Essential Jimmy Stewart...
Submitted by jgandcag on Wed, 07/18/2001 - 01:12
Tags:
- Thirty Best
- 1. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
- 2. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- 3. Rear Window
- 4. It's A Wonderful Life
- 5. The Philadelphia Story
- 6. Vertigo
- 7. Rope
- 8. Shop Around The Corner
- 9. Winchester 73
- 10. Anatomy of A Murder
- 11. The Man From Laramie
- 12. The Naked Spur
- 13. Harvey
- 14. The Stratton Story
- 15. Destry Rides Again
- 16. Call Northside 777
- 17. Far Country
- 18. It's A Wonderful World
- 19. You Can't Take it With You
- 20. Broken Arrow
- 21. The Flight of The Phoenix
- 22. The Mortal Storm
- 23. Bell, Book and Candle
- 24. Malaya
- 25. Far Country
- 26. After The Thin Man
- 27. Glen Miller Story
- 28. Seventh Heaven
- 29. Bend Of the River
- 30. Shenandoah
Cloned From:
This is a notable exception to my essential's list. Jimmy Stewart deserves it. The only other actor I see deserving this treatment is Cary Grant (Maybe Paul Newman). I was looking up his films and I saw too many I did not want to exclude so I put together a top 30 list. The top 6 are on my list of top 100 movies of all time and numbers 7-10 were given very serious consideration.
Stewart is rightfully considered one of, if not, the best actor of all-time. The so-called everyman of the movies, Stewart's style was pure poetry. He was adept at Screwball Comedies, romantic leads, straight dramantic parts and high adventure roles. The key to Stewart's unparalled success lies in choice of Directors. Like any great artist, Stewart was very adept at using the right tools and surroundings to create greatness. He worked more than once with many of the best directors who ever lived, including Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Mann (the Westerns he made with Mann are the most overlooked part of his career)and John Ford.
Stewart is most well-known for his genial aw-shucks demeanor of Its A Wonderful Life and Shop Around the Corner, but check out some of these other classics to see the darkness that made him so great.