George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life)

George Bailey
It's a Wonderful Life character
George Bailey (James Stewart)
Information
Full name	George Bailey Born 1907 Bedford Falls, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Businessman
Title	ARP (World War II)
Spouse(s)	Mary Hatch (m. 1932–)
Children	Pete (born 1934) Janie (born 1935) Zuzu (born 1940) Tommy (born 1941)
Relatives	Father: Peter Bailey (deceased) Mother: Irene "Ma" Bailey Brother: Harry Bailey Uncle: Billy Bailey Aunts: Laura Bailey (deceased) Cousins: Eustace Bailey Tilly Bailey

George Bailey is a fictional character and the protagonist in Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. He occupies slot #9 on the American Film Institute's list of the 50 greatest screen heroes (in its 2003 list entitled AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains). He is played by James Stewart as an adult and Bobby Anderson as a child. He is loosely based on George Pratt, a character in Philip Van Doren Stern's The Greatest Gift.

In the winter of 1919, George (aged 12, portrayed by Bobby Anderson) and his friends (including Bert, Ernie Bishop, Marty Hatch, Sam Wainwright, and brother Harry) are sledding on a snow shovel down a slope onto a frozen river. When George's brother Harry sleds down, he breaks through the ice into the freezing water. George jumps in after him. His friends form a human chain and pull them to safety. George develops a cold which permanently affects the hearing in his left ear.

The following spring George goes to his job at Gower's Drug store, where he finds a telegram informing Gower that his son has died of influenza. Gower directs George to deliver medicine, and George realizes that in his distress Gower has inadvertently packaged poison. He seeks advice from his father, the President of the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan at his office, but is unable to as his father is meeting with banker Henry F. Potter. When he returns to the store, Gower angrily confronts him for failing to deliver the medicine until George points out the mistake. George promises that he will never tell anyone.

Nine years later, in the month of June, George (played by James Stewart) is preparing to leave town for an overseas trip. He drops by his brother Harry's graduation party at the high school, where he is re-introduced to his friend Marty Hatch's eighteen-year-old sister Mary. George is walking Mary home when a car pulls up and George is informed that his father has had a stroke.