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 one-year hitch in the Army. More on that below. Entertainment | November 11, 2019. I play variations on myself. The big studios were an ideal way to make films - because they were a home base for people. ... Stewart was just 36 years old in the second photo. Soft-spoken, extremely polite and shy manner, with a very recognizable drawl in his voice. In 1959 he served in the Air Force Reserve, before retiring as a brigadier general (. The movie was made in 1946, a year after Capra and Stewart finished real-life roles in World War II . He would later narrate an Air Force training film on the use of radar in ballistic early-warning systems. He was the first big-name movie star to enlist in World War II. When you were under contract, you had no chance to relax. After years of unsuccessfully trying to shop his … It's true there is something special about the place where you were raised--your hometown. By 1944, frustrated and feeling the war was passing him by, he asked his commanding officer to transfer him to a unit deploying to Europe. Directed by Frank Capra. Wearing his Army Air Forces uniform, he presented. 3/24/1941-San Pedro, CA: James Stewart's costume for this next production is from a new costume department--the U.S. Army. (McFarland, 1998). Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Potter finds it but he doesn't have the intention to give the money back. I've traveled to points in the world three times that distance. What many fans don’t know about Stewart, however, is that he was a military veteran who served his country valiantly during World War II. Jimmy Stewart stars in "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946). Growing up in a small town with his two sisters, Virginia and Mary, instilled values that he would carry with him throughout his life. His military physical would have indicated that he was 6' 3", since he was 138 lb., five pounds under the 143 required for his enlistment eligibility. When he left to serve in World War II, his father gave him a letter that he kept in his pocket every day until the war ended. In March 2008 a proposal was submitted to award him the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his services to the nation. Updated on Oct 7, 2014 at 12:25 PM. James Maitland Stewart was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, on May 20, 1908. Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey in downtown Bedford Falls on the set of It’s a Wonderful Life. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment! “Determined to lead by example, he bucked the system, assigning himself to every combat mission he could. | James Maitland Stewart was born on May 20, 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth Ruth (Johnson) and Alexander Maitland Stewart, who owned a hardware store. Was voted the 9th Greatest Movie Star of All Time by "Premiere" magazine. The following year, he switched to drama with Hawkins . With my newfound perspective on Jim Stewart the man and actor, knowing more than anyone in the world other than Jim himself what he had gone through in the war, I watched him onscreen as, frame by frame, It’s a Wonderful Life unspooled in the dark. Over the Christmas holiday season in 1995, he failed to negotiate a rise leading to a dining area and he fell, cracking his head on the bill of a wooden duck that his daughter Judy had given him some years previously. I've settled down three thousand miles from Indiana. By Jimmy Stewart (1977) A friend told me recently that seeing a movie I made in 1946 is a holiday tradition in his family, “like putting up the Christmas tree”. I don't think it's a tragedy. The trophy remained there for 25 years. It’s A Wonderful Life Initially Bombed At The Box Office. [Asked in March 1957 interview "What do you do for kicks when you're not working":] I like to fly. As a friend, mentor, and focus of his early romantic feelings, Margaret Sullavanhad a unique influence on Stewart's life. Joined the Army eight months before Pearl Harbor. But Stewart would hear nothing of it,” he added. If I had my career over again? Most of his ancestry was Scots-Irish (Northern Irish) and Scottish, with more distant English and Irish roots. The roles he chose after returning from the war were generally darker, some say because he was hardened by combat. His famous collaborations with Frank Capra, in You Can't Take It with You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and, after World War II, It's a Wonderful Life (1946) helped to launch his career as a star and to establish his screen persona as the likable "every man".Having learned to fly in 1935, he was drafted into the United States Army in 1940 as a private (after twice failing the medical for being underweight). Was a frequent guest at the White House throughout the 1980s, addressing the inauguration of President. Was a regular on the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts". Karolyn Grimes, 80, was a six-year-old child star when she appeared in the Christmas classic 'It's a Wonderful Life' She played Zuzu, the daughter of Jimmy Stewart's character George Bailey “An accomplished private pilot, the 33-year-old Hollywood icon became a US Army Air Force aviator, earning his 2nd Lieutenant commission in early 1942,” Forney wrote. Often played honest, average middle class individuals who are unwittingly drawn into some kind of crisis. His mother, Bessie Stewart, died on 8/2/53, a week after suffering a severe heart attack at age 78. He rarely slept, and when he did he had nightmares of planes exploding and men falling through the air screaming (in one mission alone his unit had lost 13 planes and 130 men, most of whom he knew personally). Martha Holmes (The LIFE Picture Collection) The innovative artificial snow used for ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ earned a technical award from the Motion Picture Academy. “It wasn’t until I started researching his story in more detail that I discovered Stewart was much more than a great actor and American,” Forney wrote on his website. The word "Philadelphia" on the Oscar that he received in 1941 for. With James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell. You hear so much about the old movie moguls and the impersonal factories where there is no freedom. I am James Stewart playing James Stewart. But work dried up as the Great Depression deepened, and it was not until 1934, when he followed his friend Henry Fonda to Hollywood, that things began to pick up.After his first screen appearance in Art Trouble (1934), he worked for a time for MGM as a contract player and slowly began making a name for himself in increasingly high-profile roles throughout the rest of the 1930s. After the war he continued serving in the US Air Force Reserve, ultimately becoming a brigadier general. He was the first movie star to enter the service in World War II, joining a year before Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was of Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and some English, descent. Throughout his time overseas, the US Army Air Corps’ top brass had tried to keep the popular movie star from flying over enemy territory. - IMDb Mini Biography By: His notable movies included Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It’s a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Vertigo, The Glenn Miller Story, Harvey, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. I've always regretted that I didn't spend more time on the stage because there's nothing like that for experience - real experience - and to bring you up to snuff as far as the acting is concerned. One of the first (if not the first) stars to receive a percentage of the gross of his movies. Paramount Pictures From l to r, Todd Karns, Virginia Patton, Jimmy Stewart, and Thomas Mitchell in It’s a Wonderful Life. However, Forney went on to say that Stewart’s military service came at a high personal price for him. In addition, I feel they are still a potential danger in show business. Despite always being referred to as "Jimmy" by fans and critics, he was never credited in any of his most famous roles as "Jimmy Stewart", always going by "James", and he in fact hated being called "Jimmy". Posted on. He was awarded the Silver Beaver, the highest adult award. The story came to the attention of either Cary Grant or RKO producer David Hempstead, who showed it to Grant's agent. What many fans don’t know about Stewart, however, is that he was a military veteran who served his country valiantly during World War II. A true "regular guy", he genuinely disliked the glamour often basked in by Hollywood stars, avoiding expensive clothes and fancy cars. His two natural children, twin daughters Judy Stewart and. Pictured on a 41¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, issued on Friday, August 17, 2007. Cowards, that's what they were. Never took an acting lesson, and felt that people could learn more when actually working rather than studying the craft. Stewart joined the U.S. Army just months after winning the 1941 Academy Award for best actor in The Philadelphia Story, becoming the first major Hollywood star to sign on to fight in World War II. Often incorrectly noted as having achieved the highest rank in Boy Scouting--Eagle Scout--while in his youth in Indiana, PA; he was a scout for four years, attaining Second Class. As of the fifth edition of "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" (edited by, Some sources state that he was considered to play James Bond in. If I haven't learned enough in all this time, I'd better quit and go back to my father's hardware store. The outstanding tactical ability displayed by Lieutenant Colonel Stewart reflects the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States. He took the role of George Bailey, the suicidal father in It’s A Wonderful Life. Scaled back playing the romantic lead after he turned 50. Updated on. Thereafter, he spent most of his time in his bedroom, coming out only at the insistence of his housekeeper for his meals. He had lost so much weight that he looked sickly. The sad truth is that George's wish was to leave his small town and make something out of himself never came true and in the end, he ended up right where he didn't want to be. Maybe I'd say to myself, "Speed it up a little". His PTSD was being captured on filmed for potentially millions to see. The Frank Capra, Jimmy Stewart classic is much, much darker. A James Stewart picture must have two vital ingredients: it will be clean and it will involve the triumph of the underdog over the bully. Stewart was educated at a local prep school, Mercersburg Academy, where he was a keen athlete (football and track), musician (singing and accordion playing), and sometime actor.In 1929, he won a place at Princeton University, where he studied architecture with some success and became further involved with the performing arts as a musician and actor with the University Players. He took back to Hollywood all the stress that he had built up.”. In April 1944, RKO Pictures bought the rights to the story for $10,000, hoping to turn it into a vehicle for Grant. He was taken to St John's Hospital, in Santa Monica, CA, where he was given 12 stitches. [his last words] I'm going to be with Gloria [deceased wife Gloria Stewart] now. [Asked in March 1957 interview "What do you think of your future":] Eventually I'd like to direct. He had a blood clot in his right knee, and the swelling soon spread through his entire leg. James Maitland Stewart was born on May 20, 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth Ruth (Johnson) and Alexander Maitland Stewart, who owned a hardware store. Stewart was educated at a local prep school, Mercersburg Academy, where he was a keen athlete (football and track), musician (singing and accordion playing), and sometime actor. The rest is history,” Forney wrote. After being drafted into the army in 1941, he continued to pay his agent, but instead of $600 per month he wrote him a check for $2.10 - 10% of his army pay of $21 per month. Two months had been spent creating the town of Bedford Falls, New York. Whether right or wrong, their country was at war and their country asked them to serve, and they refused and ran away. Three years later the condition resurfaced and doctors at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica installed a pacemaker. Never had any cosmetic surgery, unlike his friends, In association with politicians and celebrities that included President, Was sometimes amused when critics would always compare him with. The rule is simple but inflexible. These are: According to the curator of the James Stewart Museum, he was exactly 6' 3" tall. During World War II he served in the US Army Air Forces, and rose to the rank of colonel. Medals awarded: the Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf cluster, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal, American Defense Service Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Service Stars, the World War II Victory Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It's hard to imagine that It's a Wonderful Life was not … Sullava… [10/1/48, upon being named a Pennsylvania Ambassador (he was born and raised in the town of Indiana) by Gov. Newspaper reports suggested that he had Alzheimer's disease. His father, Alexander Stewart, died of stomach cancer on 12/28/61 at age 89. I have my own rules and adhere to them. He was the … Was friends with Scottish physicist Robert Watson-Watt, who won the Nobel Prize for his contributions to the invention of radar. In September 1999 he was named Best Classic Actor of the 20th Century in an "Entertainment Weekly" on-line poll. He was of Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and some English, descent. By the late 1950s he reported that his weight was up to 160 pounds. [in 1970] I don't think there's any question that the Communists are behind a great deal of unrest in the United States. MGM actively tried to stop him from signing up for war service. Jimmy Stewart was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 and died in 1997 at the age of 89. A few weeks later he was hospitalized for a blood clot and an irregular heartbeat. Never recovered from his wife's death on 2/16/94, and vowed to make no further public appearances after her funeral service. He was even "roasted" himself once: Recipient of Kennedy Center Honors in 1983. Jimmy Stewart Was A WWII Veteran And His PTSD Affected The Filming Of 'It's A Wonderful Life'. That movie is It’s a Wonderful Life, and out of all the 80 films I’ve made, it’s … While always gracious with his fans, he was always very protective of his privacy. As we stare headlong into the approaching holiday season, the 1946 James Stewart classic "It's a Wonderful Life" is set to make its annual television appearance Saturday on NBC. "Time" said that his salary would drop to $21 a month from $6,000 a month. Starred in seven Oscar Best Picture nominees: It was reported early in 2011 that the Jimmy Stewart Museum was facing a financial crisis. Ranked #3 on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends Actor list by the American Film Institute. Had two grandsons, John (b. Stewart, however, wasn’t satisfied. Wore the same hat in all of his westerns. When he won the Best Actor Oscar in 1940, he sent it to his father in Indiana, PA, who set it in his hardware shop. ... Jimmy Stewart - George Bailey 8/10/82) and David Merrill (b. Also some, [Stewart testifying before Congress about Hollywood colourizing. It's much easier, for example, to play a heroin addict and you're withdrawing - you tear the ceiling off - that's much easier than it is to come in and say, "Hello" or "I love you". His adopted son Ronnie was killed in Vietnam. I have found through the years during the times when I've been here in Indiana that almost every direction I look, and so many faces I see, immediately cause a picture to be formed of an event, a happening in my life that I remember well. Early Life James Maitland Stewart got born on the 20th of May, 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania to Elizabeth Ruth and Alexander Maitland. At times I've stayed away several years at a stretch, but I somehow have never felt that I was very far from here ... somehow I don't feel that I have ever been away. Lieutenant Colonel Stewart's skillful leadership and sound judgment in guiding his formations to heavily defended targets requiring deep penetrations have been major factors in the successful destruction of these vital enemy installations. He remained involved with the United States Air Force Reserve after the war and retired in 1959 as a brigadier general.Stewart's acting career took off properly after the war. Held the highest active military rank of any actor in history. I thought it was wonderful. I think the main thing that has kept Indiana so close to my heart is the fact that Indiana has been, and still is, the headquarters of Mr. Alex Stewart and his family ... My father has been almost fanatical in his determination to keep our family together--and he has done it. In his first scene buying the suitcase he’s playing 22 when in the real world he’s 38 going on 50. A regular contributor to the political campaigns of Sen. Was 32 when he won the Best Actor Academy Award for, While a student at Princeton, he acted in stage productions with the Triangle Club, many of them produced by future Hollywood writer / director. Profiled in "Back in the Saddle: Essays on Western Film and Television Actors", Gary Yoggy, ed. His stuttering voice, which has often been parodied to exaggerated effect. This week, the writer and military veteran Ned Forney came forward to tell a truly touching story about Stewart that he came upon while researching the actor. I was six feet three and 138 pounds. In 1999 the American Film Institute named him the third greatest male star of all time. James Stewart, major American motion-picture star who was known for his portrayals of diffident but morally resolute characters. In 1960 MGM toyed with the idea of doing an all-male remake of. Even the set was special. Daughter Judy married banker Steven Merrill in 1979, but they later divorced. I love every bit of it. For all the fans of “It’s A Wonderful Life” and Jimmy Stewart. While he served as an officer and a pilot in the US Army Air Forces in World War II, one of the sergeants in his unit was. Capra poured his heart and soul into making the Why We Fight documentaries. 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. His baldness was made less obvious by his wearing a gray toupee for many of his movie roles. “In the final months of WWII he was grounded for being ‘flak happy,’ today called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),” Forney said. It seems that for George it's not such a wonderful life after all. It's a Wonderful Life is not the bright Christmas movie you remember. Time and distance haven't seemed to have affected this headquarters in Indiana. I was born and reared here. His parents gave him their blessing. He eventually became a colonel (active duty) and then brigadier general in the US Air Force Reserve, and earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Croix de Guerre (from France) and seven battle stars. His hair began receding during World War II. It's a Wonderful Life was a box office failure. She regarded him as just a close friend and co-worker, and they never began a romantic relationship, but Stewart regardless felt unrequited romantic love towards her for many years. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Donna Reed, James Stewart, 1946 “She was able to play all kinds of parts,” he adds, “although, like June Allison, she often played the goody-goody girl next door. RELATED: It's A Wonderful Life: 10 Classic Christmas Movies That Are Actually Really Sad. “When he returned to the US in August 1945, Stewart was a changed man. Has appeared in 12 films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: In direct contrast to his on-screen persona, he was known by many who knew him as having a bit of a short fuse. According to the 3/31/41 issue of "Time" magazine, he was drafted into the Army. [in 1983] I'd like people to remember me as someone who was good at his job and seemed to mean what he said. How Jimmy Stewart's WWII experience impacted 'It's a Wonderful Life' December 23, 2020, 7:34 AM Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and author Robert Matzen discuss the classic holiday film 'It's a Wonderful Life, and how Jimmy Stewart's service in WWII informed his role as … I suppose people can relate to being me, while they dream about being. He was depressed, couldn’t focus, and refused to talk to anyone about his war experiences. He wanted to let things take their natural course. Jimmy Stewart suffered such extreme PTSD after being a fighter pilot in World War II that he acted out his mental distress during 'It's a Wonderful Life'. During the course of his long professional life, he had roles in some of Hollywood's best-remembered films, starring in a string of Westerns, bringing his "every man" qualities to movies like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)), biopics (The Stratton Story (1949), The Glenn Miller Story (1954), and The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), for instance, thrillers (most notably his frequent collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock) and even some screwball comedies.On June 25, 1997, a thrombosis formed in his right leg, leading to a pulmonary embolism, and a week later on July 2, 1997, surrounded by his children, James Stewart died at age 89 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. Received his Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from Princeton University in Princeton, NJ, in 1932. Upon his death on 7/2/97, 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 six feet tall) plush rabbit wearing overalls, a tribute to one of his most beloved films, Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian award, by his friend President, Very much wanted the role of Roger Thornhill in, In 2006 his performance as James "Scottie" Ferguson in, His jazz and blues piano-playing skills were showcased in. And I like music. But no matter what she played, she was able to project a warmth that was very appealing. His acting