James Stewart: An All American Star

Jimmy Stewart (1908-1997)

James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997), popularly known as Jimmy Stewart, was an American film and stage actor best known for his self-effacing screen persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and one Lifetime Achievement award. He also had a noted military career, rising to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force.

Throughout his seven decades in Hollywood, Stewart cultivated a versatile career and recognized screen image in such classics as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Rope and Vertigo. He is the most represented leading actor on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) and AFI's 10 Top 10 lists. He is also the most represented leading actor on the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list presented by Entertainment Weekly. As of 2007, 10 of his films have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry.

Stewart left his mark on a wide range of film genres, including screwball comedies, westerns, biographies, suspense thrillers and family films. He worked for a number of renowned directors later in his career, most notably Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Billy Wilder, Frank Capra and Anthony Mann. He won many of the industry's highest honors and earned Lifetime Achievement awards from every major film organization. He died in 1997, leaving behind a legacy of classic performances, and is considered one of the finest actors of the "Golden Age of Hollywood." He was named the third Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute.

Some Facts About Jimmy Stewart:

Date of Birth
20 May 1908, Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA

Date of Death
2 July 1997, Los Angeles, California, USA (cardiac arrest and pulmonary embolism following respiratory problems)

Birth Name
James Maitland Stewart

Nickname
Jimmy

Height
6' 3" (1.91 m)

Trivia

Ranked #10 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

He was the first movie star to enter the service for World War II, joining a year before Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was initially refused entry into the Air Force because he weighed 5 pounds less than the required 148 pounds, but he talked the recruitment officer into ignoring the test. He eventually became a Colonel, and earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Croix de Guerre and 7 battle stars. In 1959, he served in the Air Force Reserve, before retiring as a brigadier general.

The James Stewart Museum was dedicated in Indiana, Pennsylvania on 20 May 1995

Attended Princeton University. Graduated in 1932 with a degree in architecture.

When Stewart won the Best Actor Oscar in 1940, he sent it to his father in Indiana, Pennsylvania, who set it in his hardware shop. The trophy remained there for 25 years.

The word "Philadelphia" on the Oscar that Jimmy received in 1941 for The Philadelphia Story (1940) is misspelled. The Oscar was kept in the window of Jimmy's father's hardware store located on Philadelphia Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California, USA, in the Wee Kirk O' the Heathers Churchyard , on the left side, up the huge slope, to the left of the Taylor Monument, space 2, lot 8.

James was named Best Classic Actor of the 20th Century in an Entertainment Weekly on-line poll. [September 1999]

He held the highest active military rank of any actor in history. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps and rose to the rank of colonel; after the War, he continued in the US Air Force Reserve becoming a brigadier general (1- star). Two former actors outranked him: John Ford was an actor before becoming a director and a rear admiral (2-star) in the US Naval Reserve; President Ronald Reagan was Commander-in-Chief, but he made his last theatrical TV appearance in 1965.

Never took an acting lesson, and felt that people could learn more when actually working rather than studying the craft.

When he left to serve in WWII, his father gave him a letter which he kept in his pocket everyday until the war ended.

Played the accordion.

Often incorrectly noted as having achieved the highest rank in Boy Scouting, Eagle Scout, while in his youth in Indiana, Pennsylvania; he was a scout for four years, attaining Second Class. He appeared in a series of award-winning commercials promoting the Boy Scouts, and served as a volunteer with the Orange County and Los Angeles Area Councils. He was awarded the Silver Beaver, the highest adult award.

Had four children - twin daughters Kelly Stewart and 'Judy Stewart-Murray', who acted with their parents in "Password" (1961). He adopted his wife's two sons from a previous marriage--Ronald (5) and Michael (2)--when they married. Ronald was killed in action while serving in the Vietnam War in 1969.

Was a regular on the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts." He was even a guest of honor in 1978.

Introduced the Cole Porter standard "Easy to Love" in 1936's Born to Dance (1936). His undubbed, reedy tenor voice was actually not so bad. He would later say of the experience, "the song had become such a big hit that they felt even my singing couldn't ruin it." He would later sing a few bars of "Over the Rainbow" as part of his Oscar-winning performance in The Philadelphia Story (1940).

Recipient of Kennedy Center Honors in 1983.

