"ALL CAPS IN DEFENSE OF LIBERTY IS NO VICE."

Thursday, June 22, 2006

FRANK CAPRA, GEORGE BAILEY, AND "CHICKENHAWKS "

One of the greatest movies of all-time it IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. It was co-written and directed by Frank Capra, and starred Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. Jimmy Stewart said it was his favorite movie, and felt it'd been so popular for so many decades because it fulfilled a basic wish almost all of us have: "To see what the world would've been like had we never been born, and to find out that it's a better place because we are here."

The movie is about a character named George Bailey, whose life-story spans from 1900 to 1945. He's someone who's put is own dreams on the back-burner his whole life. George wanted to become an adventurer and a globe-trotter and then return and go to college, and become an architect/builder of magnificent edifices.

He ended up not travelling, not going to college, and merely taking over the family business, and "merely" becoming a husband and "merely" a father and and "merely" a "local community leader." (SYNOPSIS and MORE MOVIE INFO/TRIVIA/LINKS HERE.)


Well... George's younger brother, Harry, does go to college, marries a millionairess, and comes home from the war (WW2) a decorated war hero - winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. George isn't jealous; he's proud - as is the whole Bailey clan. Uncle Billy Bailey brags to the Bailey clan's nemesis - the evil banker Mr. Potter - about his nephew Harry Bailey's heroism. Potter counters by calling George a slacker on account of the fact that George was 4F (because George was deaf in one ear as a result of an infection he got when he dove into a freezing river to save his kid brother's life when they were young boys).

Uncle Billy's reply to Potter's attack on George is one that all people accused of being CHICKENHAWKS (by moonbats and nutroots and BDS-afflicted anti-war people) should remember. Here's the exchange:

UNCLE BILLY
(showing POTTER a newspaper with a HEADLINE about Harry's Medal)
Well, well, well, Harry Bailey wins Congressional Medal. Hmm. That couldn't be one of the Bailey Boys, could it!? You just can't keep those Bailey's down, now can you Mr. Potter!?

POTTER
How does SLACKER George feel about it?

UNCLE BILLY
Very jealous, very jealous: he only lost three buttons off his vest!
Of course, "slacker George" would've won TWO of those medals if he'd gone.

POTTER
(sarcastically)
Bad ear...

UNCLE BILLY
Yes. After all Potter, some people like George HAD to stay home: not every HEEL was in Germany and Japan!

There are HEELS at home now, too. And those of us who support OUR side in the GWOT can contribute to the cause by fighting these HEELS and vigorously defending our side's goals. Just like George did.

1 comment:

Reel Fanatic said...

That is indeed one of the most memorable exchanges in movie history .. thanks for posting it!