Still blows my mind that he volunteered to fight in WW2 and requested a combat posting because he was worried the army was just going to use him to sell war bonds because he was a celebrity. Most of the other celebs of the era who signed up didn't put themselves in harm's way to the extent Stewart did and I don't blame them. Air crews bombing Germany didn't have a good survival rate in WW2. Something like 50% or more died trying. Stewart had so much integrity.
David Niven helped found the British commandos and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Was the first person from Hollywood to join the Navy. Like Stewart he continued to serve as a reserve officer until the 1980s.
Him & Henry Fonda were "big time buddies"....one night before Christmas he fell off the roof of the Fonda's house replacing a light or fix'n something...all drunk up & landed in snow. I heard Jane tell this story years ago on somebody's talk show.
@@burlatsdemontaigne6147 Well after a few drinks I do get pretty interesting. Lol. I'm sure he got to go a lot more places and meet a lot more people than me. But thanks. I hope you're well and happy. Dominus Vobiscum
@@murraymims120 They were political opposites, Fonda a democrat, and Stewart a republican. They were friends since their NYC theatre days before moving west to Hollywood.
I love hearing these great actors from the golden era of the silver screen talking and telling stories of what went on behind the scenes of classic films. Brilliant! An extra bonus for me, being that I love James Stewart and John Wayne. So to hear Jimmy talking about the Duke during the making of a favourite film of mine, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is pure magic! 👍
@Leo Peridot One of my favorite things about Jimmy Stewart, at least in his younger days, is that he wasn't afraid to expose problems in America. He loved the country, sure, but he loved it enough to point out how much its government sucked.
@Leo Peridot John Wayne attended the funeral of Jimmy Stewart's stepson who was killed in Vietnam in June 1969. When a student raised a North Vietnamese flag in the vicinity of the funeral as a form of protest or whatever, of American involvement in the war, Wayne went over to the student, grabbed the flag, and ripped it to shreds.
@Leo Peridot Here's one of the things about John Wayne: If he was your friend, you couldn't find a better, more loyal friend. If he and you got into trouble in a bar, Wayne wouldn't beat it out the back door. He'd go down fighting alongside you, and wouldn't take a backward step.
@Leo Peridot "I can't separate the entertainer from the man?" 'You talk the talk but don't walk the walk?" That's funny. Well, I guess you'd know about THAT. No, I've heard enough stories about Wayne that convinced me that he'd stay and fight. And I suspect over the years, he's had MANY guys challenge him to fights in bars, on the street, etc., because of that tough persona. America has had Presidents and Vice Presidents who dodged the draft, and lied about serving in action, yet stand (one at least) before the flag and call out others who are disloyal to their country.
He kept it together flying over Germany in a b24, so I doubt a little interview question could phase him. I mean he actually volunteered for arguably the most dangerous job the US army had to offer at the time. Bombing Germany was rather bad for your health. The Germans took exception to the practice and were quite insistent about trying to stop it.
If this were to be filmed today, the interviewer would have interrupted him 12-14 times and there would have been at least one commercial break in the middle.
@Matthew Holzner In that vein, the worst interview I ever saw of a great actor was on the late night Carson Daly Show about 12 years ago. The guest was Robert Duvall. Daly clearly had contempt for Duvall, and refused to talk with him about any of his roles. Instead, he talked to him about meat. Yeah, meat. Why did he have Duvall on, if he disliked him? Beats me.
And the video would have a billion complaints by hardcore shut-ins, old ladies, chicken hawks, and internet delinquents talking about “the good old days”
If this were filmed today, Jimmy Stewart would spend 90% of the interview participating in some gag activity for mUcH luLz and we wouldn’t learn a single thing about him and his views
Just showed it to my 17 year old daughter. She loved it. I am hoping she gets a few of the lessons in it. Have to say Lee Marvin was the most evil person I have ever seen on film in that movie.
👍 Some people just exhibit class when they speak. In all the James Stewart interviews I have seen he demonstrates that he is one of those people. When visiting Scottsdale, AZ one time I stayed at a hotel that had been used by movie crews during the filming of movies in the 1950s. They had photos of the participants on the walls, in one photo James Stewart (the main character in his movie) was standing in a line waiting to be served at the buffet. He was in the middle of the line along with several crew members - no special treatment expected, just one of the “guys”.
This is the mark of a great actor. As you watch this, you see that it's just like watching him in a movie. He's speaking off the cuff, no script; and that's just what you get when you watch him in a movie. There's no acting, he just becomes the character. I know everyone raves about Spencer Tracy as the best actor, but man, Jimmy Stewart ranks right up there with him.
@@Mr.Goodkat Never heard anyone rave? They're all dead. I've seen may interviews (in 1960's, 1970's) with actors saying Tracy was *THE* guy that they tried to emulate with his naturalness in front of the camera. Burt Reynolds told the story that he and other actors would go to the set of a movie Tracy was making and sit there and watch him perform, believing him to be the consummate movie actor. Brando has been called the greatest movie actor - and with good reason - because he brought something else to the screen, and NOBODY could do what he did.
@@Mr.Goodkat I've heard people say Spence was the best, and I've heard people say the bum was the best. I have a Big Four: Spence, Freddie March, Alec Guinness and Jimmy Stewart. However, Jimmy had by far the greatest career. He starred in six Top 100 masterpieces: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); The Philadelphia Story (1940); It's a Wonderful Life (1946); Harvey (1950); Rear Window (1954); and Vertigo (1958). He also starred in the non-Top 100 masterpieces Destry Rides Again (1939); and Anatomy of a Murder (1959). And for my money, he gave the greatest lead actor performance ever in a talkie, in Life. The bum was the most talented sound actor, but he largely wasted his talent. I haven't figured out what to do with Olivier. "Contender, Champ, Bum: Brando" nicholasstixuncensored.blogspot.com/2008/03/contender-champ-bum-brando.html
@@sillyboy2223 What a weird question. It’s well documented that Stewart was a great pilot. I know that Chuck Yeager was a great pilot as well, for the same reason.
