Editing James Stewart (section)

==Career==
{{see also|List of awards and nominations received by James Stewart}}

===1932–1937: Theater and early film roles===
[[File:Yellow Jack Play 1934.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Stewart in ''[[Yellow Jack (play)|Yellow Jack]]'', in which he starred on Broadway in 1934 and which garnered him critical praise.]]
Stewart performed in bit parts in the University Players' productions in Cape Cod during the summer of 1932.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=51–52}} The company's directors included [[Joshua Logan]], [[Bretaigne Windust]], and Charles Leatherbee,{{sfn|Eyman|2017|p=17}} and amongst its other actors were married couple [[Henry Fonda]] and [[Margaret Sullavan]], who became Stewart's close friends.<ref>{{harvnb|Eyman|2017|pp=42–43}}; {{harvnb|Fonda|Teichmann|1981|p=74}}; {{harvnb|Dewey|1996|pp=23, 97, 105–106}}</ref> At the end of the season, Stewart moved to New York with his Players friends Logan, [[Myron McCormick]], and newly single Henry Fonda.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=50–54}}; {{harvnb|Eyman|2017|p=43}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Flint |first1=Peter B. |title=Henry Fonda Dies on Coast at 77; Played 100 Stage and Screen Roles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/13/obituaries/henry-fonda-dies-on-coast-at-77-played-100-stage-and-screen-roles.html |access-date=August 8, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 13, 1982 |archive-date=August 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808174512/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/13/obituaries/henry-fonda-dies-on-coast-at-77-played-100-stage-and-screen-roles.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Along with McCormick, Stewart debuted on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in the brief run of ''[[Carry Nation (play)|Carry Nation]]'' and a few weeks later – again with McCormick – appeared as a chauffeur in the comedy ''Goodbye Again'', in which he had a walk-on line.{{sfn|Dewey|1996|p=109}} ''[[The New Yorker]]'' commented, "Mr. James Stewart's chauffeur... comes on for three minutes and walks off to a round of spontaneous applause."{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=57}} Following the seven-month run of ''Goodbye Again'', Stewart took a stage manager position in [[Boston]], but was fired after frequently missing his cues.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=61}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=59}}</ref> Returning to New York, he then landed a small part in ''Spring in Autumn'' and a role in ''All Good Americans'', where he was required to throw a banjo out of the window.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=61–62}} [[Brooks Atkinson]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "Throwing a $250 banjo out of the window at the concierge is constructive abuse and should be virtuously applauded."{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=62}} Both plays folded after only short runs, and Stewart began to think about going back to his studies.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=61}}

Stewart was convinced to continue acting when he was cast in the lead role of ''[[Yellow Jack (play)|Yellow Jack]]'', playing a soldier who becomes the subject of a [[yellow fever]] experiment.{{sfnm|1a1=Dewey|1y=1996|1p=123|2a1=Eliot|2y=2006|2p=62}} It premiered at the [[Al Hirschfeld Theatre|Martin Beck Theater]] in March 1934. Stewart received unanimous praise from the critics, but the play proved unpopular with audiences and folded by June.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=62–63}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=65–68}}</ref> During the summer, Stewart made his film debut with an unbilled appearance in the [[Shemp Howard]] comedy [[short subject|short]] ''[[Art Trouble]]'' (1934), filmed in [[Brooklyn]], and acted in [[summer stock]] productions of ''We Die Exquisitely'' and ''All Paris Knows'' at the Red Barn Theater on [[Long Island]].{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=65–68}} In the fall, he again received excellent reviews for his role in ''Divided by Three'' at the [[Ethel Barrymore Theatre]], which he followed with the modestly successful ''Page Miss Glory'' and the critical failure ''A Journey by Night'' in spring 1935.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=65–70}}; {{harvnb|Eyman|2017|p=56}}</ref>
[[File:James Stewart in After the Thin Man trailer.jpg|left|upright|thumb|''[[After the Thin Man]]'' (1936)]]
Soon after ''A Journey by Night'' ended, Stewart signed a seven-year contract with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (MGM), orchestrated by talent scout Bill Grady, who had been tracking Stewart's career since seeing him perform in Princeton.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=64–65}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=68–69}}</ref> His first Hollywood role was a minor appearance in the [[Spencer Tracy]] vehicle ''[[The Murder Man]]'' (1935).<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=72–77}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=73}}</ref> His performance was largely ignored by critics, although the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'', remembering him in ''Yellow Jack'', called him "wasted in a bit that he handles with characteristically engaging skill".<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=78}}; {{harvnb|Thomas|1988|p=29}}</ref> MGM did not see leading-man material in Stewart, described by biographer Michael D. Rinella as a "lanky young bumpkin with a hesitant manner of speech". During this time, his agent [[Leland Hayward]] decided that the best path for him would be through loan-outs to other studios.{{sfn|Rinella|2019|p=78}}

Stewart had only a small role in his second MGM film, the hit musical ''[[Rose Marie (1936 film)|Rose Marie]]'' (1936), but it led to his casting in seven other films within one year, including ''[[Next Time We Love]]'' and ''[[After the Thin Man]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Dewey|1996|p=145}}; {{harvnb|McGowan|1992|p=20}}; {{harvnb|Turk|1998|p=363}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=80}}</ref> He also received crucial help from his University Players friend Margaret Sullavan, who campaigned for him to be her leading man in ''Next Time We Love'', a [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] romantic comedy filmed right after ''Rose Marie''. Sullavan rehearsed extensively with him, boosting his confidence and helping him incorporate his mannerisms and boyishness into his screen persona.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=82–83}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=77–81}}; {{harvnb|Eyman|2017|p=60}}; {{harvnb|Rinella|2019|p=83}}</ref> ''Next Time We Love'' was a box-office success and received mostly positive reviews,<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=85}}; {{harvnb|Rinella|2019|pp=77–78}}</ref> leading Stewart to be noticed by critics and MGM executives.{{sfn|Eyman|2017|p=60}} ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' stated that "the chief significance of [the film]&nbsp;in the progress of the cinema industry is likely to reside in the presence in its cast of James Stewart", and ''The New York Times'' called him "a welcome addition to the roster of Hollywood's leading men".{{sfn|Rinella|2019|p=83}}

[[File:Speed lobby card 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Stewart and [[Wendy Barrie]] in ''[[Speed (1936 film)|Speed]]'' (1936)]]
[[File:Robert Young, Tom Brown, James Stewart Navy Blue and Gold 1937.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Robert Young (actor)|Robert Young]], [[Tom Brown (actor)|Tom Brown]], and Stewart in ''[[Navy Blue and Gold (film)|Navy Blue and Gold]]'' (1937)]]
Stewart followed ''Next Time We Love'' with supporting roles in two commercially successful romantic comedies, ''[[Wife vs. Secretary]]'' (1936) with [[Clark Gable]] and [[Myrna Loy]] and ''[[Small Town Girl (1936 film)|Small Town Girl]]'' (1936).<ref>{{harvnb|Dewey|1996|p=147}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=85–86}}</ref> In both, he played the betrayed boyfriend of the leading lady, portrayed by [[Jean Harlow]] and [[Janet Gaynor]], respectively.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=86}} Both films garnered him some good reviews.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=91–92}} After an appearance in the short subject ''Important News'' (1936), Stewart had his first top-billed role in the low-budget [[B movie|"B" movie]] ''[[Speed (1936 film)|Speed]]'' (1936), in which he played a mechanic and speed driver&nbsp;competing in the [[Indianapolis 500]].{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=92}} The film was a critical and commercial failure,{{sfn|Molyneaux|1992|p=54}} although [[Frank Nugent]] of ''The New York Times'' stated that "Mr. Stewart [and the rest of the cast] perform as pleasantly as possible."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nugent |first1=Frank S. |title=Notes in a Minor Key on the Current Opera, 'Speed,' At the Capitol, and the Palace's 'Human Cargo.' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1936/05/16/archives/notes-in-a-minor-key-on-the-current-opera-speed-at-the-capitol-and.html |access-date=November 4, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 16, 1936 |archive-date=November 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105002108/https://www.nytimes.com/1936/05/16/archives/notes-in-a-minor-key-on-the-current-opera-speed-at-the-capitol-and.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Stewart's last three film releases of 1936 were all box-office successes.<ref>{{harvnb|Molyneaux|1992|p=56}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=101}}</ref> He had only a bit part in ''[[The Gorgeous Hussy]]'', but a starring role in the musical ''[[Born to Dance]]'' with [[Eleanor Powell]].<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=94}}; {{harvnb|Sanello|1997|p=81}}</ref> His performance in the latter was not well-received: ''The New York Times'' stated that his "singing and dancing will (fortunately) never win him a song-and-dance-man classification",<ref>{{cite news |last1=J.T.M. |title=The Capitol's 'Born to Dance,' With Eleanor Powell Tapping to Cole Porter Tunes, Is Tops – Other Films. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1936/12/05/archives/the-capitols-born-to-dance-with-eleanor-powell-tapping-to-cole.html |access-date=November 4, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 5, 1936 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104230853/https://www.nytimes.com/1936/12/05/archives/the-capitols-born-to-dance-with-eleanor-powell-tapping-to-cole.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''Variety'' called "his singing and dancing [...] rather painful on their own", although it otherwise found Stewart aptly cast in an "assignment [that] calls for a shy youth".{{sfn|Molyneaux|1992|p=57}} Stewart's last film to be released in 1936, ''After the Thin Man'', features a shattering emotional climax rendered by Stewart.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=83}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=100–101}}</ref> Kate Cameron of the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' wrote that he "has one grand scene in which he demonstrates most effectively that he is something more than a musical comedy juvenile".{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=100–101}}

