bastard! but no, it's easier to commit suicide, isn't it george? take that, american movie! george is eventually saved by an angel who wants to "earn his wings." because an angel without wings is unnatural. it's like having a kardashian without back hair. [applause] i even got the stoic lady with that there. she went like that the whole time and i throw in an anti-kardashian joke and she went like this. [laughter] a recent poll named "it's a wonderful life" as the most inspirational christmas film of all time. the people who took that poll have clearly never seen "human centipede." [laughter] what? it's heartwarming and hilarious. it's not. that's a joke. don't rent it and then go aaahhh! anyway, "it's a wonderful life" was originally filmed in black and white. a few years ago, they colorized it. but they didn't get the skin tones right. eve

usaa. >> well, it's that time of the year again, you remember george -- jimmy stewart's character george baileyife." the selfless banker who helped the people of bedford falls. >> all right. how much do you want? >> it's your own money, george. >> never mind about that. how much do you want? >> i can get along with 20 all right and i'll sign the papers. >> you don't have to sign anything. i know, you pay it when you can. that's ok. >> somebody was writing down what he was lended. at a time when banks are being vilified, one bank ceo is being praised as a real life george bailey. >> jim smith is the ceo of webster bank. a company started by his dad during the great depression and their key to success -- profitting by helping others and he joins us today in the studio. great to have you here. >> thank you. i'm delighted to be here. >> so your bank is in the northeast. >> yes, we're located in connecticut and our main branch is three blocks from where the bank was towned by my dad. >> in the movie from the 30's, george bailey did everything he could to keep people in their houses and that's what y

the old hotel has been named clarence after the film's angel who earns his wings by saving george baileyl. >> reporter: and the zuzu cafe is named after one of george's daughters. they hold the "it's the wonderful life" festival each december where fans gather to celebrate their favorite film. >> it's like a mecca for wonderful life fans. >> this is the original bedford falls. that's what brings us here. >> close down for a week and then.... >> reporter: look-alikes perform the show "merry christmas, george bailey." and this year fans lined up to meet two real actors from the 1946 film, stars once more. caroline crimes who played zuzu. >> daddy! >> my little ginger snap. how do you feel? >> fine. not a bit of temperature. >> reporter: and carol coombs mueller who played her sister janey. >> i had six minutes of film footage if that movie. >> i had six minutes of film footage if that movie. >> reporter: but zuzu had one of the most memorable lines in film history. >> look, daddy. teacher says.... >> every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. >> reporter: fans come from near. >> we'

>> there's no george bailey's left in the world, you know what i mean? >> that's a loan. that's my business. >> reporter: but maybe there are. meet bruce. a man with a gift for getting mortgages modified. >> americans own their homes. this is my spot on earth. i've done everything right. this is being threatened. >> reporter: the 54-year-old doesn't look like george bailey, but he knows banks. he's actually a former management consultant who worked in finance. now, from his cramped offices above a pool hall, bruce fights all day against the biggest banks. >> do you anticipate the payment will stay the same? >> how are you? >> good. >> reporter: and saves homes for people like heather. bruls had been fighting her's bk heather's bank modify her loan for seven months now. >> you get to the point where i can say, the mortgage has >> and bruce says he can appreciate heaven because he lived through hell. though he's a savvy businessman, he was once laid off and nearly lost his own home. >> i've been through this. i know what these people are going through. >> he figured if it c

george bailey was good man. >>> steelers were in the dark for most of monday night in san francisco.ben roethlisberger threw for 330 yards but had three picks and the pittsburgh offense could only muster's third quarter field goal. loss helps baltimore they are tied atop the afc north at 10- 4. but baltimore has the tie breaker. >>> the dream was to have a backyard clubhouse after a starship cruisers. how an 11-year-old dry dream came true for the holiday season. >>> guests may want to feed the pets table scraps during christmas dinner. the reasons you may have to say don't do it. >>> and another retailer that is set to help those who wait until the last-minute doing shopping. we will tell you what's in store when "good morning maryland" continues for the 6:00 hour. we are back in a few moments. >>> are's watching the station that works for you "good morning maryland." >>> killed a man outside towson town center. why police are having a hard time tracking down the suspect. >>> radio legend passes way. a look back at the life and legacy of wbal's ron smith. >>> and finally heading hom

"no, we shouldn't forget our old friend" just like george bailey learned in "it's a wonderful life."stalgic. emotional, even. >> you kind of tear up when you sing it. because it makes you think about people you miss. >> we'll take a cup of kindness yet for old time's sake. that is "nbc nightly news" for this new year's eve. a reminder you can ring in the new year with carson daly right here later on tonight on nbc. i'm kate snow reporting from new york for lester holt and everyone here at nbc news, have a happy new year. everyone here at nbc news, have a happy new year. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

spirit or what-- whatever you are, but, um, you ought to just fly away and--and take care of the george baileysthe world, 'cause i'm a lost cause. >> angel: ohh. nobody is a lost cause. >> nikki: thank you for that, but i really do need to be going. >> angel: (sighs) you were always so strong, even as a little girl. you've forgotten that. >> nikki: what do you know about my childhood? >> angel: i know you didn't have it easy growing up. your mother was killed in a car wreck when you were little. your father was abusive. >> nick reed: you're my little girl, and you'll always be good enough for me, see, just like i know that i'll always be good enough for you, won't i, nikki? see? (table hits wall) >> nick reed: because you love me. (figurine breaking) >> nikki: yeah, well, i don't talk about that. i don't even think about that. i haven't in years. >> angel: i understand it's painful, nikki, but it's part of who you are. >> nikki: how do you know my name? >> angel: i've known everything about you since the day you were born. >> nikki: you are right about my childhood. i... i made every wrong choi

