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124-570: An Exakta VX was used by James Stewart 's character, a professional photographer, to spy on his possibly murderous neighbor in Alfred Hitchcock 's Rear Window . Highlights of Exakta cameras include: Early Kine Exaktas had a fixed waist-level viewfinder , but later models, starting with the Exakta Varex, had an interchangeable waist- or eye-level finder. Examat and Travemat through-the-lens metering prisms were introduced in

248-475: A New York Film Critics Circle Award , and a Producers Guild of America Award , as well as earned his fifth and final Academy Award nomination for his performance. The FBI Story , in which Stewart portrayed a Depression-era FBI agent, was less well received by critics and was commercially unsuccessful. Despite its commercial failure, the film marked the close of the most commercially successful decade of Stewart's career. According to Quigley's annual poll, Stewart

372-573: A pulmonary embolism three years later. James Maitland Stewart was born on May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, the eldest child and only son born to Elizabeth Ruth (née Jackson; 1875–1953) and Alexander Maitland Stewart (1872–1962). Stewart had two younger sisters, Mary (1912–1977) and Virginia (1914–1972). He was of Scottish and Ulster-Scots ancestry. The Stewart family had lived in Pennsylvania for many generations. Stewart's father ran

496-531: A 2010 Honoree. Mel Brooks has stated that he refused the Honor when George W. Bush was in office, due to his distaste for Bush's Iraq policy. He was honored in 2009, the first year Barack Obama was president. In November 2015, one month before the actual ceremony, the Eagles postponed their Honors acceptance until the following year because Glenn Frey had intestinal problems that required major surgery and

620-408: A Murder (1959) and the crime film The FBI Story (1959). The former was a box office success despite its explicit dealing with subjects such as rape, and garnered good reviews. Stewart received critical acclaim for his role as a small-town lawyer involved in a difficult murder case; Bosley Crowther called it "one of the finest performances of his career". Stewart won his first BAFTA, a Volpi Cup ,

744-642: A Wonderful Life (1946), Harvey (1950) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959). Stewart played darker, more morally ambiguous characters in movies directed by Anthony Mann , including Winchester '73 (1950), The Glenn Miller Story (1954), and The Naked Spur (1953), and by Alfred Hitchcock in Rope (1948), Rear Window (1954), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), and Vertigo (1958). Stewart also starred in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), The Flight of

868-487: A Wonderful Life (1946), the first postwar film for both of them. Stewart played George Bailey , an upstanding small-town man who becomes increasingly frustrated by his ordinary existence and financial troubles. Driven to suicide on Christmas Eve , he is led to reassess his life by Clarence Odbody , an "angel, second class", played by Henry Travers . During filming, Stewart experienced doubts about his abilities and continued to consider retiring from acting. Although It's

992-425: A Wonderful Life was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Stewart's third Best Actor nomination, it received mixed reviews and was only a moderate success at the box office, failing to cover its production costs. Several critics found the movie too sentimental, although Bosley Crowther wrote that Stewart did a "warmly appealing job, indicating that he has grown in spiritual stature as well as in talent during

1116-593: A bit that he handles with characteristically engaging skill". MGM did not see leading-man material in Stewart, described by biographer Michael D. Rinella as a "lanky young bumpkin with a hesitant manner of speech." During this time, his agent Leland Hayward decided that the best path for him would be through loan-outs to other studios. Stewart had only a small role in his second MGM film, the hit musical Rose Marie (1936), but it led to his casting in seven other films within one year, from Next Time We Love to After

1240-410: A box-office flop. Soured by this failure, Stewart avoided the genre and would not make another Western for four years. Stewart's collaboration with Hitchcock ended the following year with Vertigo (1958), in which he starred as an acrophobic former policeman who becomes obsessed with a woman (Kim Novak) he is shadowing. Although Vertigo has later become considered one of Hitchcock's key works and

1364-786: A career as a stage actor making his Broadway debut in the play Carry Nation (1932). He landed his first supporting role in The Murder Man (1935) and had his breakthrough in Frank Capra 's ensemble comedy You Can't Take It with You (1938). Stewart went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the George Cukor romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story (1940). His other Oscar-nominated roles were in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), It's

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1488-467: A college graduate and a licensed commercial pilot. Stewart received his commission as a second lieutenant on January 1, 1942. After enlisting, Stewart made no new commercial films, although he remained under contract to MGM. His public appearances were limited to engagements for the Army Air Forces. The Air Corps scheduled him on network radio with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy , and on

1612-473: A corporation, Patron Inc., to produce the film. Stewart portrayed a photographer, loosely based on Robert Capa , who projects his fantasies and fears onto the people he observes out his apartment window while on hiatus due to a broken leg and comes to believe that he has witnessed a murder. Limited by his wheelchair, Stewart had to react to what his character sees with mostly facial responses. Like Mann, Hitchcock uncovered new depths to Stewart's acting, showing

1736-442: A critical favorite over the ensuing decades. Stewart was billed above John Wayne in posters and the trailers, but Wayne received top billing in the film itself. Stewart, Wayne, and Ford also collaborated for a television play that same year, Flashing Spikes (1962), for ABC 's anthology series Alcoa Premiere , albeit featuring Wayne billed with a television pseudonym, "Michael Morris", (also used for Wayne's brief appearance in

1860-476: A decade earlier. He and co-star Simone Simon were miscast, and the film was a critical and commercial failure. William Boehnel of the New York World-Telegram called Stewart's performance emotionless, and Eileen Creelman of The New York Sun wrote that he made little attempt to look or sound French. Stewart's next film, The Last Gangster (1937) starring Edward G. Robinson , was also

