20 Things You Didn't Know About It's A Wonderful Life
17. Robert J. Anderson's Bleeding Ear
Do you remember when Phoebe Buffay from Friends watched It’s A Wonderful Life and was distraught when the ‘mean’ pharmacist made George Bailey’s ear bleed? Well, she’d be even more heartbroken if she knew the bleeding part of the film was technically not scripted.
In the scene where young George tells pharmacist Mr. Gower that he has mistakenly dispensed poison, he responds by slapping him viciously across the face. His actor, Robert J. Anderson, later admitted that the blood was real.
He (H.B. Warner) actually bloodied my ear. My ear was beat up, and my face was red and I was in tears......I didn't know what we were building for. H.B. was perfect. He reached the crescendo.
Anderson did assure everyone that after the scene ended, Warner hugged him as a way of apologising for being so caught up in the moment.