One of Hollywood’s most likable stars, James Stewart was far more complex than his aw, shucks demeanor suggested. Marc Eliot has culled previously published information, Stewart’s personal notes and diaries, and a smattering of new interviews notably with Stewart’s daughter, as well as co-star Kim Novak for the insightful Jimmy Stewart: A Biography. Stewart’s personal life included romances with dazzling leading ladies (including Ginger Rogers and Marlene Dietrich), as well as heroic World War II military service and a patriotic devotion that didn’t waver with the death of his eldest son in Vietnam. His career spanned seven decades, and included a successful string of films with Alfred Hitchcock, as well as beloved classics like the Frank Capra-directed holiday chestnut, It’s a Wonderful Life. As Eliot’s book reveals, it truly was.
Los Angeles-based writer Pat H. Broeske is the co-author of biographies of Howard Hughes and Elvis Presley.
