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Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart had a film career that spanned over 55 years from to with 80 films. With the strong morality he portrayed both on and off the screen, Stewart epitomized the "American ideal" in twentieth-century United States. Born and raised in Indiana, PennsylvaniaStewart started acting Jimmy Stewart: A Biography studying at Princeton University. After graduating inhe began a career as a stage actor, appearing on Broadway and in summer stock productions. The studio did not see leading man material in Stewart, but after three years of supporting roles and being loaned out to other studios, he had his big breakthrough in Frank Capra 's ensemble comedy You Can't Take It with You The following year, Stewart garnered his first of five Academy Award nominations for his Jimmy Stewart: A Biography of an idealized and virtuous man who becomes a senator in Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Although still an MGM star, his only public and film appearances from to were scheduled by the Air Corps. After fighting in the European theater of war, he had attained the rank of colonel and had received several awards for his service. He remained in the U. Air Force Reserve and was promoted to brigadier general in After the war, Stewart had difficulties in adapting to changing Hollywood and even thought about ending his acting career. Although it earned him an Oscar nomination, the film was not a big success at first. It has increased in popularity in the decades since its release, and is considered a Christmas classic and one of Stewart's most famous performances. In the s, Stewart experienced a career revival by playing darker, more morally ambiguous characters in Westerns and thrillers. Vertigo was ignored by critics at its time of release, but has since been reevaluated and recognized as an American cinematic masterpiece. His other films in the s included the Broadway adaptation Harvey and the courtroom drama Anatomy Jimmy Stewart: A Biography a Murderboth of which landed him Academy Award nominations. He was one of the most popular film stars of the decade, with most of his films becoming box office successes. He signed a lucrative multi-movie deal with 20th Century-Fox inand appeared in many popular family comedies during the decade. After a brief venture into television acting, Stewart semi-retired by the s, although he remained a public figure due to the renewed interest in his films with Capra and Hitchcock and his appearances at President Ronald Reagan 's White House. He received many honorary awards, including an Academy Honorary Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedomboth in Stewart remained unmarried until Jimmy Stewart: A Biography 40s, and was dubbed "The Jimmy Stewart: A Biography American Bachelor" by the press. Inhe married former model Gloria Hatrick McLean. They had twin daughters, and he adopted her two sons from her previous marriage. The marriage lasted until McLean's death in ; Stewart died of a pulmonary embolism three years later. Stewart and Company Hardware Store, which he Jimmy Stewart: A Biography Stewart would take over as an adult after attending Princeton Universityas was the family tradition. Stewart's mother was a pianist, and music was an important part of family life. Stewart learned to play the instrument Jimmy Stewart: A Biography the help of a local barber. He was not a gifted student and Jimmy Stewart: A Biography average to low grades. According to his teachers this was not from a lack of intelligence, but due to being creative and having a tendency to daydream. Stewart began attending Mercersburg Academy prep school in fallbecause his father did not believe he would be accepted into Princeton if he attended public high school. He was a member of the track team competing as a high jumper under coach Jimmy Curran[14] the art editor of the school yearbook, a member of the glee club[15] and a member of the John Marshall Literary Society. Stewart enrolled at Princeton in as a member of the class ofmajoring in architecture and becoming a member of the Princeton Charter Club. Stewart performed in bit parts in the University Players' productions in Cape Cod during the summer of James Stewart's chauffeur Stewart was convinced to continue acting when he was cast in the lead Jimmy Stewart: A Biography of Yellow Jackplaying a soldier who becomes the subject of a yellow fever experiment. Stewart received unanimous praise from the critics, but the play proved unpopular with audiences and folded by June. Rinella as a "lanky young bumpkin with a hesitant manner of speech" during this time, his agent Leland Hayward decided that the best path for him would be through Jimmy Stewart: A Biography to other studios. Sullavan rehearsed extensively with him, boosting his confidence and helping him incorporate his mannerisms and boyishness