Bank Run Scene from It’s a Wonderful Life

From the script for It’s a Wonderful Life:

Setting

George and Mary are in a cab. The cab passes the bank, and Ernie sees a crowd of people around the door. He stops the cab.

The cab passes the bank, and Ernie sees a crowd of people around 
the door. He stops the cab.

LONG SHOT - scurrying people under umbrellas, swarming around 
the bank doors. Panic is in the air. Attendants are trying to 
close down. Several
people come running past the cab.

INTERIOR CAB

CLOSE SHOT - George, Mary and Ernie.

ERNIE
Don't look now, but there's something funny going on over there 
at the bank, George, I've never really seen one, but that's got 
all the earmarks of a run.

PASSERBY
Hey, Ernie, if you got any money in the bank, you better hurry.

MARY
George, let's not stop. Let's go!

George gets out of the cab and looks down the street.

GEORGE
Just a minute, dear. Oh-oh . . .

MARY
Please, let's not stop, George.

GEORGE
I'll be back in a minute, Mary.

George runs off up the street, toward the Building and Loan.

EXTERIOR BUILDING AND LOAN - DAY

CLOSE SHOT - sidewalk. An iron grill blocks the street entrance 
to the Building and Loan. It has been locked. A crowd of men and 
women are waiting
around the grill. They are simply-dressed people, to whom their 
savings are a matter of life and death.

George comes in with an assumed cheerful manner. The people look 
at him silently, half shamefaced, but grimly determined on their 
rights. In their
hearts there is panic and fear.

GEORGE
Hello, everybody. Mrs. Thompson, how are you? Charlie? What's the 
matter here, can't you get in?

No one answers. He quickly unlocks the grill door and pushes it 
open. Followed by the crowd, George runs upstairs and into the 
outer offices of the
Building and Loan.

INTERIOR OUTER OFFICE - BUILDING AND LOAN - DAY

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT - George, followed by the still-silent people, 
comes in. Uncle Billy is standing in the doorway to his private 
office, taking a
drink from a bottle. He motions to George to join him.

GEORGE
What is this, Uncle Billy? A holiday?

UNCLE BILLY
George . . .

He points to George's office. George turns back cheerfully to the 
crowd.

GEORGE
Come on in, everybody. That's right, just come in.

George vaults over the counter.

GEORGE (cont'd)
Now look, why don't you all sit down. There are a lot of seats 
over there. Just make yourselves at home.

UNCLE BILLY
George, can I see you a minute?

The people ignore George and remain standing in front of the 
teller's window. They all have their passbooks out. George 
hurries into his office where
Uncle Billy is waiting for him.

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE - DAY

CLOSE SHOT - George and Uncle Billy.

GEORGE
Why didn't you call me?

UNCLE BILLY
I just did, but they said you left. This is a pickle, George, 
this is a pickle.

GEORGE
All right now, what happened? How did it start?

UNCLE BILLY
How does anything like this ever start? All I know is the bank 
called our loan.

GEORGE
When?

UNCLE BILLY
About an hour ago. I had to hand over all our cash.

GEORGE
All of it?

UNCLE BILLY
Every cent of it, and it still was less than we owe.

GEORGE
Holy mackerel!

UNCLE BILLY
And then I got scared, George, and closed the doors. I . . . I . 
. . I . . .

GEORGE
The whole town's gone crazy.

The telephone rings. Uncle Billy picks it up.

UNCLE BILLY
Yes, hello? George . . . it's Potter.

GEORGE
Hello?

INTERIOR POTTER'S LIBRARY

MEDIUM SHOT - Potter seated behind his desk, his goon alongside 
him. Standing in front of the desk is a distinguished-looking 
man, obviously the
president of the bank. He is mopping his brow with his 
handkerchief.

POTTER
George, there is a rumor around town that you've closed your 
doors. Is that true? Oh, well, I'm very glad to hear that . . . 
George, are you all right? Do
you need any police?

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE

CLOSE SHOT - George and Uncle Billy.

GEORGE (on phone)
Police? What for?

INTERIOR POTTER'S OFFICE

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT - Potter talking on phone.

