| “ | You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. | „ |
| ~ George to his wife, Mary. |
| “ | Clarence! Clarence! Help me, Clarence! Get me back! Get me back, I don't care what happens to me! Get me back to my wife and kids! Help me Clarence, please! Please! I wanna live again. I wanna live again! I wanna live again... Please, God, let me live again... | „ |
| ~ George after Clarence showed him the alternate world. |
| “ | Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you'll ever be! | „ |
| ~ George's speech to Mr. Potter. |
George Bailey is the main protagonist of the 1946 Christmas supernatural drama film It’s a Wonderful Life. The character ranks #9 in the list of the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains.
George as a child was portrayed by Bobby Anderson. But as an adult he was portrayed by the late James Stewart. Stewart's portrayal of George has become his most memorable role, as the film has become a annual holiday favorite every shown on television every Christmas.
History[]
George Bailey was born to Building & Loan proprietor Peter Bailey and Irene "Ma" Bailey and has a younger brother named Harry. Growing up, George and Harry were best friends with Sam Wainwright, Ernie Bishop, Bert (whose surname was never mentioned), and Marty Hatch, whose younger sister Mary had a crush on George. George was also on a friendly basis with another girl named Violet Bick who often flirted with most boys including George, which Mary didn't like.
George as a Boy[]
Practically all of his life, George was the one who gave of himself for the benefit and survival of others. One winter, while they were shovel-sledding with their friends, Harry had broken through the ice in a frozen pond. George rescued Harry, but consequently came down with a fever and lost almost all his hearing in his left ear.
Following his recovery, George began working at Gower's Drug Store. One day, Mr. Gower, drunk and distraught over the death of his son from influenza, unknowingly put poison in a child's prescription and sent George to deliver the deadly pills. Having seen him do it and finding out why, George goes to visit his father at the B&L to get advice on what to do, but Peter is in a heated argument with bank owner and robber baron Mr. Potter, and sends George away. Having to rely on his own conscience, George fails to deliver the pills, and when he returns to the drug store Gower is on the phone with the customer who claims that the capsules never arrived. Gower hangs up and violently scolds George for not doing his job, repeatedly slapping the side of his head causing his still-sore left ear to bleed. But George is finally able to explain to Gower that he saw the telegram about his son, and then swears that he saw him put poison in the capsules he was sent to deliver. A skeptical Gower snatches the box from George to test one of the capsules, and then sobers up in horror when he finds that George was telling the truth. Now deeply ashamed, Gower gratefully embraces George, who promises never to tell anyone.
George as a Man[]
George grows up to be a good-natured man with big dreams of leaving Bedford Falls to study to become an architect and see the world. He has saved up his money to embark on a trip to Europe before attending college, but after his father's death from a stroke, George is forced to sacrifice his dreams and take his father's place as head of the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan to save it from being shut down by local baron Henry F. Potter. He gives his college money to Harry, who returns four years later following his graduation with his new wife Ruth, whose father-in-law offered Harry a lucrative job. Harry considers turning down the job offer to take over for George so he can go to college, but George cannot bring himself to let his brother give up such an opportunity, and thus resigns himself to continue running the Building & Loan.
George later marries to his childhood crush, and his friend Marty's little sister, Mary Hatch, but just as they're about to leave for their honeymoon a run emerges on the Building & Loan, and Mary and George forfeit their $2,000 honeymoon bankroll to placate the panicked customers.
Two years later, George opens up Bailey Park, a new subdivision and housing development that provides decent and affordable housing to the former residents of Potter's Field, including Mr. Martini and his family. Potter is annoyed by this, and tries to manipulate George into a deal that would make him rich, but would lead him to take over the Building and Loan, playing to his dreams by offering him business trips to New York and Europe. George at first agrees, but then immediately turns it down. At which point Potter begins bearing down even harder on the Building & Loan.
When World War II breaks out, all of George's friends, including Harry, are able and willing to join the Army. Potter becomes head of the draft board, Gower and George's uncle Billy sell war bonds, Mary and other women in town volunteer for the USO, Sam Wainwright amasses a fortune manufacturing plastic hoods for airplanes and Ma Bailey and Mrs. Hatch join the Red Cross. But George is classified 4-F (unfit for service) due to his deaf ear, and was forced to take up duties in Bedford Falls including scrap, rubber and metal drives, while maintaining the Building & Loan business and fighting the "Battle of Bedford Falls" against Potter.
