We may receive an affiliate commission from anything you buy from this article.Returning to movie screens after his service in World War II, actor Jimmy Stewart was nervous about appearing in Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" – a film now acknowledged as one of his very best. In his biography of the director, "Frank Capra: A Life" (published by Harper), Hollywood historian Sam Wasson writes of how Capra helped shepherd Stewart back into the public limelight in a role that was perfectly suited to Stewart's talents – and in the process created a timeless classic.
Read the excerpt below – and don't miss Lee Cowan's report on Jimmy Stewart's post-WWII experience on "CBS Sunday Morning" November 1! $37 at Amazon Prefer to listen? Audible has a 30-day free trial available right now.Try Audible for free Unlike Capra, Stewart refused to promote his return to Hollywood.
His contract with Liberty stipulated that he was not to be made to discuss his heroism."In all advertising and publicity issues by the corporation, or under its control," the relevant clause read, "the corporation will not mention or cause to be mentioned the part taken by the artist in World War II as an officer in the U.S.
Army." By then, Stewart had read the script Capra had given him.George Bailey, the hero of the picture they would call It's a Wonderful Life, was the truest to his own life.
Still, he was terrified.It was to be his first film in almost five years.
Had he lost the audience? Had they forgotten about him? Leaving a department store in Beverly Hills, he was mistaken by a gaggle of bobby-soxers for MGM's new heartthrob Van Johnson.But more than tastes in movie stars had changed since Stewart went to war.
At a Lux Radio Theatre performance of Destry Rides Again, the script he was holding shook so hard, they could see it from the control room."No sense running away," Stewart told his friend...