It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life  

Screenplay by       Frances Goodrich

          Albert Hackett

          Frank Capra

          Jo Swerling

Produced by       Frank Capra

Directed by       Frank Capra

Cast List:

James Stewart      George Bailey

Donna Reed      Mary Hatch

Lionel Barrymore    Mr. Potter

Thomas Mitchell    Uncle Billy

Henry Travers     Clarence

Beulah Bondi      Mrs. Bailey

Frank Faylen      Ernie

Ward Bond      Bert

Gloria Grahame    Violet Bick

H.B. Warner     Mr. Gower

FADE IN:

NIGHT SEQUENCE

Series of shots of various streets and buildings in the town of Bedford Falls, somewhere in New York State. The streets are deserted, and snow is falling. It is Christmas Eve. Over the above scenes we hear voices praying:

GOWER'S VOICE

I owe everything to George Bailey. Help him, dear Father.

MARTINI'S VOICE

Joseph, Jesus and Mary. Help my friend Mr. Bailey.

MRS. BAILEY'S VOICE

Help my son George tonight.

BERT'S VOICE

He never thinks about himself, God; that's why he's in trouble.

ERNIE'S VOICE

George is a good guy. Give him a break, God.

MARY'S VOICE

I love him, dear Lord. Watch over him tonight.

JANIE'S VOICE

Please, God. Something's the matter with Daddy.

ZUZU'S VOICE

Please bring Daddy back.

CAMERA PULLS UP from the Bailey home and travels up through the sky until it is above the falling snow and moving slowly toward a firmament full of stars. As the camera stops we hear the following heavenly voices talking, and as each voice is heard, one of the stars twinkles brightly:

FRANKLIN'S VOICE
Hello, Joseph, trouble?

JOSEPH'S VOICE

Looks like we'll have to send someone down – a lot of people are asking for help for a man named George Bailey.

FRANKLIN'S VOICE

George Bailey. Yes, tonight's his crucial night. You're right, we'll have to send someone down immediately. Whose turn is it?

JOSEPH'S VOICE

That's why I came to see you, sir. It's that clock-maker's turn again.

FRANKLIN'S VOICE

Oh – Clarence. Hasn't got his wings yet, has he? We've passed him up right along.

JOSEPH'S VOICE

Because, you know, sir, he's got the I.Q. of a rabbit.

FRANKLIN'S VOICE

Yes, but he's got the faith of a child – simple. Joseph, send for Clarence.

A small star flies in from left of screen and stops. It twinkles as Clarence speaks:

CLARENCE'S VOICE

You sent for me, sir?

FRANKLIN'S VOICE

Yes, Clarence. A man down on earth needs our help.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Splendid! Is he sick?

FRANKLIN'S VOICE

No, worse. He's discouraged. At exactly ten-forty-five PM tonight, Earth time, that man will be thinking seriously of throwing away God's greatest gift.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Oh, dear, dear! His life! Then I've only got an hour to dress. What are they wearing now?

FRANKLIN'S VOICE

You will spend that hour getting acquainted with George Bailey.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Sir... If I should accomplish this mission – I mean – might I perhaps win my wings? I've been waiting for over two hundred years now, sir – and people are beginning to talk.

FRANKLIN'S VOICE

What's that book you've got there?

CLARENCE'S VOICE

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

FRANKLIN'S VOICE

Clarence, you do a good job with George Bailey, and you'll get your wings.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you.

JOSEPH'S VOICE

Poor George... Sit down.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Sit down? What are...

JOSEPH'S VOICE

If you're going to help a man, you want to know something about him, don't you?

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Well, naturally. Of course.

JOSEPH'S VOICE

Well, keep your eyes open. See the town?

The stars fade out from the screen, and a light, indistinguishable blur is seen.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Where? I don't see a thing.

JOSEPH'S VOICE

Oh, I forgot. You haven't got your wings yet. Now look, I'll help you out. Concentrate. Begin to see something?

The blur on the screen slowly begins to take form. We see a group of young boys on top of a snow-covered hill.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Why, yes. This is amazing.

JOSEPH'S VOICE

If you ever get your wings, you'll see all by yourself.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Oh, wonderful!

EXT. FROZEN RIVER AND HILL – DAY – 1919

CLOSE SHOT

Group of boys. They are preparing to slide down the hill on large shovels. One of them makes the slide and shoots out onto the ice of a frozen river at the bottom of the hill.

BOY

(as he slides)

Yippee!!

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Hey, who's that?

JOSEPH'S VOICE

That's your problem, George Bailey.

CLARENCE'S VOICE

A boy?

JOSEPH'S VOICE

That's him when he was twelve, back in 1919. Something happens here you'll have to remember later on.

Series of shots as four or five boys make the slide down the hill and out onto the ice. As each boy comes down the others applaud.

CLOSE SHOT

George Bailey at bottom of slide.

GEORGE

(through megaphone)

And here comes the scare-baby, my kid brother, Harry Bailey.

CLOSE SHOT – HARRY

On top of hill, preparing to make his slide.

HARRY

I'm not scared.