1984-543: A distinctive voice on the Lux Radio Theater , The Screen Guild Theater , and other shows. So well-known had his slow drawl become that comedians began impersonating him. Stewart and Sullavan reunited for two films in 1940. The Ernst Lubitsch romantic comedy The Shop Around the Corner starred them as co-workers who cannot stand each other but unknowingly become romantic pen-pals. It received good reviews and

2108-633: A failure, but it was followed by a critically acclaimed performance in Navy Blue and Gold (1937) as a football player at the United States Naval Academy . The film was a box-office success and earned Stewart the best reviews of his career up to that point. The New York Times wrote "the ending leaves us with the conviction that James Stewart is a sincere and likable triple-threat man in the [MGM] backfield" and Variety called his performance "fine". Despite good reviews, Stewart

2232-543: A long recovery period. Despite their absence, they were still honored in 2015 via a performance of " Desperado " by country singer Miranda Lambert . Frey died on January 18, 2016, although the Center made him and the three surviving members 2016 Honorees. In 2017, Norman Lear accepted the Honor, but boycotted the White House ceremony because of his opposition to President Donald Trump , citing Trump's proposal to end

2356-528: A man who knows violence first-hand and struggles to control it. The Stewart–Mann collaborations laid the foundation for many of the Westerns of the 1950s and remain popular today for their grittier, more realistic depiction of the classic movie genre. In addition, Stewart starred in the Western radio show The Six Shooter for its one-season run from 1953 to 1954. He and Mann also collaborated on films outside

2480-475: A pacifist lawman alongside Marlene Dietrich , a saloon girl who falls in love with him. It was critically and commercially successful. TIME magazine wrote, "James Stewart, who had just turned in the top performance of his cinematurity as Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , turns in as good a performance or better as Thomas Jefferson Destry." Between films, Stewart had begun a radio career and had become

2604-411: A percentage of the profits. Stewart was also granted authority to collaborate with the studio on casting and hiring decisions. Stewart ended up earning about $ 600,000 for Winchester '73 , significantly more than his usual fee, and other stars quickly capitalized on this new way of doing business, which further undermined the decaying studio system . Stewart chose Mann to direct, and the film gave him

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2728-951: A pilot when his father steered him towards Princeton. Stewart enrolled at Princeton in 1928 as a member of the class of 1932, majoring in architecture and becoming a member of the Princeton Charter Club . He excelled academically but also became attracted to the school's drama and music clubs, including the Princeton Triangle Club . Upon his graduation in 1932, he was awarded a scholarship for graduate studies in architecture for his thesis on an airport terminal design, but chose instead to join University Players , an intercollegiate summer stock company performing in West Falmouth, Massachusetts , on Cape Cod . Stewart performed in bit parts in

2852-505: A protagonist confronting his fears and repressed desires. Although most of the initial acclaim for Rear Window was directed towards Hitchcock, critic Vincent Canby later described Stewart's performance in it as "grand" and stated that "[his] longtime star status in Hollywood has always obscured recognition of his talent." 1954 was a landmark year in Stewart's career in terms of audience success, and he topped Look magazine's list of

2976-503: A public event. The Center chose instead to pay special tribute to him at the 1987 Gala. He died in 1989. Paul McCartney was selected as an Honoree in 2002, but was unable to attend due to an "inescapable personal obligation," his cousin's previously planned wedding. After initially saying that McCartney's award would be postponed until the following year, the Kennedy Center did not award McCartney in 2003. McCartney later became

3100-401: A real special. The first host was Leonard Bernstein in 1978, followed by Eric Sevareid in 1979 (with Gene Kelly closing it) and Beverly Sills in 1980. Walter Cronkite hosted from 1981 to 2002 and Caroline Kennedy hosted from 2003 to 2012. Glenn Close hosted in 2013 and Stephen Colbert hosted from 2014 to 2016. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment were

3224-735: A scientist in Koster's British production No Highway in the Sky , which was one of the first airplane disaster films ever made. Filmed in England, it became a box office success in the United Kingdom, but failed to attract audiences in the United States. Stewart took a small supporting role as a troubled clown in Cecil B. DeMille 's The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), which went on to win

3348-680: A seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), orchestrated by talent scout Bill Grady, who had been tracking Stewart's career since seeing him perform in Princeton. His first Hollywood role was a minor appearance in the Spencer Tracy vehicle The Murder Man (1935). His performance was largely ignored by critics, although the New York Herald Tribune , remembering him in Yellow Jack , called him "wasted in

3472-502: A shattering emotional climax rendered by Stewart. Kate Cameron of the New York Daily News wrote that he "has one grand scene in which he demonstrates most effectively that he is something more than a musical comedy juvenile". For his next film, the romantic drama Seventh Heaven (1937), Stewart was loaned to 20th Century-Fox to play a Parisian sewer worker in a remake of Frank Borzage 's silent classic released

3596-657: A special award was given to the Apollo Theater in New York City, the first institution honored at the Kennedy Center Honors. Pianist Vladimir Horowitz was to be an Honoree, but the selection committee withdrew the offer when Horowitz conditioned his acceptance on being honored alone and at 4:00 in the afternoon. Actress Katharine Hepburn declined the committee's first offer, although she relented in 1990. Doris Day repeatedly turned down

3720-473: A starring role in the Western Night Passage (1957), which had originally been slated as his ninth collaboration with Mann. During the pre-production, a rift developed between Mann and writer Borden Chase over the script, which Mann considered weak. Mann decided to leave the film and never collaborated with Stewart again. James Neilson replaced Mann, and the film opened in 1957 to become

3844-473: A time. This is quite similar to the Praktica design (which adapted it from Ihagee's product), the shutter-release of which was located on the right-hand side of the camera-body front. Most later lenses produced for Exaktas (Ihagee did not produce their own lenses), known either as "automatic" or "semi-automatic" lenses, included a button in an extension that would align over the camera body's shutter release when

