Editing James Stewart (section)

===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}}