What of Nick the Bartender?

A treatise on the entrepreneurial dreams of a small town mixologist.

I've recently read some revisionist criticism of the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life". Some points made by the critics include the lack of punishment of the primary villain, Henry Potter. In fact, Potter is actually up $8,500 at the end of the film due to the king of the bumblers Uncle Billy handing him the money wrapped in a newspaper. $8,500 in 1944 is the equivalent of $143,000 today. I disagree though - keeping Potter alive and well is a perfect setup for a sequel. Unfortunately, since IAWL bombed on its initial release that sequel never happened.

There are also those pesky embezzlement charges facing George Bailey. Some have noted that paying back the money is not sufficient to have the charges dropped. However, this opinion is ignorant of the machinations of small town politicos and officials in film. The constabulary and bank examiner realize that no charges can survive such a whole hearted outpouring of support for dear old George.

There is however one plot element that troubles me. When "Bedford Falls" is transformed into "Pottersville" the local establishment "Martini's" becomes "Nick's". Nick the bartender has gone from being a wage slave to an owner and he has transformed the business. Martini's was a quaint neighborhood bistro. Nicks's is a rollicking dive bar where they "serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast". It's the kind of place where disgraced pharmacists get sprayed with seltzer and anyone claiming to be an angel is summarily tossed out the door. Pottersville may be a dystopian nightmare, but I'd much rather spend an evening at Nick's than Martini's.

*SPOILER ALERT* Of course, when all is right with the world at the end of the movie, Nick is no longer an owner, but once again an employee. It's possible the only two people who preferred Pottersville over Bedford Falls were Potter himself and Nick.

Sheldon Leonard played Nick the bartender. With his distinctive New York accent he kept himself busy playing heavies, sharpies, and touts on film and the radio throughout the 40's and 50's. Although he never stopped acting, with the dawn of the TV era, he started to focus on production, and became one of the most successful TV producers in the business. Some of the shows he produced include The Danny Thomas Show, I Spy, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

So although Nick the Bartender's entrepreneurial dreams might have been thwarted, the same cannot be said for Sheldon Leonard.

p.s. the two main characters on "The Big Bang Theory" are named in his honor.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and may all your entrepreneurial dreams come true in 2025!