sort of like the residents of bedford falls helped out george bailey. these secret santas have suddenly been popping up all across the country, in states like nebraska, missouri, illinois, michigan, and north carolina. >> it's incredible. it gives me chill thinking about it. >> reporter: and at another one in montana -- >> he walked in and wanted to pay on some lay aways. i asked him which ones. he said some that weren't going to have christmas and would pay late. >> reporter: this happened before. larry stewart, a legendary santa until his death. >> oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. >> reporter: he doled out nearly $1 million over 30 years to families in need. and in salvation army kettles, every year, a gold coin worth $1700. for angie, she was able to make her daughter's christmas dreams come true, debt free. >> thank you so much that she did this for us. i can't believe it. >> that's really what the holidays are all about. good samaritans doing great deeds. >>> coming up, the terrified 13-year-old girl and the call to 911 as she hides under the b

george bailey helping people become homeowners is anti-capitalist.ing places" is one big kiss to the 99%. and watch out for "home alone." kevin doesn't work hard enough to protect his house from those robbers. he should have taken lessons from his school janitor, right, newt? my mother always told me, desperate people will do desperate things. they're getting

george bailey helping people become homeowners is anti-capitalist.ing places" is one big kiss to the 99%. and watch out for "home alone." kevin doesn't work hard enough to protect his house from those robbers.

"it's a wonderful life" starred jimmy stewart as the down and out george bailey who learns how much heit no less than 30 >>> tenls of thousands of troops are coming home from iraq and afghanistan and finding out huh tough it is to get a job right now. >> so thanks to the gi bill, many are going to school instead. "the early show" contributor tara recently met veterans who were part of the group. >> i was a corporal in the marine corps. i was stationed out of okinawa, japan. >> i was stationsed three times to iraq. i was a corporal and combat correspondent in the broadcast journalism in the marine corps and i deployed once to afghanistan. >> all four of these marines joined the core as teenagers, each enlisting while the country waged two wars in iraq and afghanistan. >> the hardest combat was in my secondy employment in 2004. we went in and shut down a smuggling town, basically. we started policing the border when the economy relied on smuggling from syria. and so they weren't very happy with us. we didn't have a lot of friends. >> reporter: despite successes in the field of battle, th

we identify with george bailey and all of the adversities that he has to go through and we feel like important in life faith, family friends, and, you know, those things are really important and we discover that when we watch the movie. >> jimmy, why do you think the movie was become so popular over the years? >> well, i think it's frank capra's message. that message is each man's life touches so many others. if they weren't around it would leave an awful hole and that is an important thing for us to all know that we are important and why i wrote "it's a wonderful life for kids coloring book," so the kids get a pint-sized version of the movie and they realize they are important and they mean something. >> we are seeing a picture of you now when you were 4 years old makeing movie in 1946. jimmy, what do you remember about making the movie? >> i remember getting up real early and it was dark and taking a bus and a street cars out to the studio and watching -- walking onto the big set and there was real snow outside the house on the set and then you walk into the living room and there i

doing different dramas and then we did adaptations of christmas carol and a wonderful life with george baileyyear the drama is different and it keeps growing and there are different nuances and it's a lot of fun. >> reporter: it's a great group of people. >> they really are. >> reporter: so let's talk about the tree a little bit. how long does it take to get this in here and what is it made out of? >> actually it takes several weeks to construct the tree, the stage, all the sets. it's just something that our church pulls together to do. it is a lot of fun for us to pull that together. >> reporter: in addition the show, i know there's a way you're giving back to the community. can you talk about that? >> absolutely. one thing we do, a project we love around here, is christmas for an orphan. we distribute boxes. it's a great project through one of our partners, world help. we literally receive hundreds of these boxes. we do this through our school as well. it's a way our kids can give back, a way we can be generous and teach our kids to be generous. we send the boxes to world help, and i've bee

current temperature at baileys crossroads and tysons corner, 43 degrees. 45 in prince george's countytrict heights and hyattsville at 42 degrees. 42 also just to the north in montgomery county, colesville, and sandy spring. your day planner forecast by lunch time up to 50. we'll see a high temperature today, 53. some neighborhoods just south could be up to 55. little higher. a lot of sunshine. it will be breezy throughout the day. by the time we get to 5:00, we're going to be starting our way back down the other way. and tomorrow too will be cooler, in the mid-40s, with rain. in fact, a lot of rain from late afternoon and evening tomorrow. carol? >> thanks, veronica. no complaints about the weather and no complaints about the traffic. if you're getting ready to take your presents back this morning, a lot of stores opening at 7:00. don't forget your receipt. let's see how the bridges are doing so you can get there on time. 395 north at the 14th street bridge, wide open. over on the beltway at the american legion bridge, action is picking up. there's nothing in your way and nothing stop

bailey's crossroads area. westbound route 7 is closed between columbia pike and patrick henry drive from overnight with an accident involving a car into a pole. so i suggest that you either use georgesouth carlin springs road and take that up to route 50 as the alternate route through this area. let's take a live look if you're planning to head into virginia this morning. there are no problems to report on 95 here in springfield. coming up from the occoquan river to 14th street bridge you will be just fine here. this time on the north side of town on the maps no problems on the beltway. we'll get to that in a minute. there's a water main break on route 410 at brookville road just east of connecticut avenue here inside the beltway. and it's reduced to one lane. so just in case you travel in that area, that's what you're going to have to deal with. but we'll go to the beltway live. near connecticut avenue where there are no problems at all on the outer loop that's the topside of the screen here. coming through silver spring into bethesda and 270. everything's running at speed. coming up in my next report, another look around the area at 6:00. back to you mike. >>> here's what's makin