It's a Wonderful Life Page #12

EXTERIOR PORCH OF BAILEY HOUSE �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� Mrs. Bailey and Annie, the maid.

MRS. BAILEY

First Harry, now George. Annie, we're just two old maids now.

ANNIE:

You speak for yourself, Mrs. B.

INTERIOR ERNIE'S CAB �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� George, Mary and Ernie. George and Mary are in each

other's arms.

ERNIE:

If either of you two see a stranger around here, it's me.

GEORGE:

Hey, look! Somebody's driving this cab.

Ernie reaches over and hands George a bottle of champagne done up

in gift wrappings.

ERNIE:

Bert, the cop, sent this over. He said to float away to Happy

Land on the bubbles.

GEORGE:

Oh, look at this. Champagne!

MARY:

Good old Bert.

ERNIE:

By the way, where are you two going on this here now honeymoon?

GEORGE:

Where are we going?

(takes out a fat roll of bills)

Look at this. There's the kitty, Ernie. Here, come on, count it,

Mary.

MARY:

I feel like a bootlegger's wife.

(holding up the money)

Look!

GEORGE:

You know what we're going to do? We're going to shoot the works.

A whole week in New York. A whole week in Bermuda. The highest

hotels ��

the oldest champagne �� the richest caviar �� the hottest music,

and the prettiest wife!

ERNIE:

That does it! Then what?

GEORGE (to Mary)

Then what, honey?

MARY:

After that, who cares?

GEORGE:

That does it �� come here.

The cab passes the bank, and Ernie sees a crowd of people around

the door. He stops the cab.

LONG SHOT �� scurrying people under umbrellas, swarming around

the bank doors. Panic is in the air. Attendants are trying to

close down. Several

people come running past the cab.

INTERIOR CAB:

CLOSE SHOT �� George, Mary and Ernie.

ERNIE:

Don't look now, but there's something funny going on over there

at the bank, George, I've never really seen one, but that's got

all the earmarks of a run.

PASSERBY:

Hey, Ernie, if you got any money in the bank, you better hurry.

MARY:

George, let's not stop. Let's go!

George gets out of the cab and looks down the street.

GEORGE:

Just a minute, dear. Oh-oh . . .

MARY:

Please, let's not stop, George.

GEORGE:

I'll be back in a minute, Mary.

George runs off up the street, toward the Building and Loan.

EXTERIOR BUILDING AND LOAN �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� sidewalk. An iron grill blocks the street entrance

to the Building and Loan. It has been locked. A crowd of men and

women are waiting

around the grill. They are simply-dressed people, to whom their

savings are a matter of life and death.

George comes in with an assumed cheerful manner. The people look

at him silently, half shamefaced, but grimly determined on their

rights. In their

hearts there is panic and fear.

GEORGE:

Hello, everybody. Mrs. Thompson, how are you? Charlie? What's the

matter here, can't you get in?

No one answers. He quickly unlocks the grill door and pushes it

open. Followed by the crowd, George runs upstairs and into the

outer offices of the

Building and Loan.

INTERIOR OUTER OFFICE �� BUILDING AND LOAN �� DAY

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT �� George, followed by the still-silent people,

comes in. Uncle Billy is standing in the doorway to his private

office, taking a

drink from a bottle. He motions to George to join him.

GEORGE:

What is this, Uncle Billy? A holiday?

UNCLE BILLY:

George . . .

He points to George's office. George turns back cheerfully to the

crowd.

GEORGE:

Come on in, everybody. That's right, just come in.

George vaults over the counter.

GEORGE (cont'd)

Now look, why don't you all sit down. There are a lot of seats

over there. Just make yourselves at home.

UNCLE BILLY:

George, can I see you a minute?

The people ignore George and remain standing in front of the

teller's window. They all have their passbooks out. George

hurries into his office where

Uncle Billy is waiting for him.

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� George and Uncle Billy.

GEORGE:

Why didn't you call me?

UNCLE BILLY:

I just did, but they said you left. This is a pickle, George,

this is a pickle.

GEORGE:

All right now, what happened? How did it start?

UNCLE BILLY:

How does anything like this ever start? All I know is the bank

called our loan.

GEORGE:

When?

UNCLE BILLY:

About an hour ago. I had to hand over all our cash.

GEORGE:

All of it?

UNCLE BILLY:

Every cent of it, and it still was less than we owe.

GEORGE:

Holy mackerel!

UNCLE BILLY:

And then I got scared, George, and closed the doors. I . . . I .

. . I . . .

GEORGE:

The whole town's gone crazy.

The telephone rings. Uncle Billy picks it up.

UNCLE BILLY:

Yes, hello? George . . . it's Potter.

GEORGE:

Hello?

INTERIOR POTTER'S LIBRARY �� DAY

MEDIUM SHOT �� Potter seated behind his desk, his goon alongside

him. Standing in front of the desk is a distinguished-looking

man, obviously the

president of the bank. He is mopping his brow with his

handkerchief.

POTTER:

George, there is a rumor around town that you've closed your

doors. Is that true? Oh, well, I'm very glad to hear that . . .

George, are you all right? Do

you need any police?

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� George and Uncle Billy.

GEORGE (on phone)

Police? What for?

INTERIOR POTTER'S OFFICE �� DAY

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT �� Potter talking on phone.

POTTER:

Well, mobs get pretty ugly sometimes, you know. George, I'm going

all out to help in this crisis. I've just guaranteed the bank

sufficient funds to meet

their needs. They'll close up for a week, and then reopen.

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� George and Uncle Billy.

GEORGE (to Uncle Billy)

He just took over the bank.

INTERIOR POTTER'S OFFICE �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� Potter on phone.

POTTER:

I may lose a fortune, but I'm willing to guarantee your people

too. Just tell them to bring their shares over here and I will

pay them fifty cents on the

dollar.

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� George and Uncle Billy.

GEORGE (furiously)

Aw, you never miss a trick, do you, Potter? Well, you're going to

miss this one.

George bangs the receiver down and turns to meet Uncle Billy's

anxious look.

INTERIOR POTTER'S OFFICE

CLOSEUP �� Potter on phone.

POTTER:

If you close your doors before six P.M. you will never reopen.

He realizes George has hung up, and clicks the phone furiously.

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE �� DAY

CLOSE SHOT �� George and Uncle Billy

UNCLE BILLY:

George, was it a nice wedding? Gosh, I wanted to be there.

GEORGE:

Yeah . . .

(looks at string on Uncle Billy's finger)

. . . you can take this one off now.

An ominous SOUND of angry voices comes from the other room.

George and Uncle Billy exit from George's office.

INTERIOR OUTER OFFICE �� BUILDING AND LOAN �� DAY

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT �� More people have crowded around the counter.

Their muttering stops and they stand silent and grim. There is

panic in their

faces.

GEORGE:

Now, just remember that this thing isn't as black as it appears.

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