into his screen persona. Stewart followed Next Time We Love with supporting roles in two commercially successful romantic comedies, Wife vs. Secretary and Small Town Girl Stewart [and the rest of the cast] perform as pleasantly as possible. Stewart's last three film releases of were all box-office successes. For his next film, the romantic drama Seventh HeavenStewart was loaned to 20th Century-Fox to play a Parisian sewer worker in a remake of Frank Borzage 's silent classic released a decade earlier. He and co-star Simone Simon were miscast, [63] and the film was a critical and commercial failure. Robinsonwas also a failure, [52] but it was followed by a critically acclaimed performance in Navy Blue and Gold as a football player at the United States Naval Academy. Despite good reviews, Stewart was still a minor star and MGM remained hesitant to cast him in leading roles, preferring to loan him out to other studios. RKO initially wanted to replace Stewart, but eventually, the project was canceled. However, Rogers's success in a stage musical caused the film to be picked up again. In his performance, Jimmy Stewart: A Biography drew upon his own Jimmy Stewart: A Biography of unrequited love towards Sullavan, who was married to his agent, Leland Hayward. Capra had recently completed several well-received films, and was looking for Jimmy Stewart: A Biography new type of leading man. He had been impressed by Stewart's role in Navy Blue and Gold According to Capra, Stewart was one of the best actors ever to hit the screen, understood character archetypes intuitively and required little directing. In contrast to the success of You Can't Take It With YouStewart's first three film releases of were all commercial disappointments. Stewart blamed its directing and screenwriting for its poor box-office performance. Stewart's fourth film saw him work again with Capra and Jean Arthur in the political comedy-drama Mr. Smith Goes to Washingtonin which Stewart played an idealist thrown into the political arena. Now he is mature and gives a difficult part, with many nuances, moments of tragic-comic impact. Stewart's last screen appearance of came in the Western parody Destry Rides Againin which he Jimmy Stewart: A Biography a pacifist lawman and Marlene Dietrich a saloon girl who falls in love with him. So well-known had his slow drawl become that comedians began impersonating him. Stewart and Sullavan reunited for two films in It received good reviews and was a box-office success in Europe, but failed to find an audience in the US, where less gentle screwball comedies were more popular. It was one of the first blatantly anti- Nazi films to be produced in Hollywood, but according to film scholar Ben Urwand, "ultimately made very little impact" as it did not show the persecution experienced by Jews or name that ethnic group. Critics complimented Stewart's performance; Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called Stewart "the best thing in the show," yet the film was again not a box-office success. Stewart's final film to be released in was George Cukor 's romantic comedy The Philadelphia Storyin which he played an intrusive, fast-talking reporter sent to cover the wedding of a socialite Katharine Hepburn with the help of her ex-husband Cary Grant. In addition, he contributes some of the Jimmy Stewart: A Biography irresistible romantic moments. Smith to be superior, and believed the Academy was recompensing for not giving him the award the year prior. Stewart next appeared in two comedies— Come Live with Mewhich paired him with Hedy Lamarrand Pot o' Goldfeaturing Paulette Goddard —that were both box-office failures. It was a critical failure but also one of the best box-office performers of the year. After enlisting, Stewart made no new commercial films, although he remained under contract to MGM. His public appearances were limited to engagements for the Army Air Forces. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary init appeared in movie theaters nationwide beginning in late May and resulted innew recruits. Stewart was concerned that his celebrity status would relegate him to duties behind the lines. Stewart was promoted to major following a mission to LudwigshafenGermany, Jimmy Stewart: A Biography January 7, Stewart returned to the United States in early fall After his experiences in the war, Stewart considered returning to Pennsylvania to run the family store. He later stated that he was given a new beginning by Frank Capra, who asked him to star in It's a Wonderful Lifethe first postwar film for both of them. Driven to suicide on Christmas Evehe is led to Jimmy Stewart: A Biography his life by Clarence Odbodyan "angel, second class" played by Henry Travers. During filming, Stewart experienced doubts about his abilities and continued to consider Jimmy Stewart: A Biography from acting. Although It's a Wonderful Life was nominated for five Academy