(From the Hancock Historical Museum)

The Hancock Historical Museum is pleased to announce the December Brown Bag Lecture, featuring Dr. Charles “Chuck” Coletta of Bowling Green State University’s Department of Popular Culture. His presentation will explore the enduring legacy of It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and the deeper intentions behind director Frank Capra’s beloved film.

Although widely embraced today as a quintessential holiday classic, Capra never meant the film to be viewed solely as a Christmas movie. As his first feature following his World War II service, Capra envisioned it as a tribute to the everyday Americans whose lives, dreams, and quiet determination shape their communities. Both Capra and James Stewart regarded It’s a Wonderful Life as their favorite work. Dr. Coletta’s lecture will trace the origins of Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story and its journey to the screen, highlighting how the film evolved into one of the most cherished seasonal traditions in American culture.

A Cleveland native, Dr. Coletta earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in literature from John Carroll University and his Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. Since 2000, he has taught courses on television and film studies, contemporary popular literature, and mass media.

The lecture will take place on Thursday, December 4, at noon, at the Hancock Historical Museum, 422 West Sandusky Street, Findlay. Presented by Eastman & Smith, the museum’s Brown Bag Lecture Series is held on the first Thursday of each month and highlights topics connected to Hancock County and Ohio history. The program is free for museum members and included with regular admission for non-members. No registration is required. Attendees are welcome to bring a lunch and enjoy an engaging hour of history. For more information, visit HancockHistoricalMuseum.org or call 419-423-4433.

Make sure to mark your calendar for 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 and return to the Museum for Classic Movie Night featuring It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).