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3968-469: Is fully compatible between all models manufactured between 1936 and 1969. The spelling found on cameras has traditionally been Exakta, but some early Kine-Exaktas were marked Exacta specifically for marketing in France, Portugal and the U.S., perhaps for copyright reasons; and certainly a great number of American collectors refer to the whole range as the "Exacta." A related line of smaller, simpler cameras

4092-423: Is that this is the only show of its kind. In Europe and most countries, they have ways of honoring their actors and their athletes. England has its command performances for the queen. We see this as a national honoring of people who have contributed to society, not someone who happens to have a pop record hit at the moment ... Our intention is not to do just another award show. We're going to make an effort in terms of

4216-605: The New York Daily Mirror compared him to Stan Laurel in this melodramatic film, and Variety called his performance unfocused. Stewart became a major star when he was loaned out to Columbia Pictures to play the lead role in Frank Capra's You Can't Take It with You (1938) opposite Jean Arthur . Stewart played the son of a banker who falls in love with a woman from a poor and eccentric family. Capra had recently completed several well-received films and

4340-490: The Air Force Reserve , and held various command positions until his retirement in 1968 as a brigadier general . Stewart remained unmarried until his 40s and was dubbed "The Great American Bachelor" by the press. In 1949, he married former model Gloria Hatrick McLean . They had twin daughters, and he adopted her two sons from her previous marriage. The marriage lasted until Gloria's death in 1994, and Stewart died of

4464-525: The Apache . Stewart's third film release of 1950 was the comedy The Jackpot ; it received critical acclaim and was commercially successful, but was a minor film in his repertoire and has largely been forgotten by contemporary critics and fans. In December 1950, the screen adaptation of Harvey was released, directed by Henry Koster and with Stewart reprising his stage role. With critics comparing his performance with Fay's, Stewart's performance as well as

4588-501: The COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 edition was postponed and eventually held between May 17 and May 22, 2021, and the edited broadcast aired on June 6, 2021. Since 2021, the annual Honors broadcast has been available to stream for a limited time through CBS platforms and Paramount+ Honoree recommendations are accepted from the general public, and the Kennedy Center initiated a Special Honors Advisory Committee, which comprises members of

4712-792: The Civil War , and his father had served during both the Spanish–American War and World War I. After first being rejected for low weight in November 1940, he enlisted in February 1941. As an experienced pilot, he reported for induction as a private in the Air Corps on March 22, 1941. Soon to be 33 years old, he was over the age limit for Aviation Cadet training—the normal path of commissioning for pilots, navigators and bombardiers—and therefore applied for an Air Corps commission as both

4836-466: The Eagles ; Philip Bailey , Verdine White , Ralph Johnson and (posthumously) Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire ; Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 , and Mickey Hart , Billy Kreutzmann , (posthumously) Phil Lesh and Bobby Weir of the Grateful Dead . In 2018, a special award for "trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category"

4960-624: The President of the United States and the First Lady , followed by the Honors gala performance at the Kennedy Center and supper. Prior to 2017, there had been three occasions in which the president did not attend the gala performance. President Jimmy Carter did not attend in 1979 during the Iran hostage crisis ; First Lady Rosalynn Carter served as his surrogate. President George H. W. Bush

5084-821: The Shemp Howard comedy short Art Trouble (1934), filmed in Brooklyn , and acted in summer stock productions of We Die Exquisitely and All Paris Knows at the Red Barn Theater on Long Island . In the fall, he again received excellent reviews for his role in Divided by Three at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre , which he followed with the modestly successful Page Miss Glory and the critical failure A Journey By Night in spring 1935. Soon after A Journey By Night ended, Stewart signed

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5208-627: The performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture . They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five Honorees in the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. While the awards are primarily given to individuals, they have occasionally been given to duos or musical groups, as well as to one Broadway musical , one television show , and one performing arts venue. George Stevens Jr. created

5332-660: The reserves of the United States Air Force after the Army Air Forces split from the Army in 1947. During active-duty periods, he served with the Strategic Air Command and completed transition training as a pilot on the B-47 and B-52 . Stewart was first nominated for promotion to brigadier general in February 1957; however, his promotion was initially opposed by Senator Margaret Chase Smith . At

5456-537: The 1950s, Stewart experienced a career renewal as the star of Westerns and collaborated on several films with director Anthony Mann . The first of these was the Universal production Winchester '73 (1950), which Stewart agreed to do in exchange for being cast in a screen adaptation of Harvey . It also marked a turning point in Hollywood, as Stewart's agent, Lew Wasserman , brokered an innovative deal with Universal, in which Stewart would receive no fee in exchange for

5580-511: The Academy Award for Best Picture. Critics were curious why Stewart had taken such a small, out-of-character role; he responded that he was inspired by Lon Chaney 's ability to disguise himself while letting his character emerge. In the same year, Stewart starred in a critically and commercially failed biopic, Carbine Williams (1952), and continued his collaboration with Mann in Bend of

5704-658: The Air Force on May 31, 1968, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 60. Upon his retirement, he was awarded the United States Air Force Distinguished Service Medal . Stewart rarely spoke about his wartime service but did appear in an episode of the British television documentary series The World at War (1974), commenting on the disastrous 1943 mission against Schweinfurt , Germany. After his experiences in

5828-608: The COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed that year's Honorees to the White House in May 2021 but did not attend any other events. For the 2021 edition, Joe and Jill Biden attended the gala performance on December 5, 2021, marking the first time since 2016 that a sitting president and first lady had attended the event. 257 people have been awarded the Kennedy Center Honors as of 2024. One award, given to stand-up comedian and actor Bill Cosby in 1998,