I immediately watched this over again. It’s like a scene from one of his movies. I don’t mean he came off false. Just that under the surface of his straightforward manner, there’s many layers and a good deal of intensity. He can effortlessly captivate his listener.
I read an interview with Woody Strode, who told the same story…he believed that Ford did it to keep the actors from getting too close…Strode said he was starting to get friendly with Stewart , but after that incident, Stewart felt so uneasy, he barely spoke to him…
That may be true but he also was modest to a fault. whenever someone would tell him how great he was as a director, etc. he would deny it and call it BS. I think he thought (probably rightly so) that making movies wasn't as important as everyone thought it was and that all of this fame that these actors and directors were getting was a little over the top.
I recently read an article about Stewart that he was a racist far worse than Duke or other actors who are often accused of being racist.I find that very hard to believe
Everyone in history is a racist, according to today's virtuous online geniuses. Or is it that the accusers are ignorant nobodies who'd happily pass along an unfounded lie so they can feel a little unearned superiority? Bet on the second -- and count yourself among them.
I was ahead of Mr Stewart and I said that ate the canary...then he said mouse! Mr Stewart was truly one of the greatest Hollywood actors ever! Also one of the greatest American patriots ever!
Compare the grace of this man to the actors of today - there is no comparison and here you have a perfect example of why nearly everyone despises Hollywood and their products today.
I First Thought After Hearing James Stewart Say That So Interesting Story That, I Probably Will Never Forget It, And Gosh Over The Years James Stewart Was Such A Unique Actor, His Many Fans And Hollywood Will Never Forget Him.
@@crossedpolarsPlease, Please Understand I Have Told Many Of You Folks Trying Or Telling Me To Stop To Capitalise Past The First Letter, I Will Never Stop Writing Like This, So Go The Other Way, And Please Listen Wake Up !! 14 Southern Border Guards Have Committed Suicide, Tell VP Kamalla Harris To Stop Lying To The Great American People !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since Tulsi Gabbard Verbally Stepped On Her Toes During Debate, Kamalla Needs To Go Down To The Southern Border !!!!!!!! Open Your Eyes Kamalla !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🤔
His favorite hat. Whenever you'd see a late-model green Volvo driving around town with the driver wearing that hat, channeling Mr. Magoo's driving style, you'd know it was Jimmy Stewart!
From what I've read and seen, I think Ford loved the friction and conflict. It throws people off balance so much they rely on instinct. And I think that's what he wanted.
I had a boss like that, he was a brilliant man but he could be a asshole. He'd frequently tell people, especially new hires, "don't get caught up in the noise, just do your job". By "noise" he meant the petty b.s., like gossip and personality differences but he was always the one who'd create friction between people. I learned never to document a complaint, regardless of how egregious or damaging to the company because he'd call in to his office, the person at fault and read the written complaint to him. There were many other things he'd do to cause friction. As opposed to Ford, who may have been trying to get his actors to rely on instinct, my former boss would do it for reasons I'll never understand.
that's an amazing story. i heard John Ford walked up to a director directing John Wayne and said, "I hope you're a better director than you are an actor"
The great honor of my life is to have been raised by parents from the Greatest generation. And Jimmy Stewart just oozes with that humble yet intelligent spirit so prevalent in their time. The more they pass on the more I miss them.
What a wonderful human being! Loved God, his Family and country. Had the Rank of Major General, was in WW 2, Korean and Vietnam wars. One of the greatest Actors. “ Salt of the earth “ God bless his Soul. Look Mr Stewart up on the Johnny Carson Show, he was a wonderful guest on Carson’s show
One of my favorite "Golden Age of Hollywood" actors, along with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Orson Wells, Edward G. Robinson, Spencer Tracy, John Wayne, Henry Fonda (should never start naming names, don't wanna' stop), etc.
I was in the Navy. I'm used to taking shit. But by the time Jimmy Stewart was doing Liberty Valance he'd already been an Oscar winner. I did minor(!) Local theater. Would like to believe, no matter how much I would have enjoyed the role, I would have ignored Ford and walked away, even to the extent of never working with a man again. I cannot Abide a bully.
I'm so glad that I was born while these great actors, patriots and all around good Americans were alive. They're mostly all gone now except for a few still hanging in there but Hollywood is not the same and never will be.
God Bless Jimmie Stewart... they broke the molds of all of the Golden era actors and actresses. They built motion media worth watching... and their predecessors have become wealthy tearing it down.
@@murraymims120 Ford also treated Yak in very much the same way he did the rest of the cast at times. There was one difference Yak was tougher than rawhide, and he would could and did tell Ford to "Take a flying leap." Yak knew that if Ford wanted his work, Ford had to at least be tolerant of him, because Yak was more than an actor. Ford considered all actors disposable.
Henry Fonda told Elwy Yost of TV Ontario in 1977, that John Ford was "one of the most despicable human beings he ever met" (paraphrasing slightly), but praised Ford as a movie maker. "He had the luck of the Irish. When he was setting up a shot and wanted the clouds to clear, they cleared, and he got sunlight."
Jimmy Stewart was so good in a slew of movies but I esp. liked the five westerns he made in the 1950s with director Anthony Mann:: Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952). The Naked Spur (1953). The Far Country (1954), and The Man from Laramie (1955).
