Around Christmas I was shopping with my friend who bought the video “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I told him about the hilarious “lost ending” sketch on SNL in which Uncle Billy suddenly remembers that he accidently gave the money to Potter, and the whole gang goes over and roughs Potter up. My friend didn’t think this was sooo funny because he claimed Potter actually stopped by the Bailey’s house and put some money in the basket–which was the hearwarming ending of the movie. What the heck?
Well, I watched my father’s old VHS copy when I was home last week and saw no such thing, but when I wrote to tell my friend that he was wrong, he said that he watched his new video on Christmas and indeed, Potter came in and put some money in the basket (although he didn’t return the whole amount he’d stolen).
This is a popular movie, so I know it’s a quick and easy question for almost any of you. Does Potter wheel his old bones over to George Bailey’s or not?
No, that wasn’t Potter. Your friend has him mixed up with the bank examiner, who does come in and put some money in. The BE is standing, by the way…Potter is, of course, in a wheelchair.
Thank you for a prompt and definitive answer, pravnik . You’ve also given a good reason for my friend’s case of mistaken identity.
And bup, by “new video” I meant the one he’d purchased when we were shopping together just before Christmas, which is what prompted our discussion/disagreement.
And if you haven’t seen it, the SNL sketch is pretty good for a chuckle.
George Bailey, after his experience with Clarence, runs back into town happy to be alive and runs past Mr. Potter’s house and yells to him through a window “Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter!” Potter responds, “Merry Christmas to you … In jail!” Then Potter gets on the phone to call the sheriff presumably.
Even funnier than the later IAWL sketch, with the Congressional S&L investigation (paraphrase- “Wuh-well, I don’t have the money! Why, it-it’s in your in ground pool, Bill, and Fred- in your re-election fund”), check this out.