5952-775: The Chairman's Luncheon, the State Department dinner, White House reception, and the Honors gala performances and supper. The Chairman's Luncheon is held on Saturday at the Kennedy Center . Surrounded by the Honorees, the chairman of the board of trustees launches the event with a welcoming speech. At that evening's reception and dinner at the State Department , presided over by the Secretary of State ,

6076-648: The Executive Producers of the 38th annual Kennedy Center Honors (2015) after George Stevens Jr. stepped down. There was no formal host in 2017, although Caroline Kennedy delivered an introduction. In 2018, mid-2021, and 2023 Gloria Estefan hosted, LL Cool J hosted in 2019, and David Letterman hosted in late 2021. There was no formal host in 2022, though several former honorees delivered an introduction. In 2022, David Jammy of Done+Dusted and Elizabeth Kelly of ROK Productions were hired to serve as Executive Producers. This awards show does not air live (with

6200-413: The Honor because her fear of flying prevented her from attending the ceremony. When considering Irving Berlin for the 1987 awards because of criticism for overlooking him, the Center was informed that Berlin wanted to be honored only if he surpassed his 100th birthday (which would not be until May 1988). He was also in failing health, using a wheelchair following a series of strokes, and could not attend

6324-429: The Honorees are introduced and the Honors medallions are presented by the chairman of the board. The wide rainbow-colored ribbon then hung around the necks of the recipients and prominently noticeable when the events are televised, symbolizes "a spectrum of many skills within the performing arts" according to creator Ivan Chermayeff . On Sunday, there is an early-evening White House reception, traditionally hosted by

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6448-665: The John Ford-directed episode of the television series Wagon Train titled " The Colter Craven Story ") for his lengthy cameo. Next, Stewart appeared as part of an all-star cast—including Henry Fonda and John Wayne—in How the West Was Won , a Western epic released in the United States in early 1963. The film went on to win three Academy Awards and reap massive box-office figures. Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in

6572-483: The Kennedy Center Honors with Nick Vanoff and produced the first gala in 1978. He was the producer and co-writer through the 2014 awards, after which he sold the production rights to the Kennedy Center. The idea for the Kennedy Center Honors began in 1977, after that year's 10th-anniversary White House reception and Kennedy Center program for the American Film Institute (AFI). Roger L. Stevens ,

6696-548: The Phoenix (1965) as well as the Western films How the West Was Won (1962), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and Cheyenne Autumn (1964). With his private pilot's skills, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II seeking combat duty and rose to be deputy commanding officer of the 2nd Bombardment Wing and commanding the 703d Bombardment Squadron from 1941 to 1947. He later transferred to

6820-710: The Praktica name. After an economic collapse following Germany's reunification , the successor of the firm ( Pentacon , which subsumed Ihagee) is now back in business. This company is not related to the Dutchman Johan Steenbergen, the founder of Ihagee, or with the Exakta, which was discontinued in the 1970s. James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor, military aviator, and poet. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With

6944-512: The River (1952), which was a commercial and critical success. Stewart followed Bend of the River with four more collaborations with Mann in the next two years. The Naked Spur (1953) and The Far Country (1954) were successful with audiences and developed Stewart's screen persona into a more mature, ambiguous, and edgier presence. The films featured him as troubled cowboys seeking redemption while facing corrupt cattlemen, ranchers, and outlaws;

7068-522: The Thin Man . He also received crucial help from his University Players friend Margaret Sullavan , who campaigned for him to be her leading man in the Universal romantic comedy Next Time We Love (1936), filmed right after Rose Marie . Sullavan rehearsed extensively with him, boosting his confidence and helping him incorporate his mannerisms and boyishness into his screen persona. Next Time We Love

7192-485: The University Players' productions in Cape Cod during the summer of 1932. The company's directors included Joshua Logan , Bretaigne Windust , and Charles Leatherbee, and amongst its other actors were married couple Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan , who became Stewart's close friends. At the end of the season, Stewart moved to New York with his Players friends Logan, Myron McCormick , and newly single Henry Fonda. Along with McCormick, Stewart debuted on Broadway in

7316-410: The Western Two Rode Together (1961), which had thematic echoes of Ford's The Searchers . The same year, he also narrated the film X-15 for the USAF. Stewart was considered for the role of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee 's novel To Kill a Mockingbird , but he turned it down, concerned that the story was too controversial. Stewart and Ford's next collaboration

7440-425: The Western genre such as Thunder Bay (1953) and The Glenn Miller Story (1954), the latter a critically acclaimed biopic in which he starred opposite June Allyson. It earned Stewart a BAFTA nomination and continued his portrayals of 'American heroes'. Stewart's second collaboration with Hitchcock, the thriller Rear Window , became the eighth highest-grossing film of 1954. Hitchcock and Stewart also formed

7564-413: The White House. In 2017, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump decided not to participate in events honoring recipients of the 2017 Kennedy Center Honors awards to "allow the Honorees to celebrate without any political distraction." The 2017 ceremony was held on December 3, 2017 without them, marking the first time that neither the president nor the first lady attended; Caroline Kennedy

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7688-425: The Wilson Model School for primary school and junior high school. He was not a gifted student and received average to low grades. According to his teachers, this was not from a lack of intelligence, but due to being creative and having a tendency to daydream. Stewart began attending Mercersburg Academy prep school in the fall of 1923, because his father did not believe he would be accepted into Princeton (his father

7812-491: The academy was recompensing for not giving him the award the year prior. Moreover, Stewart's character was a supporting role, not the male lead. He gave the Oscar to his father, who displayed it at his hardware store alongside other family awards and military medals. Stewart next appeared in two comedies— Come Live with Me (1941), which paired him with Hedy Lamarr , and Pot o' Gold (1941), featuring Paulette Goddard —that were both box-office failures. Stewart considered