BOYS

(ad lib)

Come on, Harry! Attaboy, Harry!

MEDIUM SHOT

Harry makes his slide very fast. He passes the marks made by the other boys, and his shovel takes him onto the thin ice at the bend of the river. The ice breaks, and Harry disappears into the water.

CLOSE SHOT – GEORGE

GEORGE

I'm coming, Harry.

MEDIUM SHOT

George jumps into the water and grabs Harry. As he starts to pull him out he yells:

GEORGE

Make a chain, gang! A chain!

WIDER ANGLE

The other boys lie flat on the ice, forming a human chain. When George reaches the edge with Harry in his arms, they pull them both to safety.

JOSEPH'S VOICE

George saved his brother's life that day. But he caught a bad cold which infected his left ear. Cost him his hearing in that ear. It was weeks before he could return to his after-school job at old man Gower's drugstore.

DISSOLVE

EXT. MAIN STREET – BEDFORD FALLS – SPRING AFTERNOON

MEDIUM SHOT

Five or six boys are coming toward camera, arm in arm, whistling. Their attention is drawn to an elaborate horsedrawn carriage proceeding down the other side of the street.

MEDIUM PAN SHOT

The carriage driving by. We catch a glimpse of an elderly man riding in it.

CLOSE SHOT

The boys watching the carriage.

GEORGE

Mr. Potter!

CLARENCE'S VOICE

Who's that – a king?

JOSEPH'S VOICE

That's Henry F. Potter, the richest and meanest man in the county.

The boys continue until they reach Gower's drugstore. The drugstore is old-fashioned and dignified, with jars of colored water in the windows and little else. As the kids stop:

GEORGE

So long!

BOYS

(ad lib)

Got to work, slave. Hee-haw. Hee-haw.

INTERIOR DRUGSTORE – DAY

MEDIUM SHOT

George comes in and crosses to an old-fashioned cigar lighter on the counter. He shuts his eyes and makes a wish:

GEORGE

Wish I had a million dollars.

He clicks the lighter and the flame springs up.

GEORGE (CONT'D)

Hot dog!

WIDER ANGLE

George crosses over to the soda fountain, at which Mary Hatch, a small girl, is seated, watching him. George goes on to get his apron from behind the fountain.

GEORGE

(calling toward back room)

It's me, Mr. Gower. George Bailey.

CLOSE SHOT

Mr. Gower, the druggist, peering from a window in back room. We see him take a drink from a bottle.

GOWER

You're late.

MEDIUM SHOT

George behind soda fountain. He is putting on his apron.

GEORGE

Yes, sir.

WIDER ANGLE

Violet Bick enters the drugstore and sits on one of the stools at the fountain. She is the same height as Mary and the same age, but she is infinitely older in her approach to people.

VIOLET

(with warm friendliness)

Hello, George.

(then, flatly, as she sees Mary)

'Lo, Mary.

MARY

(primly)

Hello, Violet.

George regards the two of them with manly disgust. They are two kids to him, and a nuisance. He starts over for the candy counter.

GEORGE

Two cents worth of shoelaces?

VIOLET

She was here first.

MARY

I'm still thinking.

GEORGE

(to Violet)

Shoelaces?

VIOLET

Please, Georgie.

George goes over to the candy counter.

VIOLET

(to Mary)

I like him.

MARY

You like every boy.

VIOLET

(happily)

What's wrong with that?

GEORGE

Here you are.

George gives Violet a paper sack containing licorice shoelaces. Violet gives him the money.

VIOLET

(the vamp)

Help me down?

GEORGE

(disgusted)

Help you down!

Violet jumps down off her stool and exits. Mary, watching, sticks out her tongue as she passes.

CLOSE SHOT – GEORGE AND MARY AT FOUNTAIN

GEORGE

Made up your mind yet?

MARY

I'll take chocolate.

George puts some chocolate ice cream in a dish.

GEORGE

With coconuts?

MARY

I don't like coconuts.

GEORGE

You don't like coconuts! Say, brainless, don't you know where coconuts come from? Lookit here – from Tahiti – Fiji Islands, the Coral Sea!

He pulls a magazine from his pocket and shows it to her.

MARY

A new magazine! I never saw it before.

GEORGE

Of course you never. Only us explorers can get it. I've been nominated for membership in the National Geographic Society.

He leans down to finish scooping out the ice cream, his deaf ear toward her.

She leans over, speaking softly.

CLOSE SHOT

Mary, whispering.

MARY

Is this the ear you can't hear on? George Bailey, I'll love you till the day I die.

She draws back quickly and looks down, terrified at what she has said.

CLOSE SHOT – GEORGE AND MARY

GEORGE

I'm going out exploring some day, you watch. And I'm going to have a couple of harems, and maybe three or four wives. Wait and see.

He turns back to the cash register, whistling.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Taking in entrance to prescription room at end of fountain. Gower comes to the entrance. He is bleary-eyed, unshaven, chewing an old unlit cigar. His manner is gruff and mean. It is evident he has been drinking.

GOWER

George! George!