Awards, [] including Stewart's third Best Actor nomination, it received mixed reviews and was only a moderate success at the box office, failing to cover its production costs. Truman concluded that "If [my wife] and I had a son we'd want him to be just like Jimmy Stewart [in this film]. In the aftermath of It's A Wonderful LifeCapra's production company went into bankruptcy, while Stewart continued to have doubts about his acting abilities. He also made a comeback on Broadway to star in Mary Coyle Chase 's Harvey in Julyreplacing the original star Frank Fay for the duration of his vacation. The play had opened to nearly universal praise in[] and told the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a wealthy eccentric, whose best friend is an invisible man-sized rabbit, and whose relatives are trying to Jimmy Stewart: A Biography him committed to a mental asylum. Wellman comedy Magic Townone of the first films about the new science of public opinion polling. It was poorly received both commercially and critically. Stewart appeared in four new film releases in Call Northside was a critically Jimmy Stewart: A Biography film noir[] while the musical comedy On Our Merry Wayin which Stewart and Henry Fonda played jazz musicians in an ensemble cast, was a critical and commercial failure. Shot in long "real-time" takes, Stewart felt pressure to be flawless in his performance; the added stress led to him sleeping very little and drinking more Jimmy Stewart: A Biography. He's not sexual as an actor. Stewart in his post-war film career It was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews. In the s, Stewart experienced a career renewal as the star of Westerns and collaborated on several films with director Anthony Mann. Stewart was also granted authority to collaborate with the studio on casting and hiring decisions. Stewart chose Mann to direct, [] and the film gave him the idea of redefining Jimmy Stewart: A Biography screen persona through the Western genre. Stewart's third film release of was the comedy The Jackpot ; it received critical acclaim and was commercially successful, but was a minor film in his repertoire and has largely been forgotten by contemporary critics and fans. With critics again comparing his performance with Fay's, Stewart's performance as well as the film itself received mixed reviews. Stewart appeared in only one film released inplaying Jimmy Stewart: A Biography scientist in Koster's British production No Highway in the Skywhich was Jimmy Stewart: A Biography of the first airplane disaster films ever made. Jimmy Stewart - Movies, Family & Facts - Biography

He was of Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and some English, descent. Stewart was educated at a local prep Jimmy Stewart: A Biography, Mercersburg Academy, where he was a keen athlete football and trackmusician singing and accordion playingand sometime actor. Inhe 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. After graduation, engagements with the University Players took him around the northeastern United States, including a run on Broadway in But work dried up as the Great Depression deepened, and it was not untilwhen he followed his friend Henry Fonda to Hollywood, that things began to pick up. After his first screen appearance in Art Troublehe 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 s. Smith Goes to Washingtonand, after World War II, It's a Wonderful Life helped to launch his career as a star and to establish his screen persona as the likable "every man". Having learned to fly inhe was drafted into the United States Army in as a private after twice failing the medical for being underweight. 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. He remained involved with the United States Air Force Reserve after the war and retired in as a brigadier general. Stewart's acting career took off properly after the war. Louisfor instance, thrillers most notably his frequent collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock and even some screwball comedies. On June 25,a thrombosis formed in his right leg, leading to a pulmonary embolism, and a week later on July 2,surrounded by his children, James Stewart died at age 89 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. His last words to his family were, "I'm going to be with Gloria now". Sign In. Edit James Stewart. Jimmy Stewart: A Biography all items. Soft- spoken, extremely polite and shy manner, with a very recognizable drawl in his voice. Jimmy Stewart: A Biography played honest, average middle class individuals who are unwittingly drawn into some kind of crisis. After he often played tough, cynical and frequently ruthless characters. His stuttering voice, which has often been parodied to exaggerated effect. He was initially refused entry into the Air Force because he Jimmy Stewart: A Biography five pounds less than the required pounds, but he talked the recruitment