One of the most despicable characters in the movies is... Harry Bailey?

*This guy doesn't understand that it is George Bailey's hardships and
struggle, and the character he develops, and the lives he saves, that makes
him the richest man in Bedford Falls. But it's hard to argue with his
conclusion at face value.*


http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bschaeffer/2010/11/29/george-baileys-younger-brother-is-the-real-villain-in-its-a-wonderful-life/
George Bailey’s Younger Brother is the Real Villain in ‘It’s A Wonderful
Life’<http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bschaeffer/2010/11/29/george-baileys-younger-brother-is-the-real-villain-in-its-a-wonderful-life/>
by
* Brad Schaeffer <http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/author/bschaeffer> *

The official Christmas season begins this month and along with celebrating
the birth of my Lord by trampling each other to save 20% on an Xbox at
Wal-Mart while supplies last, it also means  the airing of Frank Capra’s
iconic 1946 holiday film *It’s A Wonderful
Life<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/>
*.

—–

For years I watched this movie and like many Americans would come away with
that warm fuzzy feeling.  But one character in this film always bothered me.
In fact, I believe that the more appropriate title of Capra’s project should
have been *It’s A Wonderful Life – If You’re Harry Bailey! *Think about it.
George Bailey’s kid brother makes out like a bandit in this flick.  And why
is that?  Because Harry (Todd Karns) throughout this film is a steam-roller
of selfishness. I will even go so far as to say that Harry Bailey (who was
never intended to be a bad guy) is one of the most despicable characters in
movies. In scriptwriting it’s formulaic that two villains be created to
inject multiple layers of conflict.  Obviously Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore)
is the uber-villain.  But who’s the other antagonist?  That would be Harry
Bailey, who plays his older brother for a sucker throughout the film.  In
fact, Harry is either directly or indirectly the root cause of all of
George’s miseries.

From a young age Harry seems to conspire to keep George (Jimmy Stewart)
pinned down in Bedford Falls, freeing him to fulfill his own dreams while
leaving his older brother’s aspirations in a broken heap.  As a child he
falls through the ice compelling George to jump into the freezing water to
save him and lose hearing in one ear for his heroics.

Later, after their father dies suddenly, a deal is struck whereby George
surrenders his college money to Harry. The idea is that when Harry graduates
he’ll come back and take over the family business, freeing George to once
and for all leave Bedford Falls behind. For four years George stays shackled
to their father’s Bailey Building & Loan, a small and wholly unfulfilling
enterprise he despises, all the while counting down the days of Harry’s
return while planning his future travels abroad.

But when the big day comes what does slippery Harry do?  After letting his
brother sacrifice his best years to honor the deal, Harry comes home and
announces: “Meet the wife!”  *Whuuuh?* No wedding?  Why not even a
telegram?  There’s a reason for Harry’s secrecy of course. George learns
through Harry’s new bride that he’s already lined up a sweet job with her
father’s company.  In a brazen demonstration of sleaziness, Harry pulls
George aside and says all guilt-ridden: “You’ve been holding the bag here
for four years…and, well, I won’t let you down, George.  *I would like to
talk—“ *Whamo!* *The older Bailey’s face reveals a man whose soul is ripped
out and splattered onto the floor.  Great brother, huh?  He springs a
heretofore unknown wife on an unsuspecting George and uses her presence to
renege on their deal after *four years* of expectations that his purgatory
was at an end.  George reluctantly stays at the Bailey B &L.  Harry, with
his his degree in hand (the one originally intended for George remember) is
free to move onward and upward and live a wonderful life.

One would think the advent of Word War II finally gives George a chance to
see the world right?  Even if in uniform at least adventure calls.
*Bzzzz!*Sorry.  He’s got that bum ear and thus is 4-F.  America’s
mobilizing
millions of her citizens and shipping them off to all parts of the globe
George so desperately wants to explore…but because his good ol’  kid brother
was dumb enough to slip through the ice, he’s outta luck…left behind to
fight the battle of Bedford Falls.

To add insult to injury, Harry, his ears intact, goes off to fight the war
in the most exciting of fashions as a Navy fighter pilot.  Naturally he wins
the Congressional Medal Of Honor (did we expect less?) while George
frantically races around Bedford Falls looking for the eight grand that his
dimwitted Uncle Billy – who was supposed to be working for Harry at this
point remember – allowed to be stolen right out from under him by Potter.
It happened because Billy (Thomas Mitchell) is so distracted from bragging
to Potter about the exploits of, you guessed it, Harry Bailey, that he
moronically leaves the money in the old man’s lap and walks off.  Harry
strikes again.

In the end, when everything works out okay and George doesn’t get arrested
for fraud, Harry Bailey offers a toast: “To my big brother George…the
richest man in town.” For now.  One wonders how long that will last before
Harry pulls another self-centered stunt that will certainly benefit him at
that same big brother’s expense.

Don’t let that smile fool you Georgie boy.  Harry just probably wants
something from you.


Johne Cook
| http://raygunrevival.com | http://authorculture.blogspot.com |

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