Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009
Everytime a bell rings...
ZuZu visits Lee’s Summit
Miranda Wycoff, Journal Staff
Julie Scheidegger, the Journal
Dr. Cielo Navato-Dehning gets an autograph from Karolyn Grimes, who played "Zuzu" in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," and lit the Saint Luke's East - Lee's Summit Christmas tree.
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close“Every time a bell rings,” said Karolyn Grimes for what one can only assume was the several hundredth time in her life.
“An angel gets its wings,” the gathering of Saint Luke’s East employees recited at the hospital’s tree lighting ceremony Nov. 20.
Grimes first uttered the now famous line at the age of 6, as ZuZu in the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewert.
And, as George Pagels, chief medical officer at the hospital put it, “She’s been replaying her childhood for many years.”
But that doesn’t bother Grimes. In fact, she said it’s what she’s meant to do.
“I feel like it's kind of my mission,” Grimes said. “I consider it a privilege and an honor to have been given a vehicle in which to spread this message.”
Grimes said the film inspires hope and encouragement to so many each year, that it wouldn’t be right for her not to make the appearances and spread the movie’s message.
Grimes said she makes about 38 appearances each year and signs autographs and recites her famous line. Although she said she’s only home about twice a week from October to May each year, she said when she’s asked to “say her line,” she doesn’t ever get tired of it.
“I never do,” Grimes said. “My house is filled with angels and I believe in them.”
Grimes was in Lee’s Summit Nov. 20 at the hospital’s tree lighting ceremony and also in the downtown area following the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.
She was in Kansas City for the American Heartland Theatre’s weekend showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” and since she has friends in Lee’s Summit and a daughter who graduated from Saint Luke’s School of Nursing, she decided to make the appearances in Lee’s Summit as well.
Following her film career, which spanned from 1945 to 1952, Grimes lived in Osceola.
She later moved to Seattle, Wash., where she currently resides.
To reach Journal reporter Miranda Wycoff, call 816-282-7017 or e-mail mwycoff@lsjournal.com.
