Mary Hatch Bailey is a fictional character in
Frank Capra's 1946 film ''
It's a Wonderful Life
''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn loos ...
''. She is the sweetheart and later wife of protagonist
George Bailey (played by
James Stewart as an adult and
Bobby Anderson as a child). Mary is played by
Donna Reed
Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American actress. Her career spanned more than 40 years, with performances in more than 40 films. She is well known for her portrayal of Mary Hatch Bailey in ...
as an adult and Jean Gale as a child. She is loosely based on Mary Pratt, a character in
Philip Van Doren Stern's 1943 short story ''
The Greatest Gift
"The Greatest Gift" is a 1943 short story written by Philip Van Doren Stern, loosely based on the Charles Dickens 1843 novella '' A Christmas Carol'', which became the basis for the film ''It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946). It was self-published a ...
''.
Mary Hatch is viewed by some as either the
hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
of the film or a key, significant, and strong character in the film's story, including its romance.
Story line
Mary Hatch is the younger sister of Marty Hatch, a friend of
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
, whom she has loved since childhood. They become reacquainted as young adults at a high school dance in 1928, where they discuss their respective plans for the future.
They are interrupted by news that George's father has suffered a stroke. Mary goes away to college, and works for a time in New York before returning to
Bedford Falls.
In 1932, when George's brother Harry returns from college with a new wife, and a job offer from his father-in-law, George realizes he will not be able to leave the Building and Loan, at least in the foreseeable future. George, despite knowing that his friend, Sam Wainwright, is courting Mary, goes to her house at the urging of his mother. George insists he that he has no intention of getting married, but realizes that he loves Mary. It is very clear that George's mother is right that Mary loves him and not Sam.
George and Mary are married, but their planned honeymoon is interrupted by a
run on the banks, which affects the Building and Loan.
Potter
A potter is someone who makes pottery.
Potter may also refer to:
Places United States
*Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US
* Potter, Arkansas
*Potter, Nebraska
* Potters, New Je ...
's newly acquired bank has called in its loan, and depositors are clamoring to withdraw their funds. Potter, a stockholder in the Building and Loan, threatens to shut it down if it closes early. Mary offers the money saved for their honeymoon to keep the Building and Loan solvent.
That evening, George's friends Bert the cop and the cab driver Ernie escort him to his "new" home: the Old Granville house, a derelict mansion Mary had wished for years before. Over time they work on repairing the house. During World War II George is exempt from the draft because of partial deafness, but serves as an Air-Raid Warden. Mary becomes a volunteer for the war effort, such as running the local branch of the USO, while raising their four children (Pete, Janie, Tommy, and Zuzu).
In 1945, when George's uncle misplaces an $8,000 deposit, George faces bankruptcy and a charge of embezzlement, leaving his family behind.
Angry and depressed, George contemplates suicide. His guardian angel
A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...
, Clarence Odbody
Clarence Odbody, also spelled Clarence Oddbody, (born May 1653) is a guardian angel character in Frank Capra's 1946 film ''It's a Wonderful Life'', where he was portrayed by Henry Travers, and in the 1990 sequel, ''Clarence'', where he was playe ...
, then shows George what life would have been like had he never been born. Among other changes in this alternate existence, Mary is a spinster
''Spinster'' is a term referring to an unmarried woman who is older than what is perceived as the prime age range during which women usually marry. It can also indicate that a woman is considered unlikely to ever marry. The term originally den ...
librarian.
George returns home to find that Mary has rallied their friends and family to raise the missing money.
Behind the scenes
Donna Reed would later state that ''It's a Wonderful Life'' was her favorite film of her career. She also said it was "the most difficult film I ever did. No director ever demanded as much of me." Before Reed got the role, it was offered to Olivia de Havilland
Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...
, Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
, Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s.
Arthur had feature roles in three F ...
, and Ann Dvorak.
In the "wishing" scene outside the old Granville house, Capra was surprised to see Reed accurately throw a stone to break a window, a skill she acquired playing baseball with her brothers on their Iowa farm.[ Capra, according to ]Jimmy Hawkins
James F. Hawkins is an American former actor, producer and writer. He is best-known for his TV roles in shows like ''Annie Oakley'', ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'', '' Leave It to Beaver'', ''Petticoat Junction'', and ''The Donna Reed Sho ...
, later admitted that making Mary a librarian was a mistake.
Mary's character also appeared in a live radio play based on the film, and was played by Ariel Woodiwiss.
Some fans of the film have cosplayed as Mary, including those in Seneca Falls, New York
Seneca Falls is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 8,942 at the 2020 census.
The Town of Seneca Falls contains the former village also called Seneca Falls. The town is east of Geneva, New York, in the nor ...
, which the film's fictional town of Bedford Falls is reportedly based on.
References
Sources
*Rhys, Morgan (2012). "The Internet Movie Database,"
Mary Hatch Biography
'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatch, Mary
Drama film characters
Film characters introduced in 1946
Fictional librarians
Christmas characters
Public domain characters in the United States