George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life) George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life) George Bailey is a fictional character and the protagonist in Frank Capra's 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life". The character is a building and loan banker who sacrifices his dreams in order to help his community, to the point where he feels life has passed him by. Eventually, due to a cruel business rival's manipulations, Bailey falls into despair so deep that he contemplates suicide, until his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, gives him a valuable perspective on the worth of his life. The character was listed ninth on the American Film Institute's 2003 list
It's a Wonderful Life a planned professional production was stalled by legal wrangling with the estate of Philip Van Doren Stern. It was eventually performed in Washington, D.C., by Arena Stage in 1991, and had revivals in the 21st century, including a staged concert version in New York City in 2005 and several productions by regional theatres. Another musical stage adaptation of the film, titled "It's a Wonderful Life – The Musical", was written by Bruce Greer and Keith Ferguson. This version premiered at the Majestic Theatre, Dallas, Texas, in 1998. It was an annual Christmas show at the theatre for five years. It