POTTER
Well, mobs get pretty ugly sometimes, you know. George, I'm going 
all out to help in this crisis. I've just guaranteed the bank 
sufficient funds to meet
their needs. They'll close up for a week, and then reopen.

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE

CLOSE SHOT - George and Uncle Billy.

GEORGE (to Uncle Billy)
He just took over the bank.

INTERIOR POTTER'S OFFICE

CLOSE SHOT - Potter on phone.

POTTER
I may lose a fortune, but I'm willing to guarantee your people 
too. Just tell them to bring their shares over here and I will 
pay them fifty cents on the
dollar.

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE

CLOSE SHOT - George and Uncle Billy.

GEORGE (furiously)
Aw, you never miss a trick, do you, Potter? Well, you're going to 
miss this one.

George bangs the receiver down and turns to meet Uncle Billy's 
anxious look.

INTERIOR POTTER'S OFFICE

CLOSEUP - Potter on phone.

POTTER
If you close your doors before six P.M. you will never reopen.

He realizes George has hung up, and clicks the phone furiously.

INTERIOR GEORGE'S OFFICE

CLOSE SHOT - George and Uncle Billy

UNCLE BILLY
George, was it a nice wedding? Gosh, I wanted to be there.

GEORGE
Yeah . . .
(looks at string on Uncle Billy's finger)
. . . you can take this one off now.

An ominous SOUND of angry voices comes from the other room. 
George and Uncle Billy exit from George's office.

INTERIOR OUTER OFFICE - BUILDING AND LOAN

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT - More people have crowded around the counter. 
Their muttering stops and they stand silent and grim. There is 
panic in their
faces.

GEORGE
Now, just remember that this thing isn't as black as it appears.

As George speaks, sirens are heard passing in the street below. 
The crowd turn to the windows, then back to George.

GEORGE (cont'd)
I have some news for you, folks. I've just talked to old man 
Potter, and he's guaranteed cash payments at the bank. The bank's 
going to
reopen next week.

ED
But, George, I got my money here.

CHARLIE
Did he guarantee this place?

GEORGE
Well, no, Charlie. I didn't even ask him. We don't need Potter 
over here.

Mary and Ernie have come into the room during this scene. Mary 
stands watching silently.

CHARLIE
I'll take mine now.

GEORGE
No, but you . . . you . . . you're thinking of this place all 
wrong. As if I had the money back in a safe. The money's not 
here. Your money's in Joe's
house . . .
(to one of the men)
. . . right next to yours. And in the Kennedy house, and Mrs. 
Macklin's house, and a hundred others. Why, you're lending them 
the money to build, and then, they're
going to pay it back to you as best they can. Now what are you 
going to do? Foreclose on them?

TOM
I got two hundred and forty-two dollars in here, and two hundred 
and forty-two dollars isn't going to break anybody.

MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT - ANOTHER ANGLE

GEORGE (handing him a slip)
Okay, Tom. All right. Here you are. You sign this. You'll get 
your money in sixty days.

TOM
Sixty days?

GEORGE
Well, now that's what you agreed to when you bought your shares.

There is a commotion at the outer doors. A man (Randall) comes in 
and makes his way up to Tom.

RANDALL
Tom . . . Tom, did you get your money?

TOM
No.

RANDALL
Well, I did. Old man Potter'll pay fifty cents on the dollar for 
every share you got.
(shows bills)

CROWD (ad lib)
Fifty cents on the dollar!

RANDALL
Yes, cash!

TOM (to George)
Well, what do you say?

GEORGE
Now, Tom, you have to stick to your original agreement. Now give 
us sixty days on this.

TOM (turning to Randall)
Okay, Randall.

He starts out.

MRS. THOMPSON
Are you going to go to Potter's?

TOM
Better to get half than nothing.

A few other people start for the door. CAMERA PANS WITH George as 
he vaults over the counter quickly, speaking to the people.