For his next film, the romantic drama ''[[Seventh Heaven (1937 film)|Seventh Heaven]]'' (1937), Stewart was loaned to [[20th Century Fox|20th Century-Fox]] to play a Parisian sewer worker in a [[remake]] of [[Frank Borzage]]'s [[7th Heaven (1927 film)|silent classic]] released a decade earlier. He and co-star [[Simone Simon]] were miscast,{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=102}} and the film was a critical and commercial failure.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=101}} William Boehnel of the ''[[New York World-Telegram]]'' called Stewart's performance emotionless, and Eileen Creelman of ''[[The New York Sun]]'' wrote that he made little attempt to look or sound French.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=102}} Stewart's next film, ''[[The Last Gangster]]'' (1937) starring [[Edward G. Robinson]], was also a failure,{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=86}} but it was followed by a critically acclaimed performance in ''Navy Blue and Gold'' (1937) as a football player at the [[United States Naval Academy]].<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=89–90}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hiaasen |first1=Rob |title=Navy Blue and Gold–1937 movie style |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/ac-cn-blue-and-gold-1201-story.html |access-date=November 8, 2019 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=November 30, 2017 |archive-date=November 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108190252/https://www.chicagotribune.com/ac-cn-blue-and-gold-1201-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was a box-office success and earned Stewart the best reviews of his career up to that point.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=89–90}} ''The New York Times'' wrote "the ending leaves us with the conviction that James Stewart is a sincere and likable triple-threat man in the [MGM] backfield" and ''Variety'' called his performance "fine".{{sfn|Molyneaux|1992|p=62}}

=== 1938–1941: Leading man ===
Despite good reviews, Stewart was still a minor star, and MGM remained hesitant to cast him in leading roles, preferring to loan him out to other studios.<ref>{{harvnb|McBride|2011|p=310}}; {{harvnb|Sarris|1998|p=30}}</ref> After a well-received supporting part in ''[[Of Human Hearts]]'' (1938),<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=86–87}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=103–104}}</ref> he was loaned to [[RKO]] to act opposite [[Ginger Rogers]] in the romantic comedy ''[[Vivacious Lady]]'' (1938).<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=90–92}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=107–108}}</ref> The production was shut down for months in 1937 as Stewart recovered from an undisclosed illness, during which he was hospitalized. RKO initially wanted to replace Stewart, but eventually the project was canceled. However, Rogers' success in a stage musical caused the film to be picked up again. Stewart was recast in ''Vivacious Lady'' at Rogers' insistence and due to his performance in ''Of Human Hearts''.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=106}}</ref> It was a critical and commercial success, and showed Stewart's talent for performing in romantic comedies;{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=106}} ''[[The New York Herald]]'' called him "one of the most knowing and engaging young actors appearing on the screen at present".{{sfn|Molyneaux|1992|p=65}}

Stewart's third film release of 1938, the [[First World War]]&nbsp;drama ''[[The Shopworn Angel]]'', saw him collaborate again with Margaret Sullavan. In his performance, Stewart drew upon his own feelings of unrequited love towards Sullavan, who was married to his agent, [[Leland Hayward]].{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=109–110}} Although the film was otherwise well-received, critics were mixed about Stewart. Bland Johaneson of the ''[[New York Daily Mirror]]'' compared him to [[Stan Laurel]] in this melodramatic film, and ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called his performance unfocused.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=112}}

[[File:You Can't Take It with You trailer 1.jpg|thumb|left|Stewart and [[Jean Arthur]] in Frank Capra's ''You Can't Take It with You'' (1938)]]
Stewart became a major star when he was loaned out to [[Columbia Pictures]] to play the lead role in Frank Capra's ''You Can't Take It with You'' (1938) opposite [[Jean Arthur]].{{sfn|Sarris|1998|p=30}} Stewart played the son of a banker who falls in love with a woman from a poor and eccentric family. Capra had recently completed several well-received films and was looking for a new type of leading man. He had been impressed by Stewart's role in ''Navy Blue and Gold'' (1937). According to Capra, Stewart was one of the best actors ever to hit the screen, understood character archetypes intuitively, and required little directing.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=105–106}}; {{harvnb|McBride|2011|p=310}}</ref> ''You Can't Take It With You'' became [[1938 in film|the fifth highest-grossing]] film of the year and won the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]].{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=113–117}} The film was also critically successful, but while ''Variety'' wrote that the performances of Stewart and Arthur garnered "much of the laughs", most of the critical acclaim went to [[Lionel Barrymore]] and [[Edward Arnold (actor)|Edward Arnold]].{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=116–117}}

In contrast to the success of ''You Can't Take It With You'', Stewart's first three film releases of 1939 were all commercial disappointments. In the melodrama ''[[Made for Each Other (1939 film)|Made for Each Other]]'' (1939), he shared the screen with [[Carole Lombard]]. Stewart blamed its directing and screenwriting for its poor box-office performance.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=113–114}} Regardless, the film received favorable reviews,{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=113–114}} with ''[[Newsweek]]'' writing that Stewart and Lombard were "perfectly cast in the leading roles".{{sfn|Jones|McClure|Twomey|1970|p=67}} The other two films, ''[[The Ice Follies of 1939]]'' and ''[[It's a Wonderful World (1939 film)|It's a Wonderful World]]'', were critical failures.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=119–122}}; {{harvnb|Molyneaux|1992|pp=71–72}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=117–119}}</ref>

[[File:James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|alt=James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)|Stewart in [[Frank Capra]]'s ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939)]]
In Stewart's fourth 1939 film, he worked with Capra and Arthur again in the political comedy-drama ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington''. Stewart played an idealist thrown into the political arena.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=121–122}} It garnered critical praise and became the third-highest-grossing film of the year.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=127–128}} ''[[The Nation]]'' stated "[Stewart] takes first place among Hollywood actors...Now he is mature and gives a difficult part, with many nuances, moments of tragic-comic impact."{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=129}} Later, critic Andrew Sarris qualified Stewart's performance as "lean, gangling, idealistic to the point of being neurotic, thoughtful to the point of being tongue-tied", describing him as "particularly gifted in expressing the emotional ambivalence of the action hero".{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=129}} Stewart won the [[New York Film Critics Circle]] award and received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=127}}

Stewart's last screen appearance of 1939 came in the [[Western movie|Western]] ''[[Destry Rides Again]]'', in which he portrayed a pacifist lawman alongside [[Marlene Dietrich]], a saloon girl who falls in love with him.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=131}}</ref> It was critically and commercially successful.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=138}} ''TIME'' magazine wrote, "James Stewart, who had just turned in the top performance of his cinematurity as Jefferson Smith in ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'', turns in as good a performance or better as Thomas Jefferson Destry."{{sfn|Molyneaux|1992|p=76}} Between films, Stewart had begun a radio career and had become a distinctive voice on the ''[[Lux Radio Theater]]'', ''[[The Screen Guild Theater]]'', and other shows. So well-known had his slow drawl become that comedians began impersonating him.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=112}}

[[File:Shop-Around-the-Corner.jpg|thumb|left|[[Margaret Sullavan]] and Stewart in their third collaboration, ''[[The Shop Around the Corner]]'' (1940)]]

