It's a Wonderful Life Page #5

He enters a door marked

WILLIAM BAILEY, PRIVATE. George stands irresolute a moment, aware

of crisis in the affairs of the Bailey Building and Loan

Association, but aware more keenly of his personal crisis. He

opens the door of his father's office and enters.

INTERIOR BAILEY'S PRIVATE OFFICE �� DAY

MEDIUM SHOT �� George's father is seated behind his desk,

nervously drawing swirls on a pad. He looks tired and worried. He

is a gentle man in his

forties, an idealist, stubborn only for other people's rights.

Nearby, in a throne-like wheelchair, behind which stands the goon

who furnishes the motive

power, sits Henry F. Potter, his squarish derby hat on his head.

The following dialogue is fast and heated, as though the argument

had been in process for

some time.

BAILEY:

I'm not crying, Mr. Potter.

POTTER:

Well, you're begging, and that's a whole lot worse.

BAILEY:

All I'm asking is thirty days more . . .

GEORGE (interrupting)

Pop!

BAILEY:

Just a minute, son.

(to Potter)

Just thirty short days. I'll dig up that five thousand somehow.

POTTER (to his goon)

Shove me up . . .

Goon pushes his wheelchair closer to the desk.

GEORGE:

Pop!

POTTER:

Have you put any real pressure on those people of yours to pay

those mortgages?

BAILEY:

Times are bad, Mr. Potter. A lot of these people are out of work.

POTTER:

Then foreclose!

BAILEY:

I can't do that. These families have children.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT �� Potter and Bailey.

GEORGE:

Pop!

POTTER:

They're not my children.

BAILEY:

But they're somebody's children.

POTTER:

Are you running a business or a charity ward?

BAILEY:

Well, all right . . .

POTTER (interrupting)

Not with my money!

CLOSE SHOT �� Potter and Bailey.

BAILEY:

Mr. Potter, what makes you such a hard-skulled character? You

have no family �� no children. You can't begin to spend all the

money you've got.

POTTER:

So I suppose I should give it to miserable failures like you and

that idiot brother of yours to spend for me.

George cannot listen any longer to such libel about his father.

He comes around in front of the desk.

GEORGE:

He's not a failure! You can't say that about my father!

BAILEY:

George, George . . .

GEORGE:

You're not! You're the biggest man in town!

BAILEY:

Run along.

He pushes George toward the door.

GEORGE:

Bigger'n him!

As George passes Potter's wheelchair he pushes the old man's

shoulder. The goon puts out a restraining hand.

GEORGE:

Bigger'n everybody.

George proceeds toward the door, with his father's hand on his

shoulder. As they go:

POTTER:

Gives you an idea of the Baileys.

INTERIOR OUTER OFFICE BLDG. AND LOAN �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� George and his father at the door.

GEORGE:

Don't let him say that about you, Pop.

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