Vault: Movie Act Off: It's a Wonderful Life

Summary

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The Bert Show Podcast Summary

Episode: Vault: Movie Act Off: It's a Wonderful Life
Date: May 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively and comedic segment, The Bert Show cast kicks off their "Movie Act Off" holiday competition, where each member reenacts a famous Christmas movie scene. For this round, the focus is on a dramatic scene from the classic film It's a Wonderful Life, specifically the confrontation between George Bailey and Mr. Potter. Jeff and Joanna face off in a spirited head-to-head performance, engaging the rest of the cast in playful banter and critique as they strive for the show's acting crown.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing the "Movie Act Off" Challenge

• Jeff introduces the challenge: Each cast member will perform a reenactment of a holiday movie scene, to be judged by the team and listeners.
• Joanna immediately claims she can "crush" the scene, asserting her acting prowess—even before knowing the exact scene.

  "Let me know if you want me to do this for you. I'm an amazing actress." —Joanna (01:42)

• The cast debates the competitive format, suggesting daily head-to-head performances and tallying votes for a winner.

2. Assigning and Explaining the Scene

• The selected scene is from It's a Wonderful Life, where George Bailey confronts Mr. Potter in the boardroom.
• Several cast members admit they've never seen the film, but Joanna explains the context:

  "Mr. Potter is... the big bank in town, and Jimmy Stewart's character runs the little savings and loan, you know, so he's like, for the common folk. And Potter's like the big corporate... He's corporate America, right?" —Joanna (07:18)

• The group playfully discusses other Christmas classics like Miracle on 34th Street and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

3. Setting the Stage and Performance Anxiety

• Jeff admits to rehearsing alone at home, which led to some raised eyebrows from family members.
• Joanna jokes about feeling compelled to do Jimmy Stewart’s trademark accent but ultimately decides to use her regular voice.
• Multiple castmates tease each other, fueling the excitement and nerves before the performances:

  "You can't come on that strong and then back out." —Jeff (10:57)

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Memorable Moments and Quotes

The Original Scene for Reference

Audio of the original scene is played for inspiration (05:14–06:21).

Jeff's Performance

• Jeff stands and delivers with genuine effort and emotional investment, earning enthusiastic praise:

  "As soon as you started speaking, everything in the room became black and white to me. There was no color left. It was all black and white." —Jeff (10:32)

• The cast acknowledges Jeff's solid delivery:

  "He did a great job." —Monica (10:12)
  "I was in the boardroom, man. I was in there." —Hayden (10:22)

Joanna's Turn

• Despite last-minute script access and growing nerves, Joanna performs with determination and receives support:

  "Great job for just getting the script. It was good." —Jeff (12:32)

• Monica admits to nerves and getting lost partway but commits to practicing:

  "I was just so nervous. I kept losing where I was." —Monica (12:37)

The Cast Votes and Feedback

• Listeners and castmates weigh in on the winner, with some friendly critique:

  "I gotta say, neither of you brought it. I'm sorry." —Caller Monica (13:08)

• Final votes all go to Jeff, jokingly sending him "to Hollywood":

  "Jeff, you got my vote." —Joanna (13:36)
  "I'm going to Hollywood." —Jessica (13:41)

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Highlighted Timestamps

• [01:27] Challenge is introduced; discussion of Joanna’s confidence.
• [03:36] Rules and format of the week-long "Movie Act Off."
• [04:18] Scene selection and setup from It's a Wonderful Life.
• [05:14] Audio of the original scene is played.
• [08:46] Jeff’s acting performance.
• [11:16] Joanna’s acting performance.
• [12:32] Immediate feedback and critique.
• [13:35] Votes are cast and the winner is declared.

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Podcast Tone and Style

• The mood is playful, self-deprecating, and collaborative, with constant ribbing and good-natured encouragement.
• The cast leans into their lack of acting experience for humor, making the segment accessible to listeners regardless of their familiarity with It’s a Wonderful Life.

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Conclusion

This episode showcases The Bert Show’s hallmark mix of wit, camaraderie, and audience interaction as the team embarks on a holiday-themed acting showdown. Jeff emerges as the winner of the day, but the real highlight is the authenticity, laughter, and community spirit as the cast supports (and roasts) each other in their attempts to channel some classic Hollywood magic.

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Transcript

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[Jeff]

Yes.

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[Jeff]

Both.

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[Jeff]

n the bird show. We gotta get producer Joanna in here. Cause she's already making claims that she can crush this, this Christmas scene better than Jeff can and she doesn't even know what scene he's doing.