Jimmy Cagney didn't. Ford tried pulling that kind of crap on him during the production of Mister Roberts (1955) warning him that they'd end up "tangling asses" if he showed up late for a shoot. Next day Cagney was slightly late because of traffic, Ford got pissed off, but before he could try his act Cagney marched right up to Ford and told him he was ready to "tangle asses" at any time. Ford backed off right away. Cagney, an ex-New York state amateur boxing champ, would have beaten that old man's balls off without breaking a sweat. Ford later ended up getting into an argument with Henry Fonda and punched him in the mouth. Fonda said nothing about it and completed the picture but it was the end of their sixteen-year friendship and Fonda would never work with Ford again. Ford apologised tearfully but of course it was too late then.
Lets say Ford was a complex character. He could also show great loyalty and kindness. When he made Th Quiet Man in Cong Co. Mayo, the west of ireland was one of the poorest places in Europe. Ford had the whole village put on the payroll as extras. The sort of money they'd never seen before and he had electricity installed for the first time in the village's history. He was however also capable of real nastiness. Complex, as I said. Actors wanted to work with him because he put them in masterpieces. Henry Fonda's best pictures are his Ford ones. John Wayne rarely made a good picture away from Ford.
@@LordZontar Ford was an alcoholic but he usually cut from alcohol when he was directing a movie. But during the shooting of Mr Roberts, he began to drink heavily, even on the set. His tyrannical nature + Fonda's "rebellion" + alcohol, it ended in a fight between the two old friends. But it was not exactly Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua... 😁 According to Jack Lemmon who witnessed the end of the fight (he didn't see Ford punching Fonda), Fonda held at the end of his long arms a drunk Ford who tried to hit him with his arms turning like a windmill...Fonda was trying to calm Ford down but he ended by pushing him on a bed...
@@johnmorrison9738 Fonda made great movies with Ford but also average or even bad movies with him like The Fugitive which was really really not good at all.. Fonda was not dependent on Ford as Wayne was. John Wayne owed him his career, or at least the take off it. Fonda was already successful when he played in his first Ford's movie and IMO, he made great movies with other directors like Sidney Lumet, Fritz Lang, Edward Dmytryk, William Wellman or Sergio Leone which were equal or even superior to those directed by Ford.
I think the dynamic between the actors and director (and studio, of course) was quite a bit different several decades ago. I’d say big stars today (in general) have more power and influence. That’s my impression anyway; however, I’m no industry inside either.
Great interview with a great actor, a true gent. Incidentally, Dana Carvey does a really funny impression of him in “Comedians in Cars getting Coffee” with Jerry Seinfeld
James Stewart was the quintessential movie star... and a great actor. He made so many great films. Sure could use a few more like him today. Mr. Stewart was also a great American patriot. He was in the Air Force Reserves and retired a general. How many 'movie stars' would do that today? Very few because the vast majority are too busy shitting on their country. RIP MR. JAMES STEWART You were a special man!
Jimmy Stewart wasn't just in the Air Force reserves. He flew about 20 bombing missions during WW2 in B-24 and B-17 bombers over Nazi occupied Europe. He was a brave man who didn't use his influence as a Hollywood actor to avoid very dangerous front line service as a pilot.
@@ToddSauve Todd, Thanks for the reminder. Mr. Stewart wasn't just an arm-chair general, he was the real deal. James Stewart was a true American hero - on, and more importantly, off the screen.
@@ToddSauve He did more than weasel out of service; he used all of his influence to get INTO active, combat duty and not just do Why We Fight shorts and training films. He was the absolute, real deal. He flew B-24s, which by most accounts, was a much more difficult plane to handle than the 17. The top-wing construction wasn't as aerodynamic. My step-father was a bombardier in a 24 in the 15th in Italy. He told me that ditching a 24 in water would be like riding a rock given the construction.
You are misunderstanding through 2021 eyes...he just thought it looked like another character. Uncle Remus was beloved, and still is by those who are lucky enough to see the Song of the South. Ford just liked to pick any reason to mess with actors, hence "perhaps Mr. Stewart is anti-Negro"
Jimmy Stewart told this story in a print interview and goes into more detail. Ford called the crew over and said "Take a look at Mr. Stewart. This is what a racist looks like in case you were wondering." Just brutal.
I can't at all see how Stewart's comment was racist. But Ford was a sadistic bully, as someone commented below, so he knew where to hit where it would hurt most.
I have got a movie DVD of James Stewart with Grace Kelly and Romand Burr in Rear Window and I saw James Stewart with George Kennedy as he is a bank manager as James Stewart puts money in the bank in the movie The Dynamite Man From Glory Jail and when he wants to withdraw his money from the bank he has two sticks of dynamite across his chest as he gets a match to blow himself up if he did not get any of his money back from the bank as I am dedicating these movies to my old school friends who are both sisters as I hope to see them again very soon to Chris and Hester from Billyxxxxx
I think Sergeant Rutledge (1960) was a progessive film for its time and did not achieve the popularity it deserved in America, but was well received in Europe. I believe the same thing happened with Cheyenne Autumn in 1964.
@@fanofcameron Uncle Remus-y. Reminding of Uncle Remus, the narrator of African American tales published after the Civil War. They are sometimes seen as conveying racial stereotypes.
John Ford was in uniform in command of a unit documenting the war on film, not just for posterity but for generals to study and learn from. He was at Normandy. Some cameramen lost their lives in this duty.
If I had been Mr. Stewart, I'd walked off that set and left a$$ h Ford with an unfinished picture. Ben Johnson stood up to the old man and kept on working in pictures.
Hes really just that way if you ever got to be with him you know how your brain gets tricked and you get frozen not knowing how you got sucked into the t v until he noticed and livingly Un sticks you by showing himself human😢😢😢😢💔💔😢❤️
I've known employers who pit one employee against another by innuendo, sly remarks and behind the scene maneuvering and I move as quickly as I can to any other kind of work I can find. They don't learn, they only listen to gain influence and find ''cracks in your armor'' and they are intentionally cruel. And all cruelty comes from weakness.