7936-416: The beginning of June 1945, Stewart was the presiding officer of the court martial of a pilot and navigator who accidentally bombed Zurich , Switzerland . Stewart returned to the United States in early fall 1945. He continued to play a role in reserve of the Army Air Forces after the war and was also one of the 12 founders of the Air Force Association in October 1945. Stewart eventually transferred to

8060-400: The betrayed boyfriend of the leading lady, portrayed by Jean Harlow and Janet Gaynor , respectively. Both films garnered him some good reviews. After an appearance in the short subject Important News (1936), Stewart had his first top-billed role in the low-budget "B" movie Speed (1936), in which he played a mechanic and speed driver competing in the Indianapolis 500 . The film

8184-424: The board of trustees as well as past Honorees and distinguished artists. The executive committee of the board of trustees selects the Honoree recipients based on their impact and contributions to American culture and excellence in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures or television. The selections are typically announced sometime between July and September. The invitation-only, weekend-long ceremony includes

8308-416: The brief run of Carry Nation and a few weeks later – again with McCormick – appeared as a chauffeur in the comedy Goodbye Again , in which he had a walk-on line. The New Yorker commented, "Mr. James Stewart's chauffeur... comes on for three minutes and walks off to a round of spontaneous applause." Following the seven-month run of Goodbye Again , Stewart took a stage manager position in Boston , but

8432-437: The camera can be used to slice the film so that the canister containing the exposed film can be removed while preserving the unexposed film in the main canister. The knife was omitted in the Exakta VX500, one of the last "official" Exakta cameras. The shutter release on classic Exaktas is on the front of the camera, rather than the top. It is pressed with the left forefinger. Amongst others, Topcon would use this bajonet mount for

8556-412: The comedy to the show...In addition, he contributes some of the most irresistible romantic moments." His performance earned him his only Academy Award in a competitive category for Best Actor, beating out Henry Fonda, for whom he had voted and with whom he had once roomed, both almost broke, in the early 1930s in New York. Stewart himself assessed his performance in Mr. Smith to be superior and believed

8680-428: The critics. The New York Times noted, " The Stratton Story was the best thing that has yet happened to Mr. Stewart in his post-war film career...he gives such a winning performance that it is almost impossible to imagine any one else playing the role." Stewart's other 1949 release saw him reunited with Spencer Tracy in the World War II film Malaya (1949). It was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews. In

8804-401: The exception of closed-circuit venues), but an edited version lasting approximately two hours is normally televised on CBS after Christmas. Normally, the show has been aired between Christmas and New Year's on CBS television, but, in a departure from this tradition, the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors aired on regular television in early December and was later made available on CBS All Access. Due to

8928-408: The family business, the J. M. Stewart and Company Hardware Store, which he hoped Stewart would take over as an adult after attending Princeton University, as was the family tradition. Raised a Presbyterian by his deeply religious father, Stewart was a devout churchgoer for much of his life. Stewart's mother was a pianist, and music was an important part of family life. When a customer at the store

9052-525: The film itself received mixed reviews. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that "so darling is the acting of James Stewart [...] and all the rest that a virtually brand-new experience is still in store for even those who saw the play", while Variety called him "perfect" in the role. John McCarten of the New Yorker stated that although he "doesn't bring his part to the battered authority of Frank Fay...he nevertheless succeeds in making plausible

9176-488: The first films about the new science of public opinion polling . It was poorly received both commercially and critically. Stewart appeared in four new film releases in 1948. Call Northside 777 was a critically acclaimed film noir , while the musical comedy On Our Merry Way , in which Stewart and Henry Fonda played jazz musicians in an ensemble cast, was a critical and commercial failure. The comedy You Gotta Stay Happy , which paired Stewart with Joan Fontaine ,

9300-399: The first version, Hitchcock himself considered his remake superior. Stewart's next film, Billy Wilder 's The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), saw him star as his young adulthood hero, Charles Lindbergh . It was a big-budget production with elaborate special effects for the flying sequences, but received only mixed reviews and did not earn back its production costs. Stewart ended the year with

9424-486: The founding chairman of the Kennedy Center, asked George Stevens Jr. (no relation), the founding director of the AFI, to hold an event for the center. Stevens Jr. asked Isaac Stern to become involved, and then pitched the idea to the television network CBS , who bought it. With the first Honors event and Honorees, CBS vice president for specials, Bernie Sofronski, stated: George [Stevens] came to us with this. What turned us on

9548-517: The idea of redefining his screen persona through the Western genre. In the film, Stewart is a tough, vengeful sharpshooter, the winner of a prized rifle that is stolen and passes through many hands, until the showdown between him and his brother. Winchester '73 became a box-office success upon its summer release and earned Stewart rave reviews. He also starred in another successful Western that summer, Broken Arrow (1950), which featured him as an ex-soldier and Native American agent making peace with

9672-605: The latter to be the worst film of his career. His last film before military service was the musical Ziegfeld Girl (1941), which co-starred Judy Garland , Hedy Lamarr , and Lana Turner . It was a critical failure, but also one of the best box-office performers of the year. Stewart became the first major American movie star to enlist in the United States Army to fight in World War II. His family had deep military roots: both of his grandfathers had fought in

9796-417: The latter was not well-received: The New York Times stated that his "singing and dancing will (fortunately) never win him a song-and-dance-man classification", and Variety called "his singing and dancing [...] rather painful on their own", although it otherwise found Stewart aptly cast in an "assignment [that] calls for a shy youth". Stewart's last film to be released in 1936, After the Thin Man , features

9920-547: The lens was mounted. The diaphragm of these lenses remained fully open, providing a bright viewfinder image, until the button was depressed halfway, when the iris would be stopped down to the shooting aperture; pressed farther, the lens button engaged the camera's shutter release button, tripping the shutter. There was a full line of specialized equipment available for these system cameras that included microscope adaptor, extension bellows , stereo attachments, medical attachments and various specialized finder screens. Equipment

10044-406: The mid-1960s. Most controls—including the shutter release and the film wind lever—are on the left-hand side, unlike most other cameras. The film is transported in the opposite direction to other 35mm SLRs. In classic Exaktas—made between 1936 and 1969—two film canisters can be used, one containing unexposed film and a second into which is wound the exposed film. A sliding knife built into the bottom of

10168-532: The most knowing and engaging young actors appearing on the screen at present". Stewart's third film release of 1938, the First World War  drama The Shopworn Angel , saw him collaborate again with Margaret Sullavan. In his performance, Stewart drew upon his own feelings of unrequited love towards Sullavan, who was married to his agent, Leland Hayward . Although the film was otherwise well-received, critics were mixed about Stewart. Bland Johaneson of

10292-407: The most-popular movie stars, displacing rival Western star John Wayne . Stewart continued his successful box-office run with two collaborations with Mann in 1955. Strategic Air Command paired him again with June Allyson in a Cold War   Stewart took a central role in its development, using his experiences from the air force. Despite criticism for the dry, mechanistic storyline, it became

10416-526: The notion that Harvey, the rabbit, would accept him as a pal." Stewart later stated that he was dissatisfied with his performance, stating, "I played him a little too dreamily, a little too cute-cute." Despite the film's poor box office performance, Stewart received his fourth Academy Award nomination as well as his first Golden Globe nomination. Similar to It's a Wonderful Life , Harvey achieved popularity later, after frequent television showings. Stewart appeared in only one film released in 1951, playing

10540-574: The point of being neurotic, thoughtful to the point of being tongue-tied", describing him as "particularly gifted in expressing the emotional ambivalence of the action hero". Stewart won the New York Film Critics Circle award and received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Stewart's last screen appearance of 1939 came in the Western Destry Rides Again , in which he portrayed

10664-472: The political comedy-drama Mr. Smith Goes to Washington . Stewart played an idealist thrown into the political arena. It garnered critical praise and became the third-highest-grossing film of the year. The Nation stated "[Stewart] takes first place among Hollywood actors...Now he is mature and gives a difficult part, with many nuances, moments of tragic-comic impact." Later, critic Andrew Sarris qualified Stewart's performance as "lean, gangling, idealistic to

10788-523: The radio program We Hold These Truths , a celebration of the United States Bill of Rights , which was broadcast a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor . Stewart also appeared in a First Motion Picture Unit short film, Winning Your Wings , to help recruit airmen. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1942, it appeared in movie theaters nationwide beginning in late May 1942 and resulted in 150,000 new recruits. Stewart

10912-416: The role of a Nietzsche -loving philosophy professor. The film's screenwriter Arthur Laurents also stated that "the casting of [Stewart] was absolutely destructive. He's not sexual as an actor." Stewart found success again with The Stratton Story (1949), playing baseball champion Monty Stratton  opposite June Allyson . It became the sixth highest-grossing film of 1949 and was well received by

11036-444: The screen with Carole Lombard . Stewart blamed its directing and screenwriting for its poor box-office performance. Regardless, the film received favorable reviews, with Newsweek writing that Stewart and Lombard were "perfectly cast in the leading roles". The other two films, The Ice Follies of 1939 and It's a Wonderful World , were critical failures. In Stewart's fourth 1939 film, he worked with Capra and Arthur again in

11160-522: The show", yet the film was again not a box-office success. Stewart's final film to be released in 1940 was George Cukor 's romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story , in which he played an intrusive, fast-talking reporter sent to cover the wedding of a socialite ( Katharine Hepburn ) with the help of her ex-husband ( Cary Grant ). The film became one of the largest box-office successes of the year and received widespread critical acclaim. The New York Herald Tribune stated that "Stewart...contributes most of

11284-562: The sixth highest-grossing film of 1955. Stewart's final collaboration with Mann in the Western genre, The Man from Laramie , one of the first Westerns to be shot in CinemaScope , was well received by the critics and audiences alike. Following his work with Mann, Stewart starred opposite Doris Day in Hitchcock's remake of his earlier film The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). The film was another success. Even though critics preferred

11408-557: The story of Elwood P. Dowd, a wealthy eccentric, whose best friend is an invisible man-sized rabbit and whose relatives are trying to get him committed to a mental asylum. Stewart gained a following in the unconventional play, and although Fay returned to the role in August, they decided that Stewart would take his place again the next summer. Stewart's only film to be released in 1947 was the William A. Wellman comedy Magic Town , one of

11532-858: The strong morality he portrayed both on and off the screen, he epitomized the " American ideal " in the mid-twentieth century. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked him third on its list of the greatest American male actors . He received numerous honors including the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1980, the Kennedy Center Honor in 1983, as well as the Academy Honorary Award and Presidential Medal of Freedom , both in 1985. Born and raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania , Stewart started acting while at Princeton University . After graduating, he began

11656-586: The third-tier football team due to his slender physique. Stewart also made his first onstage appearance at Mercersburg, as Buquet in the play The Wolves in 1928. During summer breaks, he returned to Indiana, working first as a brick loader and then as a magician's assistant. Due to scarlet fever that turned into a kidney infection, he had to take time out from school in 1927, which delayed his graduation until 1928. He remained passionate about aviation, with his interest enhanced by Charles Lindbergh 's first solo transatlantic flight, but abandoned visions of becoming