Stewart and Sullavan reunited for two films in 1940. The [[Ernst Lubitsch]] romantic comedy ''The Shop Around the Corner'' starred them as co-workers who cannot stand each other but unknowingly become romantic pen-pals. It received good reviews and was a box-office success in Europe, but failed to find an audience in the US, where less-gentle [[screwball comedy|screwball comedies]] were more popular.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=142–145}}; {{harvnb|Rinella|2019|pp=134–137}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=136–137}}</ref> Director Lubitsch assessed it to be the best film of his career, and it has been regarded highly by later critics, such as [[Pauline Kael]] and [[Richard Schickel]].{{sfn|Rinella|2019|pp=135–136}}

The drama ''[[The Mortal Storm]]'', directed by [[Frank Borzage]], featured Sullavan and Stewart as lovers caught in turmoil upon [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s rise to power. It was one of the first blatantly anti-[[Nazism|Nazi]] films to be produced in Hollywood, but according to film scholar [[Ben Urwand]], "ultimately made very little impact" as it did not show the persecution experienced by Jews or name that ethnic group.<ref>{{harvnb|Urwand|2013|p=217}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=147–149}}; {{harvnb|Rinella|2019|pp=139–142}}</ref> Despite being well received by critics, it failed at the box office.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=148–149}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=141}}</ref> Ten days after filming ''The Mortal Storm'', Stewart began filming ''[[No Time for Comedy]]'' (1940) with [[Rosalind Russell]]. Critics complimented Stewart's performance; [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''The New York Times'' called Stewart "the best thing in the show", yet the film was again not a box-office success.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=141–143}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=152}}</ref>
[[File:Philadelphia Story 13.jpg|right|thumb|[[Katharine Hepburn]] and Stewart in ''The Philadelphia Story'' (1940), for which he won his only Academy Award for Best Actor]]
Stewart's final film to be released in 1940 was [[George Cukor]]'s romantic comedy ''The Philadelphia Story'', in which he played an intrusive, fast-talking reporter sent to cover the wedding of a socialite ([[Katharine Hepburn]]) with the help of her ex-husband ([[Cary Grant]]).{{sfn|Eliot |2006|pp=163, 167}} The film became one of the largest box-office successes of the year<ref>{{cite news |title=Film Money-Makers Selected By ''Variety'': ' Sergeant York' Top Picture, Gary Cooper Leading Star |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 31, 1941}}</ref> and received widespread critical acclaim. ''[[The New York Herald Tribune]]'' stated that "Stewart...contributes most of the comedy to the show...In addition, he contributes some of the most irresistible romantic moments."{{sfn|Dewey|1996|p=218}} His performance earned him his only Academy Award in a competitive category for Best Actor, beating out Henry Fonda, for whom he had voted and with whom he had once roomed, both almost broke, in the early 1930s in New York.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=163, 167, 387}} Stewart himself assessed his performance in ''Mr. Smith'' to be superior and believed the academy was recompensing for not giving him the award the year prior.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=166–167}} Moreover, Stewart's character was a supporting role, not the male lead.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=166–167}} He gave the Oscar to his father, who displayed it at his hardware store alongside other family awards and military medals.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=168}}

Stewart next appeared in two comedies—''[[Come Live with Me (film)|Come Live with Me]]'' (1941), which paired him with [[Hedy Lamarr]], and ''[[Pot o' Gold (film)|Pot o' Gold]]'' (1941), featuring [[Paulette Goddard]]—that were both box-office failures.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=149}}</ref> Stewart considered the latter to be the worst film of his career.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=160}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=151–152}}</ref> His last film before military service was the musical ''[[Ziegfeld Girl (film)|Ziegfeld Girl]]'' (1941), which co-starred [[Judy Garland]], [[Hedy Lamarr]], and [[Lana Turner]]. It was a critical failure, but also one of the best box-office performers of the year.<ref name="Mannix">{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=159–160}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=152}}; {{harvnb|Dewey|1996|p=208}}</ref>

===1941–1947: Military service===
Stewart became the first major American movie star to enlist in the [[United States Army]] to fight in World War II.{{sfn|Resch|2005|p=180}} His family had deep military roots: both of his grandfathers had fought in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]],{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=11–12}} and his father had served during both the [[Spanish–American War]] and World War I.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=13}}; {{harvnb|Dewey|1996|p=53}}</ref> After first being rejected for low weight in November 1940, he enlisted in February 1941.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=149–152}}{{efn|Stewart later confided that he had a "friend" operating the weight scales on his second and successful enlisting attempt.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=30}} }} As an experienced pilot, he reported for induction as a private in the [[United States Army Air Corps|Air Corps]] on March 22, 1941.<ref>{{harvnb|Dewey|1996|p=213}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=152}}; {{harvnb|Smith|2005|p=30}}</ref> Soon to be 33 years old, he was over the age limit for [[Aviation Cadet Training Program (USAAF)|Aviation Cadet]] training—the normal path of commissioning for pilots, navigators and bombardiers—and therefore applied for an Air Corps commission as both a college graduate and a licensed commercial pilot.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=31}} Stewart received his commission as a second lieutenant on January 1, 1942.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=273}}

[[File:Winning Your Wings.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=16:03|left|Lieutenant James Stewart in ''[[Winning Your Wings]]'' (1942)]]
After enlisting, Stewart made no new commercial films, although he remained under contract to MGM. His public appearances were limited to engagements for the Army Air Forces.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=31}} The Air Corps scheduled him on network radio with [[Edgar Bergen]] and [[Charlie McCarthy]], and on the radio program ''[[We Hold These Truths]]'', a celebration of the [[United States Bill of Rights]], which was broadcast a week after the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]].{{sfn|Smith|2005|pp=31–32}} Stewart also appeared in a [[First Motion Picture Unit]] short film, ''[[Winning Your Wings]]'', to help recruit airmen. Nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Documentary]] in 1942, it appeared in movie theaters nationwide beginning in late May 1942 and resulted in 150,000 new recruits.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=181}}; {{harvnb|Eyman|2017|p=105}}</ref>

Stewart was concerned that his celebrity status would relegate him to duties behind the lines.{{sfn|Smith|2005|pp=31–32}} After spending over a year training pilots at [[Kirtland Air Force Base|Kirtland Army Airfield]] in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]],{{sfn|Smith|2005|pp=263, 271–273}} he appealed to his commander and in November 1943 was sent to England as part of the [[703d Tactical Air Support Squadron|703d Bomb Squadron]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Celebrities in Uniform |url=https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196679/brig-gen-james-m-stewart/ |newspaper=National Museum of the United States Air Force |publisher=US Air Force |access-date=20 December 2023}}</ref> to fly [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|B-24 Liberators]]. He was based initially at [[RAF Tibenham]], before moving to [[RAF Old Buckenham]].{{sfn|Smith|2005|pp=49–53, 73}}

[[File:Jimmy Stewart getting medal.jpg|thumb|upright|Colonel Stewart receiving the [[Croix de Guerre]] with Palm in 1944|alt=A military officer pinning an award to Stewart's decorated military jacket, among other uniformed soldiers]]

Stewart was promoted to major following a mission to [[Ludwigshafen]], Germany, on January 7, 1944.{{sfn|Smith|2005|pp=86–87}}{{efn|While leading the 445th on this date, Stewart made a decision in combat to not break formation from another group that had made an error in navigation. The other group lost four bombers in a subsequent interception, but Stewart's decision possibly saved it from annihilation and incurred considerable damage to his own 48 aircraft. His decision resulted in a letter of commendation and promotion to major on January 20, 1944. [[Sy Bartlett]] and [[Beirne Lay]] used the episode in their novel ''12 O'Clock High''.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=273}}{{sfn|Bowman|1979|p=26}} }} He was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] for actions as deputy commander of the [[2nd Bombardment Wing (World War II)|2nd Bombardment Wing]],{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=263}} the French [[Croix de guerre 1939–1945|Croix de Guerre]] with palm, and the [[Air Medal]] with three [[oak leaf cluster]]s.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=14}} Stewart was promoted to full colonel on March 29, 1945,{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=165}} becoming one of the few Americans to ever rise from private to colonel in only four years.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=16}} At the beginning of June 1945, Stewart was the presiding officer of the [[Bombings of Switzerland in World War II#Court-martial proceedings|court martial of a pilot and navigator]] who accidentally bombed [[Zurich]], [[Switzerland]].{{sfn|Smith|2005|pp=173–177}}

