U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 20

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20: FAMOUS HOLIDAY MOVIE

Profile America — Tuesday, December 20th.  One of America's best-loved holiday movies premiered on this day in 1946 in New York City.  "It's a Wonderful Life" starred Jimmy Stewart in what he called his favorite role, along with Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore.  Directed by Frank Capra, it was nominated for five Academy Awards even though it got mixed reviews.  When its copyright was not renewed in 1974, it became a television staple during the holiday season and is today considered a classic.  When "It's a Wonderful Life" was first shown, there were some 18,500 movie theaters across the country.  Today, that figure is less than 5,000, although most of these facilities have multiple screens.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2011, p. 606
Historical Statistics of the United States:  Colonial Times to 1970, p. 855
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1128

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau