It's a Wonderful Life Page #4

GEORGE (admiring the bag)

He did? Whatta you know about that �� my old boss . . .

JOE:

What boat you sailing on?

GEORGE:

I'm working across on a cattle boat.

JOE:

A cattle boat?

GEORGE (as he exits)

Okay, I like cows.

INTERIOR GOWER'S DRUGSTORE �� DAY

MEDIUM SHOT �� The place is practically the same except that it

is now full of school kids having sodas, etc. A juke box and many

little tables have

been added. It has become the hangout of the local small fry.

There are now three kids jerking sodas.

Gower is a different man now �� sober, shaven and good-humored.

He is behind the counter when George comes in. Gower's face

lights up when he sees

George.

GEORGE:

Mr. Gower . . . Mr. Gower . . . thanks ever so much for the bag.

It's just exactly what I wanted.

GOWER:

Aw, forget it.

GEORGE:

Oh, it's wonderful.

GOWER:

Hope you enjoy it.

George suddenly sees the old cigar lighter on the counter. He

closes his eyes and makes a wish.

GEORGE:

Oh . . . Oh. Wish I had a million dollars.

As he snaps the lighter the flame springs up.

GEORGE (cont'd)

Hot dog!

George shakes Gower's hand vigorously and exits.

EXTERIOR MAIN STREET BEDFORD FALLS �� DAY

PAN SHOT �� as George crosses the street, Uncle Billy, cousin

Tilly and Cousin Eustace are leaning out of the second floor

window of the Building and

Loan offices.

UNCLE BILLY:

Avast there, Captain Cook. You got your sea legs yet?

COUSIN EUSTACE:

Parlez-vous francais? Hey, send us some of them picture

postcards, will you, George?

UNCLE BILLY:

Hey, George, don't take any plugged nickels.

COUSIN TILLY:

Hey, George, your suitcase is leaking.

George waves up at them and continues on across the street.

EXTERIOR MAIN STREET �� DAY

MEDIUM SHOT �� as George crosses the street. He spots Ernie and

his cab, and Bert the motor cop, parked alongside.

GEORGE:

Hey, Ernie!

ERNIE:

Hiya, George!

GEORGE:

Hi, Bert.

BERT:

George . . .

GEORGE:

Ernie, I'm a rich tourist today. How about driving me home in

style?

Bert opens the door of the cab and puts George's suitcase inside.

ERNIE:

Sure, your highness, hop in. And, for the carriage trade, I puts

on my hat.

As George is about to enter the cab, he stops suddenly as he sees

Violet (now obviously a little sex machine) come toward him. Her

walk and figure would

stop anybody. She gives him a sultry look.

REVERSE ANGLE �� The three men by the cab, but including Violet.

VIOLET:

Good afternoon, Mr. Bailey.

GEORGE:

Hello, Violet. Hey, you look good. That's some dress you got on

there.

CLOSE SHOT �� Violet. She reacts to this.

VIOLET:

Oh, this old thing? Why, I only wear it when I don't care how I

look.

CAMERA PANS WITH her as Violet swings on down the sidewalk.

REVERSE SHOT �� cab. As Violet goes by, George and Bert raise

their heads above the top of the cab.

MEDIUM SHOT �� on Violet's back as she goes. As she crosses the

street, an elderly man turns to look at her and is almost hit by

a car that pulls up with

screeching brakes.

CLOSE SHOT �� George and Bert at cab. Ernie sticks his head out

form the driver's seat.

ERNIE:

How would you like . . .

GEORGE (as he enters cab)

Yes . . .

ERNIE:

Want to come along, Bert? We'll show you the town!

Bert looks at his watch, then takes another look at Violet's

retreating figure.

BERT:

No, thanks. Think I'll go home and see what the wife's doing.

ERNIE:

Family man.

Dinner at the Bailey home

INTERIOR BAILEY DINING ROOM �� NIGHT

MEDIUM SHOT �� Pop Bailey is seated at the dinner table. Mrs.