Stewart returned to the United States in early fall 1945.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=13}} He continued to play a role in reserve of the Army Air Forces after the war{{sfn|Eyman|2017|p=306}} and was also one of the 12 founders of the [[Air Force Association]] in October 1945.<ref>{{cite news |title=Years of AFA |url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/1996/February%201996/0296fifty.pdf |access-date=August 8, 2019 |work=Air Force Magazine |date=February 1996 |pages=36–37 |archive-date=August 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808202430/http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine%2520Documents/1996/February%25201996/0296fifty.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Stewart eventually transferred to the [[Air Force Reserve Command|reserves]] of the [[United States Air Force]] after the Army Air Forces split from the Army in 1947. During active-duty periods, he served with the [[Strategic Air Command]] and completed transition training as a pilot on the [[Boeing B-47 Stratojet|B-47]] and [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52]].<ref name="Torch95">{{cite magazine|title=A Little Bit of All of Us|magazine=Torch: Safety Magazine of AETC|volume=2|issue=5|page=4|publisher=[[Air Education and Training Command]]|year=1995}}</ref>

Stewart was first nominated for promotion to brigadier general in February 1957; however, his promotion was initially opposed by Senator [[Margaret Chase Smith]].<ref name="Torch95"/> At the time of the nomination, the ''[[Washington Daily News]]'' noted: "He trains actively with the Reserve every year. He's had 18 hours as first pilot of a B-52."<ref>{{cite news|title=Promotion for James? Senate group should up Colonel Stewart's Air Force rank|author=James O'Neill, Jr|work=[[Washington Daily News]]|date=April 4, 1957|page=4}}</ref> On July 23, 1959, Stewart was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the highest-ranking actor in American military history.{{sfn|Smith|2005|pp=16, 199, 273}} During the [[Vietnam War]], he flew as a non-duty observer in a [[B-52]] on an [[Operation Arc Light|Arc Light]] bombing mission in February 1966.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=363}} He served for 27 years, officially retiring from the Air Force on May 31, 1968, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 60.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=364}}; {{harvnb|Thomas|1988|p=21}}</ref> Upon his retirement, he was awarded the [[Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]].{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=205}} Stewart rarely spoke about his wartime service{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=172–173}} but did appear in an episode of the British television documentary series ''[[The World at War]]'' (1974), commenting on the [[Second Raid on Schweinfurt|disastrous 1943 mission]] against [[Schweinfurt]], Germany.{{sfn|Smith|2005|p=60}}

=== 1946–1949: Early post-war films ===
[[File:Guardian angel clarence.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Stewart as [[George Bailey (fictional character)|George Bailey]] and Travers as [[Clarence Odbody]] in ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' (1946). Although only a moderate success at the time of its release, the film has later come to define Stewart's legacy.|alt=Travers stands behind a seated Stewart putting his hand on Stewart's shoulder]]After his experiences in the war, Stewart considered returning to Pennsylvania to run the family store.{{sfn|McBride|2011|p=432}} His former agent, Leland Hayward, had also left the talent business in 1944 after selling his roster of stars, including Stewart, to [[Music Corporation of America]] (MCA).{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=196–198}} Stewart decided not to renew his MGM contract and instead signed a deal with MCA. He later stated that he was given a new beginning by Frank Capra, who asked him to star in ''It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946), the first postwar film for both of them.{{sfn|McBride|2011|p=432}} Stewart played [[George Bailey (fictional character)|George Bailey]], an upstanding small-town man who becomes increasingly frustrated by his ordinary existence and financial troubles. Driven to suicide on [[Christmas Eve]], he is led to reassess his life by [[Clarence Odbody]], an "angel, second class", played by [[Henry Travers]]. During filming, Stewart experienced doubts about his abilities and continued to consider retiring from acting.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=205–208}}; {{harvnb|Eyman|2017|p=168}}</ref>

Although ''It's a Wonderful Life'' was nominated for five Academy Awards,<ref>{{cite web |title=The 19th Academy Awards 1947 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1947 |website=Oscars.org |date=October 4, 2014 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=July 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702160232/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1947 |url-status=live }}</ref> including Stewart's third Best Actor nomination, it received mixed reviews and was only a moderate success at the box office, failing to cover its production costs.<ref>{{harvnb|McBride|2011|p=436}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=209}}</ref> Several critics found the movie too sentimental, although [[Bosley Crowther]] wrote that Stewart did a "warmly appealing job, indicating that he has grown in spiritual stature as well as in talent during the years he was in the war",<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=206}}; {{harvnb|McBride|2011|p=436}}</ref> and President [[Harry S. Truman]] concluded that "If [my wife] and I had a son we'd want him to be just like Jimmy Stewart [in this film]."<ref name="Hesitant Hero">{{cite news |title=James Stewart, the Hesitant Hero, Dies at 89 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/03/movies/james-stewart-the-hesitant-hero-dies-at-89.html |access-date=October 31, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=July 3, 1997 |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031212635/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/03/movies/james-stewart-the-hesitant-hero-dies-at-89.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the decades since its release, ''It's a Wonderful Life'' has grown to define Stewart's film persona and is widely considered a Christmas classic,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pollard |first1=Alexandra |title=How It's a Wonderful Life went from box office failure to Christmas classic |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/its-a-wonderful-life-christmas-classic-film-james-stewart-frank-capra-a8681486.html |access-date=June 17, 2019 |work=Independent |date=December 15, 2018 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617220807/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/its-a-wonderful-life-christmas-classic-film-james-stewart-frank-capra-a8681486.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and according to the American Film Institute, is one of the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies|100 best American movies]] ever made.<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies |url=https://www.afi.com/100years/movies.aspx |website=American Film Institute |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518230246/http://afi.com/100Years/movies.aspx |archive-date=May 18, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Andrew Sarris stated that Stewart's performance was underappreciated by critics of the time, who could not see "the force and fury" of it, and considered his proposal scene with [[Donna Reed]], "one of the most sublimely histrionic expressions of passion".{{sfn|Sarris|1998|p=356}} Stewart later named the film his personal favorite out of his filmography.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=190}}

In the aftermath of ''It's A Wonderful Life'', Capra's production company went into bankruptcy, while Stewart continued to have doubts about his acting abilities.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=208–209}} His generation of actors was fading, and a new wave of actors, including [[Marlon Brando]], [[Montgomery Clift]], and [[James Dean]], would soon remake Hollywood.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=208–211}} Stewart returned to making radio dramas in 1946; he continued this work between films until the mid-1950s. He also made a comeback on Broadway to star in [[Mary Coyle Chase]]'s ''[[Harvey (play)|Harvey]]'' in July 1947, replacing the original star [[Frank Fay (American actor)|Frank Fay]] for the duration of his vacation. The play had opened to nearly universal praise in 1944<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wilmeth |first1=Don B. |last2=Miller |first2=Tice L. |title=Cambridge Guide to American Theatre |date=1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=New York |isbn=0521564441 |page=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgeguideto00wilm/page/186 186] |url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgeguideto00wilm |url-access=registration |quote=november 1944 harvey mary coyle chase box office success. |access-date=June 19, 2019}}</ref> and told the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a wealthy eccentric, whose best friend is an invisible man-sized rabbit and whose relatives are trying to get him committed to a mental asylum.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=253}} Stewart gained a following in the unconventional play, and although Fay returned to the role in August, they decided that Stewart would take his place again the next summer.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=214–215}} Stewart's only film to be released in 1947 was the [[William A. Wellman]] comedy ''[[Magic Town]]'', one of the first films about the new science of [[public opinion polling]]. It was poorly received both commercially and critically.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=211–212}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=192}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Crowther |first1=Bosley |title='Magic Town' Film Site Where James Stewart Polls Public Opinion and Courts Radiant Jane Wyman, Bill at Palace |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/10/08/archives/magic-town-film-site-where-james-stewart-polls-public-opinion-and.html |access-date=June 19, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=October 8, 1947 |archive-date=June 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619155709/https://www.nytimes.com/1947/10/08/archives/magic-town-film-site-where-james-stewart-polls-public-opinion-and.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:James Stewart in Rope trailer 2.png|thumb|Stewart with [[Farley Granger]]&nbsp;and [[John Dall]] in ''Rope'' (1948), his first collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock. He was criticized for being miscast in the role of a cynical professor.]]
Stewart appeared in four new film releases in 1948. ''[[Call Northside 777]]'' was a critically acclaimed [[film noir]],<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=215}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=195}}</ref> while the musical comedy ''[[On Our Merry Way]]'', in which Stewart and Henry Fonda played jazz musicians in an ensemble cast, was a critical and commercial failure.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=218}}{{sfn|Eyman|2017|p=169}} The comedy ''[[You Gotta Stay Happy]]'', which paired Stewart with [[Joan Fontaine]], was the most successful of his post-war films up to that point.{{sfn|Dewey|1996|pp=281–283}}{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=228–229}} ''Rope'', in which Stewart played the idolized teacher of two young men who commit murder to show their supposed superiority, began his collaboration with [[Alfred Hitchcock]]. Shot in long "real-time" takes, Stewart felt pressure to be flawless in his performance; the added stress led to him sleeping very little and drinking more heavily.{{sfn|Eyman|2017|p=172}} ''Rope'' received mixed reviews, and [[Andrew Sarris]] and [[Scott Eyman]] have later called him miscast in the role of a [[Nietzsche]]-loving philosophy professor.{{sfn|Sarris|1998|p=261}}{{sfn|Eyman|2017|p=173}} The film's screenwriter [[Arthur Laurents]] also stated that "the casting of [Stewart] was absolutely destructive. He's not sexual as an actor."<ref>{{harvnb|Chandler|2006|p=170}}</ref>

