jjares reviewed on 9/8/2021 + 3294 more book reviews

This seems to be the best biography of a star; I was impressed that the author mentioned that IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and VERTIGO were not all that well-received when they were shown initially. There's been a lot of ink spilled over those initial reactions to those movies. It took time before people rethought the stories and ideas espoused in them.

James Stewart was 'Everyman' when we went to watch his films on the big screen. Everybody liked Stewart personally and professionally. I never heard anyone walk out of a James Stewart film complaining about the film or his performance.

This book talks about the conflicts Stewart had in his life; going against his father must have been a very difficult thing to do. In the quotes that open each chapter, James Stewart comes across as the modest, earnest, and professional that he was. I couldn't put this down until I'd read every last word.

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