Natural Actor
One
of the cinema's outstanding natural actors, James Stewart generally
appears so relaxed and easygoing on the screen that his very real talent
is taken for granted. But he is one of the most conscientious and hard
working actors.
Steward was born James Maitland Steward was born in 1908 the son of a hardware store owner, and gained his first stage experience while a student at Princeton University, but it was not until he graduated majoring in architecture before following a classmate into show business that he became seriously interested in theater.
Class of 1932 was pretty talented: also in the troop were recently married Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullivan.
He joined University Players, a summer stock company, at Falmouth,
Massachusetts, and spent years on Broadway before making his way to
Hollywood.
Flash Gordon, correct in
every detail. It started a romance!"
Just a simple guy... when he appeared on England's long- running radio show Desert Island. Stewart's choice of music was typically unpretentious. It is the same with his politics: he always supported the Republican ticket. you always knew where you stood with James Stewart.
Steward was born James Maitland Steward was born in 1908 the son of a hardware store owner, and gained his first stage experience while a student at Princeton University, but it was not until he graduated majoring in architecture before following a classmate into show business that he became seriously interested in theater.
Class of 1932 was pretty talented: also in the troop were recently married Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullivan.
He joined University Players, a summer stock company, at Falmouth,
Massachusetts, and spent years on Broadway before making his way to
Hollywood.James Stewart
When Universal teamed Jimmy Stewart with Marlene Dietrich, to film Destry Rides Again in 1939, she "took one look at him and wanted hm at once!" according to producer Joseph Pasternack. "He was just a simple guy: he loved flash Gordon comics- that was all he would read. So, as a surprise, she presented him with a doll which she'd had the studio art department make u for him- a life-sized doll ofJust a simple guy... when he appeared on England's long- running radio show Desert Island. Stewart's choice of music was typically unpretentious. It is the same with his politics: he always supported the Republican ticket. you always knew where you stood with James Stewart.
Appealing Vulnerability
Easy
certainties do not always appeal to the public but Stewart always had a
certain vulnerability that did touch the heart of the star for 50
years, he never lost public support.
James Maitland Steward was born May 20, 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, the son of a hardware store owner.
Educated at Princeton, he graduated in architecture, before following classmate Joshua Logan to Falmouth, Massachusetts where Logan had formed a troupe called the University Players. Class of 1932 was pretty talented: also in the troop were recently married Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullivan.
Stewart was a beanpole of 6ft 3 1/2in in with a slow, hesitant drawl that would become famous but must then have seemed a handicap. But people took t him. By 1933, he was appearing o Broadway. Then he got a seven-year contract with MGM.
Having proved his worth with Capra, Stewart worked with many more of Hollywood's top directors:
Ernst Lubitsch, Cukor, King Vidor, Alfred Hitchcock and DeMille.
For Cukor he played his Oscar winning Mike Connor in The Philidelphia Story in 1940 with Cary Grant.
James Maitland Steward was born May 20, 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, the son of a hardware store owner.
Educated at Princeton, he graduated in architecture, before following classmate Joshua Logan to Falmouth, Massachusetts where Logan had formed a troupe called the University Players. Class of 1932 was pretty talented: also in the troop were recently married Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullivan.
Stewart was a beanpole of 6ft 3 1/2in in with a slow, hesitant drawl that would become famous but must then have seemed a handicap. But people took t him. By 1933, he was appearing o Broadway. Then he got a seven-year contract with MGM.
It's A wonderful Life
There were 15 fairly insignificant roles before Stewart made the first of three unforgettable movies with Frank Capra, You can't Take It With You in 1938, with Stweart ironicalaly, playing the republican fundamentalist embodied Capra's liberal humanism. In that adaptation of the Broadway hit-and later in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in 1939 and It's a Wonderful Life in 1946-he epitomized human values over financial interests, and that image has stayed with him.Having proved his worth with Capra, Stewart worked with many more of Hollywood's top directors:
Ernst Lubitsch, Cukor, King Vidor, Alfred Hitchcock and DeMille.
For Cukor he played his Oscar winning Mike Connor in The Philidelphia Story in 1940 with Cary Grant.
Patriot In Action
In
1942, powered by his high-octane patriotism, Steward led the Hollywood
invasion of the armed forces, serving in the USAF and flying 20
bomb-runs over Germany. He ended the war a full colonel. Thereafter he
remained in the Reserve, retiring in 1965 as a brigadier-general, the
highest rank that has ever been attained by a member of American Equity.
Returning to Hollywood as a freelance, Stewart took various roles and, at 41 he also took a wife. Previously linked with Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, Olivia de Havilland, he now married a socialite in her 30s. They adopted two sons, and remained happily married for the rest of his life.
Still active in television and state, Stewart says "I don't want to retire. I love making movies...It's rewarding and exciting to me.I feel that I'm accomplishing something, as that I'm accomplishing something, as when someone comes up to me and says,"I don't know if it means anything to you,but you have given me and y family a great deal of enjoyment over the years."
In 1993 he had heart surgery and had a pacemaker for the remainder of his life. In 1997, Stewart tripped in his home and was rushed to a hospital to close a gash in his skin It was discovered that he had untreatable skin cancer.
In 1997 an embolism logged in his lung and brought on a heart attack which killed him instantly.He was 89 years old.
Returning to Hollywood as a freelance, Stewart took various roles and, at 41 he also took a wife. Previously linked with Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, Olivia de Havilland, he now married a socialite in her 30s. They adopted two sons, and remained happily married for the rest of his life.
Accomplishing something
Middle age did not diminish Stewart's popularity-indeed he remained in the box-office top ten throughout the 1950s and began working for a percentage of the profits. Among the movies adding to his wealth were Harvey in 1950, a tall story he enacted several times on stage, The Glenn Miller Story, Rear Window Vertigo, Anatomy of a murder and Rope.Still active in television and state, Stewart says "I don't want to retire. I love making movies...It's rewarding and exciting to me.I feel that I'm accomplishing something, as that I'm accomplishing something, as when someone comes up to me and says,"I don't know if it means anything to you,but you have given me and y family a great deal of enjoyment over the years."
In 1993 he had heart surgery and had a pacemaker for the remainder of his life. In 1997, Stewart tripped in his home and was rushed to a hospital to close a gash in his skin It was discovered that he had untreatable skin cancer.
In 1997 an embolism logged in his lung and brought on a heart attack which killed him instantly.He was 89 years old.
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