George Bailey versus Mr Potter. Need I say more?

[amerikat]

Transcripts from the movie. "

Now we come to the real purpose of this meeting...to appoint a
successor to our dear friend, Peter Bailey.

POTTER
Mr. Chairman, I'd like to get to my real purpose.

MAN
Wait just a minute now.

POTTER
Wait for what? I claim this institution is not necessary to this
town. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I make a motion to dissolve this
institution and turn its assets and liabilities over to the
receiver.

UNCLE BILLY
Potter, you dirty, contemptible... I'll wring his neck, so help
me, George, you hear what that buzzard...

LAWYER
Mr. Chairman, it's too soon after Peter Bailey's death to talk
about chloroforming the Building and Loan.

MAN
Peter Bailey died three months ago. I second Mr. Potter's motion.

CAMPBELL
Very well. In that case, I'll ask the two executive officers to
withdraw. But before you go, I'm sure the whole Board wishes to
express its deep sorrow at the passing of Peter Bailey.

GEORGE
Thank you very much.

CAMPBELL
It was his faith and devotion that are responsible for this
organization.

POTTER
I'll go further than that. I'll say that to the public, Peter
Bailey was the Building and Loan.

UNCLE BILLY
Oh, that's fine, Potter, coming from you, considering that you
probably drove him to his grave.

POTTER
Peter Bailey was not a business man. That's what killed him. Oh,
I don't mean any disrespect to him, God rest his soul. He was a
man of high ideals, so-called. But ideals without common sense
can ruin this town. Now, you take this loan here to Ernie
Bishop...you know, that fellow that sits around all day on his
brains in his taxi, you know. I happen to know the bank turned
down this loan, but he comes here and we're building him a house
worth five thousand dollars. Why?

GEORGE
Well, I handled that, Mr. Potter. You have all the papers there.
His salary, insurance. I can personally vouch for his character.

POTTER
A friend of yours.

GEORGE
Yes, sir.

POTTER
You see, if you shoot pool with some employee here, you can come
and borrow money. What does that get us? A discontented, lazy
rabble instead of a thrifty working class. And all because a few
starry-eyed dreamers like Peter Bailey stir them up and fill
their heads with a lot of impossible ideas. Now, I say...

GEORGE
Just a minute. Just a...Just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter.
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 out of your slums,
Mr. Potter. And what's wrong with that? Why...here, you are all
businessmen here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't
it make them better customers? You...you said that uh...what'd
you say just a minute ago... They, 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 they... Do you know how long
it takes a working 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, it is 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 talking about the Building
and Loan.

GEORGE
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, I, I've said
too much. I... You're, you're the Board here. You do what you
want with this thing. There's j-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.

POTTER
Sentimental hogwash. I want my motion.

UNCLE BILLY
Oh boy, that was telling him, George, old boy. You shut his big
mouth. (to Cousin Tilly and Cousin Eustace) You should have heard
him.

EUSTACE
What happened? We heard a lot of yelling."
_____________________________________________________________
Edit to add my favorite part:

Do you know how long
it takes a working 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, it is 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.
________________________________________________________________

Let's rock. We have no use for the Potters of the world"

edit again for the link to the complete transcript:http://www.geocities.com/classicmoviescripts/script/itsawonderfullife_transcript.txt

[RevCheesehead]

1. That's my favorite scene in the movie.

"you're nothing but a warped, frustrated old man."