Mister Potter
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Henry F. Potter (commonly referred to as "Mr. Potter" or just "Potter") is the archvillain and antagonist of hero George Bailey in the 1946 Frank Capra classic film It's a Wonderful Life. He is a greedy miser who makes George Bailey's life as miserable and as penniless a one as is possible. He occupies slot #6 on the American Film Institute's list of the 50 Greatest Villains in American film history (in its list entitled AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains). Mr. Potter was portrayed by veteran actor Lionel Barrymore, who previously had success in teaming with Capra in the 1938 Best Picture winning film You Can't Take It With You.
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[edit] The persona of Mr. Henry F. Potter
Throughout the entire film, Mr. Potter is heartless, cold, apathetic, and downright evil. He denies everyone happiness because he has the power to do so. Though Potter has no wife, he does have a mistress: money.
Everything that Mr. Potter does in the film is motivated by money. Be it "saving" George's clients during a bank run or offering George the job of his dreams, all are thinly veiled plots to fill his own wallet.
Though he is also a mill owner, banker and slumlord, Mr. Potter is a businessman at heart. If there's one thing he's talented at besides making peoples lives miserable, it's his ability to manage, plan, and keep order. During the length of the film he seems particularly deft in the ways of finance and business, much to the chagrin of the good people of Bedford Falls. His business propositionss may seem fair, even charitable at first, but his ulterior motives are of a far more sinister nature. Thus, he will stop at nothing so long as it means more money in his coffer and the downfall of the Bailey Building & Loan.
[edit] Early attempts
Mr. Potter, even before the story starts, has already tried many times (albeit fruitlessly) to nab the Building & Loan company from Peter Bailey, proprietor for many years. His first run-in with George was in the middle of a business meeting, and a very young George barged in yelling for Peter. To Potter, this action by George convinced him further that the Bailey clan was hard-willed, upstanding, and annoyingly so.
When Mr. Bailey dies many years later, George must stay behind from a collegiate life abroad and continually wrest control away from Mr. Potter. George Bailey is the son of Peter Bailey. Upon Peter Bailey's death from a stroke, Potter attempts to take control of the Building & Loan, as he is principal shareholder in the company. George stands up to Potter for the first time in his life as owner of the Building & Loan. The rest of the board of trustees endorses George's leadership, thwarting Potter's plans to add yet another bank to his empire.
Later, when there is a bank run at the Building & Loan, Mr. Potter tries again to cripple the company. Mr. Potter offers $.50 on the dollar for George's clients to put their accounts in Potter's bank. George refuses, and instead creatively offers each client his own honeymoon money ($2,000) to hold them over until the week ends, when the money arrives in the Building & Loan vaults.
[edit] First Real Attempt: Temptation
Years later, Mr. Potter's own investments and income are threatened by Bailey Park, a new suburb-like development upstart by George's company. Complaining that the Building & Loan has "been a boil on my neck long enough," Mr. Potter summons George to his office and offers him the job of his dreams.
Mr. Potter, by this time, knows that George has always wanted but never received. There are four things Potter knows that George has always desired, and implements these in a dastardly scheme to coax the Building & Loan from George's safe hands.
Sensing George's desire to leave Bedford Falls behind and see the world, Mr. Potter proposes George an incredibly profitable career at Potter's company, to run all of his properties and financial affairs. George is offered an immense salary, benefits and business trips to New York City and maybe even Europe.
George takes the bait; He asks for 24 hours to talk it over with his wife, Mary. But once he shakes Mr. Potter's hand, George realizes Potter's true intentions, and refuses him.
Of course, this is not the last time that he connives to draw George's company into his clutches. The next time he tries, George will have much more at stake.
[edit] Second Real Attempt: Arrest (and Death)
During World War II, Mr. Potter becomes head of the draft board in Bedford Falls. He rejects George from going onto the war front because George is deaf in one of his ears; it is a scar and trophy from when his brother Harry fell through the ice at the age of nine and George rescued him from the freezing waters. Instead, George stays behind and fights the "Battle of Bedford Falls", supervising scrap metal drives and allocating ration coupons.
