"George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life) George Bailey is a fictional character and the protagonist in Frank Capra's 1946 film ""It's a Wonderful Life"". The character is a building and loan banker who sacrifices his dreams in order to help his community, to the point where he feels life has passed him by. Eventually, due to a cruel business rival's manipulations, Bailey falls into despair so deep that he contemplates suicide, until his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, gives him a valuable perspective on the worth of his life. The character was listed ninth on the American Film Institute's 2003 list"
"rendition. On Christmas Eve, 1945, George Bailey, facing financial ruin and disgrace, is contemplating committing suicide by jumping off a bridge into an icy river. Two celestial beings observe this, and decide to send an angel to save George. Unfortunately, the only angel available is Clarence Odbody, an AS2 (Angel Second Class), who after 200 years has yet to win his wings. To prepare for this assignment, Clarence is shown several scenes from George's life that show some of his selfless acts. Sent to Earth, Clarence finds George standing on the bridge about to leap into the river. Before George"
"greatest movie list, number 20 on its revised 2007 greatest movie list, and placing number one on its list of the most inspirational American films of all time. Capra revealed that this was his personal favorite among the films he directed, and that he screened it for his family every Christmas season. On Christmas Eve 1945, in Bedford Falls, New York, George Bailey contemplates suicide. Prayers for him reach Heaven, where Clarence Odbody, Angel 2nd Class, is assigned to save George, in return for which he will earn his angel wings. To prepare him for his mission, Clarence is shown"
"as Mother Bailey. Philip Grecian's 2006 radio play based on the film ""It's a Wonderful Life"" is a faithful adaptation, now in its third incarnation, that has been performed numerous times by local theatres in Canada. ""The Last Temptation of Clarence Odbody"" is a novel written by John Pierson. The novel imagines the future lives of various characters if George had not survived his jump into the river. Scenes from the film are seen in the documentary """", where Abacus Federal Savings Bank founder and chairman Thomas Sung talked about how ""It's a Wonderful Life"" influenced him. The film was"
"""A Christmas Carol"", in which the elderly miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by ghosts and learns the errors of his ways. By contrast, the hero of the former, George Bailey, is a businessman who sacrificed his dreams to help his community. On Christmas Eve, a guardian angel finds him in despair and prevents him from committing suicide, by supernaturally showing him how much he meant to the world around him. A few films based on fictionalized versions of true stories have become Christmas specials themselves. The story behind the Christmas carol ""Silent Night"" and the story of ""Yes, Virginia, there"
"responds: ""And a Happy New Year to you, too! ...In jail!"" This is Mr. Potter's final scene in the movie. What Potter doesn't know is that George has just been shown a vision by his guardian angel. George was on the verge of suicide after his conference with Potter and made a wish that he had never been born. So, his guardian angel (Clarence Odbody, played by Henry Travers) showed him what would have become of Bedford Falls had the man known as George Bailey never been born. Potter has taken over the town and renamed it Pottersville, which is"
"is to have friends. When a greedy CFO plans to steal the Rich's family fortunes, Richie must do whatever he can to save his home, with the help of what he's been searching for. The film plays quite similar to ""It's a Wonderful Life"" where Richie Rich (David Gallagher) plays the role George Bailey, when he wishes that he was never born after being blamed for ruining Christmas, but this don't go well when after using the wishing machine invented by Professor Keenbean, everything has turned upside down where his spoiled cousin Reggie Van Dough has taken over his life,"
"George as ""The richest man in town"". In the pile of donated funds, George finds a copy of ""The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"" inscribed, ""Dear George: Remember no man is a failure who has friends. P.S. Thanks for the wings! Love, Clarence."" A bell on the Christmas tree rings, and his daughter Zuzu says, ""Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!"" George agrees and looks up to heaven and says, ""Attaboy, Clarence."" George realizes that he truly has a wonderful life. Citing generosity as Bailey's most admirable trait, ""Time"" magazine lists George Bailey among their"