Stewart found success again with ''[[The Stratton Story]]'' (1949), playing baseball champion [[Monty Stratton]]&nbsp;opposite [[June Allyson]].{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=236–239}} It became the sixth highest-grossing film of 1949<ref name="top">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety177-1950-01#page/n58/mode/1up|title=Top Grossers of 1949|magazine=Variety|date=January 4, 1950|page=59}}</ref> and was well received by the critics. ''The New York Times'' noted, "''The Stratton Story'' was the best thing that has yet happened to Mr. Stewart in his post-war film career...he gives such a winning performance that it is almost impossible to imagine any one else playing the role."{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=239}} Stewart's other 1949 release saw him reunited with Spencer Tracy in the World War II film ''[[Malaya (film)|Malaya]]'' (1949). It was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=236–239}}

=== 1950–1959: Collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock and Anthony Mann ===
[[File:Winchester73 trailer Stewart Winters.png|thumb|Stewart with [[Shelley Winters]] in ''Winchester '73'', his first project with Anthony Mann. In the 1950s, Stewart redefined his career as a star of Western films.]]
In the 1950s, Stewart experienced a career renewal as the star of Westerns and collaborated on several films with director [[Anthony Mann]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rafferty |first1=Terrence |title=Film; Anthony Mann, Hollywood Soldiers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/08/movies/film-anthony-mann-hollywood-soldier.html |access-date=June 17, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=August 8, 2004 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617191952/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/08/movies/film-anthony-mann-hollywood-soldier.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The first of these was the Universal production ''Winchester '73'' (1950), which Stewart agreed to do in exchange for being cast in a screen adaptation of ''Harvey''.{{sfn|Basinger|2007|p=79}} It also marked a turning point in Hollywood, as Stewart's agent, [[Lew Wasserman]], brokered an innovative deal with Universal, in which Stewart would receive no fee in exchange for a percentage of the profits. Stewart was also granted authority to collaborate with the studio on casting and hiring decisions.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=245}} Stewart ended up earning about $600,000 for ''Winchester '73'', significantly more than his usual fee, and other stars quickly capitalized on this new way of doing business, which further undermined the decaying [[studio system]].{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=245, 254}}

Stewart chose Mann to direct,{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=248}} and the film gave him the idea of redefining his screen persona through the Western genre.<ref>{{harvnb|Molyneaux|1992|p=102}}; {{harvnb|Mann|2008|p=50}}; {{harvnb|Basinger|2007|pp=79–80}}</ref> In the film, Stewart is a tough, vengeful sharpshooter, the winner of a prized rifle that is stolen and passes through many hands, until the showdown between him and his brother.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=248–249}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Winchester '73-Full Synopsis |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95933/winchester-73#synopsis |website=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617195839/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95933/Winchester-73/full-synopsis.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Winchester '73'' became a box-office success upon its summer release and earned Stewart rave reviews.<ref>{{harvnb|Molyneaux|1992|p=102}};{{harvnb|Mann|2008|p=50}}</ref> He also starred in another successful Western that summer, ''[[Broken Arrow (1950 film)|Broken Arrow]]'' (1950), which featured him as an ex-soldier and Native American agent making peace with the [[Apache]].{{sfn|Dewey|1996|pp=307–310}}
[[File:James Stewart Harvey 1950 Promo Still.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Stewart in ''Harvey'' (1950), the only film for which he received both an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination]]
Stewart's third film release of 1950 was the comedy ''[[The Jackpot]]''; it received critical acclaim and was commercially successful, but was a minor film in his repertoire and has largely been forgotten by contemporary critics and fans.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kehr |first1=Dave |title=Great American Westerns |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-07-05-9203010200-story.html |access-date=June 19, 2019 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=July 5, 1992 |archive-date=June 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619172413/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-07-05-9203010200-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=221–222}}; {{harvnb|Molyneaux|1992|p=105}}</ref> In December 1950, the screen adaptation of ''Harvey'' was released, directed by [[Henry Koster]] and with Stewart reprising his stage role. With critics comparing his performance with Fay's, Stewart's performance as well as the film itself received mixed reviews.<ref>{{harvnb|Molyneaux|1992|pp=106–107}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=253}}</ref> Bosley Crowther of ''The New York Times'' wrote that "so darling is the acting of James Stewart [...] and all the rest that a virtually brand-new experience is still in store for even those who saw the play",<ref>{{cite news|last=Crowther |first=Bosley |date=December 22, 1950 |title=The Screen In Review |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=19 }}</ref> while ''Variety'' called him "perfect" in the role.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=October 18, 1950 |title=Harvey |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=6 }}</ref> John McCarten of the ''New Yorker'' stated that although he "doesn't bring his part to the battered authority of Frank Fay...he nevertheless succeeds in making plausible the notion that Harvey, the rabbit, would accept him as a pal."{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=221}} Stewart later stated that he was dissatisfied with his performance, stating, "I played him a little too dreamily, a little too cute-cute."{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=221}} Despite the film's poor box office performance, Stewart received his fourth Academy Award nomination as well as his first [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globe]] nomination.{{sfn|Dewey|1996|p=324}} Similar to ''It's a Wonderful Life'', ''Harvey'' achieved popularity later, after frequent television showings.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=253}}

