I’ve made it no secret that I love covering villains. Villains are my favorite thing to cover and I love Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday, in the past I’ve covered Disney Christmas villains. To be honest, I am starting to run dry of Disney Christmas villains. So, I’ve decided to look at a classic Christmas villain. And we are perhaps starting with no more classic a movie than It’s a Wonderful Life. Not only is this movie considered one of the most beloved Christmas movies, it is often heralded as one of the greatest movies ever made. And with good reason, even so many years on from its release it holds up. This movie has been parodied by so many other franchises, the first time I remember seeing this parodied was by the Muppets (oof is that not a good Muppet movie).
Yet, something I’ve noticed when looking back at the parodies, they seem to miss a key aspect of what makes it work. That being for most of the movie, George Bailey is genuinely good and happy man. It’s the situation with Mr. Potter that leads him to consider the path of suicide. That is such a key aspect to what makes this movie work, George Bailey and Mr. Potter are complete opposites. George cares for everyone and wants to make Bedford Falls a better place for all those that live there whereas Potter is only invested in what the town can do for him. He will step over whoever e Ned’s to make sure he is in the best position.
First Appearance
We first see Potter when the higher up angels are showing Clarence a flashback of George Bailey’s childhood. Even then, we get the sense that Mr. Potter is not a good person. I do not know if Capra was inspired by Dickens but Potter in many ways feels like what we know of Marley before his passing. A very cold and calculating man that will do whatever he wants to get what he wants.
Personality
I’ve already described Potter as cold and calculating. He is driven by greed and his thirst for power. He is the meanest man in all of Bedford Falls and as I’ve said will do what tis takes to get what he wants. He stands in opposition to George. As George is a genuinely good man who wears himself thin trying to help everyone in the town. Whereas Potter doesn’t care about others and will do whatever he wants he wants to get control.
We see how dangerous and miserable things are with someone like him in charge with Pottersville. It’s a dark and downtrodden town that makes everyone miserable. This again ties into the idea of how George is the light of Bedford Falls and without George, Potter is able to snuff out the light rather easily.
Now, I don’t know if Capra’s movie was the first to do this but this is something that future movies would clearly ape and I don’t mean the parodies I mentioned up above. Perhaps, the most prominent example that comes to mind for me is Back to The Future Pt. II and 1985A with Biff in charge and George McFly dead, we see Hill Valley going to shit in much the same vein as what happens to Bedford Falls without someone like George Bailey around.
If I haven’t made it clear, I truly love the character of George Bailey as someone who just wants to help everyone and has also suicidal thoughts, he reminds me so much of myself.
Grand Desire
Again, his desire goes back to greed and power, if he can disband the building and loan, he will have complete control of Bedford Falls. He desires this as he is after power. Power is the greatest thing in his mind and it’ll make him even better off than he already is. Mind you, he’s already the richest man in town.
Most Evil Deed
Honestly, it’s hard to narrow down and I can’t just name one thing as his entire thing is just making others miserable. So sorry, I can’t really name one for him.
Demise
Many have argued and it is true that we never see what happens to Potter onscreen and this is something that SNL apparently parodied. However if I could, I’d like to argue his loss is the fact that the town rallies around George and raises the money needed the money that George had lost that led him to this mess and able to get the charges that Potter had placed on George earlier in the movie dropped. While we never see an onscreen loss, the fact that we see a win for George is a good enough loss in my opinion.
Is Mr. Potter A Good Villain?
Honestly, I feel inadequate to even answer this question. When AFI has listed him at number six as one of the greatest movie villains, who am I to argue. I don’t know if my blog did justice in covering him but he truly is one of the greatest villains of cinema. I feel like Im just parroting people much smarter than I who have already said this.
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