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From Clark Gable to John Ford, Hollywood's brightest took a break from stardom to help protect our nation during WWII. James Stewart was among the millions of Americans that took to the sky by joining the Air Force. Flying twenty missions and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, Stewart received a hero's welcome on his return home from the war. While still the same lovable man, Stewart no longer expressed the boyish naivete that endeared him to moviegoers of the thirties. Like so many others, he was forever impacted by the harsh realities of war he had faced.
Stewart's post-war films reflect this loss of innocence. His parts shifted from the shy and tentative characters of The Philadelphia Story (1940) and The Shop Around the Corner (1940) to more intense characters like the suicidal banker George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Audiences didn't take kindly to this new realism Hollywood was offering, demanding the escapist fare of the pre-war era in film. Stewart's shine at the box office began to fade in the late forties with unsuccessful films like Hitchcock's Rope (1948), based on the Leopold and Loeb murder case. Finally, by the fifties, Stewart worked his way back on top starting with the release of Harvey (1950). His performance as an alcoholic whose best friend is an invisible 6-ft. tall rabbit earned Stewart his fourth Oscar nomination.
With his career back on track, Stewart was able to negotiate one of Hollywood's first percentage-based contracts, leading the way for other actors determined to get out from under the hand of the big studios. Stewart worked closely with director Anthony Mann who's Winchester 73 (1950) had helped Stewart edge his way back into the Hollywood limelight. Mann and Stewart collaborated eight times producing hits like The Naked Spur (1953), The Far Country (1954) and The Man From Laramie (1955).
Teaming up with Alfred Hitchcock, Stewart challenged the public's perception of him by portraying uneasy and unstable characters. Roles in Rear Window (1954), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and Vertigo (1958) dealt with the uncertainty of Stewart's morality and sanity, creating a very sharp contrast to the wholesome "aw shucks" characters he had personified in his early career. By the end of the fifties, Stewart's screen persona had made a 180-degree turn as he continued to reinvent himself.
Billy Wilder's Anatomy of a Murder (1959) only further solidified Stewart's newer, hardened awareness. In it, Stewart plays a defense attorney defending a man guilty of murder. The film marked a first in dealing with rape onscreen, pushing the envelope with words like "panties" that had previously been no-nos with the censors. Anatomy earned Stewart his fifth Oscar nomination.
In the sixties, Stewart delved more into comedies with Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) and Take Her, She's Mine (1963). A few notable westerns stand out in the latter half of Stewart's career including The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962), How the West Was Won (1962), and The Shootist (1976). Stewart continued to make films well into the eighties and even provided the voice for Wylie Burp in the animated feature An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991).
After five Oscar nominations and a distinguished military career, James Stewart still captures his audience with each of his films. Whether he's playing a naive boy next door or a drunkard, he continues to endear himself to his fans. This February TCM celebrates Stewart with a four-film tribute to his post-war glory days on the big screen.
LIST of FILMS
2 WEDNESDAY
8:00 PM Harvey (1951) A wealthy eccentric prefers the company of an invisible six-foot rabbit to his family. James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Cecil Kellaway. D: Henry Koster. BW 105m.
10:00 PM The Man From Laramie (1955) A wandering cowboy gets caught in the rivalry between an aging rancher's sons. James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp. D: Anthony Mann. C 103m. LBX
12:00 AM Anatomy of a Murder (1959) A small-town lawyer gets the case of a lifetime when a military man avenges an attack on his wife. James Stewart, Ben Gazzara, Lee Remick. D: Otto Preminger. BW 161m.
3:00 AM The FBI Story (1959) A dedicated FBI agent thinks back on the agency's battles against the Klan, organized crime and Communist spies. James Stewart, Vera Miles, Nick Adams. D: Mervyn Le Roy. C 150m.
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