11780-698: The time of the nomination, the Washington Daily News noted: "He trains actively with the Reserve every year. He's had 18 hours as first pilot of a B-52." On July 23, 1959, Stewart was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the highest-ranking actor in American military history. During the Vietnam War , he flew as a non-duty observer in a B-52 on an Arc Light bombing mission in February 1966. He served for 27 years, officially retiring from

11904-477: The war, Stewart considered returning to Pennsylvania to run the family store. His former agent, Leland Hayward, had also left the talent business in 1944 after selling his roster of stars, including Stewart, to Music Corporation of America (MCA). Stewart decided not to renew his MGM contract and instead signed a deal with MCA. He later stated that he was given a new beginning by Frank Capra, who asked him to star in It's

12028-540: The years he was in the war", and President Harry S. Truman concluded that "If [my wife] and I had a son we'd want him to be just like Jimmy Stewart [in this film]." In the decades since its release, It's a Wonderful Life has grown to define Stewart's film persona and is widely considered a Christmas classic, and according to the American Film Institute, is one of the 100 best American movies ever made. Andrew Sarris stated that Stewart's performance

12152-402: Was The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). A classic psychological Western, the picture was shot in black-and-white film noir style at Ford's insistence, with Stewart as an East Coast attorney who goes against his non-violent principles when he is forced to confront a psychopathic outlaw ( Lee Marvin ) in a small frontier town. The complex film initially garnered mixed reviews but became

12276-623: Was a box-office success and received mostly positive reviews, leading Stewart to be noticed by critics and MGM executives. Time stated that "the chief significance of [the film] in the progress of the cinema industry is likely to reside in the presence in its cast of James Stewart", and The New York Times called him "a welcome addition to the roster of Hollywood's leading men". Stewart followed Next Time We Love with supporting roles in two commercially successful romantic comedies, Wife vs. Secretary (1936) with Clark Gable and Myrna Loy and Small Town Girl (1936). In both, he played

12400-555: Was a box-office success in Europe, but failed to find an audience in the US, where less-gentle screwball comedies were more popular. Director Lubitsch assessed it to be the best film of his career, and it has been regarded highly by later critics, such as Pauline Kael and Richard Schickel . The drama The Mortal Storm , directed by Frank Borzage , featured Sullavan and Stewart as lovers caught in turmoil upon Hitler 's rise to power. It

12524-466: Was a critical and commercial failure, although Frank Nugent of The New York Times stated that "Mr. Stewart [and the rest of the cast] perform as pleasantly as possible." Stewart's last three film releases of 1936 were all box-office successes. He had only a bit part in The Gorgeous Hussy , but a starring role in the musical Born to Dance with Eleanor Powell . His performance in

12648-493: Was a member of the class of 1898) if he attended public high school. At Mercersburg, Stewart participated in a variety of extracurricular activities. He was a member of the track team (competing as a high jumper under coach Jimmy Curran ), the art editor of the school yearbook, a member of the glee club , and a member of the John Marshall Literary Society. To his disappointment, he was relegated to

12772-412: Was also critically successful, but while Variety wrote that the performances of Stewart and Arthur garnered "much of the laughs", most of the critical acclaim went to Lionel Barrymore and Edward Arnold . In contrast to the success of You Can't Take It With You , Stewart's first three film releases of 1939 were all commercial disappointments. In the melodrama Made for Each Other (1939), he shared

12896-472: Was concerned that his celebrity status would relegate him to duties behind the lines. After spending over a year training pilots at Kirtland Army Airfield in Albuquerque, New Mexico , he appealed to his commander and in November 1943 was sent to England as part of the 703d Bomb Squadron to fly B-24 Liberators . He was based initially at RAF Tibenham , before moving to RAF Old Buckenham . Stewart

13020-536: Was convinced to continue acting when he was cast in the lead role of Yellow Jack , playing a soldier who becomes the subject of a yellow fever experiment. It premiered at the Martin Beck Theater in March 1934. Stewart received unanimous praise from the critics, but the play proved unpopular with audiences and folded by June. During the summer, Stewart made his film debut with an unbilled appearance in

13144-407: Was created and presented at the annual ceremony to the creators of the musical Hamilton : Lin-Manuel Miranda , Thomas Kail , Andy Blankenbuehler and Alex Lacamoire . The 2019 Honorees included, for the first time, a television program; the co-founders of Sesame Street , Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett , accepted the Kennedy Center Honors on behalf of all of the creators. In 2024

13268-588: Was fading, and a new wave of actors, including Marlon Brando , Montgomery Clift , and James Dean , would soon remake Hollywood. Stewart returned to making radio dramas in 1946; he continued this work between films until the mid-1950s. He also made a comeback on Broadway to star in Mary Coyle Chase 's Harvey in July 1947, replacing the original star Frank Fay for the duration of his vacation. The play had opened to nearly universal praise in 1944 and told

13392-449: Was fifty years old at the time and had begun wearing a silver hairpiece in his movies. Consequently, Hitchcock cast Cary Grant in his next film, North by Northwest (1959), a role Stewart wanted; Grant was four years older than Stewart but photographed much younger. Stewart's second 1958 film release, the romantic comedy Bell, Book and Candle (1958), also paired him with Kim Novak, with Stewart later echoing Hitchcock in saying that he

13516-667: Was fired after frequently missing his cues. Returning to New York, he then landed a small part in Spring in Autumn and a role in All Good Americans , where he was required to throw a banjo out of the window. Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times wrote, "Throwing a $ 250 banjo out of the window at the concierge is constructive abuse and should be virtuously applauded." Both plays folded after only short runs, and Stewart began to think about going back to his studies. Stewart

