Perhaps the most likable actor in history and a personal fav of mine Jimmy Stewart would've been 100 years old tomorrow. Stewart was probably the main inspiration for me growing up. Seeing his performances in films like "Mr. Smith goes to Washington", "Vertigo" and especially "It's a Wonderful Life" influenced me to head into the acting field. He has worked with the likes of Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Ernst Lubitsch, George Cukor, and Billy Wilder just to name a few. His most frequent collaborator was Anthony Mann who made 8 films with him including some of the best westerns ever. At times I think his everyman quality masked the fact that he was a terrific and versatile actor. Here is my list of favorite Stewart performances.1. It's a Wonderful Life: As George Bailey, Stewart is the epitome of everyman struggle. Is the perfect balance of early Stewart naivete but gives us a glimpse of what to expect in his later years. The film was the first he made after serving time in the war and his last film for director Frank Capra, it's the perfect cap to a great actor/director relationship.
2. Vertigo: Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece was hard to watch the first time, but after multiple viewings, I am now among the masses who worship this film. Although Hitchcock's craft is front and center, we see Stewart as the warped detective Scottie Ferguson sink into unheard of depths. In a poll by Entertainment Weekly, Stewart's performance here scored highest of Best performances that never got an Oscar nomination.
3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: His breakthrough role, once again by Frank Capra is on the surface an inspirational David Vs. Goliath story, but if you scratch underneath as in a lot of Capra films, it's really biting social commentary on how modern politics are run, but it's really Stewart's top performance that makes this a must see. His filibuster is like watching an acting marathon.
4. The Shop Around the Corner: Stewart and Margaret Sullivan are one of the most charming couples on screen in this Lubitsch classic of two lonely hearts who despise each other in real life but don't realize they are secret pen pals. This film has been remade countless times but the charm of this original still stands above all of its imitators. Incidentally since Stewart plays a man technically from Budapest, it's one of the only times he has not played an American.
5. The Naked Spur: Stewart and Anthony Mann made a lot of westerns together but I think this is my favorite of the bunch, as a bounty hunter bringing home a killer (Robert Ryan) Stewart is a man drawn to the edge of losing his humanity. Stewart is always compelling as our everyman hero, but he's almost always better when he willing to let lose his inner demons like in this one. It's gritty and almost noirish its themes.
Other Stewart Gems not to be missed are "Rear Window", "The Philadelphia Story" (For which he won his only Oscar), "Winchester '73", "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", "The Man From Laramie", "Harvey", "Anatomy of a Murder", "The Flight of the Phoenix", "Call Northside 777", "Destry Rides Again", "Shenandoah", "You Can't Take it With You", and if you totally want to see a fun early role see him in "After the Thin Man".
Tell me, what is your favorite Stewart performance, I would love to know.
1 comment:
There are so many! I suppose my FAVORITE would have to be "Mr. Smith"-- loved this film from first viewing (on the big screen with an audience) and I've seen it many times since. His work in the Hitchcock films is top notch. He's very believable in REAR WINDOW-- in particular his scenes in the film's climax. He was truly one of the great natural talents. I wish he'd had an "On Golden Pond"-like swan song... his last years seem to be known more for his appearances on Johnny Carson reading those poems!
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