 From Hollywood the NBC theater presents Screen directors assignment production. It's a wonderful life director Frank Capra star Jimmy Stewart The Hollywood screen directors present a flight of fancy into a time that never was it's a wonderful life Starring Jimmy Stewart and introducing the director of the film Frank Capra For a motion picture audience there can be only one measure of a truly great director His name by itself must be a badge of excellence upon the screen Such as the name of our guest screen director tonight for it has become a synonym for unforgettable motion picture entertainment The NBC theater is proud to present the distinguished director of such brilliant films as it happened one night Lost horizon you can't take it with you and tonight's story. It's a wonderful life. Ladies and gentlemen mr. Frank Capra Thank you the story of it's a wonderful life became a motion picture by Rather roundabout way It started out as a simple message of goodwill a brief fantasy printed on Christmas cards to be exchanged between friends It was a fine story warm and human and exciting in a very unusual way We felt that it had something something that perhaps could be shared by everyone. That's why we made the picture and Now tonight. We hope to share it with you again as a radio play It's a wonderful life starring Jimmy Stewart in his original role of George Bailey your supreme Excellency I Quarance odd body angel of the second class To make application for promotion to angel of the first class for services as follows on Christmas Eve of 1948 one George Bailey of Bedford Falls was on the point of committing suicide an Act abhorrent both to his maker and to the Hemisphere Federation Mutual Wife Insurance Company Fuelling and exceeding we woe spirits George Bailey did go proceed and travel to the high level bridge where he mounted the rail Before George Bailey could weep into the icy co-ent I Quarance odd body did hurl project and fling myself past the great Magellanic cloud through the constellation Leera into the Earth's atmosphere and the Bedford River Executing if I do say so myself a perfect swan dive The good thing this old toll house on the bridge was unwocked. Yeah, we can both dry off in here without freezing. Yeah How'd you happen to fall into the river? I didn't fall in Well, I knew if you thought I was drowning you jump in to save me. So I jumped in You jumped in to save you. You see you didn't go through with it. Go through with what? Suicide, how'd you know I was gonna come? Hey Who are you? I'm an angel. Oh, what an angel? Quarance odd body a s2 Oh AS2 what's the AS2 angel second class? Oh, I see What are you crazy? Oh confess I've been rather distracted for the past few centuries due to my failure to acquire my first class wings But crazy, uh-uh If I do a good job on you, I'll get my wings brother. You haven't even got your buttons Why don't you tell me your troubles now you're balmy. That's why well and humor me Do you're good to talk? Yeah, yeah Now that's not all I have left in life Let's talk about it. Well talk. Oh, I was gonna knock him dead. I was I was gonna shake the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I was gonna see the world build things do things travel Taj Mahal and silken Samarkand and the moon pools of the East and Everest and the Deeper Jean Yeah Pipe dreams. Why? Well my deaf ear for one thing. Oh, that was when Howie your kid brother fell through the ice back in 1919 I jumped in to save him. I Hey, how'd you know that I wed it and it gave real deli trumpet Well, anyway, I got an ear infection. It was weeks before I could go back running errands at the gaurd drug store So what does gaurd do? He hits me in my bad ear. Why? Well, he just heard about his son. He died in college from typhoid Gaurd been drinking I wouldn't deliver some medicine for mrs. Blaine's little girl because the bottle he took it out of was mark poison Dear dear now doc gaurd smacked my bad ear and I guess I cried But I finally made him understand his mistake. Um, was doc gaurd grateful? Well, he cried 11 years later He bought me a fine set of pig skin luggage to take on my world trip. Oh, then you did go away There was a girl in town named mary We'd grown up together and She was engaged to sam wainwright I now or so before train time and I stopped over mary's house Just think after all these years and all your planning and saving and wishing You're gonna realize your great ambition. This is the most exciting day of my life, mary I'll we'll we'll miss you terribly in bedford falls. Well, I'll only be away a year You'll write won't you? I'll send you a golden apple from the garden of the east for your wedding present Thanks, I'll make golden applesauce out of it. What's the matter? Why won't I say something wrong? Hey, hey, hey doorbells ringing. I know the doorbells ringing. Don't you sneak away george bandy? I want to talk to you Mary I'm looking for george. Uncle billy. What brings you over here to mary's george Your father's just had a bad stroke. Oh, no dad. What is he