It's a Wonderful Life

MEDIUM CLOSEUP

George sees the struggling figure of Violet Bick, arrayed as a tart, being dragged into the patrol wagon.

GEORGE

Hey, Violet!

(to the cop)

Hey, listen – that's Violet Bick!

COP

I know. I know.

GEORGE

I know that girl!

The cop shoves George to one side. He looks around and sees Ernie's taxi cruising slowly by.

GEORGE (CONT'D)

Hey, Ernie – Ernie!

EXT. STREET – NIGHT

CLOSE SHOT

Ernie stops the cab, and George enters it.

GEORGE

Ernie, take me home. I'm off my nut!

ERNIE

(a much harder Ernie)

Where do you live?

GEORGE

Aw, now, doggone it, Ernie, don't you start pulling that stuff. You know where I live. Three-twenty Sycamore. Now hurry up.

ERNIE

Okay. Three-twenty Sycamore?...

GEORGE

Yeah – yeah – hurry up. Zuzu's sick.

ERNIE

All right.

He pulls down the flag on the meter and starts the cab.

INT. CAB – NIGHT

MEDIUM CLOSEUP – GEORGE AND ERNIE

Ernie is puzzled by the stranger.

GEORGE

Look here, Ernie, straighten me out here. I've got some bad liquor or something. Listen to me now. Now, you are Ernie Bishop, and you live in Bailey Park with your wife and kid? That's right, isn't it?

ERNIE

(suspiciously)

You seen my wife?

GEORGE

(exasperated)

Seen your wife? I've been to your house a hundred times.

ERNIE

Look, bud, what's the idea? I live in a shack in Potter's Field and my wife ran away three years ago and took the kid... And I ain't never seen you before in my life.

GEORGE

Okay. Just step on it. Just get me home.

Ernie turns to driving, but he's worried about his passenger. As he passes the burlesque house he sees Bert the cop standing beside his police car. Attracting his attention, he motions to Bert to follow him, indicating he has a nut in the back. Bert gets into his car and follows.

WIPE TO:

EXT. GEORGE'S HOUSE – NIGHT

MEDIUM LONG SHOT

The taxi pulls up to the curb and stops.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT

The cab is parked. George gets out and looks at the house.

ERNIE

Is this the place?

GEORGE

Of course it's the place.

ERNIE

Well, this house ain't been lived in for twenty years.

EXT. HOUSE – NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT

George is stopped momentarily by the appearance of the house. Windows are broken, the porch sags, one section of the roof has fallen, doors and shutters hang askew on their hinges. Like a doomed man, George approaches the house.

EXT. CAB – NIGHT

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT

The police car has pulled up beside the cab, and Bert and Ernie stand watching George's actions.

BERT

What's up, Ernie?

ERNIE

I don't know, but we better keep an eye on this guy. He's bats.

Ernie switches on the spotlight on his cab, and turns the beam toward the old house.

INT. HALLWAY GEORGE'S HOUSE – NIGHT

CLOSE SHOT

The interior of the house is lit up here and there, ghostlike, by Ernie's spotlight. No furniture, cobwebs, wallpaper hanging and swinging – stairs are broken and collapsed. In a voice that sounds like a cry for help, George yells out:

GEORGE

Mary! Mary! Tommy! Pete! Janie! Zuzu! Where are you?

Clarence suddenly appears leaning against a wall.

CLARENCE

They're not here, George. You have no children.

GEORGE

(ignoring him)

Where are you?

(then, to Clarence)

What have you done with them?

INT. DOORWAY – NIGHT

CLOSE SHOT

Bert is standing in the entrance, with his gun in his hand. Ernie is a few feet behind him, ready to run.

BERT

All right, put up your hands. No fast moves. Come on out here, both of you.

GEORGE

Bert! Thank heaven you're here!

He rushes toward Bert.

BERT

Stand back.

GEORGE

Bert, what's happened to this house? Where's Mary? Where's my kids?

ERNIE

(warningly)

Watch him, Bert.

BERT

Come on, come on.

GEORGE

(bewildered)

Bert – Ernie! What's the matter with you two guys? You were here on my wedding night. You, both of you, stood out here on the porch and sung to us, don't you remember?

ERNIE

(nervously)

Think I'd better be going.