"has since been performed at venues all around the United States. The film was also adapted into a play in two acts by James W. Rodgers. It was first performed on December 15, 1993 at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. The play opens with George Bailey contemplating suicide and then goes back through major moments in his life. Many of the scenes from the movie are only alluded to or mentioned in the play rather than actually dramatized. For example, in the opening scene Clarence just mentions George having saved his brother Harry after the latter had fallen through the"
"failed to survive. Oliver Stone's 1987 film ""Wall Street"" featured a British billionaire financier, Sir Lawrence Wildman. This character was modelled on Goldsmith as stated by the film's director Oliver Stone in the DVD special feature documentary and the director's commentary as Sir Lawrence Wildman is introduced. Goldsmith had become increasingly concerned throughout the 1980s about the nature of the European Economic Community, and harboured a deepening suspicion that at its core lay a desire for the domination of the European continent by Germany, a suspicion which was for him confirmed further when in 1992, via the passage of the"
"before ""It's a Wonderful Life"", it inadvertently plays as a cynical travesty of that film, given that it follows a similar story: a man planning to kill himself over lost money (albeit in this case embezzled) is ""rescued"" by a trio of unsavory types who decide that doing ""a good deed"" might be fun and even profitable. Bill O'Brien is a New York con man in search of a suitable gullible person to make some money on. In a fancy nightclub he finds Charles Engle, a man ridden by guilt and on the brink of committing suicide after embezzling a"
"Clarence (1922 film) Clarence is a 1922 American silent comedy drama, based on a play by Booth Tarkington, produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. It was directed by William C. deMille and starred Wallace Reid in his penultimate screen appearance. In E.J. Fleming's 2007 biography of Wallace Reid, it is stated that many in Reid's neighborhood, including Rudolph Valentino, remembered that Reid kept the neighborhood awake playing his saxophone. It is not stated whether Reid was honing his skills for this film or just enjoying some leisure. The film is now considered a lost film. The father"
"out his frustration on his family. He soon apologizes to his wife and children, then leaves. George desperately appeals to Potter for a loan. When George offers his life insurance policy as collateral, Potter, aware of the misplaced currency, says George is worth more dead than alive, and phones the police to have him arrested. George gets drunk at a local bar, and is involved in a fight before he leaves and goes to a nearby bridge, thinking of suicide. The film's narrative catches up to the time of the opening scene. Before he can jump, Clarence dives into the"
"the bourgeoisie, is the epitome of social, moral, and material decadence. ""Babbitt"" (1922), by Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951), satirizes the American bourgeois George Follansbee Babbitt, a middle-aged realtor, booster, and joiner in the Midwestern city of Zenith, who – despite being unimaginative, self-important, and hopelessly conformist and middle-class – is aware that there must be more to life than money and the consumption of the best things that money can buy. Nevertheless, he fears being excluded from the mainstream of society more than he does living for himself, by being true to himself – his heart-felt flirtations with independence (dabbling in"
"from childhood. Their walk home is interrupted by news that George's father, Peter, has died of a stroke. George postpones his travel so he can sort out the family business, Bailey Brothers' Building and Loan. Henry F. Potter, the richest man in town, wishes to dissolve the Building and Loan to eliminate it as a competitor. The board of directors votes to keep the Building and Loan open, on condition that George stay to run it (along with his absent-minded uncle Billy). George gives his college tuition to Harry on the condition that Harry take over the Building and Loan"
"the three scripts into a screenplay that Capra renamed ""It's a Wonderful Life"". The script underwent many revisions throughout pre-production and during filming. Final screenplay credit went to Goodrich, Hackett and Capra, with ""additional scenes"" by Jo Swerling. In the film, the main character (renamed George Bailey) was played by James Stewart, the stranger (re-imagined as an angel named Clarence Odbody) was played by Henry Travers, and George's wife (renamed Mary Hatch) was played by Donna Reed. The names for some characters in the film were taken from characters in the story, but given different personalities or roles in the"
