It's a Wonderful Life Page #25

CLARENCE:

There is no George Bailey. You have no papers, no cards, no

driver's license, no 4-F card, no insurance policy . . .

(he says these things as George searches for them)

George looks in his watch pocket.

CLARENCE (cont'd)

They're not there, either.

GEORGE:

What?

CLARENCE:

Zuzu's petals.

George feverishly continues to turn his pockets inside out.

CLARENCE (cont'd)

You've been given a great gift, George. A chance to see what the

world would be like without you.

George is completely befuddled.

GEORGE (shaking his head)

Now wait a minute, here. Wait a minute here. As, this is some

sort of a funny dream I'm having here. So long, mister, I'm going

home.

He starts off. Clarence rises.

CLARENCE:

Home? What home?

GEORGE (furious) Now shut up! Cut it out! You're . . . you're . .

. you're crazy! That's what I think . . . you're screwy, and

you're driving me crazy, too! I'm

seeing things. I'm going home and see my wife and family. Do you

understand that? And I'm going home alone!

George strides off hurriedly. Clarence slowly follows him,

glancing up toward Heaven as he goes.

CLARENCE:

How'm I doing, Joseph. Thanks.

(pause) No, I didn't have a drink!

WIPE TO:

The nightmare continues/George can't go home again/Ma

Bailey's/Cemetery/Library

EXTERIOR STREET �� NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT �� George moves into the scene. The sign bearing the

name of the town reads

"Pottersville." George looks at it in surprise, then starts

up the street toward the main part of town. As he goes, CAMERA

MOVES WITH him. The character of the place has completely

changed. Where before

it was a quiet, orderly small town, it has now become in nature

like a frontier village. We see a SERIES OF SHOTS of night clubs,

cafes, bars, liquor

stores, pool halls and the like, with blaring jazz MUSIC issuing

from the majority of them. The motion picture theatre has become

a burlesque house.

Gower's drugstore is now a pawnbroker's establishment, and so on.

CLOSE SHOT �� George stops before what used to be the offices of

the Building and Loan. There is a garish electric sign over the

entrance reading:

"Welcome Jitterbugs." A crowd of people are watching the police,

who are raiding the place, and dragging out a number of screaming

women, whom

they throw into a patrol wagon. George talks to one of the cops:

GEORGE:

Hey . . . hey. Where did the Building and Loan move to?

COP:

The Building and what?

GEORGE:

The Bailey Building and Loan. It was up there.

COP:

They went out of business years ago.

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!

EXTERIOR 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.

INTERIOR 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:

EXTERIOR 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.

EXTERIOR 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.

EXTERIOR 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.

INTERIOR 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?

INTERIOR 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.

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