George Bailey

George Bailey is the main protagonist of the 1946 Christmas supernatural drama film .
As an adult, he was portrayed by the late James Stewart, who also played Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, John "Scottie" Ferguson in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, and Wylie Burp in An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. As an child, he was portrayed by Bobby Anderson. 
He occupies the ninth slot of the 50 Heroes list of the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains.
==History==
George Bailey was born to Peter Bailey and Irene Bailey. He has one little brother named Harry. Growing up, George was best friends with Sam Wainwright, Marty Hatch, Ernie Bishop, and Bert. He also had a good friendship with Violet, a local girl whom often flirted with most boys.
One winter, George rescued his younger brother Harry from having drowning in an icy river while they were out sledding with their friends. Though it made him deaf in the left ear. A few weeks after that, George helped his boss Emil Gower when he accidentally put poison in a child's prescription, due to him being to distraught from his son's death to pay attention.
When he grows up, George is a good natured man, who has big dreams of designing bridges and skyscrapers and to see the world. George has saved up his money to go to college, but after his father's death from a stroke, George is forced to take up as head of the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan to save it from being shut down by local baron Henry F. Potter, and thus give up his dreams of going to college and exploring the world. He gives his college money to Harry, who became a successful man. He is soon married to his childhood crush, and his friend Marty's little sister, Mary Hatch, but to fulfill the needs of the locals during a bank raid, he sacrifices his and Mary's honeymoon money. George and Mary then open up a neighborhood in the town called Bailey Park, where they take in residents of Potter's field. Potter is annoyed by this, and tries to manipulate George into a deal that would make him rich, but would lead him to take over the building and loan. George at first agrees, but then immediately turns it down, citing potter as a "warped frustrated old man".
Later, George and Mary have four children. Pete, Jane, Tommy, and Zuzu. During this time potter began bearing down hard on the building and loan, determined to close it down.
When World War II began, all of his friends including Harry joined the army, but he couldn't be drafted due to his deaf ear, so he was forced to take up small assisting jobs in Bedford Falls while also running the Building & Loan business.
During Christmas Eve of 1945, Harry was being awarded for his services in the war, and George's family was hosting a Christmas party at his house later that night. However, Uncle Billy loses $8000 needed for the Building and Loan, and George is angered and devastated, because he would go to jail for fraud. He didn't however, know that Potter had the money, and used it as his last ditch effort to destroy the bailey family. After yelling at Uncle Billy, George goes home, and vents his frustrations. Yelling at Zuzu's teacher over the phone after learning she got sick when coming home from school, as well as exploding at his children when he gets frustrated. Feeling guilty, he goes to potter and asks for help, but potter gloats over how ironic it is to him. He mocks George for helping the people of the town, and tells George he's worth more dead than alive. He then calls the police, and George calmly leaves as Potter continues taunting him.
George then goes to his friend Mr Martini's bar, and cries while silently praying to God for help, all the while being drunk. Mr. Martini comes to comfort him. However, Mr. Welch, the husband of Zuzu's teacher Mrs. Welch, hears George's name, and punches him to the ground for yelling at his wife. Mr. Martini kicks Mr. Welch and tries to help George, but he leaves. He crashes his car into a man's tree. Then he goes to the bridge, overlooking the icy river. He intends to kill himself by jumping off a bridge into the icy water so that his $15,000 life insurance can make up for the money Potter stole. Just then, his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, an Angel Second Class, jumps into the water, causing George to get him out.
As they are drying off, George and Clarence talk about his issues in life, and he wishes he had never been born. Clarence then shows him what the world would be like without him: very terrible world. 
Potter had entirely taken over the town, and had renamed it "Potters Grove". Harry died in the sledding accident, and that stopped him from saving people in World War II, Mr. Gower would have spent two years in prison, Bert was divorced and doesn't see his son, Ernie is now a corrupt cop, Violet was a prostitute, Mrs. Bailey was now a lonely miserable old woman, Uncle Billy was in an insane asylum after the building and lone closed, George's children wouldn't have been born, and Mary would have been an "old maid". 
After fleeing Bert, George realizes he had a wonderful life, and sadly begs to live again. Suddenly he finds himself back in his world. Bert comes to help him, as he's been looking for him the whole day. George runs through the town back home, wishing a "Merry Christmas" to the entire town, and even to Mr. Potter. When he arrives home, George embraces his family, and is almost arrested. However, Mary and Uncle Billy had reached out to everyone, and they had brought money to help George. Including Violet, Mr. Martini, Mr. Gower, his mother's maid Annie, his old teacher Mr. Partridge, and many more. George then received a letter from Sam, which included a loan of $25,000. 
Harry then arrived, having come all the way from New York, and toasted George as the richest man in town. George then noticed the bells on the Christmas tree ring, and Zuzu pointed out that meant an angel has gotten his wings. George realizes Clarence has earned his wings, and is happy for him. He then sings along with everyone else, now happy with his wonderful life.
==Gallery==
GeorgeBaileyKid.jpg|George Bailey as a kid (as played by Bobby Anderson).
GeorgeBaileyAdult.jpg|George Bailey as a man, as played by James Stewart.
== Trivia ==
"Building and Loan," the type of bank Baily runs, bears stark resemble to "Savings and Loan." The character of George Bailey appears to glorify the savings and loans bank industry as an entity independent of the standard FDIC-affiliated bank industry. In real life, however, Bailey's apparent glorification of these banks would eventually lose significance, with the FDIC even managing to absorb the FSLIC institution which strengthened the independence of savings and loan banks. The savings and loan bank industry would in fact eventually lose sway in the United States by the 1980s, with numerous savings and loans companies being abolished between 1986 and 1995 and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board(FHLBB). and with it the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC), being abolished in 1989. Nevertheless, some savings and loans companies still exist in the United States, though in far less number than they did during the time It's A Wonderful Life was released. While the FDIC was created under the Administration of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, who George Bailey actor James Stewart and It's A Wonderful Life director and screenplay writer Frank Capra opposed, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board was in fact created under Roosevelt's Republican predecessor Herbert Hoover. Though the FSLIC was also created under Roosevelt, it was, unlike the FDIC, not an independent government institution and in fact fell under the supervision of the FHLBB.
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