[Randy]

Is she gonna do that for all of us? Is she gonna redo all of our monologues?

[Joanna]

She knows. Cause here's the deal. I sent it to her. Let me find it. Because she sent it by instant message. I sent her the monologue or the scene or whatever and asked her to print it for me and she said, oh nice. If you want me to do this for you, let me know. I'm an amazing actress.

[Randy]

That's awesome.

[Jessica]

I like.

[Jeff]

It's funny, you know, I was having a conversation with her a couple of days ago because Joanna wants to be in radio and all, you know, so she's gonna be looking for like a full time morning show gig after January 1st. So I said, I'll sure try to help you out with it, but I'll critique her from time to time and she'll send me stuff and I'll say the only thing you gotta watch out here for Joanna is that I think sometimes you turn people Off. Cause you're so confident, you know that? You know, you gotta get along with women and men on the radio. Especially if you're gonna be on a radio station that caters to women.

[Joanna]

Let me know if you want me to do this for you. I'm an AM actress and she says, really?

[Jeff]

I don't see myself that way. I'm really not all that confident. So she's not confident in. Her confidence is the only thing she's not confident in.

[Monica]

I just. I think that. I don't know, I say these things where I'm joking, but everyone takes it as I'm being serious. So I just run with it and I just hope for the best.

[Joanna]

You know what? I admire that, actually.

[Jeff]

I just said, you know what? Let them like you before they really get to know you.

[Randy]

Well, why.

[Monica]

Why not just let you know from the beginning and you can despise me for the right reasons.

[Jeff]

I agree. Run with that. Just totally run with that.

[Joanna]

You know what, actually, now that I keep reading this instant message, she has to say she's a better singer than Jennifer Eisenberg. We get a couple breaks out of her.

[Monica]

I prove with my Shakira song not too long ago. I'm not sure why you guys are denying that.

[Jeff]

So what we're gonna do, each one of us this week, we are taking a Christmas scene out of a popular movie and we will try to reenact that scene and we will put these all up online and are we doing a vote on it or at this point, do we even care?

[Joanna]

I think. I mean, there's gotta be a winner.

[Jeff]

There's gotta be a loser. It's Christmas, people.

[Joanna]

I'm hoping that there will be a clear cut winner.

[Jeff]

It's probably gonna be Joanna.

[Joanna]

Yeah. Yeah, that's right.

[Jessica]

Why are we.

[Joanna]

Yeah, we're not gonna vote because Joanna already won.

[Jeff]

Why are we even doing it?

[Joanna]

But we will.

[Monica]

I think you'll have a runner up. You're saying I'm the winner?

[Jeff]

At this point, we're all going for honorable mention.

[Joanna]

If Joanna wants to go today, you could just do it as a head to head thing. And then y' all can decide who did it better, Joanna or I. And then that's today's winner. And then you could just do two a day and there's a head to head competition and we'll have a finals

[Jeff]

and Joanna has to do one every day. Everyone that we knew, Joanna. That's the way I like it. All right, so the scene, Jeff, that you're doing and Joanna, that you're going to be doing is.

[Joanna]

Why don't you explain it, Joanna?

[Monica]

It's a scene from It's a Wonderful Life, right?

[Joanna]

Which scene is it?

[Monica]

Where he's talking to Mr. Potter.

[Joanna]

And when did you find this scene?

[Monica]

When you emailed it to me.

[Jessica]

Okay.

[Jeff]

Have you ever seen the movie?

[Monica]

No.

[Jeff]

But you are sure you can crush Jeff in it?

[Monica]

Yeah.

[Joanna]

Should we actually have her go before you even play it? Cause you have the audio of the scene, how it's supposed to sound, right?

[Jeff]

So you say Joanna, then play the scene, then you.

[Joanna]

Then I'll go. Yeah.

[Monica]

Oh, wow. I didn't know. Let me take off my sweater. It's gonna. Stretching.

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Joanna]

Just so you know, Joanna, that stretching is not gonna help you. It's radio, honey.

[Jeff]

Actually, it did with me. You won?

[Hayden]

That's awesome.

[Joanna]

There's your script.

[Hayden]

Oh, she's going first?

[Joanna]

Yeah.

[Hayden]

Oh, I thought you were.

[Joanna]

She said she's got it. Didn't even need to hear it.

[Monica]

I need to prep. Come on, every good actor needs to prep. I need to get some inspiration. So you need to hear the scene?