career was all but over.”, One of Stewart’s biographers. It’s been over twenty years since the legendary actor Jimmy Stewart passed away at the age of 89, yet he continues to live on to millions of fans in the classic Christmas movie It’s A Wonderful Life. “He wanted to be a Marine. His request was reluctantly granted.”, “Stewart, now a Captain, was sent to England, where he spent the next 18 months flying B-24 Liberator bombers over Germany. Stewart came out of his house and, without uttering a word, turned on the sprinklers. Some of his ancestors were from County Antrim. None of that is a criticism of the film it is, in fact, the very reason why this movie is so brilliant. His article gave me a deeper appreciation of the man and Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart and the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” And for his son, Lt. Ronald McLean, USMC. “This weekend, as many of us watch the classic Christmas film, It’s A Wonderful Life, it’s also a fitting time to remember the sacrifices of Jimmy Stewart and all the men who gave up so much to serve their country during wartime. He died for his country." After graduation, engagements with the University Players took him around the northeastern United States, including a run on Broadway in 1932. Had a dislike of Hollywood war movies, explaining that they were hardly ever accurate. would later say, “Every decision he made [during the war] was going to preserve life or cost lives. In December 1996, when he was due to have his battery changed in his pacemaker, he told his children that he would rather not have that done. Many of his works were donated to Brigham Young University in 1983, including his personal copy of. There ought to be a law against any man who doesn't want to marry. Every play I got into folded. | “In 1946 he got his break. The weight / height requirement for the US Army Air Forces before October 1999 was a 143-pound minimum for a man of 6' 3" in height. In 1972 was Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. It's a Wonderful Life all began with a Christmas card. The movie captures a period of American life packed with some of the most landmark historical events in the 20th century, including the Great Depression and … Yes, Jimmy's passed his physical and he's in the Army now. At 11:05 a.m. on 7/2/97 he died of cardiac arrest at age 89. Production of It's a Wonderful Life started April 15, 1946, and from the beginning there was a certain something special about the film. He wanted to fly combat missions in Europe, not spend time in a stateside training command. In high school was in the Triangle Club, which was a drama club. During the course of World War II he rose to the rank of colonel, first as an instructor at home in the United States, and later on combat missions in Europe. We will always remember you!”. [asked how he wanted to be remembered] As someone who believed in hard work and love of country, love of family and love of community. It’s been over twenty years since the legendary actor Jimmy Stewart passed away at the age of 89, yet he continues to live on to millions of fans in the classic Christmas movie It’s A Wonderful Life. Awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1708 Vine St. on 2/8/60. It is a town for me to cling to, because my mother and father are here. They must have thought I looked like I had just survived a famine. He would go on to become one of the most accomplished and loved actors in American history.”, “When asked in 1941 why he wanted to leave his acting career to fly combat missions over Nazi Germany, he said, ‘This country’s conscience is bigger than all the studios in Hollywood put together, and the time will come when we’ll have to fight,'” Forney concluded. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed light up every moment they are on screen together. His daughter Kelly and her husband teach at the University of California at Davis. And I, and I encouraged it. His last words to his family were, "I'm going to be with Gloria now". Three of his films are on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, two in the top five. Over 3,000 people, mostly Hollywood celebrities, attended his funeral to pay their respects. Forney took to Facebook to post Stewart’s story, which he said is “a testament to the enduring respect and admiration people have for the Hollywood actor and American patriot.”. 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." From 1932 through 1934 I'd only worked three months. Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jimmy Stewart, View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. © 2021 Uplifting Today – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The son of Elizabeth and Alexander Stewart, he achieved so much in his lifetime. By the end of the war he was one of the most respected and decorated pilots in his unit.”. “With his celebrity status and huge popularity with the American public, he was assigned to starring in recruiting films, attending rallies, and training younger pilots. Stewart won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance for starring in "Harvey" on Broadway in 1970. The original story, The Greatest Gift, was written by Philip Van Doren Stern in November 1939. It's a loss ... it's a terrible, terrible loss, but tragic, no. Official Sites. Her father, Col. Samuel Jackson, served in the Civil War. He actively supported the presidential campaign of Sen. 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". His mother's maiden name was Jackson. 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