What's the Difference between The Greatest Gift the Book and It's a Wonderful Life the Movie?

Fantasy

The Greatest Gift

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Released: 1944
Author: Philip Van Doren Stern

It's a Wonderful Life

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Released: 1946
Director: Frank Capra
Characters
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In the Book In the Movie
George Pratt
George Bailey
Portrayed by: James Stewart
The Stranger
Clarence
Portrayed by: Henry Travers
Mary Thatcher
Mary Hatch
Portrayed by: Donna Reed
It's a Wonderful Life Book vs Movie
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This Spoils the Ending
In the Book In the Movie
   The real estate agent says that Mary's brother Art became a drunk and made it difficult for Mary. Both Art and George had courted Mary in the past. With George no longer existing, Mary had married Art instead. Mary never married. When George sees her walking home from the library, he tries to introduce himself but she screams and he runs away.
   George goes to his father's house. He gives the man and woman a free brush with a bright blue handle; George is invited to sit and talk. He asks about Harry, but this makes them upset as Harry had died as a child by drowning. George had saved Harry in the original timeline. George goes to his mother's house. She is a bitter old woman whose only son Harry had died years ago. In the original timeline, Harry was a Navy pilot who was awarded the Medal of Honor after shooting down a Japanese kamakazi about to crash into a Navy transport. When George asks about uncle Billy, his mother gets angry and said he is a useless old drunk.
   As George is visiting Mary, her husband Art come home. He is a angry drunk whose wife and son are afraid of. George leaves the house and runs off looking for The Stranger to get his life back. The Stranger warns George about rejecting the greatest gift of life. When George says what happened to him was murder, The Stranger says it was more like suicide. He tells George to walk back to town towards the sounds of the bells tolling for Christmas Vespers. George runs away with the police chasing him after Mary screams at him. He arrives at the bridge begging for his life back. It starts to snow again and he runs back to town. George sees everything has returned to normal. He wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, even Mr. Potter who says "in jail".
   George runs to his father's house and greets his parents and brother Harry. He goes home to passionately greet his wife and children. George embraces his wife and then notices a blue handled brush on the couch; it is the identical to the one he gave his mother during the timeline when he never existed. George rushes home; he sees his children but Mary is not home. Mary comes through the door with a basket full of money. Billy and Mary had gone door to door asking for help for George and the Building and Loan. Everyone gave what they could which more than covered the $8000 shortfall. The police officer who was going to have George arrested rips up the warrant. George's younger brother Harry arrives and proclaims George to be the richest man in town. George sees Clarence's "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" book in the basket of money and knows Clarence has won his wings.
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