| “ | Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you'll ever be! | „ |
| ~ George's speech to Mr. Potter. |
| “ | Clarence! Clarence! Help me, Clarence! Get me back! Get me back, I don't care what happens to me! Get me back to my wife and kids! Help me Clarence, please! Please! I wanna live again. I wanna live again. Please, God, let me live again. | „ |
| ~ George after Clarence showed him the alternate world. |
George Bailey is the main protagonist in the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life.
He is a banker who, on Christmas Eve, is shown what the world would have looked like if he was never born.
He was played by the late James Stewart.
His Good Ranking[]
What Makes Him Close to Being Pure Good?[]
- George is introduced when he saves his younger brother from drowning in a frozen lake when he was just 12 years old, which resulted in him losing hearing in his left ear.
- After his boss, Mr. Gower, almost mistakenly delivers cyanide capsules to a child while in a state of sorrow due to the death of his son, George prevents the capsules from being delivered. When Gower slaps George several times for not delivering the capsules, George explains why he did it, causing Gower to realize his mistake and tearfully apologize to George.
- After Mr. Gower makes George promise not to tell anyone about the mistake he made, George keeps this promise all his life, only telling Clarence, who already knew due to being an angel who had already seen George's whole life.
- Despite his various plans to leave Bedford Falls and travel the world rather than take over his father's company, he's respectful about it towards his father and never actively rebels against him.
- While he does briefly tease Mary after she loses her robe after they both fell in the swimming pool during the dance, he does immediently return it to her once other people, his brother and Uncle, come by, allowing her to cover up.
- After his father dies of a stroke, he gives up his trip around the world in order to handle the ongoing affairs of his father's company. Furthermore, when Mr. Potter attempts to badmouth the company and tear it down, George comes to the company's defence.
- Furthermore, once the board decides to keep the Bailey Building & Loan open under the condition that George be the one to run it, George gives up his plans for college, instead allowing his brother Harry to go to college.
- When he learns his brother Harry's promise of profitable work (out of town) in the research business for his father-in-law's glass factory in Buffalo, he allows Harry to do his dream job when he could have forced Harry to keep his end of the bargain and work at the Building & Loan.
- After he and Mary get married, planning on going on a honeymoon, he gives away his honeymoon money to an angry mob that attempted to pull all their money out of the bank.
- He and his wife then found a housing development named Bailey Park and even help an Italian Family move in.
- When he's offered a job to manage Potter's affairs and run his properties - with a starting salary of $20,000 a year -- which would mean living in the nicest house in town, fine clothes for Mary, business trips or vacations to New York, maybe even Europe -- it takes George less than a minute to release what that would mean for the Building and Loan, and turns down Potter's offer for a life of luxury and riches, calling him a spider.
- Over the years, he'd prove to be a dedicated boss in the Building & Loan, to the point where he'd often come home late.
- When World War II comes, he's rejected by the draft board as 4F due to his bad ear. But he still fights the "battle of Bedford Falls," acting as a whistle-blowing air raid warden (although he sputters into thin air when he forgets to put the whistle in his mouth), and also leading the paper and scrap-rubber drives.
- Despite yelling at his Uncle Billy that he would let him go to jail for misplacing the $8,000, he later takes the blame for it when talking to Mr. Potter, which even Potter is surprised of, since he knows what really happened.
- Even when he is about to commit suicide, he still takes the time to save Clarence's life.
- Clarence suggests that George is the sole reason that Bedford Falls was not run by the evil Mr. Potter and was overrun with crime, and proves this by showing what the world would be like without him.
- Despite clearly being in a bad mood over risking having to go to prison, he still manages to put up with Clarence's lively attitude, and even then stood up for him when he nearly got punched and showed concern asking him if he had any money or a place to sleep that night.
- After Clarence showed how the world would be a worse place without him, he declares he wants to live again.
- When he gets sent back to his own world, he rushed home to apologize to Mary and his kids, and he was extremely grateful for Bedford Falls coming together to raise money for his family.
- Even with a few minor arguments and disagreements, he still definitely loves and cares about Mary and cares for her happiness.
What Prevents Him From Being Pure Good?[]
- He has some jerkish moments, such as him briefly teasing Mary after she loses her robe, harshly grabbing Mary by the shoulders before they rekindled their relationship, and taking his anger out on Mary and his kids after Uncle Billy misplaces the eight thousand dollars. However, he is extremely remorseful for all of these actions, so this is a minor prevention.
External Links[]
- George Bailey on the Heroes Wiki
