Editing James Stewart (section)

=== 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>