Is civility still alive in Seneca Falls, the Central New York town that fancies itself the inspiration of Bedford Falls, setting of the 1946 Jimmy Stewart film, “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Senior contributor Ted Koppel visits Seneca Falls, which holds an annual festival devoted to a Hollywood classic’s storybook vision of community; and talks with residents, visitors, and two of the film’s surviving actors, who explain why a 79-year-old movie that celebrates smalltown virtues and happy endings still has such a hold on our imagination – while holding a mirror up to our own times.
