James Stewart | Hollywood Yesterday

Jimmy Stewart and His Poems: A MUST HAVE for James Stewart Fans!

September 4, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Jimmy Stewart and His Poems

If you’re even remotely familiar with me, you know all about my HUGE obsession with old Hollywood books (biographies, memoirs, cookbooks, autobiographies, poems..). I spend some of my happiest moments curled up with one of these prized possessions.

The one pictured here is one of my favorites. Not just because it was written by one of my absolute favorite actors but also because the poetry is breathtakingly wonderful.

From Amazon:

“I’m sure I never said to myself: ‘Now, Jim–why don’t you sit down and write a poem.’ It’s still a mystery to me, but I think probably it’s something that happened by accident–like a lot of things have happened in my life.”

So begins this delightful collection of poetry by America’s best-loved actor, Jimmy Stewart. Interspersed with vivid recollections and charming illustrations, the poems document a life that isn’t too different from yours or mine.

Jimmy Stewart won the hearts of generations of movie viewers with a confused innocence and stammering delivery that made his acting seem genuine and effortless. Somehow he managed to make the boy next door into a national hero. Now, in Jimmy Stewart and His Poems, the consummate Everyman shares tales from his everyday life.

From fishing trips and dog stories to a hilarious account of a photo safari where the camera was lost to a hungry hyena, the poems are related in Jimmy Stewart’s inimitable voice and are enlivened with charming illustrations.

The book confirms what we all expected–that the real Jimmy Stewart is every bit as endearing as the film characters he’s portrayed. Jimmy Stewart and His Poems is a perfect gift, one that fans will treasure as much as Jimmy Stewart’s timeless performances.

I love to read and reread his wonderful poetry – it’s an insight into just how special this legend truly was.

You can find Jimmy Stewart and His Poems on Amazon. It’d make a great gift idea for any James Stewart fan in your life… just be sure to grab a copy for yourself!

Arthur O’Connell, Eve Arden, and James Stewart Make Anatomy of a Murder a PERFECT Movie

September 1, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Arthur O’Connell, Eve Arden, and James Stewart

One of my all-time favorite movies is the wonderful Anatomy of a Murder (1959), directed to the hilt by Otto Preminger. The story, the cast, the directing.. all of it is completely flawless.

The movie stars James Stewart, Arthur O’Connell, Eve Arden, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Kathryn Grant, George C. Scott, and a name you may not be familiar with… Brooks West. Why might you not be familiar with this actor? Because, unfortunately, this is the only movie he made! He was married to the wonderful Eve Arden and they made this great movie together. I guess if you’re only going to make one film, make it a legendary one!

After watching this film for the first time last year, I searched out Brooks West’s filmography (intending to see every other movie he had made). Imagine my surprise when I saw that I already HAD seen every movie he ever made.

He was perfect in this film and fit in with a cast of “veteran stars” seamlessly.

You can find Anatomy of a Murder on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it right away on Prime Video. Personally? I’d recommend both. You’ll very much want this one in your collection.

Jean Arthur and James Stewart: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

August 27, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

James Stewart and Jean Arthur

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is one of the finest films ever made. Of course, if you’ve seen it, you already know that. If you haven’t, you were just given a great reason to see it as soon as possible!

It is absolute perfection from start to finish with one of the finest casts ever assembled. The director isn’t too shabby either: Frank Capra (who also directed James Stewart in the iconic and wonderful It’s a Wonderful Life).

James Stewart is, of course, the Mr. Washington in question. The cast around him is just as spectacular as he is, which is really, really saying something: Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, and Claude Rains keep pace with one of the greatest actors in the history of film.

(Continued Below…)

James Stewart and Jean Arthur, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

While the entire cast is phenomenal, I want to just hone in on Jean Arthur for a moment. This is an actress who deserves to be a household name, and not just with those of us who immerse ourselves in old Hollywood. She gave one remarkable performance after another in her career and this is one of my personal favorites. In a film filled with larger than life characters (and larger than life actors), a lesser actress would get lost in the background. She’d have become little more than a prop.