It is just mean. I understand doing whatever you have to extract good work from people. But I am a believer on using honey. If that doesn't work then bye bye to you.
As a relatively young person I would give ANYTHING to have been an adult in the era of the 20's 30"s-40"s when America was new, sweet and kind (I know we had war) The music was romantic and tender, the homes were gorgeous and Americans dressed beautifully just to go shopping for groceries or to do their errands and there were NO drug addicted tent dwelling loafers laying on sidewalks...Only in my dreams and the old movies, or another country
Makes me wonder why Ford was such a jerk. Met a couple of jerks just like that in my life and I always assumed that they just hated being alive. I guess some folks are just pricks when they come out of the womb.
@@steveryan6587 Maybe so, but my first thought is that a person DOES have to be a real jerk to ask for someone's private opinion and then call people together to state that person's opinion out loud to everyone in what seems like an attempt to publicly humiliate said person. Maybe he WAS attempting character motivation, but it still seems like a rotten thing to do. . .
Ford was one of the greatest directors of all time but a real ass of a human, every single actor or actress who ever worked with him all said that including Maureen O'Hara who about punched him in the face once for pulling his crap on her.
Still blows my mind that he volunteered to fight in WW2 and requested a combat posting because he was worried the army was just going to use him to sell war bonds because he was a celebrity. Most of the other celebs of the era who signed up didn't put themselves in harm's way to the extent Stewart did and I don't blame them.
Air crews bombing Germany didn't have a good survival rate in WW2. Something like 50% or more died trying.
Stewart had so much integrity.
He and Clark Gable. Gable took a job being a gunner on a bomber. Despite being viewed as too old for military duty.
David Niven helped found the British commandos and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Was the first person from Hollywood to join the Navy. Like Stewart he continued to serve as a reserve officer until the 1980s.
He was a very much changed man after that.
@@leftcoaster67 insisted on it.
Lee Marvin was no slouch in the Army either, nor was Audie Murphy of course and I think Rod Steiger was in the Navy.
The so called Hollywood stars of today can’t hold a candle to James Stewart.
Amen , not a single one .
The so-called Hollywood stars of today can't hold a match to light the candle they can't hold to James Stewart.
Forget the candle, majority of these so-called "stars of today" couldn't even hold a wick to JS.
DeNiro, great actor and great American.
@@dabearcub HAHAHAHAHA!!! You're funny!
Can only imagine how fun it would have been to have a few drinks with Mr Stewart and listen to stories .
Him & Henry Fonda were "big time buddies"....one night before Christmas he fell off the roof of the Fonda's house replacing a light or fix'n something...all drunk up & landed in snow. I heard Jane tell this story years ago on somebody's talk show.
You're probably just as interesting, it's just that he had more famous friends.
@@burlatsdemontaigne6147
Well after a few drinks I do get pretty interesting. Lol. I'm sure he got to go a lot more places and meet a lot more people than me. But thanks.
I hope you're well and happy.
Dominus Vobiscum
@@murraymims120 They were political opposites, Fonda a democrat, and Stewart a republican. They were friends since their NYC theatre days before moving west to Hollywood.
It's always the drinks with you. What, you work for Old Grand Dad?
I love hearing these great actors from the golden era of the silver screen talking and telling stories of what went on behind the scenes of classic films. Brilliant! An extra bonus for me, being that I love James Stewart and John Wayne. So to hear Jimmy talking about the Duke during the making of a favourite film of mine, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is pure magic! 👍
@King Royal Sod off! People like you do my head in. You love to wave the racist card where ever you can. Get a life! I'm really not interested!
Real people.
I met Jimmy Stewart many years ago in Kona, Hawaii where he had a horse ranch. He was quite pleasant and we enjoyed a delightful conversation.
How can you not but love Jimmy Stewart? Incredible actor & a master story teller
I don’t love him! He’s a RACIST!!!
I don’t love him! He’s a RACIST!!!
@@christopherp.hitchens3902 Go cry. Jimmy Stewart is superior to you.
What a man ! All class , decency , honor and talent .
James Stewart was a true Gentleman of distinction.
@Leo Peridot One of my favorite things about Jimmy Stewart, at least in his younger days, is that he wasn't afraid to expose problems in America. He loved the country, sure, but he loved it enough to point out how much its government sucked.
@Leo Peridot John Wayne attended the funeral of Jimmy Stewart's stepson who was killed in Vietnam in June 1969. When a student raised a North Vietnamese flag in the vicinity of the funeral as a form of protest or whatever, of American involvement in the war, Wayne went over to the student, grabbed the flag, and ripped it to shreds.
@Leo Peridot Here's one of the things about John Wayne: If he was your friend, you couldn't find a better, more loyal friend. If he and you got into trouble in a bar, Wayne wouldn't beat it out the back door. He'd go down fighting alongside you, and wouldn't take a backward step.
@Leo Peridot "I can't separate the entertainer from the man?" 'You talk the talk but don't walk the walk?" That's funny. Well, I guess you'd know about THAT.
No, I've heard enough stories about Wayne that convinced me that he'd stay and fight. And I suspect over the years, he's had MANY guys challenge him to fights in bars, on the street, etc., because of that tough persona.
America has had Presidents and Vice Presidents who dodged the draft, and lied about serving in action, yet stand (one at least) before the flag and call out others who are disloyal to their country.
Yes
What a legend 😢 I still love to watch “Its a Wonderful Life” around Christmas time
12/31/22
Happy New Year
Got to respect a guy for not being afraid to give his opinion when asked.
He kept it together flying over Germany in a b24, so I doubt a little interview question could phase him.
I mean he actually volunteered for arguably the most dangerous job the US army had to offer at the time. Bombing Germany was rather bad for your health. The Germans took exception to the practice and were quite insistent about trying to stop it.
If this were to be filmed today, the interviewer would have interrupted him 12-14 times and there would have been at least one commercial break in the middle.