Starred in the NBC Radio series "The Six Shooter" (1953-54).

Many of his works were donated to Brigham Young University in 1983, including his personal copy of It's a Wonderful Life (1946).

Hit #133 on the Billboard Singles Charts in 1965 with "The Legend of Shenandoah" (Decca 31795), a narration backed up with the Charles "Bud" Dant Orchestra

Was of Northern Irish heritage from County Antrim.

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1972.

When Stewart served as an officer and a pilot in the Army Air Corps in WWII, one of the sergeants in his unit was Walter Matthau.

He once said the the public was his biggest critic, and if they didn't like his performance, neither did he.

His two natural children, twin daughters Judy and Kelly Stewart, were born May 7, 1951. His wife, Gloria Stewart (the former Gloria Hatrick McLean), a former model from Larchmount, New York, also brought two sons to the marriage: Ronald and Michael (aged 5 and 2 at the time of the wedding in 1949), whom he adopted. Ronald later died on active service, as a Marine officer on June 8, 1969 in Vietnam.

Over 3,000 people, mostly Hollywood celebrities, attended his funeral to pay their respects.

President Harry S. Truman was an admirer of Stewart's work, and even commented that if he'd had a son, he'd have wanted him to be "just like Jimmy Stewart."

Despite having been a decorated war hero in WWII, he declined to talk about this, in part because of the traumatic experiences he had in killing others and watching friends die. The roles he chose after returning from the war were generally darker, some say because he was hardened by combat.

A true "regular guy," he genuinely disliked the glamour often basked in by Hollywood stars, avoiding expensive clothes and fancy cars.

He was voted the 3rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

He remained faithful to his wife Gloria Stewart throughout their marriage. While this may seem ordinary, it was rare in Hollywood for male stars to stay devoted to their wives, with many of his colleagues, such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and his friend Henry Fonda, having had a series of infidelities.

His mother's maiden name was Jackson. Her father, Col. Samuel Jackson, served in the Civil War.

One of the first (if not the first) stars to receive a percentage of the gross of his movies.

Was of Scottish and Irish heritage.

His best friend was probably Henry Fonda, whom he met while at acting camp. Early on they got into a fistfight over politics (Stewart was a very conservative Republican, Fonda a very liberal Democrat) that was won by Fonda, but they apparently never discussed politics again. When Fonda moved to Hollywood he lived with Stewart and the two gained a reputation as among Hollywood's biggest playboys. However, after each married and settled down, their children noted that their favorite activity when not working seemed to be silently painting model airplanes together.

His hair began receding during World War II. By the early 1950s, he was wearing a toupee for all his movie roles, though he often went without it in public. His baldness was made less obvious by wearing a gray toupee for many movie roles.

He was voted the 9th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.

Was named #3 on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends Actor list by the American Film Institute

According to the March 31, 1941 issue of 'Time' Magazine, Stewart was drafted into the Army. Prior to induction, he flew in a private plane to California and the next day braved a large crowd of female admirers to board a Los Angeles trolley car that took him and other draftees off to be inducted for a year hitch in the Army. 'Time' said that Stewart's salary would drop to $21 a month from $6,000.

Was very good friends with Ronald Reagan, Henry Fonda, John Wayne and Gary Cooper.

Accepted his friend Gary Cooper's honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1961, because Cooper was dying of cancer.

Died one day after Robert Mitchum.

While always gracious with his fans, he was always very protective of his privacy. A notable example of this occurred when a nervy family of tourists set up a picnic on his front lawn. Stewart came out of his house and, without uttering a word, turned on the sprinklers.

Hosted the Academy Awards in 1946 (alongside Bob Hope), 1958 (alongside David Niven, Jack Lemmon, Rosalind Russell, Bob Hope and "Donald Duck").

Upon accepting his Honorary Oscar in 1985, he stated, "This was the greatest award I received, to know that, after all these years, I haven't been forgotten." The audience gave him a ten-minute standing ovation, making the show run long. Steven Spielberg, who was in attendance, said that he was humbled to even be in the same room as Jimmy, because he respected him so much.

