Watching It’s a Wonderful Life is a holiday tradition, like hearing Bing sing “White Christmas” or glugging down Grandma’s egg nog. What may shock you is that the beloved drama tanked upon arrival in 1946, ranking 26th in the year-end box-office recap. Why is it now considered a classic? Because in 1974, the film went into the public domain , meaning TV stations could air it for free – and hundreds did. But Life’s loss (of royalties) is our gain, as its popularity has explo