Movie Monday: All About…James Stewart

Day 319

Today’s post is dedicated to one of my absolute favorite actors of all time - James Stewart (1908 - 1997). He had a reputation for being a “good guy” in Hollywood, but that didn’t take away from the fact that he was a sensational actor. My favorite James Stewart movie of all time is It’s A Wonderful Life, which I previously blogged about, but here are 4 more of my favorite James Stewart movies:

Anatomy Of A Murder (1959)

James Stewart earned his final Academy Award nomination for his impressive portrayal of an attorney faced with defending an army lieutenant (played by Ben Gazzara) accused of killing a man that had allegedly raped his wife (played by Lee Remick). This movie was surprisingly frank and blunt in its dialogue and subject matter, but it is tame by today’s standards.

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Stewart earned his only Academy Award for his charming, hilarious portrayal of a fast-talking, cynical reporter forced to cover the high society wedding of Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn). He ends up falling for Tracy, while her ex-husband (Cary Grant) arrives in the hopes of wooing and winning her back. This is a great romantic comedy with lots of clever quips and witty remarks!

Vertigo (1958)

Later this week I’m doing a special post about one of my favorite directors, Alfred Hitchcock, and James Stewart has done several movies with Hitchcock. I’ve chosen this film because it features Stewart in a very different role, as a detective plagued with vertigo and a fear of heights following a tragic accident. Stewart’s character ‘Scottie’ Ferguson is hired by an old friend to follow his wife Madeline (played by Kim Novak), whom he fears is on the verge of suicide. After saving her from drowning herself in the San Francisco bay, ‘Scottie’ begins to fall in love with Madeline, and she with him. But theirs is a doomed relationship and when tragedy occurs ‘Scottie’ becomes obsessed with Madeline; and then one day he spots a woman who looks almost exactly like her and his obsession takes over him. Many critics have regarded this movie as Hitchcock’s masterpiece, and it is definitely a favorite of mine, particularly because of Stewart’s amazing performance.

The Shop Around The Corner (1940)

This is a sweet, clever romantic comedy that takes place in Budapest, where James Stewart works at a merchandise store with several friendly employees and one that irritates him to no end (played by Margaret Sullavan). Then one day he is shocked to discover that this woman he cannot stand (and vice versa) is actually the woman with which he has been sharing a long, secret correspondence by letters!