Jean Arthur doesn’t just hold her own with James Stewart, Claude Rains, and Thomas Mitchell, she absolutely shines and is one of the big reasons this film is as wonderful and iconic as it is.

Her performance was precisely (I mean PRECISELY) what was needed from her to make the story work. She never went “too big” and never stopped “short” in her performance.

She was dazzling in every conceivable way and she and James Stewart made a VERY formidable team.

You can find Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on DVD (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

James Stewart and Jean Arthur

Lee Remick and George C. Scott: Anatomy of a Murder

August 26, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Lee Remick and George C. Scott, Anatomy of a Murder

One of my favorite movies is Anatomy of a Murder (1959, directed by Otto Preminger), starring James Stewart, Arthur O’Connell, Eve Arden, Ben Gazzara, Lee Remick, George C. Scott,
Kathryn Grant, and Brooks West. It’s simply one of the best movies ever made, in my movie-fanatic opinion.

One of the most bumfuzzling things to me involves the wonderful actor (and scene-stealer extraordinaire) Joseph N. Welch who plays the role of the judge in this movie. This was his only film! He made this movie in 1959 and tragically died the following year.

I mean, granted, if you’re going to make ONE film, make it an iconic classic with James Stewart and George C. Scott but dang… we were robbed from so much brilliance from this actor.

This is such an extraordinary movie and, if you love great courtroom drama, it’ll be right up your alley. The script and direction from Preminger are outstanding but the movie gets its real magic from the cast.

James Stewart is outstanding as an unconventional small town lawyer and gives one of my favorite James Stewart performances. The always perfect Eve Arden and Arthur O’Connell are on his team and (as both stars always do) add a GREAT deal to the movie.

Ben Gazzara stars as a husband accused of killing the man who allegedly raped his wife (played to perfection by Lee Remick). He claims he was out of his mind when he did it… but was he? James Stewart is the lawyer who has to keep his hothead client out of prison while keeping his hotblooded wife from blowing everything sky high!

Brooks West and George C. Scott are the prosecutors who are trying to put the husband away by exposing the wife as a liar… among other things.

Brooks West was married to his co-star Eve Arden during this film (they remained married until his death in 1984). Remarkably, as was the case with Joseph N. Welch, this would be the only film Brooks West made. When you watch this movie, you’ll be as astounded by this as I am. These men should have given us many more films!

I simply can’t say enough wonderful things about this cast. Lee Remick, as she did in Sanctuary as Temple Drake, takes her character in many directions – often at the same time and it’s mesmerizing to behold. She created a complex character who was (at once) vulnerable, scared, self-destructive, loving, and flippant. In one particular courtroom scene she went from “devil may care” to “I care more than anything in the world” in two seconds flat.

Mesmerizing.

As a den chair film historian and dining room movie reviewer, nothing gives me greater joy (in the world of films, that is) than seeing an excellent actor or actress sinking their teeth into a great role. This particular film gives MULTIPLE instances of this and is one of the reasons I love it so much.

One of my favorite scenes is pictured above – George C. Scott, as ruthless prosecutor Claude Dancer, is interrogating Lee Remick’s character, Laura Manion. You can get a hint of the levels of talent these two possessed by their expressions. Her look of fear is palpable. He also gives another memorable performance when cross-examining another witness. Phenomenal actor.

I also appreciate the edge-of-your-seat scenes in the courtroom, mixed perfectly with humor (often coming from the wonderful Joseph N. Welch as well as James Stewart).

Due to the subject of rape, this isn’t anywhere near a “family film,” but it is one you will greatly, greatly enjoy.

You can find Anatomy of a Murder on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it right away on Prime Video. Personally? I’d recommend both. You’ll very much want this one in your collection.

James Stewart and Lee Remick

Janet Leigh and James Stewart: The Naked Spur (Such a Unique Western!)

June 28, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Janet Leigh and James Stewart

The Naked Spur (1953, directed by Anthony Mann) is an unusual Western in that the cast is very compact – five stars… that’s it. James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Ralph Meeker, and Millard Mitchell.