On Christmas Eve, George's brother Harry is to return to Bedford Falls after being decorated with the Medal of Honor for saving lives of countless soldiers in the war. Uncle Billy, an associate of the Building & Loan since the days of Peter, arrives in Potter's bank with $8,000 to deposit and a newspaper in his hand. The miser is wheeled into the bank on his wheelchair, is greeted by four bankers and then, sarcastically, by Billy, who is brandishing a copy of the Bedford Falls Sentinel.
- Well, good morning, Mister Potter! What's the news? Oh, well, well, well: Harry Bailey wins Congressional Medal. That couldn't be one of the Bailey boys. You just can't keep those Baileys down, now, can you, Mister Potter?
Uncle Billy then throws the newspaper (and the money he inadvertently wrapped inside of it) down on Potter's lap, and happily trots back to the register. Meanwhile, Potter goes into his office and discovers the $8,000 in an envelope, neatly wrapped, lying on the Sentinel. Potter asks to be wheeled back so that he can return the money. Taking a peek into the lobby and seeing Uncle Billy frantically searching the bank for his envelope, Potter takes delight in the misfortune of the man who just taunted him, and changes his mind. Hehides inside of his office, stealing the money, knowing the ensuing ruin for George's company.
Later that night, George has discovered Billy's slip-up. The company is inexplicably short $8,000 and and the bank examiner is due shortly. George realizes what this means: bankruptcy of the company, scandal, and jail for whoever is responsible. If George goes to jail, Potter will control the Building & Loan, his family will suffer, and he will be shamed for the rest of his life. Obsessed with clearing his own name and saving the business his father started, George goes to the only person he knows who has enough money: Mr. Potter.
In this, George's ultimate moment of need, Potter merely taunts George cruelly.
- Look at you... you used to be so cocky. You were going to go out and conquer the world. You once called me a warped, frustrated old man. What are you but a warped, frustrated young man? A miserable little clerk... crawling in here on your hands and knees and begging for help.
Although it is George, Potter also thinks about money: a meager loan would be enough to hold George over. He asks for collateral for the loan, and George offers a life insurance policy with a $500 equity: a trifling in 1946. Once more, Potter has an obsession over money and a disregard for human feeling, and says his most vile line in the film.
- Why, George... you're worth more dead than alive.
Potter then telephones the police and puts out a warrant for George's arrest. The charges are on malfeasance and manipulation of funds. George, realizing Potter's statement might be true, escapes the building and drives off.
[edit] After the "Pottersville Sequence"
Later that night, Potter sees George once more, happy, as if he had never lost $8,000 and was positively overjoyed at the thought of a prison term. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter!" he shouts. Mr. Potter responds: "And a Happy New Year to you, too! ...In jail!" This is Mr. Potter's final scene in the movie.
What Potter does not know is that George has just been shown a vision by his guardian angel. George was on the verge of suicide after his conference with Potter and made a wish that he had never been born. So, his guardian angel (Clarence Oddbody, played by Henry Travers) showed him what would have become of Bedford Falls had the man known as George Bailey never been born. The ensuing town is called Pottersville, which is a sleazy city filled with jitterbug dance halls, whiskey joints, and unhappy people with meaningless, amoral lives.
When George returns to town, he has triumphed over Potter, because he finally realizes that after all he has done for Bedford Falls has resulted in a constituency that supports George more than they do Potter , making him a deeply respected pillar of his community. It shows when most of the town raises a collection to help make up the financial loss, culminating with a massive advance supplied by George's wealthy industrialist friend that more than makes up the difference. Even though Potter holds most of their money, he does not hold their trust or their love. With that kind of support, young Bailey's eventual triumph over the aged Potter is all but assured.