BERT

Look, now why don't you be a good kid and we'll take you in to a doctor. Everything's going to be all right.

Bert tries to lead George away by the arm, but George struggles with him, trying to explain.

GEORGE

Bert, now listen to me. Ernie, will you take me over to my mother's house? Bert, listen!

(gesturing to Clarence)

It's that fellow there – he says he's an angel – he's tried to hypnotize me.

BERT

I hate to do this, fella.

Bert raises his gun to hit George on the head. As he does so, Clarence darts in and fixes his teeth in Bert's wrist, forcing him to let George go.

CLARENCE

Run... George! Run, George!

George dashes out of the house and down the street, as Bert grapples with Clarence, and they fall to the ground, wrestling. We see Bert kneeling, trying to put handcuffs on Clarence.

CLARENCE (CONT'D)

Help! Joseph, help!

BERT

Oh, shut up!

CLARENCE

Help, oh Joseph, help! Joseph!

Suddenly Clarence disappears from under Bert's hands. Bert gets up, amazed by his vanishing.

BERT

Where'd he go? Where'd he go? I had him right here.

Ernie's hair is now standing on end with fright.

ERNIE

(stammering)

I need a drink

He runs out of the scene.

BERT

Well, which way'd they go? Help me find 'em.

EXT. BAILEY HOME – NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT

George runs up the path to the front door of the house and raps on the door. He rings the bell and taps on the glass, when his attention is caught by a sign on the wall reading: "Ma Bailey's Boarding House."

MEDIUM CLOSEUP – GEORGE AT THE DOOR

The door opens and a woman appears. It is Mrs. Bailey, but she has changed amazingly. Her face is harsh and tired. In her eyes, once kindly and understanding, there is now cold suspicion. She gives no sign that she knows him.

MA BAILEY

Well?

GEORGE

Mother...

MA BAILEY

Mother? What do you want?

It is a cruel blow to George.

GEORGE

Mother, this is George. I thought sure you'd remember me.

MA BAILEY

(coldly)

George who? If you're looking for a room there's no vacancy.

She starts to close the door, but George stops her.

GEORGE

Oh, Mother, Mother, please help me. Something terrible's happened to me. I don't know what it is. Something's happened to everybody. Please let me come in. Keep me here until I get over it.

MA BAILEY

Get over what? I don't take in strangers unless they're sent here by somebody I know.

GEORGE

(desperate)

Well, I know everybody you know. Your brother-in-law, Uncle Billy.

MA BAILEY

(suspiciously)

You know him?

GEORGE

Well, sure I do.

MA BAILEY

When'd you see him last?

GEORGE

Today, over at the house.

MA BAILEY

That's a lie. He's been in the insane asylum ever since he lost his business. And if you ask me, that's where you belong.

She slams the door shut in George's face.

EXT. HOUSE – NIGHT

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT

George stands a moment, stunned. Then he turns and runs out to the sidewalk, until his face fills the screen. His features are distorted by the emotional chaos within him. We see Clarence leaning on the mail box at the curb, holding his volume of "Tom Sawyer" in his hand.

CLARENCE

Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

GEORGE

(quietly, trying to use logic)

I've heard of things like this. You've got me in some kind of a spell, or something. Well, I'm going to get out of it. I'll get out of it. I know how, too. I... the last man I talked to before all this stuff started happening to me was Martini.

CLARENCE

You know where he lives?

GEORGE

Sure I know where he lives. He lives in Bailey Park.

They walk out of scene.

WIPE TO:

EXT. CEMETERY – NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT

George and Clarence approach the tree from which the "Bailey Park" sign once hung. Now it is just outside a cemetery, with graves where the houses used to be.

CLARENCE

Are you sure this is Bailey Park?

GEORGE

Oh, I'm not sure of anything anymore. All I know is this should be Bailey Park. But where are the houses?

The two walk into the cemetery.

CLARENCE

(as they go)

You weren't here to build them.

CLOSE MOVING SHOT

George wandering like a lost soul among the tombstones, Clarence trotting at his heels. Again George stops to stare with frightened eyes at:

CLOSE SHOT – A TOMBSTONE

Upon it is engraved a name, Harry Bailey. Feverishly George scrapes away the snow covering the rest of the inscription, and we read: "IN MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED SON – HARRY BAILEY – 1911-1919"