That’s it… and yet it’s all you need or hope for.

The filming of the movie is also very unique. The camera doesn’t take you to a lot of different places and you don’t visit many different viewpoints or cross times and dates along the way. It’s shot in a very simplistic manner and it just really stands out as being very different.

This is the type of film that depends entirely on its cast and director. THEY will solely determine if it sinks or swims as there aren’t special effects, or larger than life epic scenes that make your jaw drop. It’s entirely up to the director and the cast.

Does the cast draw you in to their story and their circumstances? Do they make you care how they feel? Do they compel you to take the journey with them and see them safely home?
Does the director allow the characters and scenery to tell the story without getting in the way? Does he allow an actor or actress to use subtle expressions to convey meaning without trying to make them shout it?

The answers to the above are YES and YES.

Subtle is a word I often use when talking about The Naked Spur. Whether it’s the film’s overall approach, the romantic aspect of the movie, or the insight we get into each character – this western is more subtle than many westerns, and it’s entirely up to the viewer whether they love, like, or hate the subtlety. Personally, I think it can be a welcome contrast. I love a huge epic western as much as anyone (heck, better than most) but the simplicity of The Naked Spur is always, always, always welcome in my den.

Janet Leigh and James Stewart

If you’ve never seen this unique, entertaining, and wonderful movie, I hope you’ll find it soon. If you HAVE seen it, I hope you’ll revisit the characters again really soon. Each time I see this movie, I like it more and more.

You can find The Naked Spur on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Closer Magazine: One of the Few Magazines I Still Buy….

June 11, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Closer Magazines

I used to spend so much money on magazines… I mean to the point I almost embarrassed my own self. I got it from my mom. She simply didn’t go to the store without returning with at least one magazine. I still love them but find that I buy fewer than I once did. I buy a couple of cooking magazines consistently but the one I look forward to the most and buy without fail (each issue) is Closer Magazine. It’s the only entertainment magazine I buy these days.

As you can see by the photos in this post, I am accumulating quite a collection… and this isn’t even all of them! I add magazines that feature my favorites (like Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, James Stewart, Judy Garland…) to my individual collections.

Not only does Closer almost always have one of our beloved stars from old Hollywood or Classic television on the cover, they also feature book reviews, interviews, and articles inside the magazine. I love that they spotlight Lucille Ball and Judy Garland so often.

Closer Magazines

You can find Closer in quite a few grocery stores (I find it consistently in Meijer and every now and then in Kroger), but most people seem to prefer subscribing to Closer. I’m actually considering doing so, myself. I love having new things to look forward to in the mail AND it’s kind of cool to get a magazine before it hits the stands!

Closer Magazine Subscription

Josephine Hull in a Wonderful Harvey Publicity Photo

April 15, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Josephine Hull in a Publicity Photo for Harvey… Too Cute!

I recently wrote about the wonderful movie Harvey, Starring James Stewart and Josephine Hull. It truly is a joyful, charming (in every way) movie and one of my favorites. I wanted to devote another picture of the day to the movie by spotlighting one of the stars who make this film such a classic – Josephine Hull.

Josephine (so very deservedly) won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. James Stewart believed that Josephine Hull had the most difficult role in the film, since she had to believe and not believe in the invisible rabbit … at the same time… and he may have an excellent point.

She was absolutely wonderful in the role of Elwood’s concerned sister.

You can watch Harvey on Prime Video or buy the wonderful dvd (Amazon link) on Amazon.

Josephine Hull and James Stewart

James Stewart… A Favorite Actor in a Favorite Movie

April 12, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

James Stewart and Harvey

One of my absolute favorite actors is James Stewart. In fact, at any given time you can find me either watching or getting ready to watch a James Stewart movie or listening to/getting ready to listen to James Stewart’s radio show The Six Shooter.

He has been one of my favorites since I first saw him as a little girl in It’s a Wonderful Life and, over the years, I’ve only come to adore him more.

Have you ever seen Harvey (1950)? In spite of adoring the main actor, I somehow only saw it (for the first time) in the past year. Where have I been?!