And the interviewer would have laughed hysterically at his own jokes.
@Matthew Holzner In that vein, the worst interview I ever saw of a great actor was on the late night Carson Daly Show about 12 years ago. The guest was Robert Duvall. Daly clearly had contempt for Duvall, and refused to talk with him about any of his roles. Instead, he talked to him about meat. Yeah, meat. Why did he have Duvall on, if he disliked him? Beats me.
And the video would have a billion complaints by hardcore shut-ins, old ladies, chicken hawks, and internet delinquents talking about “the good old days”
If this were filmed today, Jimmy Stewart would spend 90% of the interview participating in some gag activity for mUcH luLz and we wouldn’t learn a single thing about him and his views
and they would both be gay and trans
One of the greatest actors of all time, loved him in THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE
Just showed it to my 17 year old daughter. She loved it. I am hoping she gets a few of the lessons in it. Have to say Lee Marvin was the most evil person I have ever seen on film in that movie.
He was the bravest of them all.
👍 Some people just exhibit class when they speak. In all the James Stewart interviews I have seen he demonstrates that he is one of those people. When visiting Scottsdale, AZ one time I stayed at a hotel that had been used by movie crews during the filming of movies in the 1950s. They had photos of the participants on the walls, in one photo James Stewart (the main character in his movie) was standing in a line waiting to be served at the buffet. He was in the middle of the line along with several crew members - no special treatment expected, just one of the “guys”.
Yes, he’s in a special line. He’s in the whites-only line!
That was how he was
I could listen to him talk for hours…
you have to. it takes him hours to get out on sentence.
I feel the same way--I love James Stewart--there are no more James Stewarts, and he died not long after his wife did.
Thank you for your service to the nation General Stewart both on screen and in uniform.
I don't usually get sentimental or jingoistic but the man was a bloody hero and never acted like it. So much modesty and integrity.
Although I wish it was 1997, I was 18, and Jimmy Stewart was still alive...
Just wondering who you are really thanking here..
This is the mark of a great actor. As you watch this, you see that it's just like watching him in a movie. He's speaking off the cuff, no script; and that's just what you get when you watch him in a movie. There's no acting, he just becomes the character. I know everyone raves about Spencer Tracy as the best actor, but man, Jimmy Stewart ranks right up there with him.
Never heard anyone rave about Tracy as the best actor, it's always Brando gets called that.
Spencer tracy who do you talk to it was always Brando
@@Mr.Goodkat Never heard anyone rave? They're all dead. I've seen may interviews (in 1960's, 1970's) with actors saying Tracy was *THE* guy that they tried to emulate with his naturalness in front of the camera. Burt Reynolds told the story that he and other actors would go to the set of a movie Tracy was making and sit there and watch him perform, believing him to be the consummate movie actor. Brando has been called the greatest movie actor - and with good reason - because he brought something else to the screen, and NOBODY could do what he did.
@@jamesanthony5681 Yeah I never heard anyone rave about Tracy before.
@@Mr.Goodkat I've heard people say Spence was the best, and I've heard people say the bum was the best. I have a Big Four: Spence, Freddie March, Alec Guinness and Jimmy Stewart. However, Jimmy had by far the greatest career. He starred in six Top 100 masterpieces: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); The Philadelphia Story (1940); It's a Wonderful Life (1946); Harvey (1950); Rear Window (1954); and Vertigo (1958). He also starred in the non-Top 100 masterpieces Destry Rides Again (1939); and Anatomy of a Murder (1959). And for my money, he gave the greatest lead actor performance ever in a talkie, in Life. The bum was the most talented sound actor, but he largely wasted his talent. I haven't figured out what to do with Olivier.
"Contender, Champ, Bum: Brando"
nicholasstixuncensored.blogspot.com/2008/03/contender-champ-bum-brando.html
Incredible detail . One of the greatest actors of all times , great pilot too .
Oh you flew with him did you?
@@sillyboy2223 it's well known he was a great pilot, bub
@@sillyboy2223 What a weird question. It’s well documented that Stewart was a great pilot. I know that Chuck Yeager was a great pilot as well, for the same reason.
@@sillyboy2223 …. Know men from the USaFA that flew with Gen Stewart and they echo that sentiment
Great actor and an amazing person. His military career is pretty impressive.
I immediately watched this over again.
It’s like a scene from one of his movies. I don’t mean he came off false. Just that under the surface of his straightforward manner, there’s many layers and a good deal of intensity. He can effortlessly captivate his listener.
Woody Strode, badass actor
I read an interview with Woody Strode, who told the same story…he believed that Ford did it to keep the actors from getting too close…Strode said he was starting to get friendly with Stewart , but after that incident, Stewart felt so uneasy, he barely spoke to him…
That's really too bad, they could have been great friends.
One of the greatest actors of all time
I just love jimmy Stewart and love to hear him talk.
John Ford, according to various actors' / actresses' testimony, was a gifted director, but a very small man, who relished in belittling others.
That may be true but he also was modest to a fault. whenever someone would tell him how great he was as a director, etc. he would deny it and call it BS. I think he thought (probably rightly so) that making movies wasn't as important as everyone thought it was and that all of this fame that these actors and directors were getting was a little over the top.
A great storyteller, in addition to his many other accomplishments.
Jimmy could always weave a yarn into a long flowing train, of a sort.
Mighty 8th bomber pilot in WW2 that was a courageous man!
Jimmy Stewart & John Wayne in the Shootist! Now that was movie making at it's best!
Showbiz people do love to tell showbiz stories, none better than Jimmy Stewart. And this is a very good one. Always loved him.
