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 Washington". In the silent era, he had played the role of Jesus Christ in Cecil B. DeMille's "The King of Kings" (1927). The name Gower came from Capra's employer Columbia Pictures, which had been located on Gower Street for many years. Also on Gower Street was a drugstore that was a favorite for the studio's employees. Charles Williams, who was cast as Eustace Bailey, and Mary Treen, who was cast as Matilda "Tilly" Bailey, were both B-list actors, as they both had appeared in 90 films each before filming "It's a Wonderful Life". Jimmy the raven (Uncle Billy's pet) appeared