Stewart appeared in only one film released in 1951, playing a scientist in Koster's British production ''[[No Highway in the Sky]]'', which was one of the first airplane [[disaster film]]s ever made. Filmed in England, it became a box office success in the United Kingdom, but failed to attract audiences in the United States.<ref>{{harvnb|Thumim|1991|p=258}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=224}}</ref> Stewart took a small supporting role as a troubled clown in [[Cecil B. DeMille]]'s ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' (1952), which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Critics were curious why Stewart had taken such a small, out-of-character role; he responded that he was inspired by [[Lon Chaney]]'s ability to disguise himself while letting his character emerge.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=258–259}} In the same year, Stewart starred in a critically and commercially failed biopic, ''[[Carbine Williams]]'' (1952),{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=231}} and continued his collaboration with Mann in ''[[Bend of the River]]'' (1952), which was a commercial and critical success.{{sfn|Molyneaux|1992|pp=110–111}}[[File:Far Country Cropped lobby card.jpg|thumb|[[John McIntire]] and Stewart in ''[[The Far Country (film)|The Far Country]]'' (1955)]]Stewart followed ''Bend of the River'' with four more collaborations with Mann in the next two years. ''The Naked Spur'' (1953){{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=232–233}} and ''The Far Country'' (1954) were successful with audiences and developed Stewart's screen persona into a more mature, ambiguous, and edgier presence.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=251}}; {{harvnb|Basinger|2007|p=79}}</ref> The films featured him as troubled cowboys seeking redemption while facing corrupt cattlemen, ranchers, and outlaws; a man who knows violence first-hand and struggles to control it. The Stewart–Mann collaborations laid the foundation for many of the Westerns of the 1950s and remain popular today for their grittier, more realistic depiction of the classic movie genre. In addition, Stewart starred in the Western radio show ''[[The Six Shooter]]'' for its one-season run from 1953 to 1954.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reinehr |first1=Robert C. |last2=Swartz |first2=Jon D. |title=The A to Z of Old-Time Radio |date=2008 |publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc. |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=9780810876163 |pages=236–237 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5uzfQjhlUXoC&q=The%20six%20shooter |access-date=June 19, 2019 |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423174332/https://books.google.com/books?id=5uzfQjhlUXoC&q=The+six+shooter |url-status=live }}</ref> He and Mann also collaborated on films outside the Western genre such as ''[[Thunder Bay (film)|Thunder Bay]]'' (1953) and ''The Glenn Miller Story'' (1954), the latter a critically acclaimed biopic in which he starred opposite June Allyson.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=269}}; {{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=239–240}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Crowther |first1=Bosley |title=The Screen in Review; 'The Glenn Miller Story' Stars James Stewart and June Allyson at the Capitol |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/02/11/archives/the-screen-in-review-the-glenn-miller-story-stars-james-stewart-and.html |access-date=June 17, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=February 11, 1954 |archive-date=June 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603210309/https://www.nytimes.com/1954/02/11/archives/the-screen-in-review-the-glenn-miller-story-stars-james-stewart-and.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It earned Stewart a [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor|BAFTA]] nomination<ref>{{cite web |title=BAFTA Awards Search |url=http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=1955 |website=BAFTA |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129035137/http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=1955 |url-status=live }}</ref> and continued his portrayals of 'American heroes'.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Miller |editor1-first=Frank N. |title=Dictionary of World Biography: Volume 9, The 20th Century |date=1999 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=0893563234 |page=3530 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uiQAaGgOChIC&q=james+stewart+portrayal+of+american+heroes+spirit+of+saint+louis+and+the+glenn+miller+story&pg=PA3530 |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423174344/https://books.google.com/books?id=uiQAaGgOChIC&q=james+stewart+portrayal+of+american+heroes+spirit+of+saint+louis+and+the+glenn+miller+story&pg=PA3530 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Kelly Stewart Publicity.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Stewart with co-star [[Grace Kelly]] in ''Rear Window'' (1954), which allowed him to explore new depths of his screen persona]]
Stewart's second collaboration with Hitchcock, the thriller ''Rear Window'', became the [[1954 in film|eighth highest-grossing]] film of 1954. Hitchcock and Stewart also formed a corporation, Patron Inc., to produce the film.{{efn|The company later became the subject of a [[United States Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] case ''[[Stewart v. Abend]]'' (1990).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Diliberto |first1=Michael R. |title=Looking through the Rear Window: A Review of the United States Supreme Court Decision in Stewart v. Abend |journal=Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review |date=1992 |volume=12 |issue=2 |url=https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1238&context=elr |access-date=June 13, 2019 |archive-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619071524/https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&httpsredir=1&article=1238&context=elr |url-status=live }}</ref>}} Stewart portrayed a photographer, loosely based on [[Robert Capa]],<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=272–273}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wigley |first1=Samuel |title=Hitchcock's masterpiece Rear Window turns 60 |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/hitchcocks-masterpiece-rear-window-turns-60 |website=BFI Film Forever |date=August 4, 2014 |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617184323/https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/hitchcocks-masterpiece-rear-window-turns-60 |url-status=live }}</ref> who projects his fantasies and fears onto the people he observes out his apartment window while on hiatus due to a broken leg and comes to believe that he has witnessed a murder. Limited by his wheelchair, Stewart had to react to what his character sees with mostly facial responses.{{sfn|Huzera|2011|pp=53–54}} Like Mann, Hitchcock uncovered new depths to Stewart's acting, showing a protagonist confronting his fears and repressed desires.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=271}} Although most of the initial acclaim for ''Rear Window'' was directed towards Hitchcock,{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=247}} critic [[Vincent Canby]] later described Stewart's performance in it as "grand" and stated that "[his] longtime star status in Hollywood has always obscured recognition of his talent."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Canby |first1=Vincent |title=Film View; 'Rear Window' – Still a Joy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/09/arts/film-view-rear-window-still-a-joy.html |access-date=August 23, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=October 9, 1983 |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823173703/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/09/arts/film-view-rear-window-still-a-joy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 1954 was a landmark year in Stewart's career in terms of audience success, and he topped ''[[Look (American magazine)|Look]]'' magazine's list of the most-popular movie stars, displacing rival Western star [[John Wayne]].{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=278}}

Stewart continued his successful box-office run with two collaborations with Mann in 1955. ''[[Strategic Air Command (film)|Strategic Air Command]]'' paired him again with June Allyson in a [[Cold War]].{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=280}} Stewart took a central role in its development, using his experiences from the air force.<ref>{{harvnb|Basinger|2007|p=139}}; {{harvnb|Dewey|1996|pp=356–357}}</ref> Despite criticism for the dry, mechanistic storyline, it became the sixth highest-grossing film of 1955.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=281}} Stewart's final collaboration with Mann in the Western genre, ''[[The Man from Laramie]]'', one of the first Westerns to be shot in [[CinemaScope]], was well received by the critics and audiences alike.<ref>{{harvnb|Eliot|2006|pp=282–283}}; {{harvnb|Dewey|1996|p=344}}; {{harvnb|Molyneaux|1992|p=123}}</ref> Following his work with Mann, Stewart starred opposite [[Doris Day]] in Hitchcock's remake of his [[The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)|earlier]] film ''The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956). The film was another success. Even though critics preferred the first version, Hitchcock himself considered his remake superior.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=255}}; {{harvnb|Truffaut|Hitchcock|Scott|1983|p=94}}</ref>

Stewart's next film, [[Billy Wilder]]'s ''The Spirit of St. Louis'' (1957), saw him star as his young adulthood hero, [[Charles Lindbergh]].{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=299–300}} It was a big-budget production with elaborate special effects for the flying sequences, but received only mixed reviews and did not earn back its production costs. Stewart ended the year with a starring role in the Western ''[[Night Passage (film)|Night Passage]]'' (1957), which had originally been slated as his ninth collaboration with Mann.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Crowther |first1=Bosley |title=Screen: 'Night Passage'; James Stewart Stars in Western at Mayfair |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/07/25/archives/screen-night-passage-james-stewart-stars-in-western-at-mayfair.html |access-date=June 19, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=July 25, 1957 |archive-date=June 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619173033/https://www.nytimes.com/1957/07/25/archives/screen-night-passage-james-stewart-stars-in-western-at-mayfair.html |url-status=live }}</ref> During the pre-production, a rift developed between Mann and writer [[Borden Chase]] over the script, which Mann considered weak. Mann decided to leave the film and never collaborated with Stewart again.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=260}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=303}}; {{harvnb|Basinger|2007|p=12}}</ref> [[James Neilson (director)|James Neilson]] replaced Mann, and the film opened in 1957 to become a box-office flop. Soured by this failure, Stewart avoided the genre and would not make another Western for four years.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=261}}; {{harvnb|Pickard|1992|p=116}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=303}}</ref>
[[File:Vertigo 1958 trailer embrace.jpg|thumb|left|Stewart's last collaboration with Hitchcock was ''Vertigo'' (1958), in which he co-starred with [[Kim Novak]].]]
Stewart's collaboration with Hitchcock ended the following year with ''Vertigo'' (1958), in which he starred as an [[acrophobia|acrophobic]] former policeman who becomes obsessed with a woman (Kim Novak) he is shadowing.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=291–297, 310, 321}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Samadder |first1=Rhik |title=My favourite Hitchcock: Vertigo |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2012/aug/10/my-favourite-hitchcock-vertigo |access-date=June 13, 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=August 10, 2012 |archive-date=May 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529093259/https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2012/aug/10/my-favourite-hitchcock-vertigo |url-status=live }}</ref> Although ''Vertigo'' has later become considered one of Hitchcock's key works and was ranked the greatest film ever made by the ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' critics' poll in 2012,<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19078948|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815153000/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19078948|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 15, 2012|title=BBC News – Vertigo is named 'greatest film of all time'|date=August 15, 2012}}</ref> it was met with unenthusiastic reviews and poor box-office receipts upon its release.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=321}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matthews |first1=Peter |title=Vertigo rises: the greatest film of all time? |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/polls-surveys/greatest-films-all-time/vertigo-hitchcock-new-number-one |access-date=June 13, 2019 |work=The International Film Magazine: Sight & Sound |date=September 2012 |archive-date=October 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026123015/https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/polls-surveys/greatest-films-all-time/vertigo-hitchcock-new-number-one |url-status=dead }}</ref> Regardless, several critics complimented Stewart for his performance,{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=265}} with Bosley Crowther noting, "Mr. Stewart, as usual, manages to act awfully tense in a casual way."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Crowther |first1=Bosley |title=Veritgo, Hitchcock's Latest; Melodrama Arrives at the Capitol |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1958/05/29/archives/vertigo-hitchcocks-latest-melodrama-arrives-at-the-capitol.html |access-date=August 23, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=May 29, 1958 |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823175858/https://www.nytimes.com/1958/05/29/archives/vertigo-hitchcocks-latest-melodrama-arrives-at-the-capitol.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:James Stewart - 1959.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Stewart in ''Anatomy of a Murder'' (1959), which garnered him his final Academy Award nomination|alt=A Black and white closeup image of Stewart with an intense facial expression]]
Hitchcock blamed the film's failure on Stewart being too old to convincingly be Novak's love interest: he was fifty years old at the time and had begun wearing a silver hairpiece in his movies.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Hart |editor1-first=Kylo-Patrick R. |title=Film and Television Stardom |date=2008 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |location=United Kingdom |isbn=9781847186287 |page=51}}</ref> Consequently, Hitchcock cast Cary Grant in his next film, ''[[North by Northwest]]'' (1959), a role Stewart wanted; Grant was four years older than Stewart but photographed much younger.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=321–324}} Stewart's second 1958 film release, the romantic comedy ''[[Bell, Book and Candle]]'' (1958), also paired him with Kim Novak, with Stewart later echoing Hitchcock in saying that he was miscast as 25-year-old Novak's romantic partner.{{sfn|Munn |2005|pp=238–239}} The film and Stewart's performance received poor reviews and resulted in a box office failure.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|p=268}}; {{harvnb|Eliot|2006|p=327}}</ref> However, according to film scholar David Bingham, by the early 1950s, "Stewart's personality was so credible and well-established", that his choice of role no longer affected his popularity.{{sfn|Bingham|1994|p=16}}