is? No But I don't think you'd better start on your trip george and not just now anyhow Well go on george. Well dad was gone that same night I'd gave old man potter his chance old man potter Yeah, richest man in town a banker a big stockholder in our loan company We'd always fought potter on a lot of issues and now he wanted the Loan company to dissolve so he could rule the roost in bedford falls Potter and I headed out a week after father died right in the board room A minute there potter now just hold on here just a minute I admit that in the 25 years since father and uncle billy here started this loan company We didn't make any money. I admit that but who gave the low-income people in this town decent homes to live in, huh? You did yes, mr. Potter. We did Who built bailey park of model dwellings where you wanted to put poor cemetery? You did that's right. We did we gave this town those things we gave bedford falls and its citizens Trouble with you bailey's you gave everything no wonder you never made any money. What's calling you potter? Mr. Potter to you bailey my nephew is mr. Bailey to you potter Your nephew is wet behind the ears. You're mindless fool. Say that again. Say that again Just keep out of this uncle billy. I'll handle potter mr. Potter the stripling What's eating you is that you can't gain control of this loan company mr. Potter It's up to this board to decide what to do about the company now that father's gone But if I can do anything to help keep bailey park a reality And to keep potter from making people crawl to them when they need help just count me in gentlemen count me in As a result of that speech the board voted to continue the loan company If I'd remain as vice president goodbye twipple on the world, huh? Yeah At least until brother harry came home from college to take over for me Only harry came home with a wife. Well, that's co-education for you. Yeah But did his wife's father have to give harry a big job out of town? Oh, I see Weaving you holding the bag with the loan company. Yeah Hey, what what's that music? That's a church hymn whole hundred Seems to me mary sang it that day long ago remember in the church choir After church you walked mary home Remember george Come in for a minute george. Well just for a minute here. Let me take your hat and coat It's george bailey mother you want george me Uh, well not a thing. I just came in to get warm He's making violin love to me mother Hey, and I'll look here mary. I didn't come here to what did you come here? Well, I just walked you home. That's all lots of girls ogling you a church. Why pick on me Well now listen mary. I why don't you go home? Well, I will thanks. Where's my hat? You got it on You're entirely welcome. Goodbye deaf and one ear and blind in both eyes. That's you george bailey Now what's the matter? You ought to see a specialist. You can't even tell when a girl When the girl you've walked to school with all your life Oh go see a big eye ear nose and throat man Boy mary. Hey mary Hey, let's go and see a specialist together Reverend mccallister big hymn sermon and wedding ceremony man, huh? And so you were married, huh george? Yeah, I had about two thousand dollars saved and it looked like Well, it looked like a fine chance to combine that world trip with a honeymoon. What? A little thing called the great depression. Oh, yeah Yeah, there was a run-on-the-loan company started by some false rumors of potters the last minute mary threw in the two thousand dollars It was just enough to reassure our investors and we didn't have to close up and you didn't have a honeymoon either No No, but potter was licked again So when he called me into his office one day, I was just about the most surprised man at bedford fall And I want to tell you george muller that during the depression you and I've been about the only ones kept our heads in this town Thanks, mr. Potter. Yeah all that talent and where does it get you? 28 and 29 married I'm making 40 dollars a week 45 And you the smartest young fellow in town. All right. All right now. What's your point, mr. Potter? I want to hire you you you want to hire me manage my affairs run my properties 20,000 a year dollars and two months vacation with pay before you start work Take yourself a little jaunt around the world first, eh? the veil of cashmere And the moon pools of the east and the deep edgy and And the whispering aurora Well, george Well But what about the loan company? Well, what about it? We'll dissolve it. Oh, no Oh, no, I don't want your dirty job Huh? You sit here and you think the whole world revolves around you and your money. Well, it doesn't you're out of your mind I won't let you buy me away from the people who depend on rubby and I've made my decision potter And may it stick in your crop to regret as long as you live george bailey May it stick in your full crop You are listening to the hollywood screen directors presentation of it's a wonderful life Starring jimmy steward with arthur q bryan as the angel and introducing the director of the film frank capra