While filming The Big Sleep (1978) in August 1977, Stewart appeared to be much older than his actual age of 69 as the rich, wheelchair-bound Gen. Sternwood. The fact is that he had a hearing impairment and was having memory problems, which caused him to keep flubbing his lines. It's believed that these health problems brought about his retirement from movies shortly afterwards, although he was also concerned with the violence and explicit sexual content of modern films and saw no future for himself in the movie industry.

He was a hawk on the Vietnam War and was active in promoting a number of right-wing political causes. In 1966, two years before his retirement from the US Air Force Reserve, he requested and was given permission to follow as a non-duty observer on a mission over North Vietnam in a B-52. This has often, specifically on the internet, been mistaken as his last mission as a pilot. He never flew B-52 as a pilot, nor did he fly any combat mission at all as a pilot in Vietnam!

Upon his death in July of 1997, a small group of fans and admirers placed a few items on his Hollywood star, not the least of which was a rather tall (although not 6' tall) plush rabbit wearing overalls. (It was reportedly stolen later in the night.)

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian award, by his friend President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1985.

Stewart very much wanted the role of Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest (1959) and he was the original choice for it, but after the financial failure of Vertigo (1958), director Alfred Hitchcock, unfairly blamed the film's box office woes on Stewart, claiming Stewart now looked too old to still attract audiences and cast Cary Grant instead, even though Grant was actually four years older than Stewart. Previously one of the director's favorite collaborators, Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock never worked together again.

Of all the movies he has done It's a Wonderful Life (1946) was his favourite.

Replaced Cary Grant as Rupert Cadell in Rope (1948). Ironically, Grant replaced him as Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest (1959).

His performance as George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life (1946) is ranked #8 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

His performance as James "Scottie" Ferguson in Vertigo (1958) is ranked #30 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

His jazz and blues piano-playing skills were showcased in Anatomy of a Murder (1959).

After making The Magic of Lassie (1978) Stewart went into semi- retirement from acting. During the next few years he suffered from many health problems including heart disease, skin cancer, deafness and senility.

Along with his friends John Wayne and Ward Bond, Stewart strongly supported blacklisting in Hollywood during the McCarthy "Red Scare" era of the late 1940s and early 1950s. According to Michael Munn's biography "Jimmy Stewart: The Truth Behind the Legend" (2004), he worked as a secret agent for FBI head J. Edgar Hoover, rooting out suspected Communists from Hollywood. Hoover took advantage of Stewart's right-wing Republican politics and asked him to work undercover for the FBI in 1947, because Stewart's status as a famous, decorated war hero and officer in the Air Force Reserve made him the perfect choice to help flush out "subversives", his late wife Gloria Stewart recalled. According to the book, Stewart was so keen to assist Hoover that he spied on his closest friends, including Cary Grant and Frank Capra, who had directed him in It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Stewart's wife recalled, "Jim went barefoot up the mountain and saw the burning bush - only God's name was J. Edgar Hoover. When Hoover realized Jim was willing to fight he played on it. Jim would have done anything to get those gangsters out of town. But he was concerned about how it would turn out for friends like Cary Grant, who'd developed friendships with these people".

His performance as George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life (1946) is ranked #60 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Three of his films are on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, two of which are in the top five. They are: The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) at #69, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) at #5 and It's a Wonderful Life (1946) at #1.

According to the curator of the James Stewart Museum, he was exactly 6'3" tall. His military physical would have indicated he was 6'3", since he was 138 lb., five pounds under the 143 required for his draft eligibility. The weight / height requirements for the US Air Force prior to October 1999 was 143 lb. minimum for a man of 6'3".

Medals awarded: Distinguished Service Medalal, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal, American Defense Service Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 Service Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Stewart never recovered from his wife's death in February 1994, and vowed to make no further public appearances after her funeral service. Thereafter he spent most of his time in his bedroom, coming out only at the insistence of his housekeeper for meals. Newspaper reports suggested Stewart had Alzheimer's disease. Over the Christmas holiday season in 1995 he failed to negotiate a rise leading to a dining area and fell, cracking his head on the bill of a wooden duck that his daughter Judy had given him as a gift some years previously. In December 1996, when he was due to have his battery changed in his pacemaker, he told his children that he'd rather not have that done. He wanted to let things take their natural course. On 31 January 1997, Stewart tripped over a potted plant in his bedroom, and cut open his forehead. He was taken to St John's Hospital, in Santa Monica, where he was given twelve stitches. A few weeks later, he was hospitalized for a blood clot and irregular heartbeat. He had a blood clot in his right knee, and the swelling soon spread through his entire leg. At 11:05 am on 2 July 1997, James Stewart died of cardiac arrest at the age of eighty-nine.

