IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
	La sceneggiatura	I suoni	Jimmy Stewart	La gallery

LA SCENEGGIATURA

INTERIOR BACK ROOM –– GOWER'S DRUGSTORE –– DAY

CLOSE SHOT –– Gower talking on the telephone. George stands in the doorway.

GOWER (drunkenly): Why, that medicine should have been there an hour ago. It'll be over in five minutes, Mrs. Blaine.

He hangs up the phone and turns to George.

GOWER (cont'd): Where's Mrs. Blaine's box of capsules?

He grabs George by the shirt and drags him into the back room.

GEORGE: Capsules . . .

GOWER (shaking him): Did you hear what I said?

GEORGE (frightened): Yes, sir, I . . .

Gower starts hitting George about the head with his open hands. George tries to protect himself as best he can.

GOWER: What kind of tricks are you playing, anyway? Why didn't you deliver them right away? Don't you know that boy's very sick?

GEORGE (in tears): You're hurting my sore ear.

INTERIOR FRONT ROOM DRUGSTORE –– DAY

CLOSE SHOT –– Mary is still seated at the soda fountain. Each time she hears George being slapped, she winces.

INTERIOR BACK ROOM DRUGSTORE –– DAY

CLOSE SHOT –– George and Gower.

GOWER: You lazy loafer!

GEORGE (sobbing): Mr. Gower, you don't know what you're doing. You put something wrong in those capsules. I know you're unhappy. You got that telegram, and you're upset. You put something bad in those capsules. It wasn't your fault, Mr. Gower . . .

George pulls the little box out of his pocket. Gower savagely rips it away from him, breathing heavily, staring at the boy venomously.

GEORGE (cont'd): Just look and see what you did. Look at the bottle you took the powder from. It's poison! I tell you, it's poison! I know you feel bad . . . and . . .

George falters off, cupping his aching ear with a hand. Gower looks at the large brown bottle which has not been replaced on the shelf. He tears open the package, shakes the powder out of one of the capsules, cautiously tastes it, then abruptly throws the whole mess to the table and turns to look at George again. The boy is whimpering, hurt, frightened. Gower steps toward him.

GEORGE (cont'd): Don't hurt my sore ear again.

But this time Gower sweeps the boy to him in a hug and, sobbing hoarsely, crushes the boy in his embrace. George is crying too.

GOWER: No . . . No . . . No. . .

GEORGE: Don't hurt my ear again!

GOWER (sobbing): Oh, George, George . . .

GEORGE: Mr. Gower, I won't ever tell anyone. I know what you're feeling. I won't ever tell a soul. Hope to die, I won't.

GOWER: Oh, George.