Stewart ended the decade with [[Otto Preminger]]'s realistic courtroom drama ''Anatomy of a Murder'' (1959) and the crime film ''[[The FBI Story]]'' (1959). The former was a box office success despite its explicit dealing with subjects such as rape, and garnered good reviews.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=332–333}} Stewart received critical acclaim for his role as a small-town lawyer involved in a difficult murder case; Bosley Crowther called it "one of the finest performances of his career".{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=275}} Stewart won his first BAFTA, a [[Volpi Cup]], a [[New York Film Critics Circle Award]], and a [[Producers Guild of America Award]], as well as earned his fifth and final Academy Award nomination for his performance.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=272–275}} ''The FBI Story'', in which Stewart portrayed a Depression-era FBI agent, was less well received by critics and was commercially unsuccessful.<ref>{{harvnb|Fishgall|1997|pp=268–271}}</ref> Despite its commercial failure, the film marked the close of the most commercially successful decade of Stewart's career.{{sfn|Magill|1999|p=3530}} According to Quigley's annual poll, Stewart was one of the top money-making stars for ten years, appearing in the top ten in 1950, 1952–1959, and 1965. He topped the list in 1955.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Ten Money Making Stars |url=http://www.quigleypublishing.com/MPalmanac/Top10/Top10_lists.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114130743/http://www.quigleypublishing.com/MPalmanac/Top10/Top10_lists.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=January 14, 2013 |website=The 2013 International Motion Picture Almanac |publisher=Quigley Publishing |access-date=July 26, 2019}}</ref>

=== 1960–1970: Westerns and later career ===
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Stewart opened the new decade by starring in the war film ''[[The Mountain Road]]'' (1960). To his surprise, it was a box office failure, despite his claims that it was one of the best scripts he'd ever read.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=268–288}} He began a new director collaboration with [[John Ford]], making his debut in his films in the Western ''[[Two Rode Together]]'' (1961), which had thematic echoes of Ford's ''[[The Searchers (film)|The Searchers]]''.{{sfn|Dewey|1996|pp=408–409}} The same year, he also narrated the film ''[[X-15 (film)|X-15]]'' for the USAF.<ref>{{cite news |title=X-15: The Hollywood Version |url=https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/x-15-the-hollywood-version-20174784/ |access-date=June 12, 2019 |work=Air and Space Magazine |publisher=Smithsonian |date=August 2007 |archive-date=April 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410233806/https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/x-15-the-hollywood-version-20174784/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Stewart was considered for the role of [[Atticus Finch]] in the 1962 [[To Kill a Mockingbird (film)|film adaptation]] of [[Harper Lee]]'s novel ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'', but he turned it down, concerned that the story was too controversial.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=393}}

Stewart and Ford's next collaboration was ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' (1962).{{sfn|Eyman|2017|pp=246–247}} A classic psychological Western,{{sfn|Dienstag|2012|p=293}} the picture was shot in black-and-white [[film noir]] style at Ford's insistence,{{sfn|Barr|2011|pp=166, 169}} with Stewart as an [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] attorney who goes against his non-violent principles when he is forced to confront a psychopathic outlaw ([[Lee Marvin]]) in a small frontier town.{{sfn|Day|2016|pp=169–170}} The complex film initially garnered mixed reviews but became a critical favorite over the ensuing decades.{{sfn|O'Neill|2004|p=472}} Stewart was [[Billing (performing arts)|billed]] above John Wayne in posters and the trailers, but Wayne received top billing in the film itself. Stewart, Wayne, and Ford also collaborated for a television play that same year, ''[[Flashing Spikes]]'' (1962), for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s anthology series ''[[Alcoa Premiere]]'', albeit featuring Wayne billed with a television pseudonym, "Michael Morris", (also used for Wayne's brief appearance in the John Ford-directed episode of the television series ''[[Wagon Train]]'' titled "[[The Colter Craven Story]]") for his lengthy cameo. Next, Stewart appeared as part of an all-star cast—including Henry Fonda and John Wayne—in ''How the West Was Won'', a Western epic released in the United States in early 1963. The film went on to win three Academy Awards and reap massive box-office figures.

[[File:James Stewart Billy Mumy Dear Brigitte 1965.jpg|thumb|upright|left|With [[Bill Mumy]] in ''[[Dear Brigitte]]'' (1965)]]

In 1962, Stewart signed a multi-movie deal with [[20th Century Fox]].{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=346}} The first two of these films reunited him with director Henry Koster in the family-friendly comedies ''[[Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation]]'' (1962) with [[Maureen O'Hara]] and ''[[Take Her, She's Mine]]'' (1963), which were both box-office successes.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=292–294}} The former received moderately positive reviews and won Stewart the [[Silver Bear for Best Actor]]&nbsp;at the [[Berlin International Film Festival]]; the latter was panned by the critics.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=292–294}} Stewart then appeared in John Ford's final Western, ''Cheyenne Autumn'' (1964), playing a white-suited [[Wyatt Earp]] in a long semi-comedic sequence in the middle of the movie.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=340–341}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Cheyenne Autumn |url=https://variety.com/1964/film/reviews/cheyenne-autumn-1200420666/ |access-date=June 12, 2019 |work=Variety |date=December 31, 1964 |archive-date=November 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109164714/https://variety.com/1964/film/reviews/cheyenne-autumn-1200420666/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film failed domestically and was quickly forgotten.

In 1965, Stewart was given his first honorary award for his career, the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award|Cecil B. DeMille Award]]. He appeared in three films that year. The Fox family-comedy ''[[Dear Brigitte]]'' (1965), which featured French actress [[Brigitte Bardot]] as the object of Stewart's son's infatuation, was a box-office failure.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=347–356}} The Civil War film ''[[Shenandoah (film)|Shenandoah]]'' (1965) was a commercial success with strong anti-war and humanitarian themes.<ref>{{harvnb|Munn|2005|pp=259–261}};{{harvnb|Ayres|2009|pp=2–4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Holsinger |editor1-first=M. Paul |title=War and American Popular Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=1999 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Connecticut |isbn=0313299080 |page=133 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oe4AOVHkJ9oC&q=shenandoah+film+box+office+success&pg=PA133 |access-date=June 12, 2019 |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423174333/https://books.google.com/books?id=Oe4AOVHkJ9oC&q=shenandoah+film+box+office+success&pg=PA133 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Flight of the Phoenix'' (1965) continued Stewart's series of aviation-themed films; it was well-received critically, but a box-office failure.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=309}}

For the next few years, Stewart acted in a series of Westerns: ''[[The Rare Breed]]'' (1966) with [[Maureen O'Hara]],{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=305–306}} ''[[Firecreek]]'' (1968) with Henry Fonda, ''[[Bandolero!]]'' (1968) with [[Dean Martin]], and ''[[The Cheyenne Social Club]]'' (1970) with Henry Fonda again. In 1968, he received the [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]].&nbsp;Stewart returned on Broadway to reprise his role as Elwood P. Dowd in ''Harvey'' at the [[August Wilson Theatre|ANTA Theatre]] in February 1970; the revival ran until May.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Prideaux |first1=Tom |title=A Durable Invisible Rabbit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qVAEAAAAMBAJ&q=james+stewart+broadway+1970+harvey&pg=PA6 |access-date=June 17, 2019 |magazine=Life |date=March 13, 1970 |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423174332/https://books.google.com/books?id=qVAEAAAAMBAJ&q=james+stewart+broadway+1970+harvey&pg=PA6 |url-status=live }}</ref> He won the [[Drama Desk Award]] for Outstanding Performance&nbsp;for it.