"the guitar solo into the middle verse, motifs that are also quoted in ""Strictly Genteel"" from the film ""200 Motels"" (1971). The World's Greatest Sinner The World's Greatest Sinner is a 1962 American drama film written, directed, and produced by, and starring Timothy Carey. Narrated by voice actor Paul Frees, the film focuses on a frustrated atheist named Clarence Hilliard (later God Hilliard) who rises from an insurance salesman to a powerful figure, but meets his consequences to the real God of the Bible, as he alienates his family and friends with his increasing egomaniac and dictator-like presence. ""The World's"
"Old English (film) Old English is a 1930 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and produced by Warner Bros. The film is based on the 1924 Broadway play of the same name by John Galsworthy. The film stars George Arliss, Leon Janney, Betty Lawford and Doris Lloyd. Heythorp is an old ship owner who finds himself on the verge of bankruptcy. He worries about his grandchildren, who are currently being taken care of by the miserly Mrs. Larne, the widowed wife of his son. She asks Heythorp for money, but suspecting that she will use the money"
"the third says he was gunned down in a shootout with cops (but Spiro Agnew is still at large). A more subtle satire is the rise of a (fictional) company called 'Global Tetrahedron', which first appears as a small business in the first decade of the century and gradually grows into a multinational behemoth. Several events from the classic film ""It's a Wonderful Life"" are also used as stories, such as ""Mr. Potter To Pay Fifty Cents on the Dollar"" during the Great Depression and ""Harry Bailey Wins Congressional Medal of Honor"" in the World War II section, with Harry"
"Warner Archive on DVD. A print is preserved in the Library of Congress collection. Old English (film) Old English is a 1930 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and produced by Warner Bros. The film is based on the 1924 Broadway play of the same name by John Galsworthy. The film stars George Arliss, Leon Janney, Betty Lawford and Doris Lloyd. Heythorp is an old ship owner who finds himself on the verge of bankruptcy. He worries about his grandchildren, who are currently being taken care of by the miserly Mrs. Larne, the widowed wife of his"
"The film was a critical success upon its initial release. However, despite several accolades, award nominations, and a Radio City Music Hall run, ""A New Leaf"" fared poorly at the box office and remains little known by the general public. It is now considered a cult classic. Henry Graham, a playboy from a wealthy patrician family, has run through his entire inheritance and is completely unequipped to provide for himself. His childhood guardian, Uncle Harry, refuses to give him a dime. Henry considers but is unwilling to exercise the only solution he can think of—suicide. At the suggestion of his"
"to a raucous lifestyle. As George comes to realize the positive effects that he has had on others' lives, he regrets his hasty wish, and Clarence restores him to his previous life. As George now appreciates his life, despite its difficulties, Clarence wins his wings. As shown in the 1990 film ""Clarence"", in December, 1989, Clarence again comes to Earth to assist a human, Rachel Logan, who is in need of his care. Asked to help her by his fellow angel, Logan's deceased husband, he assists her to again appreciate life and her children, and saves her from suicide by"
"of the 50 greatest screen heroes. Bailey is played by James Stewart as an adult and Bobby Anderson as a child, and is loosely based on George Pratt, a character in Philip Van Doren Stern's ""The Greatest Gift"". In the winter of 1919, George (aged 12, portrayed by Bobby Anderson) and his friends Bert, Ernie Bishop, Marty Hatch, Sam Wainwright, and his brother Harry are sledding on a frozen river. Harry breaks through the ice and George jumps into the freezing water to save him. George develops an infection which deafens him in his left ear. In May 1920, George"
"S. Truman quoted in the latter story as saying ""we owe a great debt to George Bailey for pulling Harry out of the ice when he was 9"" and saying George was declared 4-F because of his ear. Eventually, in the 1980s, George Bailey is indicted as part of the Savings and Loan scandal. Also present is the frequent theme of moral outrage at the amount of sex in popular culture, beginning with a depiction of women's undergarments reproduced from a Sears catalogue, then extending to jazz music (also thought to have sunk the ""Titanic""), and culminating in ""Hippies Celebrate"
"turned the story and what was worth using from the three scripts into a screenplay that Capra would rename ""It's a Wonderful Life"". The script underwent many revisions throughout pre-production and during filming. Final screenplay credit went to Goodrich, Hackett, and Capra, with ""additional scenes"" by Jo Swerling. Capra produced the film with his independent motion picture production company Liberty Films. Dalton Trumbo had written a draft that was different from the final film. In Trumbo's draft, George Bailey is an idealistic politician that slowly grows more cynical as the story progresses, then tries to commit suicide after losing an"