Stewart nearly declined to support his friend Ronald Reagan's campaign for the governorship of California in 1966, since Reagan had been a Democrat until 1962. In 1976 Stewart campaigned extensively in California for Reagan in the presidential primaries, especially visiting shopping malls and airports.

Campaigned for Richard Nixon in the 1968 and 1972 presidential elections.

Nearly fell out with his close friend Henry Fonda in an argument over blacklisting in the spring of 1947. That happened shortly after Fonda had joined with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and John Huston in signing an open letter to the House Un-American Activities Committee, suggesting it end its search for "Communist subversion" in the film industry. According to Stewart, the argument was "long" and "pretty heated" and ended only when the two men realized they were jeopardizing many years of friendship. Soon afterward Fonda moved out of California and back to New York, not to return until 1955. Although part of the reason for his extended stay in the East was his starring role in "Mister Roberts" on Broadway, he also confided to friends that he couldn't tolerate the political climate in L.A. during those years. Jane Fonda admits she never got her father to say exactly what was said during the argument with Stewart. "I know it was definitely about the House Un-American Activities Committee and what became known as 'McCarthyism' later on," she recalled. "And it's true that their friendship really almost ended over that. That was why, after they had cooled down, they decided they would never again talk politics when they were together. But since they were agreeing to be so close-mouthed with one another, they were hardly going to start opening up to other people." During the 1950s and 1960s, Stewart rarely talked about the film industry in political terms - most of his political polemics in the period were reserved for defending J. Edgar Hoover, the Pentagon or the Vietnam War. But in 1970, two years after he had retired from the Air Force Reserve and almost a year after his stepson Ronald had been killed in Vietnam, he made an unexpected foray into what many might think of the McCarthy era. Asked by the New York "Daily News" if he agreed with John Wayne that Communists still posed a threat to America, he replied: "I don't think there's any question that the Communists are behind a great deal of unrest in the United States. In addition, I feel they are still a potential danger in show business.".

Fell out with Anthony Mann during the shooting of Night Passage (1957), resulting in Mann being replaced (by James Neilson). A year later Mann shot Man of the West (1958), regarded by many as his greatest western of all and totally suited to Stewart, but with Gary Cooper in the lead role.

His mother Bessie died on 2 August 1953, a week after suffering a severe heart attack at the age of seventy-eight.

His father Alexander died of stomach cancer on 28 December 1961, at the age of eighty-nine.

During the 1980s he was one of the most prominent critics of the colorization of old movies, even testifying before a congressional committee about what he called the "denaturing" of It's a Wonderful Life (1946). "If these color-happy folks are so concerned about the audience," he said, "let them put their millions of dollars into new films, or let them remake old stories if they see fit, but let our great film artists and films live in peace. I urge everyone in the creative community to join in our efforts to discourage this terrible process."

Had a dislike of Hollywood's war movies, explaining that they were hardly ever accurate. During his career he only starred in two war films - Strategic Air Command (1955) and The Mountain Road (1960).

In 1980 he was hospitalized for five days with an irregular heartbeat. Three years later the condition resurfaced and doctors at St John's Hospital in Santa Monica installed a pacemaker.

Stewart agreed to play a cameo role in The Shootist (1976) only after John Wayne specifically requested him. His short time on the film proved to be trying. The bad acoustics of the huge, hollow sound stages worsened his hearing difficulties, and he stayed by himself most of the time. He and Wayne muffed their lines so often in the main scene between them that director Don Siegel accused them of not trying hard enough. Wayne's reply was a variation on an old John Ford line, advising the director that "if you'd like the scene done better, you'd better get a couple of better actors." Later on, the star told friends that Stewart had known his lines, but hadn't been able to hear his cues, and that in turn had caused his own fumbling.

Stewart and Richard Widmark both wore toupees and had hearing problems. On the set of Two Rode Together (1961) director John Ford became frustrated with the two stars being unable to hear his instructions and exclaimed, "Fifty years in this goddamn business, and what do I end up doing? Directing two deaf hairpieces!"