=== 1971–1997: Television and semi-retirement ===
In 1971, Stewart starred in the [[NBC]] sitcom ''[[The Jimmy Stewart Show]]''.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=371–379, 382}} He played a small-town college professor whose adult son moves back home with his family. Stewart disliked the amount of work needed to film the show each week and was relieved when it was canceled after only one season due to bad reviews and poor ratings.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=378–388}} His only film release for 1971, the comedy-drama ''[[Fools' Parade]]'', was more positively received.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=310–317}} Robert Greenspun of ''The New York Times'' stated that "the movie belongs to Stewart, who has never been more wonderful".{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=323}} For his contributions to Western films, Stewart was inducted into the [[Hall of Great Western Performers]] at the [[National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum]] in [[Oklahoma City]] in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |title=Great Western Performers |url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/awards-halls-of-fame/great-western-performers/ |website=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum |access-date=July 15, 2019 |archive-date=April 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419213620/https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/awards-halls-of-fame/great-western-performers/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:James stewart hawkins 1973.JPG|upright|thumb|left|Stewart in a publicity still for the mystery series ''[[Hawkins (TV series)|Hawkins]]'' (1973), which ran for one season.|alt=A sepia-toned headshot of a silver-haired Stewart in a suit]]
Stewart returned to television in ''Harvey'' for NBC's [[Hallmark Hall of Fame]] series in 1972<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Claire |title=Fabulous furry friend |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/dec/04/theatre |access-date=June 17, 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=December 3, 2005 |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617225449/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/dec/04/theatre |url-status=live }}</ref> and then starred in the [[Columbia Broadcasting Company|CBS]] mystery series ''Hawkins'' in 1973. Playing a small-town lawyer investigating mysterious cases—similar to his character in ''Anatomy of a Murder''—Stewart won a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama|Golden Globe]] for his performance.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=380}} Nevertheless, ''Hawkins'' failed to gain a wide audience, possibly because it rotated with ''[[Shaft (TV series)|Shaft]]'', which had a starkly conflicting demographic, and was canceled after one season.{{sfn|Hyatt|2003|p=222}} Stewart also periodically appeared on [[Johnny Carson]]'s ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson|The Tonight Show]]'', sharing poems he had written at different times in his life.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=391}} His poems were later compiled into a short collection, ''Jimmy Stewart and His Poems'' (1989).<ref>Krier, Beth Ann. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-09-10-vw-2722-story.html "The muse within Jimmy Stewart"] . ''Los Angeles Times'', September 10, 1989.</ref>{{sfn|Stewart|1989}}

After performing again in ''Harvey'' at the [[Prince of Wales Theatre]] in London in 1975, Stewart returned to films with a major supporting role in John Wayne's final film, ''[[The Shootist]]'' (1976), playing a doctor giving Wayne's gunfighter a terminal cancer diagnosis.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|pp=383–384}} By this time, Stewart had a hearing impairment, which affected his ability to hear his cues and led to him repeatedly flubbing his lines; his vanity would not allow him to admit this or to wear a hearing aid.<ref>{{harvnb|Dewey|1996|pp=363–364; 456}}; {{harvnb|Shepherd|Slatzer|Grayson|1985|p=301}}</ref> Stewart was offered the role of Howard Beale in ''[[Network (1976 film)|Network]]'' (1976) but refused it due to its explicit language.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=393}} Instead, he appeared in supporting roles in the disaster film ''[[Airport '77]]'' (1977) with [[Jack Lemmon]], the remake of ''[[The Big Sleep (1978 film)|The Big Sleep]]'' (1978) with [[Robert Mitchum]] as [[Philip Marlowe]], and the family film ''[[The Magic of Lassie]]'' (1978). Despite mixed reviews, ''Airport '77'' was a box-office success,{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=341}} but the two other films were commercial and critical failures.{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=343–348}} Harry Haun of ''New York Daily News'' wrote in his review of ''The Big Sleep'' that it was "really sad to see James Stewart struggle so earnestly with material that just isn't there".{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|p=344}} Stewart made a memorable cameo appearance on the final episode of ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'' in March 1978, surprising Burnett, a lifelong Stewart fan.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/carol-burnett-receives-jimmy-stewart-738150/ | title=Carol Burnett Receives Jimmy Stewart Award | website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date=October 4, 2014 }}</ref>

Stewart's final live-action feature film was the critically panned Japanese film ''[[The Green Horizon]]'' (1980), directed by [[Susumu Hani]]. Stewart took the role because the film promoted wildlife conservation and allowed his family to travel with him to [[Kenya]].{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=349–350}} In the 1980s, Stewart semi-retired from acting. He was offered the role of Norman Thayer in ''[[On Golden Pond (1981 film)|On Golden Pond]]'' (1981) but turned it down because he disliked the film's father-daughter relationship; the role went instead to his friend, Henry Fonda.{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=393}} Stewart filmed two television movies in the 1980s: ''[[Mr. Krueger's Christmas]]'' (1980), produced by [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], which allowed him to fulfill a lifelong dream to conduct the [[Mormon Tabernacle Choir]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Joe |last=Bauman |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705280308/Utah-Hollywood-connection-runs-deep.html |title=Utah-Hollywood connection runs deep |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |date=January 26, 2009 |page=B2 |access-date=September 8, 2016 |archive-date=September 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913121049/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705280308/Utah-Hollywood-connection-runs-deep.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''[[Right of Way (film)|Right of Way]]'' (1983), an [[HBO]] drama that co-starred [[Bette Davis]].{{sfn|Fishgall|1997|pp=358–359}} He also made an appearance in the historical miniseries ''[[North and South (miniseries)|North and South]]'' in 1986 and did voiceover work for commercials for [[Campbell Soup Company|Campbell's Soups]] in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dawson |first1=Greg |title=Stewart Soup Pitch is the Real Thing |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-12-12-0090080015-story.html |access-date=June 11, 2019 |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |date=December 12, 1988 |archive-date=October 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026123014/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-12-12-0090080015-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Stewart's last film performance was voicing the character of Sheriff Wylie Burp in the animated movie ''[[An American Tail: Fievel Goes West]]'' (1991).{{Sfn|Eliot|2006|p=407}}

Stewart remained in the public eye due to his frequent visits to the [[White House]] during the [[Reagan administration]].{{sfn|Eliot|2006|p=404}} The re-release of Hitchcock films gained him renewed recognition, with ''Rear Window'' and ''Vertigo'' praised by film critics.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maslin |first1=Janet |title=...And James Stewart Recalls 'Hitch' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/09/movies/and-james-stewart-recalls-hitch.html |access-date=August 1, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 9, 1983 |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801170456/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/09/movies/and-james-stewart-recalls-hitch.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Hannan|2016|pp=281–282}} Stewart also received several honorary film industry awards at the end of his career: an [[AFI Life Achievement Award|American Film Institute Award]] in 1980, a [[Silver Bear]] in 1982, [[Kennedy Center Honors]] in 1983, an Academy Honorary Award in 1985, and [[National Board of Review]]&nbsp;and [[Film Society of Lincoln Center]]'s Chaplin Award in 1990. The honorary Oscar was presented by former co-star Cary Grant "for his 50 years of memorable performances, for his high ideals both on and off the screen, with respect and affection of his colleagues".<ref name="Hesitant Hero" /> In addition, Stewart received the highest civilian award in the US, the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]], "for his contributions in the fields of the arts, entertainment and public service", in 1985.<ref>{{cite news |title=13 Are Named Winners of Medal of Freedom |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/09/us/13-are-named-winners-of-medal-of-freedom.html |access-date=November 18, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 6, 1985 |archive-date=July 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723094339/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/09/us/13-are-named-winners-of-medal-of-freedom.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=13 Honored With Medal of Freedom |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-05-24-8502020320-story.html |access-date=November 18, 2019 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=May 24, 1985 |archive-date=October 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026123045/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-05-24-8502020320-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Posthumous work ===
In December 2023, meditation app [[Calm (company)|Calm]] announced that Stewart would be the latest narrator for its Sleep Story series, with an AI-generated voice of the actor reading an original story "It's a Wonderful Sleep Story". The project uses [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] [[Audio deepfake|voice-cloning technology]] from Respeecher, and was conducted with the consent of Stewart's family and his estate.<ref name="Variety23">{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/jimmy-stewart-ai-voice-bedtime-story-calm-app-1235812865/|title=AI-Generated Jimmy Stewart Narrates Bedtime Story for Calm App (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=4 December 2023|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|accessdate=5 December 2023}}</ref>