He was couraguous and seemingly ashamed of it. What a man 👍
Why should he be ashamed of being a victim of a bully? Nonsense
@@denmark39 bully lol it was just some friendly ribbing, the man fought in ww2 you think h cares about a prank like that? lol
I recently read an article about Stewart that he was a racist far worse than Duke or other actors who are often accused of being racist.I find that very hard to believe
Everyone in history is a racist, according to today's virtuous online geniuses. Or is it that the accusers are ignorant nobodies who'd happily pass along an unfounded lie so they can feel a little unearned superiority? Bet on the second -- and count yourself among them.
Indeed. To be able to travel back in time with camera and sound crew and interview all the greats from the Golden Years.😀
A class act, they don't take them no more like him!
This is a great actor who did not need a script to be interesting.
I just love this man's voice, I could listen to him for days 💕
I was ahead of Mr Stewart and I said that ate the canary...then he said mouse! Mr Stewart was truly one of the greatest Hollywood actors ever! Also one of the greatest American patriots ever!
I could watch a thousand hours of stories like this one and still want more! That was GREAT.
Compare the grace of this man to the actors of today - there is no comparison and here you have a perfect example of why nearly everyone despises Hollywood and their products today.
"nearly everyone" ...?
I First Thought After Hearing James Stewart Say That So Interesting Story That, I Probably Will Never Forget It, And Gosh Over The Years James Stewart Was Such A Unique Actor, His Many Fans And Hollywood Will Never Forget Him.
You only have to capitalise the first letter in a sentence!
@@crossedpolarsPlease, Please Understand I Have Told Many Of You Folks Trying Or Telling Me To Stop To Capitalise Past The First Letter, I Will Never Stop Writing Like This, So Go The Other Way, And Please Listen Wake Up !! 14 Southern Border Guards Have Committed Suicide, Tell VP Kamalla Harris To Stop Lying To The Great American People !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since Tulsi Gabbard Verbally Stepped On Her Toes During Debate, Kamalla Needs To Go Down To The Southern Border !!!!!!!! Open Your Eyes Kamalla !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🤔
@@tombasye1016 I Am Just Curious Now, Why Do You Capitalise Every Word? Seems Like More Work.
Plainly speaking Stewart doesn't hem and haw and stammer as much.
His favorite hat. Whenever you'd see a late-model green Volvo driving around town with the driver wearing that hat, channeling Mr. Magoo's driving style, you'd know it was Jimmy Stewart!
I miss all you guys !!!!!!!!!
From what I've read and seen, I think Ford loved the friction and conflict. It throws people off balance so much they rely on instinct. And I think that's what he wanted.
I had a boss like that, he was a brilliant man but he could be a asshole. He'd frequently tell people, especially new hires, "don't get caught up in the noise, just do your job". By "noise" he meant the petty b.s., like gossip and personality differences but he was always the one who'd create friction between people. I learned never to document a complaint, regardless of how egregious or damaging to the company because he'd call in to his office, the person at fault and read the written complaint to him. There were many other things he'd do to cause friction. As opposed to Ford, who may have been trying to get his actors to rely on instinct, my former boss would do it for reasons I'll never understand.
As ethically ambigious as it is, people tend to create great art when there's some sort of conflict or tension in the process of making it.
@notebeat Nah, Jack Ford was a sadistic bully. A brilliant director, a creator of communities, and a bully. People are funny that way.
@@nstix2009xitsn Ford was in the closet.
@@ricardocantoral7672 According to homosexuals, everyone in Hollywood was gay!
that's an amazing story. i heard John Ford walked up to a director directing John Wayne and said, "I hope you're a better director than you are an actor"
The days when gentlemen roamed the hills.
Brilliant, thoughtful and self deprecating..superb..
John Ford was a genius his films truly stand the test of time
I could listen to Jimmy talk for hours. A great actor but even a greater American 🍸
and kudos to the interviewer for letting him talk without interruption or distraction.
The great honor of my life is to have been raised by parents from the Greatest generation. And Jimmy Stewart just oozes with that humble yet intelligent spirit so prevalent in their time. The more they pass on the more I miss them.
What a wonderful human being! Loved God, his Family and country. Had the Rank of Major General, was in WW 2, Korean and Vietnam wars. One of the greatest Actors. “ Salt of the earth “ God bless his Soul. Look Mr Stewart up on the Johnny Carson Show, he was a wonderful guest on Carson’s show
James stewart was one of the greatest actors of his era
Clip from one of my favourite documentaries on John Ford. Love these clips
One of my favorite "Golden Age of Hollywood" actors, along with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Orson Wells, Edward G. Robinson, Spencer Tracy, John Wayne, Henry Fonda (should never start naming names, don't wanna' stop), etc.
Fantastic story by a fantastic actor they don’t make them like Jimmy Stewart anymore!
Awwv Jimmy. Love your acting and voice!! They don't make actors like them anymore. With such compassion and love.
I was in the Navy. I'm used to taking shit. But by the time Jimmy Stewart was doing Liberty Valance he'd already been an Oscar winner. I did minor(!) Local theater. Would like to believe, no matter how much I would have enjoyed the role, I would have ignored Ford and walked away, even to the extent of never working with a man again. I cannot Abide a bully.
Jimmy Stewart was the essence of humility. War hero, great actor and unassuming. If only, today we had.......
Always fun to hear Jimmy talk!
Hi . Lots of love from south Goa India
I'm so glad that I was born while these great actors, patriots and all around good Americans were alive. They're mostly all gone now except for a few still hanging in there but Hollywood is not the same and never will be.
Today, Hollywood is eating itself. When you produce crap, that's what comes out the back end.
@@jimhenderson9173
Yea nothing but demented pedophiles and perverts. Most of them whacked on drugs or alcoholics.
God Bless Jimmie Stewart... they broke the molds of all of the Golden era actors and actresses. They built motion media worth watching... and their predecessors have become wealthy tearing it down.
