Mr. Potter

Henry F. Potter (commonly referred to as Mr. Potter or just Potter) is a fictional banker portrayed by veteran actor Lionel Barrymore in the 1946 Frank Capra film "It's a Wonderful Life".
Casting.
Lionel Barrymore was cast as Mr. Potter. Dan Duryea and Charles Bickford were also considered for the role. Although Barrymore won an Academy Award for Best Actor in "A Free Soul" in 1931, in the 1940s he was best known as the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge in the CBS radio dramatizations of A Christmas Carol. At the time Barrymore played the role of Mr. Potter, Barrymore had become a wheelchair-user due to a hip injury and severe arthritis. Consequently, he played Potter as confined to a wheelchair due to polio. His wheelchair is pushed in all scenes by a wordless assistant (played by Frank Hagney).
Story line.
The elderly, disabled, and tight-fisted Potter owns most of the businesses in the fictitious town of Bedford Falls, including the bank. One business that he does not completely own is the Bailey Brothers Building & Loan, though he holds a minority stake giving him a seat on the company's board of directors. The Building & Loan is a constant source of aggravation for him, not only because of its perpetual failure to earn a profit, but also because the Building & Loan causes him to lose renters for what George Bailey calls "slums," as the mortgages it provides enables the renters to buy their own homes, many of which are in a subdivision called "Bailey Park". Over the course of the film, Potter makes several unsuccessful attempts to have the Building & Loan shut down. These attempts comprise nearly all of Potter's scenes in the film. 
Reception.
Richard Corliss of "Time" magazine described Barrymore's portrayal as, "... Scrooge, the Grinch and Simon Legree in one craggy, crabby package".
Mr. Potter ranks at #6 on the American Film Institute's list of the 50 Greatest Villains in American film history. Nonetheless, some commentators admire Mr. Potter, and criticize the portrayal of a profit-seeking banker as unfair. Indeed, in 1947, an FBI internal memo said that the film "represented a rather obvious attempt to discredit bankers by casting Lionel Barrymore as a 'scrooge-type' [sic] so that he would be the most hated man in the picture. This ... is a common trick used by communists."
Influences.
"The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening drew inspiration from Mr. Potter, as well as his high school teacher Mr. Bailey, for the character Mr. Burns.
Barrymore's portrayal of Mr. Potter inspired the voice of mad scientist Simon Bar Sinister in the "Underdog" cartoon series.