george After your marriage to mary chase and your very spunky rejection of potter's offer to managers affairs What happened? How'd it go? Oh, I stuck it out a few more years with the loan company then the war Doc gauron uncle billy sold war bonds and harry My kid brother harry shot down two jabs suicide planes just as they were about to crash on a transport full u.s. Troops Well, what about you? I was four f the bad year Well, it just wasn't in the books for me to get out of bedford falls. That's all well. It brings us to tonight christmas eve What made you want to jump off the bridge into the river? I can give it to you the fast the bank examiner came to check our books and we were eight thousand dollars short next question Where did the eight thousand dollars go? Well, if I knew I wouldn't be here in the bridge. Would I? No, no All I know is that I sent uncle billy to deposit eight thousand dollars to our account over at potter's bank Uncle billy talked to potter for a while in potter's office And then he went over to the teller's window to deposit the money only it was gone But where how do I know where I was almost insane? I questioned uncle billy half the night trying to locate that missing eight thousand dollars, but it was no use Please don't ask me any more questions. I can't think anymore You've got to think anymore. You're stupid fumbling fool. I've got to have that money Do you realize what this means to us? It means bankruptcy and scandal and shame and prison Now one of us is going to jail for this, but it's not going to be me I've had enough of being the fall guy for this crummy little town You can just deal me out of this one I've given up my years and my ambition for the people of this town and all I've got is frustration and disappointment And I've had just about as much as I can swallow It's sticking in my craw Just like potter said it would Well, maybe potter would lend you a thousand dollars Potter, maybe There's our only chance But all your fine friends you've done so much for george Why don't they lend you the money? Well, they don't have that kind of money. Mr. Potter, you know that now please help me Well, what kind of security do you have? Any stocks? No, sir Bonds? No, sir Real estate collateral of any kind Well, I've got a fifteen thousand dollar life insurance policy What's its loan value? Five hundred dollars Five hundred dollars Look at you You're going out and lick the world once What are you now? You're a miserable clerk crawling in here in your hands and knees and begging for help Five hundred dollars Are you worth more dead than alive? Oh, it's very true So you want me to help you, eh? Well, uh, tell you what I'm going to do I'm going to swear out a warrant for your arrest Arrest? Misappropriation of funds Arrest but Mr. Potter Merry Christmas, Jones And so because you were worth five hundred dollars alive and fifteen thousand dollars dead You thought killing yourself would make everybody happier? Butter still, I should never have been born What's that? What's that you said? I said I wish I'd never been born That's what I thought you said George, they've granted your wish And maybe I've got the scheme to win me my wings Angel, first class What wish? George, you've never been born Oh, stop it, will you? You're talking like an idiot Am I, George? Let's see Who are you? Come in, Doc Come in Can I match anybody? Hey Hey, you're Doc Gower the druggist I was Doc Gower the druggist Until I poisoned a little girl by mistake Oh, no, now wait a minute, Doc The druggist Now, Doc, don't you remember I discovered your mistake and I warned you just in time Oh, yo Don't you remember me? I'm little George Bailey, I ran errands for you Nobody named George Bailey ever worked for me Match Hey, Mr. Gower Now, all I need is to see Gower Here you are, Mr. Gower You're blind God rest you, married gentlemen Why, none of you is a man Oh, wait a minute, Doc Let him go, George Let him go What? That broken old derelict, Doc Gower? Well, you weren't born, George So you couldn't prevent that broken old derelict Hey, wait a minute Hey, I'm going home Home? What home? You never lived Oh, shut up, now cut it out, you're crazy Let's see if I am, we'll go to your home Ride the bleak wind, George Bailey Let's see where you live Let's see But I tell you, this boarding house can't be my mother's house Knock again Oh, this broken down old shack, my mother's house? Knock again, George Bailey All right, but I... There's no vacancy Mother, I'm going home All right, but I... There's no vacancy Mother What are you talking about? Mother, please help me, there's something terrible's happened to me I don't just keep me here until I get over it I never saw you before in my life Don't take in strangers unless somebody I know sent them Uncle Bailey sent me, your brother You knew him Well, of course I know him, I saw him just today That's a lie He died in the insane asylum that old man Potter took over the loan company Why do you lie to me? Mother, mother, please Good night Listen Mother Come on, George We've