Bob Anderson, 75, who played the young George Bailey in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” has died. Anderson died Friday of cancer at his home in Palm Springs, his wife, Victoria, said Saturday.
Robert J. Anderson grew up in a Hollywood family. His father, Gene, was an assistant director and later a production manager. His uncles were directors William Beaudine and James Flood.
Anderson was introduced to films when relatives arranged for him to appear in a movie scene that called for a baby, his wife said.
He was 7 when he appeared in the 1940 Shirley Temple film “Young People” and went on to play roles in other films. But he was best-known for his role as the young Bailey in Frank Capra’s 1946 “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the same character portrayed in adulthood by James Stewart.
Anderson enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War, serving as a photographer on aircraft carriers, his wife said. The Associated Press
