Watch the SNL Take on the Its a Wonderful Life Alternate Ending with Dana Carvey

Well now, let me tell ya, “It’s a Wonderful Life” ain’t just some happy, sappy Christmas story, no, sir. Y’know, over the years folks been watchin’ that film with ol’ George Bailey, thinkin’ it’s all sunshine and rainbows. But there’s somethin’ they ain’t seen, somethin’ that coulda been, but they never put it in the movie. That’s right, an alternate endin’ they never showed us, all tucked away like a secret in the attic. And lemme tell ya, this ain’t the sugar-coated ending y’all might be expectin’! It’s got a twist, one that’ll make ya scratch your head. Now, you might be wonderin’ where this version came from. Well, it wasn’t some old dusty script lying around, nope. It was introduced by none other than William Shatner himself, y’know, the Captain Kirk feller. He brought us the lost footage, where ol’ George Bailey, played by Dana Carvey, and the whole town of Bedford Falls… well, they ain’t as generous as we thought.

Now, in the original movie, y’all remember, George he’s down on his luck, thinkin’ that his life ain’t worth nothin’. But when he sees how much he means to his town, well, he gets that happy moment where everybody helps him out. But in this lost version, let me tell ya, they don’t quite make it that nice. See, the folks in Bedford Falls don’t come through as heroes like they did in the first version. They fall a little short, you know? It’s like when you got a pie in the oven and it don’t quite rise. There’s no big ol’ reunion, no “hail to George Bailey”. Instead, it’s more of a downer, and they kinda leave ol’ George hangin’. It’s like they just don’t know how to really show that love, and that’s a whole lot different from what we’re used to seeing.

The reason this alternate ending never made it to theaters was ‘cause folks thought it was just too dark, too sad for Christmas time. And I reckon they’re right, who wants to watch somethin’ so grim during the holidays? You want joy, not misery. But the truth is, this alternate endin’ gives a real sense of how life can be, y’know? Sometimes people don’t step up like they should, and sometimes life don’t turn out the way you thought. It’s like the story of a fella who had big dreams but just never quite got there. But that’s the way life is sometimes, ain’t it?

Now, I heard through the grapevine that this lost ending is all part of a little skit that Comedy Central put together, with the folks from SNL. Y’know, SNL, they like to joke around about these kinds of things. In this version, ol’ George is still stuck with his life, but things just don’t seem as rosy. I reckon if you’re lookin’ for that warm, fuzzy feelin’, this version ain’t gonna give it to ya. But for those who want to see a more honest version of how life really can be—well, this here lost ending sure ain’t bad.

What’s more, if you ask me, this whole alternate ending might even be more real than the original. Sure, it ain’t as pretty, but life ain’t always pretty, is it? Sometimes things don’t go the way we want, and people don’t always come through for you when you need ’em. And that’s somethin’ we all gotta live with. And don’t get me started on Mr. Potter! In the original, he dies of a heart attack, but that was too much for the film folks. They figured folks wouldn’t wanna see the bad guy go out like that. So, they kept him around, let him stay mean and nasty. But in this alternate version, you get a real feel for what coulda happened, even if it’s not the kind of story we usually expect.

Some folks say that if they just released the director’s cut with this alternate endin’, they wouldn’t need to make a whole new sequel or anything. I mean, why bother? Just put out the real deal and let folks see the whole story, warts and all. But that’s Hollywood for ya, always changin’ things to fit what they think people wanna see. Sometimes, they don’t even give us the whole picture.

So, what do y’all think? Should they have left this darker version in the movie? Or is it best to leave it as a lost piece of film history? Me, I think it’s a little too sad for Christmas, but it sure does show a different side of life, don’t it?

Tags：[It’s a Wonderful Life, alternate ending, SNL, William Shatner, Dana Carvey, lost ending, Christmas movie, Bedford Falls, George Bailey, holiday films]