I'm reading Norm McDonald's autobiography and he uses the phrase, "maybe I could red apple the old man". I wonder if this is where it comes from?
Norm loved to use out of date phrases like that.
Told as nostalgia by Stewart but Ford was often a cruel bastard to all around him.
I think that asshole...(Ford)...tried to take credit for somethings "Yak" Canuut did.
@@murraymims120 Ford also treated Yak in very much the same way he did the rest of the cast at times. There was one difference Yak was tougher than rawhide, and he would could and did tell Ford to "Take a flying leap." Yak knew that if Ford wanted his work, Ford had to at least be tolerant of him, because Yak was more than an actor. Ford considered all actors disposable.
Robert montgomery defended Wayne i believe
@Leo Peridot I think you mean Robert Montgomery, not Robert Taylor.
Henry Fonda told Elwy Yost of TV Ontario in 1977, that John Ford was "one of the most despicable human beings he ever met" (paraphrasing slightly), but praised Ford as a movie maker. "He had the luck of the Irish. When he was setting up a shot and wanted the clouds to clear, they cleared, and he got sunlight."
Love that he calls him “Duke Wayne” lol
Jimmy Stewart was so good in a slew of movies but I esp. liked the five westerns he made in the 1950s with director Anthony Mann:: Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952). The Naked Spur (1953). The Far Country (1954), and The Man from Laramie (1955).
Ford was a class A a-whole. Why these great actors and actresses put up with him is beyond me.
Jimmy Cagney didn't. Ford tried pulling that kind of crap on him during the production of Mister Roberts (1955) warning him that they'd end up "tangling asses" if he showed up late for a shoot. Next day Cagney was slightly late because of traffic, Ford got pissed off, but before he could try his act Cagney marched right up to Ford and told him he was ready to "tangle asses" at any time. Ford backed off right away. Cagney, an ex-New York state amateur boxing champ, would have beaten that old man's balls off without breaking a sweat. Ford later ended up getting into an argument with Henry Fonda and punched him in the mouth. Fonda said nothing about it and completed the picture but it was the end of their sixteen-year friendship and Fonda would never work with Ford again. Ford apologised tearfully but of course it was too late then.
Lets say Ford was a complex character. He could also show great loyalty and kindness. When he made Th Quiet Man in Cong Co. Mayo, the west of ireland was one of the poorest places in Europe. Ford had the whole village put on the payroll as extras. The sort of money they'd never seen before and he had electricity installed for the first time in the village's history. He was however also capable of real nastiness. Complex, as I said. Actors wanted to work with him because he put them in masterpieces. Henry Fonda's best pictures are his Ford ones. John Wayne rarely made a good picture away from Ford.
@@LordZontar Ford was an alcoholic but he usually cut from alcohol when he was directing a movie. But during the shooting of Mr Roberts, he began to drink heavily, even on the set. His tyrannical nature + Fonda's "rebellion" + alcohol, it ended in a fight between the two old friends.
But it was not exactly Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua... 😁
According to Jack Lemmon who witnessed the end of the fight (he didn't see Ford punching Fonda), Fonda held at the end of his long arms a drunk Ford who tried to hit him with his arms turning like a windmill...Fonda was trying to calm Ford down but he ended by pushing him on a bed...
@@johnmorrison9738 Fonda made great movies with Ford but also average or even bad movies with him like The Fugitive which was really really not good at all..
Fonda was not dependent on Ford as Wayne was. John Wayne owed him his career, or at least the take off it. Fonda was already successful when he played in his first Ford's movie and IMO, he made great movies with other directors like Sidney Lumet, Fritz Lang, Edward Dmytryk, William Wellman or Sergio Leone which were equal or even superior to those directed by Ford.
I think the dynamic between the actors and director (and studio, of course) was quite a bit different several decades ago. I’d say big stars today (in general) have more power and influence. That’s my impression anyway; however, I’m no industry inside either.
The old man set him up, by asking him his opinion. Any time he did that of anyone, he was setting him up!
I loved him he was a great one Jimmy Stewart you dont make. Actor s like this any more to day
How did we go from great actors and human beings like him to the snowflakes we have now???
Great interview with a great actor, a true gent.
Incidentally, Dana Carvey does a really funny impression of him in “Comedians in Cars getting Coffee” with Jerry Seinfeld
James Stewart was the quintessential movie star... and a great actor.
He made so many great films.
Sure could use a few more like him today.
Mr. Stewart was also a great American patriot. He was in the Air Force Reserves and retired a general.
How many 'movie stars' would do that today?
Very few because the vast majority are too busy shitting on their country.
RIP MR. JAMES STEWART
You were a special man!
Jimmy Stewart wasn't just in the Air Force reserves. He flew about 20 bombing missions during WW2 in B-24 and B-17 bombers over Nazi occupied Europe. He was a brave man who didn't use his influence as a Hollywood actor to avoid very dangerous front line service as a pilot.
@@ToddSauve
Todd,
Thanks for the reminder.
Mr. Stewart wasn't just an arm-chair general, he was the real deal.
James Stewart was a true American hero - on, and more importantly, off the screen.
@@jimw.4161 An admirable man. 💖
@@ToddSauve He did more than weasel out of service; he used all of his influence to get INTO active, combat duty and not just do Why We Fight shorts and training films. He was the absolute, real deal. He flew B-24s, which by most accounts, was a much more difficult plane to handle than the 17. The top-wing construction wasn't as aerodynamic. My step-father was a bombardier in a 24 in the 15th in Italy. He told me that ditching a 24 in water would be like riding a rock given the construction.
Astute comment on costuming of Woody Strode by Jimmy Stewart. He didn't like what that costume signified. Good for him.
You are misunderstanding through 2021 eyes...he just thought it looked like another character. Uncle Remus was beloved, and still is by those who are lucky enough to see the Song of the South.
