George Bailey’s Famous Speech from It’s A Wonderful Life

Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 12:22 pm

Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey to Lionel Barrymore’s Mr. Potter in Frank Capra’s movie It’s a Wonderful Life We used to call George Bailey’s belief in a fair chance for everyone the American spirit, but now it’s the liberal spirit because the conservatives are rooting for Mr. Potter (and Scrooge, apparently – no, really).

Here’s George Bailey’s famous speech from It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), in which he admonishes the greedy Mr. Potter, “You know how long it takes a workin’ man to save five thousand dollars? 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.”

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Watch here:

Potter: …and all because a few starry-eyed dreamers like Peter Bailey stir ’em up and fill their head with a lot of impossible ideas. Now, I say —

Bailey: Just a minute – just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter. Just a minute. Now, you’re right when you say my father was no business man. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I’ll never know. But neither you nor anybody else can say anything against his character, because his whole life was — Why, in the twenty-five years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn’t that right, Uncle Billy? He didn’t save enough money to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get outta your slums, Mr. Potter. And what’s wrong with that? Why — here, you’re all businessmen here. Don’t it make them better citizens? Doesn’t it make them better customers?

You, you said that they — What’d you say just a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even thought of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what?! Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they’re so old and broken-down that — You know how long it takes a workin’ man to save five thousand dollars? 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 he died a much richer man than you’ll ever be.

Potter: I’m not interested in your book. I’m talkin’ about the Building and Loan.

Bailey: I know very well what you’re talking about. You’re talking about something you can’t get your fingers on, and it’s galling you. That’s what you’re talking about, I know. Well…I’ve said too much. I — You’re…the Board here. You do what you want with this thing. There’s just one thing more, though. This town needs this measly one-horse institution if only to have some place where people can come without crawling to Potter. Come on, Uncle Billy!

End transcript

Be careful this holiday, because your tea party family and friends will surely try to convince you that It’s a Wonderful Life is actually the story of the Great and Free Mr. Potter and his grassroots attempt to create Pottersville, a paradise of Right to Work misery befitting the lazy, entitled working class of this country. Moochy and lazy Mr. Bailey is the 47% who clearly thinks he and his fellow citizens are entitled to decent housing. His kids are probably on food stamps, and what’s up with the socialism (helping others? thinking of others?!) pre Kenyan! Bah.

And surely Mr. Potter has an A+ rating from the NRA because nothing helps the elite more than violence and chaos among the 99%.

Me, I’m hanging on to my Bailey Bell for all it’s worth. Hee haw.

Sarah Jones

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Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.

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