It's a Wonderful Life

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!

EXTERIOR 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:

Drugstore

EXTERIOR 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.

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