officer into ignoring the test. In he served in the Air Force Reserve, before retiring as a brigadier general Walter Matthau was a sergeant Jimmy Stewart: A Biography his unit. The trophy remained there for 25 years. The word "Philadelphia" on the Oscar that he received in for The Philadelphia Story is misspelled. Held the highest active military rank of any actor in history. After the war he continued serving in the US Air Force Reserve, ultimately becoming a brigadier general. Ed McMahon was also commissioned as a brigadier general in the California Air National Guard inand he continued to serve after he began his acting career. Two former actors outranked him: John Ford was an actor before becoming a director, and he became rear admiral in the US Naval Reserve. 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 World War II, his father gave him a letter that he kept in his pocket every day until the war ended. 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. 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. Was a regular on the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts". 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. Many of his works were donated to Brigham Young University inincluding his personal copy of It's a Wonderful Life Some of his ancestors were from County Antrim. Once said the public was his biggest critic, and that if they did not like his performance, then neither did he. His wife, Gloria Stewart the former Gloria Hatrick McLeana former model from Larchmont, NY, also brought two sons to the marriage: Ronald and Michael aged 5 and 2 at the time of the wedding inwhom he adopted. Over 3, people, mostly Hollywood celebrities, attended his funeral to pay their respects. President Harry S. Truman was an admirer of his work, and even commented that if he had a son, he would have wanted him to be "just like Jimmy Stewart". Despite having been a decorated war hero in World War II, 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 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 CooperJohn Wayneand his friend Henry Fondahaving 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. His best friend was probably Henry Fondawhom he met while at acting camp. Early on they got Jimmy Stewart: A Biography 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 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 s 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 his wearing a gray toupee for many of his movie roles. Prior to induction, he flew in a Jimmy Stewart: A Biography 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. Accepted his friend Gary Cooper 's honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement inbecause Cooper was dying Jimmy Stewart: A Biography cancer. 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. Upon accepting his Jimmy Stewart: A Biography Oscar inhe stated, "This was the greatest award I received, to know that, after all these years, I haven't been forgotten. Steven Spielbergwho was in attendance, said that he was humbled to even be in the same room as Stewart, because he respected him so much. While filming The Big Sleep in Augusthe appeared to be much older than his actual Jimmy Stewart: A Biography of 69, playing the rich, wheelchair-bound Gen. The fact is that he had a hearing impairment and was having memory problems, which caused him to keep flubbing his lines. It is believed that these health problems Jimmy Stewart: A Biography about his retirement from films shortly afterwards, although he was also concerned with the violence and explicit sexual content of modern films, and he saw no future for himself in the movie business. It was reportedly stolen later in the night. Very much wanted the role of Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest and he was Jimmy Stewart: A Biography original choice for it, but after Jimmy Stewart: A Biography financial failure of Vertigodirector Alfred Hitchcock Jimmy Stewart: A Biography the film's box office woes on Stewart, claiming Stewart 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, he and Stewart never worked together again. Of all his films, he has said that It's a Wonderful Life was his favorite. His jazz and blues piano-playing skills were showcased in Jimmy Stewart: A Biography of a Murder After making The Magic of Lassiehe 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. These are: The Spirit of St. Louis at 69, Mr. According to the curator of the James Stewart Museum, he was exactly 6' 3" tall. His Jimmy Stewart: A Biography physical would have indicated that he was 6' 3", since he was lb. By the late s he reported that his weight was up to pounds. Thereafter, he spent most of his time in his bedroom, coming out only at Jimmy Stewart: A Biography insistence of his housekeeper for his meals. Newspaper reports suggested that he had Alzheimer's disease. Over the Christmas holiday season inhe failed