 | |
| Zuzu Bailey | |
| Notability: | Minor character |
| Gender: | Female |
| Location: | Bedford Falls, New York |
| Known relatives: | George Bailey Mary Hatch Bailey Pete Bailey Tommy Bailey Janie Bailey |
| Status: | Alive |
| Born: | 1940 [1] |
| First: | It's a Wonderful Life |
| Actor: | Karolyn Grimes |
Zuzu Bailey is a fictional child and a minor character who appeared in the 1946 family classic, It's a Wonderful Life. She was played by actress Karolyn Grimes.
Biography[]
Zuzu Bailey was the youngest child of George and Mary Bailey. She was born in Bedford Falls, New York around the year 1940. In the winter of 1946, Zuzu's teacher sent her home wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather and she got sick. When George Bailey returned home, he was already on the verge of a nervous breakdown over financial matters. Mary told him that Zuzu was sick and he went upstairs to comfort her. Zuzu handed him a flower and noted that the petals had been falling off and asked him to "fix it". George pretended to fix the broken flower and hid the fallen petals in his pants pocket. He then kissed his daughter and told her to get some rest.
George then went downstairs and telephoned Zuzu's teacher. He angrily berated her at length, even going so far as to question her intelligence. This telephone call later yielded a chance encounter with the teacher's husband, which earned George a punch in the jaw.
George was on the verge of committing suicide but for the intervention of an angel named Clarence. When George stated that he had "wished he'd never been born", Clarence granted him this wish as a means of giving George a fresh perspective on life. All of the things that George had known in his life had suddenly disappeared as he was now a non-entity. While trying to come to grips with this new reality, he frantically searched through his pockets for Zuzu's petals, but Clarence told him that the petals were gone, as George had never existed and as such, had never fathered children. Once George came to value his own life, everything returned to normal.
George raced home and embraced his family. He picked up Zuzu who took note of a bell on the Christmas tree that had been ringing. She said that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. George new that this was Clarence's reward for saving his life. [2]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Zuzu Bailey was created by director Frank Capra and writers Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett based on concepts developed by Philip Van Doren Stern.
- In the film, Karolyn Grimes is identified as "Bailey Child - Zuzu" in the credits.
Family[]
- George Bailey - Father
- Mary Hatch Bailey - Mother
- Peter Bailey - Paternal grandfather
- Mrs. Bailey - Paternal grandmother
- Mrs. Hatch - Maternal grandmother
- Billy Bailey - Great-uncle
- Harry Bailey - Uncle
- Ruth Dakin Bailey - Aunt
- Janie Bailey - Sister
- Pete Bailey - Brother
- Tommy Bailey - Brother
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Date approximated based upon the age of actress Karolyn Grimes.
- ↑ It's a Wonderful Life (1946); Directed by Frank Capra.