By Christmas Eve of 1945, the war has ended, and Harry was being awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for his services in the war, and George's family was hosting a Christmas party at his house later that night. However, Uncle Billy loses $8,000 needed for the Building and Loan, and George is angered and devastated, because with the money now missing he stands to go to jail for fraud. He didn't however, know that Potter had the money, and used it as his last ditch effort to destroy George. After yelling at Uncle Billy, George goes home, and vents his frustrations; he yells at Zuzu's teacher over the phone after learning she got sick when coming home from school, as well as exploding at his children when he gets frustrated. Feeling guilty and desperate, he goes to Potter and asks for a loan, offering him his $15,000 life insurance policy with only $500 of equity as collateral, but Potter duplicitously gloats over the ironic situation, mocks George for helping the people of the town while declaring him to be worth more dead than alive, and then when he calls the police to order George's arrest, George runs out as Potter continues taunting him.
George then goes to Martini's and gets slightly drunk while crying and silently praying to God for help. Martini and his bartender Nick try to comfort him, but he is punched and knocked to the ground by a man who identifies himself as Mr. Welch, the husband of Zuzu's teacher, who is angry at George for yelling at and upsetting his wife. Martini orders Welch thrown out and tries to help George, but then George himself leaves. With the snow falling heavier than ever, George's car slides and crashes into a man's tree. Ignoring the damage, George walks halfway across a nearby bridge, stopping in the middle of the span overlooking the icy river, where he intends to kill himself by jumping into the icy water so that his family can claim his life insurance. But before he can jump in, another man- George's guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, jumps in before him, motivating George to dive in to save him.
As they are drying off in the bridge keeper's office, George opens up to Clarence about his troubles, and when he nonchalantly wishes he had never been born, Clarence is motivated to show him what the world would be like without him - which begins when the snow stops and is replaced by a bitter cold wind. In this alternate world, George does not exist and has no means of identity - his wallet, the insurance policy and the petals he took off of Zuzu's flower are all missing; in addition, the cut on his mouth from Mr. Welch's punch has disappeared, and he suddenly finds that he can hear out of his left ear again. Meanwhile, Potter has completely taken over Bedford Falls, renaming it Pottersville, with most of the proper businesses replaced by sleazy nightclubs, bars and pawn shops, and with most of its residents now angry, miserable and suspicious of everyone else. Martini's bar is now called Nick's and is run by a more abrasive and less friendly Nick. Mr. Gower served 20 years in prison because George was not there to prevent him from poisoning the child and is now a pariah, Ernie is divorced and lives in squalor, Bert is a corrupt cop, Violet is a floozy being arrested by the police, Ma Bailey is a bitter old woman who runs a boarding house, Uncle Billy was committed to an insane asylum after the Building & Loan closed, Harry drowned as a child in the sledding accident and the men he would have saved during World War II also perished without his intervention, George's children do not exist, and Mary is a spinster working at the library. George desperately attempts to convince Mary of who he is, but she screams and runs away in terror. Seeing Bert again, George throws a punch at him knocking him to the ground before running back to the bridge, and Bert gets back up and starts firing in his direction before pursuing in his squad car.
Back on the span, George cries out to Clarence, begging for his life back. In his despair, he begs God to let him live again; at that moment, the winds die down and the snow again starts falling heavily, and Bert arrives on the bridge to help him as he's been looking for him everywhere. Realizing that Bert recognizes him again, George feels that his lip is bleeding again and finds Zuzu's petals in his pocket. Now elated, George runs through the town back home, wishing a "Merry Christmas" to the entire town, and even to Mr. Potter.
When he arrives home, George embraces his kids- including Zuzu who no longer has a fever- and is on the verge of being arrested, but he is too happy to have his life back to care. At that moment, Mary and Uncle Billy return to the house with baskets full of money; Mary had told some people that George was in trouble, and when the word quickly spread, people scattered all over town to collect donations. Friends, neighbors and B&L customers alike show up to donate money to help George, including Mr. Martini, Mr. Gower, Violet, his mother's housekeeper Annie, his old teacher Mr. Partridge, and many more. George then receives a telegram from Sam, which includes an advance of up to $25,000.
Harry then arrives, having flown all the way back home in the middle of the blizzard, and toasts George as "the richest man in town". George then notices a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer among the donations with a letter from Clarence, telling him to remember that, "No man is a failure who has friends", and thanking him for the wings; at that moment, one of the bells on the Christmas tree rings, and Zuzu points out that her teacher told her that "every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings". Happy for Clarence, George then joins the rest of the town in singing "Auld Lang Syne", embracing his truly wonderful life.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- George Bailey on the Near Pure Good Wiki
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 Heroes
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