Underwent surgery for skin cancer in 1983.

He considered himself to be miscast in Rope (1948) and Bell Book and Candle (1958).

Deliberately exaggerated his accent in films after he returned from World War II, because several directors told him he needed to create a persona in order to sell his films to the public, particularly with the rising popularity of television.

He never had any cosmetic surgery, unlike his friends Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda and John Wayne.

In association with politicians and celebrities that included President Ronald Reagan, Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger, California Governor George Deukmejian, Bob Hope and Charlton Heston, Stewart worked from 1987 to 1993 on projects that enhanced the public appreciation and understanding of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Stewart was sometimes amused when critics would always compare him with Henry Fonda, in particular his one marriage versus Fonda's five marriages. Stewart was dismayed that people forgot he had been romantically linked with numerous actresses before finally marrying at the age of 41.

Stewart wanted to make Night Passage (1957) because he believed it would give him a chance to show off his accordion playing. However, all of his playing in the film was re-recorded by a professional accordion player.

He wore the same hat in all of his westerns. John Ford complained on the set of Two Rode Together (1961): "Great, now I have actors with hat approval!".

Actively supported the presidential campaign of Senator Barry Goldwater in 1964, after Goldwater had voted against the Civil Rights Act.

He was a close friend and ally of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and starred in the propaganda film The FBI Story (1959) as a personal favor to Hoover.

Actively campaigned for his close friend Richard Nixon in the 1960 presidential election. Stewart told the press he was disappointed that Hollywood was solidly Democratic that year, with Frank Sinatra rallying everybody from Gregory Peck to Marilyn Monroe to support John F. Kennedy. Only the most die-hard Republicans - Stewart, John Wayne, Irene Dunne, Edgar Bergen, Dick Powell, Robert Taylor, Ginger Rogers and June Allyson - supported Nixon.

Despite his illness, he remained an active conservative Republican to the very end, even contributing to Senator Bob Dole's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1996. However, upon the actor's death in 1997, Democratic President Bill Clinton paid tribute saying, "America lost a national treasure today. Jimmy Stewart was a great actor, a gentleman and a patriot.".

His favorite movies were westerns, he said, "because they're told against the background of a very dramatic period in our history" and "give people a feeling of hope, an affirmative statement of living.".

Pictured on a 41¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, issued 17 August 2007.

Originally intended to make On Golden Pond (1981), but Jane Fonda bought the rights before he could.

He was a frequent guest at the White House throughout the 1980s, addressing the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan on 20 January 1981.

He actively sought the role of Charles Lindbergh in The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), even though the producers felt he was far too old for the part, simply because he admired Lindbergh so much.

During the 1950s he served as a "closed doors" witness to the House Unamerican Activities Committe (HUAC). José Ferrer, a liberal Democrat, believed Stewart only provided the names of Hollywood people he knew to be members of the Communist Party, not those he simply suspected of having communist sympathies.

In 1999 the American Film Institute named him the third greatest male star of all time.

Profiled in "Back in the Saddle: Essays on Western Film and Television Actors", Gary Yoggy, ed. (McFarland, 1998).

He stopped playing the romantic lead when he was 50 because he felt embarrassed playing Kim Novak's lover in Vertigo (1958) and Bell Book and Candle (1958), since she was half his age.

In March 2008 a proposal was submitted to award Stewart the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his services to the nation.

Joined the Army eight months before Pearl Harbor. Served overseas for 21 months, where, as a pilot with the 445th Bomb Group, 703rd squadron, he flew 20 combat missions.

After Boris Yeltsin seized power in Russia in December 1991, Stewart was involved in arranging for It's a Wonderful Life (1946) to be screened on Russian television.

Made London stage debut in 1975 with "Harvey".

Following the release of Winchester '73 (1950), he appeared on the list of Top 10 Stars at the US box office for the first time, a position he retained until the end of the decade.

Wearing his air force uniform, he presented Gary Cooper with his Best Actor Oscar for Sergeant York (1941).

Holds the record as the actor with the most movies on the IMDb Top 250 List: 9. Robert DeNiro and Harrison Ford are tied for second with 8 films apiece.

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