to Jimmy Stewart: A Biography a rise leading to a dining area and he fell, Jimmy Stewart: A Biography his head on the bill of a wooden duck that his daughter Judy had given him some years previously. In Decemberwhen he was due to have his battery changed in his pacemaker, he told his children that he would rather not have that done. He wanted to let things take their natural course. A few weeks later he was hospitalized for a blood Jimmy Stewart: A Biography and an irregular heartbeat. He had a blood clot in his right knee, and the swelling soon spread through his entire leg. At a. Nearly declined to support his friend Ronald Reagan 's campaign for the governorship of California insince Reagan had been a Democrat until In Stewart campaigned extensively in California for Reagan in the presidential primaries, especially visiting shopping malls and airports. Campaigned for Richard Nixon in the and Presidential elections. A year later Mann shot Man of the Westregarded by many as his greatest western of all and totally suited to Stewart, but with Gary Cooper in the lead role. During the s 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 Jimmy Stewart: A Biography Wonderful Life I urge everyone in the creative community to join in our efforts to discourage this terrible process. Had a dislike of Hollywood war movies, explaining that they were hardly ever accurate. In he was hospitalized for five days with an irregular heartbeat. Three years later the condition resurfaced and doctors at St. James Stewart - Biography - IMDb

Stewart graduated from Princeton University in with a degree in architecture. He then became part of the University Players, a summer stock company in FalmouthMassachusetts. There he met Henry Fondaand the two became lifelong friends. During the years —33, Stewart appeared in several unsuccessful Broadway plays—starting with Carrie Nation —though he was usually singled out for praise by New York critics. These positive reviews led to a motion-picture contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in ; after a couple of uncredited bit parts, he made his film debut in The Murder Man with Spencer Tracy. His unpretentious engaging manner, however, led to quick acceptance by the moviegoing public. Smith Goes to Washingtonthe latter of which brought him his first Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of a shy idealistic young senator fighting corruption in Congress. He won an Oscar the following Jimmy Stewart: A Biography for another film classic, The Philadelphia Story Army in March An avid pilot in civilian life, he was assigned to the Air Corps and logged more than 1, hours of flight time in some 20 bomber missions. Before he returned to civilian life inhe had risen to the rank of colonel and had received Jimmy Stewart: A Biography Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and the Croix de Guerre. Jimmy Stewart: A Biography remained in the reserves until and was promoted to brigadier general in Though the film generated mediocre box office at the time of its release, it has since become one of the most beloved films of all time, largely because of its numerous television showings since the s. His collaborations with directors Alfred Hitchcock and Anthony Mann helped toughen his image and broaden his appeal. For Hitchcock, Stewart embodied an American Everyman, Jimmy Stewart: A Biography one whose private quirks and obsessions threatened a tragic outcome. During the late s Stewart was among several actors who Jimmy Stewart: A Biography success on Broadway as the ingratiating inebriate Elwood P. He was also memorable in a supporting role in the John Wayne western The Jimmy Stewart: A Biography Print Cite. Facebook Twitter. Give Feedback External Websites. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article requires login. External Websites. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study Jimmy Stewart: A Biography an advanced degree See Article History. Britannica Quiz. Jimmy Stewart: A Biography Analysis. Which motion picture pioneer was known as the "Little Tramp"? James Stewart and Jean Arthur in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washingtondirected by Frank Capra. Get exclusive access to content from our First Edition with your subscription. Subscribe today. Learn More in these related Britannica articles:. Somewhat of an anomaly for the time is the biography of outfielder Jimmy Piersall,…. Jimmy Stewart starred as the vainglorious protagonist, a former professor whose dangerously amoral philosophizing has inspired two students John Dall and Farley Granger to strangle a friend just to experience the thrill of the kill; they then throw a cocktail party to gloat over his…. Jimmy Stewart: A Biography gives one of…. History at your fingertips. Sign up here to see what happened On This Dayevery day in your inbox! Email address. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.