This month has certainly been chock-full of celebrations! Today marks the anniversary of the birth of one of my most favorite actors of all time -- James Stewart. From the 1930s all the way up to the 1990s, Jimmy possessed the best reactionary technique of any actor to come before or since. I think the film Harvey (from which the above image comes) is a prime example of just that. I mean, Jimmy makes you believe there's a giant rabbit sitting, standing, talking to him every step of the way. A tall, lanky guy from Indiana, Pennsylvania, Stewart was roommates and best pals with Henry Fonda in New York, ventured West to Hollywood where he made such classics as You Can't Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story (for which he won his only Oscar), and The Shop Around the Corner; left movies to fight in WWII where he became a decorated pilot in the Air Force; then returned to Hollywood where he continued making exceptional films such as It's a Wonderful Life, Harvey, as well as the Hitchcock classics Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo, and do not forget the Anthony Mann Westerns such as Winchester '73, The Naked Spur, and The Man From Laramie. I mean, an incredible career Stewart had, and one I have never ignored -- as he made a significant contribution to my thesis -- and a filmography that makes it excruciatingly difficult to pick a single favorite Stewart movie. Really, it's impossible! Anyhow, I wanted to pay tribute to this fantastic actor and, from what I've gathered, all-around nice guy. Happy Birthday, Jimmy! I'll be watching you on TCM all day today!
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