Born James Maitland Stewart on May 20th, 1908 in Indiana, PA. Whenever I refer to him I say "Jimmy Stewart" instead of James but I'm sure I'm not the only one...
There were many actors who you could say were just as great as he, in their own right, but few if any had his ability to deliver lines. There is just something about his voice that I always find so captivating. He wasn't handsome like Cary Grant, tough like Humphrey Bogart, or a crooner like Frank Sinatra, but where he lacked in looks, grit, or singing he more than made up for in performance. I've never seen a Jimmy Stewart movie I didn't like, even Vertigo, where it isn't my favorite Hitchcock movie because it feels like it drags on forever, he still played the part of a desperate man who thinks he's losing his mind, to perfection.
If I had to pick just one of my favorites I couldn't. How can I say Harvey is my favorite over Rear Window, or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington? They are all so different and highlight separately what made him one of the greatest actors ever to grace the big screen. Watching his movies I always seem to catch something I never saw before. Whether it's the subtlety of a line or the way his eyes grow wide, pulling you into the moment right along with him. I could go on forever about how great he was and which movies I love of his, but instead let me share a few scenes that showcase his talent and be sure to scroll past them to see a list of his movies that I've seen:
List of James Stewart movies I've seen:
You Can't Take it With You (1938)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Destry Rides Again (1939)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Pot o' Gold (1941)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Rope (1948)
The Stratton Story (1949)
Harvey (1950)
No Highway in the Sky (1951)
Rear Window (1954)
Vertigo (1958)
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
Jimmy Stewart died on July 2nd, 1997 in Los Angeles, CA at the age of 89.
Which (if any) James Stewart movies have you seen?
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