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James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an iconic, Academy
Award-winning American film and stage actor, best known for his self-effacing
screen persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely
considered classics and was nominated for five Oscars, winning one in competition
and one life achievement. He also had a noted military career, rising to the rank
of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force.
Born in Indiana, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, he first pursued a career as an
architect before being drawn to the theater in college. His first success came as
an actor on Broadway, before making his Hollywood debut in 1935. Stewart's career
gained momentum after his well-received Frank Capra films, including his Academy
Award nominated role in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Throughout his seven decades
in Hollywood, Stewart cultivated a versatile career and recognized screen image in
such classics as The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, Rear
Window, and Vertigo.
Stewart became so familiar to American audiences that he was most often referred to
by them as "Jimmy" Stewart — a billing never found on the credits of any of his
films.
Stewart left his mark on a wide range of film genres, including screwball comedies,
westerns, and suspense thrillers. He worked for a number of renowned directors
later in his career, most notably Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Billy Wilder and
Anthony Mann. He won many of the industry's highest honors and earned Lifetime
Achievement awards from every major film organization. He died in 1997, leaving
behind a legacy of classic performance, and is considered one of the finest actors
of the "Golden Age of Hollywood." He was named the third Greatest Male Star of All
Time by the American Film Institute.
 Early life
and career
James Maitland Stewart was born on May 20, 1908, to devoutly Presbyterian parents
of Scottish origin, Alexander M. Stewart and Elizabeth Ruth Jackson, in Indiana,
Pennsylvania. One of two sons (he had a brother, Alexander) of a prosperous
hardware store owner, he was expected to continue the business, which had been in
the family for three generations. The young Stewart was first attracted to
aviation, but abandoned dreams of being a pilot to attend Princeton University in
1928, as a member of the Class of 1932, after graduating from Mercersburg Academy.
Stewart took quickly to architecture continuing to pursue the field as a graduate
student, but he gradually became attracted to the school's drama and music clubs,
including the famous Princeton Triangle Club. He was a member of the Princeton
Charter Club.
His acting talents led him to be invited to the University Players, a performing
arts club of Ivy League musicians and thespians. After performing in bit parts in
the Players' productions during summer 1932, he moved to New York City in the fall,
where he shared an apartment with rising actor, Henry Fonda, and
director/playwright, Joshua Logan. In November, he was cast in his first major
stage production as a chauffeur in the Broadway comedy Goodbye Again, in which he
had two lines. The play was a moderate success and brought more substantial stage
roles for Stewart, including the 1934 hit, Page Miss Glory, and his first dramatic
stage role in Sidney Howard's Yellow Jack.
With several favorably reviewed performances on Broadway, he attracted the interest
of MGM and signed a contract with the company in April 1935. At first, he had
trouble breaking into Hollywood due to his gangly looks and shy, humble screen
presence. His first film was the poorly received Spencer Tracy vehicle, The Murder
Man, but Rose-Marie, an adaptation of a popular operetta, was more successful.
After mixed success in films, he received his first substantial part in 1936's
After the Thin Man, playing a psychotic killer. Stewart found his footing in
Hollywood thanks largely to ex-University Player Margaret Sullavan, who campaigned
for Stewart to be her leading man in the 1936 romantic comedy Next Time We Love and
rehearsed extensively with him.
Personal
life
Stewart was almost universally described by his collaborators as a kind, soft
spoken man and a true professional.
Stewart was a lifelong supporter of Scouting. He was a Second Class Scout when he
was a youth, an adult Scout leader, and a recipient of the prestigious Silver
Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). He made advertisements for BSA,
which led to him sometimes incorrectly being identified as an Eagle Scout.
After World War II, Stewart settled down, at age 41, marrying former model Gloria
Hatrick McLean on August 9, 1949. Stewart adopted her two sons, Michael and Ronald,
and together they had twin daughters, Judy and Kelly, on May 7, 1951. They remained
devotedly married until her death on February 16, 1994, due to lung cancer. Ronald
McLean was killed in action on June 8, 1969, at the age of 24, while serving in
Vietnam. Dr. Kelly Stewart is an anthropologist at the University of California,
Davis.
Source : Some of the information on this page came
from a Wikipedia article and is licensed under the GNU Documentation
License. ©2008 www.geneticmatrix.com.
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James
Stewart - Manifesting Generator - Biography