Plot: James Stewart plays the lovable Elwood P. Dowd who has a constant companion named “Harvey.” This companion causes a host of problems for Elwood because he’s a 6 foot rabbit that only Elwood can see! Understandably, his family believes him to be insane – but is he? Or… is he more “in the know” than any of them?!

Harvey was masterfully directed by Henry Koster. He (brilliantly) took a suggestion from James Stewart that, in my opinion, worked to perfection – he changed many shots (making them wider) so that “Harvey” would be in the frame. It works like a charm… so to speak.

James Stewart later declared in an interview that Josephine Hull (who gave a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award-wining performance ) had the most difficult role in the film, because she had to believe and not believe in the invisible rabbit at the same time!

Director Henry Koster worked very well with his star, James Stewart. Koster said working with Stewart was “without any doubt one of the most pleasant experiences of my life…It must have been his spirit. There was very little friction, ever, only ambition and craftsmanship and precision, just doing it right professionally. On top of that he put the whipped cream of great talent…He was always the first on the set.”

The entire film experience must have been joyful – the entire cast and crew seemed to have a jovial time. As a joke, they would often set a chair for “Harvey”at lunch and order him something to eat. Love that!

Editorial Review:

James Stewart gives one of his finest performances in this lighthearted film, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Stewart stars as the good-natured Elwood P. Dowd, whose constant companion is Harvey, a six-foot tall rabbit that only he can see. To his sister, Veta Louise, Elwood’s obsession with Harvey has been a thorn in the side of her plans to marry off her daughter. But when Veta Louise decides to put Elwood in a mental hospital, a hilarious mix-up occurs and she finds herself committed instead. It’s up to Elwood to straighten out the mess with his kindly philosophy, and his “imaginary” friend, in this popular classic that features a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award-wining performance by Josephine Hull.

You can watch Harvey on Prime Video or add the wonderful dvd (Amazon link) to your collection.

James Stewart

James Stewart and Shelley Winters, Winchester ’73

September 14, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

James Stewart and Shelley Winters Winchester ’73

If you’re one of those people who forget the magnetism Shelley Winters had on the big screen, I have a homework assignment for you – watch her in Winchester ’73 (pictured here) and in Executive Suite (1954). She’s one of the highlights from both films, which is absolutely saying something since James Stewart stars in one and William Holden, Fredric March, and Barbara Stanwyck star in the other!

Don’t get it twisted, the other stars are extraordinary, too (as always) but there’s just a little something extra about Shelley Winters’ screen presence. A little somethin’ somethin’ if you will.

If you haven’t seen Winchester ’73 or you’ve never seen it, I hope you’ll watch it soon. Each time I do, I ask the same questions…

Shelley Winters was exceptional – why wasn’t she used even more and why isn’t she mentioned more alongside Ava Gabor, Marilyn Monroe, and Lana Turner?
Why do I not ALWAYS name this movie when listing my favorite Westerns?
I wonder if James Stewart knew just how great an actor he was?

You can find Winchester ’73 on Amazon (link to the dvd on Amazon) or watch it on Prime.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Publicity Photos

May 23, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Publicity Photo

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) is one of my favorite Westerns. How could it NOT be? It was directed by the legend, himself, John Ford and stars James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, John Carradine, Vera Miles, Denver Pyle, Strother Martin, Andy Devine…

One beloved favorite after another.

Successful lawyer Ransom (James Stewart) heads into the Wild West outpost of Shinbone to bring local outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) to justice. Along the way, he is met by a posse led by Valance, who beat him within an inch of his life. Passing cowboy Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) rescues Ransom, gets him set up in Shinbone and supports his efforts to be elected sheriff. Meanwhile, he also attempts to teach his clumsy new friend the fundamentals of gunfighting, so that Valance may at last be brought to justice.

If you’ve never seen this classic Western, I hope you’ll check it out as soon as possible. If you HAVE seen it (even multiple times, like myself), I hope you’ll revisit the colorful characters soon.

You can find The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance on dvd or Blu-Ray on Amazon or watch the wonderful Western on Prime Video.