[Jeff]

Yeah, I think that's fair. Okay.

[Jimmy Stewart (Character Reading)]

You're right when you say my father was no businessman. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap Penny Annie building alone, I'll never know. But neither you nor anybody else can say anything against his character. Because his whole life was. Why, in the 25 years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn't that right, Uncle Billy? He didn't save enough money to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter. And what's wrong with that? Here, you're all businessmen here. Don't make them better citizens. Doesn't make them better customers. You said that. What'd you say just a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even thought of a decent home.

[Jessica]

Wait? Wait for what?

[Jimmy Stewart (Character Reading)]

Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that you know how long it takes a working man to save $5,000? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about, they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, their cattle? Well, in my book, he died a much Richer man than you'll ever be.

[Jeff]

All right, that's your scene right there.

[Joanna]

Is it just me, or did that. Did that feel like it was 45 minutes long?

[Jeff]

It was 60 seconds.

[Joanna]

It didn't feel like that to me.

[Jeff]

It was a really long clip. Now, Jeff, I think you should go first.

[Joanna]

All right, good.

[Jeff]

And then we'll save the finale for Joanna.

[Joanna]

I like that because I just heard it. It's fresher in my head.

[Randy]

All right, Jimmy Dollar, you think the minute.

[Joanna]

Jimmy Dollar.

[Jeff]

Yeah, I have. Again, I have never seen this movie from beginning to end.

[Randy]

Oh, my God. Oh, this is a. Am I the only one in the room that has seen this movie?

[Joanna]

No, I saw it.

[Randy]

It is wonderful.

[Jeff]

Like, you'll sit down with your family and watch it from beginning to end.

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[Randy]

This is a fantastic movie. Sometimes older movies are far better than the ones now.

[Hayden]

I usually turn on that tcm that Turner Classic Movies and put that in the background when I'm wrapping gifts, but I never know which one.

[Joanna]

Just to get you in the mood, I, for the longest time got.

[Jessica]

What's the movie you want to do, Wendy? America on 34th Street.

[Joanna]

I always got those two and Wonderful Life confused for years. But Bert, let me set the scene for you.

[Jeff]

Okay.

[Joanna]

All right. Mr. Potter is. He runs the big bank in town, and Jimmy Stewart's character runs the little savings and loan, you know, so he's like, for the common folk. And Potter's like the big corporate. He's corporate America, right?

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Joanna]

So now this is Jimmy Stewart in the boardroom with all of the board members of Potter's bank. And he's trying to convince Potter to stop being, you know, a shady, big corporate America guy. He is just one of the people, right? Yeah, I thought of that, too.

[Jeff]

Did you connect with this store?

[Joanna]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

It's weird how you picked this one out.

[Jimmy Stewart (Character Reading)]

Shocking.

[Joanna]

Yeah. You know, that came to me this morning, actually. I kind of laughed at myself. I should have gone with Lampoon.

[Monica]

Christmas vacation.

[Joanna]

We'll give this one a shot.

[Jeff]

I think you'll definitely have more heart behind this one than you would the National Lampoon one.

[Jessica]

So are you nervous?

[Hayden]

Cause you look like a little boy right now. You have, like, that little.

[Joanna]

I am. I. Seriously, I was just doing crap yesterday and totally forgot about this. And then 9 o' clock last night and then sat in my office and I started. I was like, by myself. And I said, you're right when you say my father was no businessman. And Jessica's like, who are you talking to? And I shut the Door. And I'm trying to enunciate, and she's like, what?

[Jessica]

I can't hear you.

[Jeff]

Once Jen and I found out that it was a competition, we both hired a acting coach that's been coming by.

[Hayden]

I picked up my Stanislavski book again.

[Joanna]

I should have called Hayden.

[Jeff]

Yeah, he knocked us out.

[Joanna]

Can you work me through this?

[Jeff]

You were stalling.

[Randy]

You're stalling.

[Joanna]

Sorry.

[Jessica]

It's Bird.

[Joanna]

Here's the scene I've just stood up in the boardroom. You guys are all the board members, right?

[Hayden]

And scene.

[Jessica]

You're right when you say my father was no businessman. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap Penny Annie Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anybody else can

[Joanna]

say anything against his character.

[Jessica]

Because his whole life was. Why, in the 25 years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing he never once thought of himself. Isn't that right, Uncle Billy? He didn't save enough to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter. And what's Potter and what's wrong with that? Why, here, you're all businessmen here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers? You said. What'd you just say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money even before they ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that you know how long it takes a working man to save $5,000? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Is it too much to have them work and play and live and die in a couple of decent rooms in a bath? Well, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him, but to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. And in my book, he died a

[Joanna]

much richer man than you'll ever be.

