And so I did, flipping on the Turner Classic Movie channel the other night, where I caught part of that great 1946 flick, "The Best Years of Our Lives."

Fans know this as the movie that captures post-World-War II America like no other. But it also manages to teach a bit of economic history - and even shed some light on our own era.

I'm thinking in particular of the scene in which star Fredric March, playing a veteran who's come home to a job in his hometown bank, makes his first sub-prime loan.

Of course, they weren't called "sub-prime" back then. The borrower is another returning GI, an ordinary Joe who just wants to buy a farm.

March is torn. The guy has no collateral, just his two hands and a dream. Bank policy frowns on such loans, but March can't say no. He risks his job - his irate boss warns he's gambling with the bank's money - to demonstrate faith in the American future.

It's powerful stuff. And of course, it's largely what happened: With a new attitude toward credit in the 1940s and '50s, banks helped fuel an unparalleled economic expansion, which continues today.

But has banking evolved too much? The recent spike in mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures has to make you wonder.

If Hollywood made a latter-day version of "Best Years," not only would that GI borrower get his loan without a hassle; it's doubtful he'd need to show up at the bank at all.

More likely, whoever played the Fredric March part would be out cruising and cold-calling for potential borrowers. He'd be offering mortgages with an astonishing array of attractions: Adjustable rates, flexible terms, quickie appraisals and no money down.

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