13640-571: Was hospitalized. RKO initially wanted to replace Stewart, but eventually the project was canceled. However, Rogers' success in a stage musical caused the film to be picked up again. Stewart was recast in Vivacious Lady at Rogers' insistence and due to his performance in Of Human Hearts . It was a critical and commercial success, and showed Stewart's talent for performing in romantic comedies; The New York Herald called him "one of

13764-408: Was looking for a new type of leading man. He had been impressed by Stewart's role in Navy Blue and Gold (1937). According to Capra, Stewart was one of the best actors ever to hit the screen, understood character archetypes intuitively, and required little directing. You Can't Take It With You became the fifth highest-grossing film of the year and won the Academy Award for Best Picture . The film

13888-430: Was miscast as 25-year-old Novak's romantic partner. The film and Stewart's performance received poor reviews and resulted in a box office failure. However, according to film scholar David Bingham, by the early 1950s, "Stewart's personality was so credible and well-established", that his choice of role no longer affected his popularity. Stewart ended the decade with Otto Preminger 's realistic courtroom drama Anatomy of

14012-404: Was on a trip to Brussels and could not attend in 1989; First Lady Barbara Bush served as his surrogate. President Bill Clinton was on a trip to Budapest and could not attend in 1994; First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton served as his surrogate. For the 2015 gala performance, President Barack Obama joined First Lady Michelle Obama late after addressing the nation in a live telecast from

14136-551: Was one of the first blatantly anti- Nazi films to be produced in Hollywood, but according to film scholar Ben Urwand , "ultimately made very little impact" as it did not show the persecution experienced by Jews or name that ethnic group. Despite being well received by critics, it failed at the box office. Ten days after filming The Mortal Storm , Stewart began filming No Time for Comedy (1940) with Rosalind Russell . Critics complimented Stewart's performance; Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called Stewart "the best thing in

14260-484: Was one of the top money-making stars for ten years, appearing in the top ten in 1950, 1952–1959, and 1965. He topped the list in 1955. Stewart opened the new decade by starring in the war film The Mountain Road (1960). To his surprise, it was a box office failure, despite his claims that it was one of the best scripts he'd ever read. He began a new director collaboration with John Ford , making his debut in his films in

14384-644: Was promoted to major following a mission to Ludwigshafen , Germany, on January 7, 1944. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions as deputy commander of the 2nd Bombardment Wing , the French Croix de Guerre with palm, and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters . Stewart was promoted to full colonel on March 29, 1945, becoming one of the few Americans to ever rise from private to colonel in only four years. At

14508-509: Was ranked the greatest film ever made by the Sight & Sound critics' poll in 2012, it was met with unenthusiastic reviews and poor box-office receipts upon its release. Regardless, several critics complimented Stewart for his performance, with Bosley Crowther noting, "Mr. Stewart, as usual, manages to act awfully tense in a casual way." Hitchcock blamed the film's failure on Stewart being too old to convincingly be Novak's love interest: he

14632-821: Was rescinded in 2018, following a sexual assault conviction. The vast majority have been bestowed on individuals. On twelve occasions since 1985, awards have been presented to duos or groups, including three married couples who were actors: Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy ; Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward ; and Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee . Dancers The Nicholas Brothers , Fayard and Harold were honored, along with three musical theater songwriting duos: Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe , Betty Comden and Adolph Green , and John Kander and Fred Ebb . Members of six music groups were awarded: Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who ; John Paul Jones , Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin ; Don Henley , Timothy B. Schmit , Joe Walsh and (posthumously) Glenn Frey of

14756-478: Was still a minor star, and MGM remained hesitant to cast him in leading roles, preferring to loan him out to other studios. After a well-received supporting part in Of Human Hearts (1938), he was loaned to RKO to act opposite Ginger Rogers in the romantic comedy Vivacious Lady (1938). The production was shut down for months in 1937 as Stewart recovered from an undisclosed illness, during which he

14880-462: Was the "Exa" line; these, too, existed in several variations. The Beseler Topcon line of 35mm cameras used the same lens mount as the Exakta. In the early 1970s the Exakta "RTL 1000" was introduced; it accepted the older models' lenses but had its own range of viewfinders, which included a model with through-the-lens light metering. M42 lens mount variants of the RTL line of cameras also appeared under

15004-466: Was the host and presented the Honorees. The traditional dinner at the State Department on the Saturday evening before the ceremony was hosted by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson , and the White House reception was canceled. Donald and Melania Trump also did not participate in any of the events of the 2018 or 2019 editions. Because of changes imposed on the delayed and abbreviated 2020 edition due to

15128-506: Was the most successful of his post-war films up to that point. Rope , in which Stewart played the idolized teacher of two young men who commit murder to show their supposed superiority, began his collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock . Shot in long "real-time" takes, Stewart felt pressure to be flawless in his performance; the added stress led to him sleeping very little and drinking more heavily. Rope received mixed reviews, and Andrew Sarris and Scott Eyman have later called him miscast in

15252-412: Was unable to pay his bill, Stewart's father accepted an old accordion as payment. Stewart learned to play the instrument with the help of a local barber. His accordion became a fixture offstage during his acting career. A shy child, Stewart spent much of his time after school in the basement working on model airplanes, mechanical drawings, and chemistry—all with a dream of going into aviation. He attended

15376-472: Was underappreciated by critics of the time, who could not see "the force and fury" of it, and considered his proposal scene with Donna Reed , "one of the most sublimely histrionic expressions of passion". Stewart later named the film his personal favorite out of his filmography. In the aftermath of It's A Wonderful Life , Capra's production company went into bankruptcy, while Stewart continued to have doubts about his acting abilities. His generation of actors

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