A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

It's a Wonderful Life script
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Listen



Tim Russell (JS): My name is Tim Russell and like a lot of you, I was a big fan of the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life". I watched it every year at Christmas and before I knew it I was watching it four and five times. I loved that part where Jimmy Stewart says, "What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You-you want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey, that's a pretty good idea. Well, then you could swallow it. And it'll all dissolve, see. And the moon beams that shoot out of your fingers and your toes and the ends of your hair... And I started doing a Jimmy Stewart impression, and then---- I couldn't get out of it. It was spinning a web around me and I thought the whole world revolved around that movie and Bedford Falls and George Bailey. And finally I had to check into a sanitarium and get counseling.

Fred Newman: Mr. Russell, my name is Clarence. What can I do for you?

TR (JS): Help me, Clarence. Get me back. Get me back to my life. Help me get rid of this voice, Clarence, please. I want to be myself again. Please, let me live again. (BIG FACE SLAP)

TR (AS REAGAN): Now there you go again. (FACE SLAP)

TR (AS HIMSELF): Thanks, Clarence. I needed that.

FN: It's a wonderful life, Mr. Russell. If you can pull yourself away from the movie screen and go out and live it. (DING) Ah. There's my wings. (HE FLAPS AWAY SLOWLY)