[Jeff]

Oh, he crushed that. Oh, Joanna.

[Randy]

Good job.

[Jeff]

Oh, Joanna, are you sure you wanna go? He crushed that.

[Monica]

He did a great job.

[Jeff]

You sure you wanna try that?

[Monica]

I mean.

[Jeff]

Yeah, he crushed it.

[Hayden]

I don't know, Joanna, don't you?

[Jeff]

I really think he did a really, really good job.

[Hayden]

Yes, I was in the boardroom, man. I was in there.

[Joanna]

I was actually thinking of Mr. LaRose, who was my drama coach in high school. And right out of high school, as

[Jeff]

soon as you started speaking, everything in the room became Black and white to me. There was no color left. It was an all black and white.

[Joanna]

I did feel an odd compulsion to do the Jimmy Stewart kind of accent. Like her little Sean Connery though, right there.

[Jeff]

Is that what you were gonna go with? Joanna? You gonna try that?

[Monica]

I wasn't gonna do an accent. I like to stick with what I know, which is my normal accent.

[Jeff]

Good luck with this.

[Monica]

Oh, so you do want me to do this?

[Randy]

I was really hoping you had to

[Jeff]

find how much stronger I did.

[Randy]

Joanna, I'm just joking.

[Jeff]

You can't come on that strong and then back out.

[Hayden]

We want you to do it, though.

[Jeff]

That'd be fun.

[Joanna]

Then she could just make stuff up and we'll go. That's great.

[Monica]

Exactly. Okay.

[Randy]

Ready?

[Jeff]

It's already uncomfortable, isn't it?

[Randy]

It is.

[Monica]

Can you see my heart beating from my chest?

[Joanna]

You're sweating.

[Jeff]

Shh.

[Monica]

Okay. You're right when you say my father was no businessman. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap penny ain't Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anyone else can say anything against his character. Because his whole life was. Why in 25 years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn't that right, Uncle Billy? He didn't save money to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get out of the slums, Mr. Potter. And what's wrong with that? Why? Why? Here are all businessmen here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers? You. You said what? Say, just a minute ago, they had to wait and save their money before they ever thought of a decent home.

[Wendy]

Wait?

[Monica]

Wait for what? Until their children are grown and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down they say. Don't you know how long it takes for a working man to make $5,000? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this ramble you're talking about. They do most of the work and paying in this living and dying in this community while it's too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath. Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. Don't you? A warped, frustrated old man. They're cattle. Well, in my book, he died a much richer man than you'll ever be, Joanne.

[Hayden]

Great job, Joanne.

[Jeff]

Great job for just getting the script. It was good. I felt like you lost interest at about the 45 second mark.

[Monica]

I was just so nervous. I kept losing Where I was for

[Jeff]

just getting the script, though. Pretty damn good.

[Hayden]

It was good.

[Monica]

Let me practice it and I'll come back to you.

[Joanna]

All right. Every day, Joanna's gonna take someone on. Just get her your script ahead of time.

[Randy]

No, not ahead of time. It's gotta be right ahead.

[Monica]

Yes.

[Jeff]

Hey, Randy.

[Joanna]

Good Morning.

[Jeff]

You're on Q100.

[Caller Jeffrey]

Good morning, Jeffrey. Shot that one right out of the studio. You can always go acting. I hate to say it, but Joanna, even though you're a female and I want to vote for you, I gotta vote for Jeff.

[Joanna]

Sorry about that.

[Jeff]

Joanne. Good morning. Monica, you're on Q100. Hi. I gotta say, neither of you brought it. I'm sorry.

[Randy]

She votes for Jimmy Stewart.

[Jeff]

You just weren't feeling it all right around the room. Wendy, who won competition round one.

[Randy]

Oh, we're not supposed to vote.

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Randy]

Yeah.

[Hayden]

Because I want to win.

[Jessica]

I guess I guarantee them to you. I'm gonna tell you who's better than the other one, so you all better cough it up.

[Jeff]

Jeff, you got my vote.

[Joanna]

Thank you.

[Hayden]

Yeah, Jeff, you got my vote today.

[Randy]

Yeah, Jeff.

[Monica]

Jeff.

[Jessica]

I'm going to Hollywood.

[Joanna]

Get it.

[Jeff]

The bird show.

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