The Bank Run from It’s a Wonderful Life

If you haven’t seen the movie (first of all, shame on you!), George and his family run the Building and Loan in town. It’s like a credit union– the depositors buy shares in the Building and Loan, and then people borrow the money to build their own houses. It’s a tiny, shoestring operation– and independent of the greedy Mr. Potter, who wants to own everything in town.

George (Jimmy Stewart) has just gotten married and is getting ready to go on his honeymoon when a run commences at the bank across the street. Panicked investors then come to his Building and Loan to get their money too. George has to try to get the people to stop panicking and hold steady in the crisis….