Bailey and Annie, the cook, look up toward the vibrating ceiling.

There are SOUNDS of

terrific banging and scuffling upstairs. Annie pounds on the

ceiling with a broom.

MOTHER (calling out)

George! Harry! You're shaking the house down! Stop it!

POP:

Oh, let 'em alone. I wish I was up there with them.

MOTHER:

Harry'll tear his dinner suit. George!

ANOTHER ANGLE �� Mrs. Bailey is calling up the stairs.

ANNIE:

That's why all children should be girls.

MOTHER:

But if they were all girls, there wouldn't be any . . . Oh, never

mind. (calling upstairs)

George! Harry! Come down to dinner this minute. Everything's

getting cold and you know we've been waiting for you.

GEORGE'S VOICE

Okay, Mom.

She goes up the stairs.

Pop is smiling and poking his plate. A commotion is heard on the

stairs, the boys imitating fanfare MUSIC. Down they come, holding

their mother high

between them on their hands. They bring her into the dining room

and deposit her gracefully into Pop's lap.

BOYS:

Here's a present for you, Pop.

Pop kisses her. Mother gives Pop a quick hug, then turns with all

the wrath she can muster on the two boys.

MOTHER:

Oh, you two idiots! George, sit down and have dinner.

HARRY:

I've eaten.

MOTHER:

Well, aren't you going to finish dressing for your graduation

party? Look at you.

HARRY:

I don't care. It's George's tux.

Annie crosses the room, holding her broom. Harry reaches out for

her.

ANNIE:

If you lay a hand on me, I'll hit you with this broom.

HARRY:

Annie, I'm in love with you. There's a moon out tonight.

As he pushes her through the kitchen door, he slaps her fanny.

She screams. The noise is cut off by the swinging door. George

and his mother sit down at the table.

GEORGE:

Boy, oh, boy, oh, boy �� my last meal at the old Bailey boarding

house.

MOTHER:

Oh, my lands, my blood pressure!

CLOSE SHOT �� Harry, as he sticks his head through the kitchen

door.

HARRY:

Pop, can I have the car? I'm going to take over a lot of plates

and things.

MOTHER:

What plates?

HARRY:

Oh, Mom �� I'm chairman of the eats committee and we only need a

couple of dozen.

MOTHER:

Oh, no you don't. Harry, now, not my best Haviland.

She follows Harry into the kitchen, leaving Pop and George. As

she goes:

GEORGE:

Oh, let him have the plates, Mother.

CLOSE SHOT �� George and his father, eating at the table. There

is a great similarity and a great understanding between them.

POP:

Hope you have a good trip, George. Uncle Billy and I are going to

miss you.

GEORGE:

I'm going to miss you, too, Pop. What's the matter? You look

tired.

POP:

Oh, I had another tussle with Potter today.

GEORGE:

Oh . . .

POP:

I thought when we put him on the Board of Directors, he'd ease up

on us a little bit.

GEORGE:

I wonder what's eating that old money-grubbing buzzard anyway?

POP:

Oh, he's a sick man. Frustrated and sick. Sick in his mind, sick

in his soul, if he has one. Hates everybody that has anything

that he can't have. Hates us mostly, I guess.

MEDIUM SHOT �� the dining room. Harry and his mother come out of

the kitchen, Harry carrying a pie in each hand and balancing one

on his head.

CAMERA PANS WITH them as they cross.

HARRY:

Gangway! Gangway! So long, Pop.

POP:

So long, son.

GEORGE:

Got a match?

HARRY:

Very funny. Very funny.

MOTHER:

Put those things in the car and I'll get your tie and studs

together.

HARRY:

Okay, Mom. You coming later? You coming later, George?

GEORGE:

What do you mean, and be bored to death?

HARRY:

Couldn't want a better death. Lots of pretty girls, and we're

going to use that new floor of yours tonight, too.

Rate this script:4.7 / 3 votes