GEORGE
Tom! Tom! Randall! Now wait . . . now listen . . . now listen to 
me. I beg of you not to do this thing. If Potter gets hold of 
this Building and Loan there'll
never be another decent house built in this town. He's already 
got charge of the bank. He's got the bus line. He's got the 
department stores. And now he's after us.
Why? Well, it's very simple. Because we're cutting in on his 
business, that's why. And because he wants to keep you living in 
his slums and paying the kind of rent he
decides.

The people are still trying to get out, but some of them have 
stood still, listening to him. George has begun to make an 
impression on them.

GEORGE (cont'd)
Joe, you lived in one of his houses, didn't you? Well, have you 
forgotten? Have you forgotten what he charged you for that 
broken-down
shack?
(to Ed)
Here, Ed. You know, you remember last year when things weren't 
going so well, and you couldn't make your payments. You didn't 
lose your house, did you? Do
you think Potter would have let you keep it?
(turns to address the room again)
Can't you understand what's happening here? Don't you see what's 
happening? Potter isn't selling. Potter's buying! And why? 
Because we're panicky and he's not.
That's why. He's picking up some bargains. Now, we can get 
through this thing all right. We've got to stick together, 
though. We've got to have faith in each other.

MRS. THOMPSON
But my husband hasn't worked in over a year, and I need money.

WOMAN
How am I going to live until the bank opens?

MAN
I got doctor bills to pay.

MAN
I need cash.

MAN
Can't feed my kids on faith.

During this scene Mary has come up behind the counter. Suddenly, 
as the people once more start moving toward the door, she holds 
up a roll of bills and
calls out:

MARY
How much do you need?

George jumps over the counter and takes the money from Mary.

GEORGE
Hey! I got two thousand dollars! Here's two thousand dollars. 
This'll tide us over until the bank reopen.
(to Tom)
All right, Tom, how much do you need?

TOM (doggedly)
Two hundred and forty-two dollars!

GEORGE (pleading)
Aw, Tom, just enough to tide you over till the bank reopens.

TOM
I'll take two hundred and forty-two dollars.

George starts rapidly to count out the money. Tom throws his 
passbook on the counter.

GEORGE
There you are.

TOM
That'll close my account.

GEORGE
Your account's still here. That's a loan.

Mary turns and slips out through the crowd, followed by Ernie. 
George hands the two hundred and forty-two dollars to Tom, and 
speaks to Ed, the next
in line.

GEORGE (cont'd)
Okay. All right, Ed?

ED
I got three hundred dollars here, George.

Uncle Billy takes out his wallet and takes out all the cash he's 
got.

GEORGE
Aw, now, Ed . . . what'll it take till the bank reopens? What do 
you need?

ED
Well, I suppose twenty dollars.

GEORGE
Twenty dollars. Now you're talking. Fine. Thanks, Ed.
(to Mrs. Thompson, next in line)
All right, now, Mrs. Thompson. How much do you want?

MRS. THOMPSON
But it's your own money, George.

GEORGE
Never mind about that. How much do you want?

MRS. THOMPSON
I can get along with twenty, all right.

GEORGE (counting it out)
Twenty dollars.

MRS. THOMPSON
And I'll sign a paper.

GEORGE
You don't have to sign anything. I know you'll pay it back when 
you can. That's okay.
(to woman next in line)
All right, Mrs. Davis.

MRS. DAVIS
Could I have seventeen-fifty?

GEORGE
Seven . . .
(he kisses her)
Bless your heart, Of course you can have it. You got fifty cents?
(counting)
Seven . . .

                                                                                                                   
WIPE TO:

INTERIOR OUTER OFFICE BUILDING AND LOAN - NIGHT

CLOSE SHOT - George, Uncle Billy and Cousin Tilly are behind the 
counter, watching the minute hand of a clock on the wall as 
George counts off the
seconds. Cousin Eustace is ready to close the door.

UNCLE BILLY (excitedly)
We're going to make it, George. They'll never close us up today!

GEORGE (counting)
Six . . . five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . . 
Bingo!

Cousin Eustace slams and locks the door, and scurries around the 
counter to join the others.

GEORGE (cont'd)
We made it! Look . . .
(holds up two bills)
. . . look, we're still in business! We've still got two bucks 
left!