It’s a Wonderful Idea (Not Really)
It’s a Wonderful Idea (Not Really)
The Ghost of Plastic’s Future
December 19, 2021
Fantastic Plastic Christmas Planet
Sam Wainwright in It’s a Wonderful Life offered to get George Bailey in on the ground floor of his plastics factory.
Remember?
And George turned him down so he could keep the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan afloat. Sam went on to be rich. All sorts of rich. And he was a war profiteer, too. As Joseph the Angel told Clarence Oddbody, Sam “made a fortune in plastic hoods for planes” during World War II.
George—unlike Harry, Marty, Bert, and Ernie—didn’t serve in the war because of his bad ear, but at least, not like that worm Sam, he didn’t make money off of it.
But someone always makes money off wars, don’t they?
Whatever happened to old Sam Wainwright? We think we know what became of George and Mary. They lived happily ever after in Bedford Falls, New York, running the Building & Loan, watching their kids grow up, having grandchildren, spending good times, and powerful Christmases with family and friends.
George, who was born in 1907, died in 1999.
Mary, we are pretty sure, died on December 26, 2013.
Sam? After the war, after his office forwarded George $25,000, moved to California like half of America did after the war.
And wasn’t that Sam Wainwright, twenty years after the war, at that party at the Braddock’s house in California telling Dustin Hoffman about plastics in The Graduate?
No. No it wasn’t. That character’s name was Mr. McGuire.
But we think Mr. McGuire was friends with Sam Wainwright. Or maybe he was just jealous of old Sam because, after all, Mr. McGuire said “there’s a great future in plastics” when Sam Wainwright knew that back in 1942. Long before 1967.
Now, plastics are ruining the world. Many Santas are made of them. And Sam Wainwright started it.
Maybe if Mary had married Sam instead of George, Sam wouldn’t have trashed the world. Maybe he’d have stayed in Bedford Falls and George would have conquered the world.
With bamboo. Not plastics. A Merry Bamboo Christmas.
Hello darkness, my old friend.--TK
Sunday, December 19, 2021