FREE JIMMY STEWART: A BIOGRAPHY PDF Marc Eliot | 480 pages | 25 Sep 2007 | Three Rivers Press (CA) | 9781400052226 | English | New York, NY, United States Jimmy Stewart's Biography - The Jimmy Stewart Museum 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.