"$820,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $1,146,000. Saratoga (film) Saratoga is a 1937 American romantic comedy film written by Anita Loos and directed by Jack Conway. The film stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in their sixth and final film collaboration, and features Lionel Barrymore, Frank Morgan, Walter Pidgeon, Hattie McDaniel, and Margaret Hamilton. Jean Harlow died before filming was finished, and it was completed using stand-ins. ""Saratoga"" was MGM's biggest moneymaker of 1937. Bookie Duke Bradley (Clark Gable) stops the bank from taking the stud of Grandpa Clayton (Lionel Barrymore). Carol Clayton (Jean Harlow) calls from England that"
"actor. After he lost most of his money in the financial crisis of 1929, Hinds retired as a lawyer and joined the Pasadena Community Playhouse. He started acting in Broadway shows at age 54. Hinds is perhaps best remembered for playing Peter Bailey, the father of James Stewart and founder of the Bailey Building and Loan, in ""It's a Wonderful Life"" (1946) and for his part as Paul Sycamore in ""You Can't Take It With You"" (1938), both films directed by Frank Capra. Hinds was also known for his roles in the Abbott & Costello films such as ""Buck Privates"""
"is similar to the scene in which Kane destroys his ex-wife's room. Mary Bailey shares her name with George Bailey's wife in the 1946 film ""It's a Wonderful Life"". Burns hires an actor to portray the nineteenth-century scientist Charles Darwin to help in his claim that the three-eyed fish was the result of evolution. Darwin was a naturalist who presented compelling evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors, through the process he called natural selection. The clip of Burns driving a military tank in his campaign montage is similar to a clip featured in"
"John Bailey (British actor) John Bailey (26 June 1912 - 18 February 1989) was a British screen and TV actor who had a long screen, stage and TV career. He was born in South East London. He took a number of film roles during the late 1940s and early 1950s which included a sinister role, Stringer, in ""High Treason"". During the 1960s, he appeared in a number of high-profile BBC TV roles such as in ""Doctor Who"". Most famously, he played the artist Aubrey Green in ""The Forsyte Saga"" in (1967). He also took the lead in a highly acclaimed"
"Carlyle, a wealthy young professional. Unknown to Helen and her family, Steve is a legal advisor to a megalomaniac gangster Goldie Gorio. Steve wishes to leave the rackets but Goldie reintroduces him to his future father-in-law, a rival gangster where both parties see the marriage as a symbol of peace and an end of violence in their transactions. Steve remains with Goldie and fills in for him to a visit to a rival gangster's boat where he is ambushed and nearly killed by their machine gun. Helen vows revenge on Goldie. Bad Company (1931 film) Bad Company is a 1931"
"serve as an Hypothesis to salve many doubts, whereof common Philosophy affordeth no solution: By the 19th century, the guardian angel was no longer viewed in Anglophone lands as an intercessory figure, but rather as a force protecting the believer from performing sin. A parody appears in Byron's ""Don Juan"": ""Her guardian angel had given up his garrison"" (Canto I, xvii). Clarence Odbody, the guardian angel in the 1946 film ""It's a Wonderful Life"", ""earned his wings"" through bringing awareness that life was worth living to the film's protagonist, George Bailey. Guardian angel A guardian angel is an angel that"
"""Holocaust"". John Bailey (British actor) John Bailey (26 June 1912 - 18 February 1989) was a British screen and TV actor who had a long screen, stage and TV career. He was born in South East London. He took a number of film roles during the late 1940s and early 1950s which included a sinister role, Stringer, in ""High Treason"". During the 1960s, he appeared in a number of high-profile BBC TV roles such as in ""Doctor Who"". Most famously, he played the artist Aubrey Green in ""The Forsyte Saga"" in (1967). He also took the lead in a highly"
"can jump off, Clarence jumps in the water, which prompts George to dive in to rescue him. Clarence introduces himself as they are drying out in the tollhouse keeper's shack. George expresses a wish that he had never been born, and Clarence grants his wish in order to show George what the world would be like if he had never existed. George discovers that his war-hero brother, Harry, had drowned as a child, as George was not there to save him. He finds his wife Mary unmarried and childless, and then sees that the town and its businesses have turned"