Ford just liked to pick any reason to mess with actors, hence "perhaps Mr. Stewart is anti-Negro"
"Harvey" is one of my favorite movies.
James Stewart was an American icon, the type of man who no longer exists, especially in Hollywood.
Jimmy Stewart told this story in a print interview and goes into more detail. Ford called the crew over and said "Take a look at Mr. Stewart. This is what a racist looks like in case you were wondering." Just brutal.
If the shoe fits. He was a racist.
I can't at all see how Stewart's comment was racist. But Ford was a sadistic bully, as someone commented below, so he knew where to hit where it would hurt most.
I want to be by his side when he told Ford uncle Remus-is start whistling turkey in the straw and get us kicked out of class🙏😘♥️
Loved it, Canada
so ford didnt like being confronted by his own prejudices
stewart was right
This is great!👍
Don't know that much about Ford, however he definitely was a master at mind games, totally set Jimmy up.
Thankyou Scotland and Ireland
I have got a movie DVD of James Stewart with Grace Kelly and Romand Burr in Rear Window and I saw James Stewart with George Kennedy as he is a bank manager as James Stewart puts money in the bank in the movie The Dynamite Man From Glory Jail and when he wants to withdraw his money from the bank he has two sticks of dynamite across his chest as he gets a match to blow himself up if he did not get any of his money back from the bank as I am dedicating these movies to my old school friends who are both sisters as I hope to see them again very soon to Chris and Hester from Billyxxxxx
I had a professor who called John Ford’s movies racist in 73, of course I couldn’t see it at the time, but Stewart put his finger right on it.
I think Sergeant Rutledge (1960) was a progessive film for its time and did not achieve the popularity it deserved in America, but was well received in Europe. I believe the same thing happened with Cheyenne Autumn in 1964.
@Daniel Crotty Your professor lied.
James Stewart, Cary Grant and David Niven were the very best.
He said the right thing about Woody strode's costume.
Agreed. One would have thought Pompei would have tried to wear his Sunday best at a funeral.
What does that mean, "It looks a bit Uncle Reemacy"?
@@fanofcameron Uncle Remus-y. Reminding of Uncle Remus, the narrator of African American tales published after the Civil War. They are sometimes seen as conveying racial stereotypes.
@@vincentmutel7313 Thank you!
If anything was racist it was that costume!
There is a great TV series in the uk, the World at War from 1973 I think. 26 programmes. James Stewart was on one of them, as he was a bomber pilot.
John Ford was in uniform in command of a unit documenting the war on film, not just for posterity but for generals to study and learn from. He was at Normandy. Some cameramen lost their lives in this duty.
Stewart actually enlisted in the Army before the US was in the war. He was already a hollywood star and walked away from it to serve his country.
@@frederickburke9944
A member of the greatest generation.
Where can I find the full interview? Thanks for posting.
ruclips.net/video/2o1dGL3zrzc/видео.html
John Ford was like a villanous teacher whom you wanted to like you.
No ass he wanted you to see reality. History is a heck of a teacher
Both comments, wrong. He was just an ass and I don’t care what an ass likes or dislikes.
Overated.
@@stephaniejaniczekssmugglerscan Calling him an was out of nowhere. Kinda puts you on the first thing smokin' outta town.
HOWARD HAWKS BETTER DIRECTOR
There was a saying the actors had about Ford - it was something like this: "He's half a jerk, half a genius and half Irish"!......'
Thanks! You gave me my first laugh of the day.
Actually, the quote was nearer to
"He's half mad, half a genius and half Irish".
If I had been Mr. Stewart, I'd walked off that set and left a$$ h Ford with an unfinished picture. Ben Johnson stood up to the old man and kept on working in pictures.
I would have liked to be his friend .
That's amazing! 🙂
Stewart was right and Ford didnt see that HE , YES HE was the one being prejudicial .
Hes really just that way if you ever got to be with him you know how your brain gets tricked and you get frozen not knowing how you got sucked into the t v until he noticed and livingly Un sticks you by showing himself human😢😢😢😢💔💔😢❤️
I've known employers who pit one employee against another by innuendo, sly remarks and behind the scene maneuvering and I move as quickly as I can to any other kind of work I can find. They don't learn, they only listen to gain influence and find ''cracks in your armor'' and they are intentionally cruel. And all cruelty comes from weakness.
It is just mean. I understand doing whatever you have to extract good work from people. But I am a believer on using honey. If that doesn't work then bye bye to you.
Great actor man serviceman
As a relatively young person I would give ANYTHING to have been an adult in the era of the 20's 30"s-40"s when America was new, sweet and kind (I know we had war) The music was romantic and tender, the homes were gorgeous and Americans dressed beautifully just to go shopping for groceries or to do their errands and there were NO drug addicted tent dwelling loafers laying on sidewalks...Only in my dreams and the old movies, or another country
Makes me wonder why Ford was such a jerk. Met a couple of jerks just like that in my life and I always assumed that they just hated being alive. I guess some folks are just pricks when they come out of the womb.
Maybe he wanted to make him feel sad before shooting the funeral scene. Directors can be funny like that.
@@steveryan6587 Maybe so, but my first thought is that a person DOES have to be a real jerk to ask for someone's private opinion and then call people together to state that person's opinion out loud to everyone in what seems like an attempt to publicly humiliate said person. Maybe he WAS attempting character motivation, but it still seems like a rotten thing to do. . .
Ford was one of the greatest directors of all time but a real ass of a human, every single actor or actress who ever worked with him all said that including Maureen O'Hara who about punched him in the face once for pulling his crap on her.
Ford loved to berate people, I think he got a kick out of it.
And not such a good director. The editing in his films was awful, in spite of top class photographers.
Good ole Bogdonovich asking the question.
What year is this interview from?
1971, I think. The interview is Peter Bogdonavich.
Ford was a great director, and a sadist.