other poisons to go Why are we in the public library on Christmas Eve? Some people work late if they're one way and have no Christmas to go home to Like that pinch-looking woman at that desk there Mary Yes? Mary The library's closed, you know You're my wife You must be quite out of your senses Oh, look at me Look at me, Mary I'm George, I'm your husband, we're married I never married Man, I'd marry never was born if you must know I hate them Mary, no, look at me, I'm George Bailey You're Mrs. George Bailey I'll call the police Mary, you must listen to me Hello Hello Mary, listen to me Give me the police and hurry It's very dark on this road Yes And cold Stop here Where are we? Potter's Field You mean Bailey Park? I mean the poor cemetery You mean my low-cost Home development Look where you stand Gravestones Here dwell in final squalor and humility The nameless, the vagrant, the very poor The disinherited You put them here I tell you, no, I built Bailey Park on this ground Read that tilting gravestone at your feet Read In memory of our beloved son, Harry Bailey 1911, 1919 This isn't true, Harry's alive today He went to war He shot down two planes and saved the lives of every man on the transport Your brother Harry broke through the ice at the age of nine It's a lie, he saved the life of every man on the transport Every man on the transport died No You killed those men on that ship You wished it so I didn't You Please You Yes Harry wasn't there to save those men because you weren't there to save Harry You wished it so McClarence You see George, you'd have lived a pretty wonderful life If you'd only been born a strong, useful life I know now I know That no man is an island unto himself I know now that our lives are woven inseparably one to another I know that life bestowed by the Almighty is for no man to reject Then my work is done Wait, Clarence Help me Help me get back I want to live again I'm glad I was born I want to live again When you hear the musical chimes I will have won my wings Goddy and angel First class Send me back, Clarence Send me back to life again Live, George Bailey Send me back Live What? Mary George, darling How'd you know I was here? I was so afraid for you I thought of the bridge, too I'm sorry, Mary Oh, please come home We've been looking for you Looking for who? The whole town Everyone in Bedford Falls that you ever helped And that's everybody I know, but there's $8,000 missing from the loan company They know that And they've taken up a collection to help you for all you've done for them There's more than $8,000 under the Christmas tree No Cash, money, orders, and checks No Yes Well, hallelujah Merry Christmas, George Hey, Mary Hey, listen I didn't hear anything When you hear the musical chimes What chimes? Not a boy, Clarence Not a boy Clarence in just a moment Next week, the NBC theater brings you another outstanding motion picture story to the microphone As we present the romantic drama Hold Back the Dawn And our star will be Charles Boyer And now here again is tonight's star, Jimmy Stewart and screen director, Frank Capra Say, Frank, do you mind if I ask you a professional question? Not at all, Jimmy How do you turn out some wonderful pictures? What's the secret, anyway? You really want to know? Yeah, I really do Clarence Huh? Clarence, the angel What do you... What, you mean the character in the story? Oh, sure, he's been around for years Stands behind my right shoulder and tells me what to do when I'm in trouble He practically directs all my pictures Clarence, huh? On a movie set Yeah, well, it was a little difficult at first Yeah, I can imagine He didn't have a screen director's guild card Oh Well, tell me, Frank, if Clarence was so smart, how come we had to shoot the last scene of it? It's a wonderful life five times Oh, that, well, you see, Jimmy, that... Hey, Capra, better quit while you're even Say, good night, let's get out of here Okay, Clarence See how he keeps me out of trouble Good night, everyone Good night, Paul And good night to you, Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra It's a wonderful life It's a set into the courtesy of Paramount Pictures His current release is Drive of Vengeance Starring Paulette Gutter, John Lund and McDonald-Carrie Jimmy Stewart can currently be seen in the Metro Golden Layer production, The Stratton Story Frank Capra is currently producing and directing the Paramount Picture Writing High, starring Bing Crosby Included in tonight's cast were Arthur Q. Bryan, Joseph Granby, Hans Conreed, Irene Tedrow, Georgia Bacchus, Herb Butterfield and Barbara Eiler It's A Wonderful Life was adapted for radio by Milton Geiger And original music was composed and conducted by Henry Russell Production was under the supervision of Howard Wiley, associate producer Bill Karn Your announcer has been Frank Barton Listen again next week when the NBC Theatre presents Screen direction, hold back the dawn Director, Mitchell Lysen, star, Charles Boyer The NBC Theatre came to you from Hollywood This is NBC, the national broadcasting company