Jimmy Stewart: It Wasn’t A Wonderful Life

After starlet Margaret Sullavan died, her daughter told the world what really went down in the notorious love triangle between her mother, Jimmy Stewart, and Henry Fonda, and the truth was more scandalous than anyone expected. Although he’d one day grow to be one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, young James Stewart was a shy and reserved child and spent a lot of his time alone, dreaming of a career in aviation. Young Jim would spend his after-school time holed up in his basement, working on his model airplanes. At this point, there was nothing that made him stand out from the crowd. He had middling, even low grades in school, and teachers often caught him with his head in the clouds. Still, he did have one secret talent. One day, at his father’s hardware store, a customer didn’t have enough money to pay for his items, so he traded in his accordion instead. In a scene that could have been taken from It’s a Wonderful Life, the local barber then taught Stewart how to play the instrument. His deep love for music and his accordion playing would become a fixture throughout his entire life. With his interests bouncing all over the place, the trajectory of Jimmy’s future seemed treacherous, that is, until he had no choice but to straighten up.

Though he had dreams of becoming a pilot, his father had his own plans for Jimmy. In line with family tradition, he was to attend Princeton University and then take over the family hardware store. Always a dutiful son, Stewart obeyed his father’s wishes and enrolled in the Ivy League university in 1928. Upon graduation, he was awarded a hefty scholarship for his graduate studies, but instead of continuing his education, he made a shocking decision. After dedicating years to Princeton, Jimmy Stewart decided to follow his heart and joined a theater company. It was here that he met none other than Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan. Together, these three became the closest of friends, but it was so much more than that. Unbeknownst to Stewart, this was the beginning of one of Hollywood’s most epic love triangles.

You see, while Jimmy Stewart became best friends with Henry Fonda, he also started to catch feelings for the lovely Margaret Sullavan. Finally, he decided to lay it all on the line and plucked up the courage to ask her out. Later, she described his proposition with the utmost warmth, calling it the longest, slowest, shyest, but most sincere proposition she’d ever received. Although they were great friends, Stewart and Sullavan were never meant to be lovers, or at least the timing was never quite right for Stewart. Sullavan might just have been the one that got away. After she rejected him, the third member of the throuple, Henry Fonda, swooped in and stole Sullavan’s heart. Fonda and Sullavan married in 1931, but her adoration for Stewart never ceased. She wholeheartedly believed that he was bound to be a huge Hollywood star. In fact, it was this bittersweet friendship that would later become the key to Stewart’s success.

By 1936, Jimmy Stewart had landed a contract with MGM, but unfortunately, his B-movie roles left much to be desired. Meanwhile, his unrequited love, Sullavan, dominated the acting scene under Universal Pictures. Luckily for Stewart, she was determined to bring him with her. When Sullavan read the script for Next Time We Love, she thought that it would be the perfect fit for Jimmy Stewart. There was only one problem: nobody at Universal had ever heard of him. Because of her insistence, they agreed to give him a screen test for the role of her leading man, and he duly won the part. At this time, Stewart lacked the confidence of a seasoned professional. Young and inexperienced, he felt wildly intimidated by this big production, and it was painfully obvious he was a bundle of nerves. And before long, even the director, Edward H. Griffith, started to cruelly jab at his awkwardness in front of the camera. In her eyes, however, Sullavan had no doubts about Stewart’s capabilities. Determined to get up to speed, Stewart agreed to spend his evenings being coached by Sullavan. He started to rein in the bumbling mannerisms that, ironically, would eventually become one of his most beloved characteristics. The results of her hard work impressed the director, and he wasn’t the only one shocked by Jimmy’s newfound abilities. MGM’s Bill Grady said he returned to the studio unrecognizable.

As exciting as this was, Jimmy Stewart was in for more disappointment. In 1936, Sullavan married again, but unfortunately for Jimmy, it wasn’t to him. Still, many raised their eyebrows when Stewart coincidentally moved into a colonial home just around the block from Sullavan, getting a little creepy now. While Stewart stewed in his feelings of unrequited love for Sullavan for years, it was her first husband, Henry Fonda, who introduced him to his first real Hollywood fling. In 1935, Stewart kicked off his infamous bachelorhood with a brief romance with the dancing legend Ginger Rogers. But although their love affair was brief, it marked one of his most intimate milestones. Jimmy Stewart and Ginger Rogers had undeniable chemistry, and you can see it firsthand in 1938’s Vivacious Lady. Behind the scenes, however, the two of them entertained a very passionate romance. And the cherry on top? It was actually Rogers who took Stewart’s virginity. Wait, how old was he at this point? 30? Oh, wow.

But while Rogers and Stewart broke new ground, his next film returned him to Margaret Sullavan’s magnetic orbit. Stewart and Sullavan were a winning pair. Fate brought them together once again in 1938 for their second film, The Shopworn Angel. Again, their acting harmonized perfectly. You see, The Shopworn Angel‘s plot had a love triangle that included actor Walter Pidgeon. He would later say that it was so obvious that Jimmy was in love with Margaret. However, strictly locked in the friend zone, Jimmy looked elsewhere, and he certainly had options. While making eyes at Sullavan during the production of The Shopworn Angel, he was also dating a heavy hitter when the lights went down. For six whole weeks, he and Norma Shearer shared a fiery interlude. When that diversion ended, Stewart didn’t have to worry; there was another beauty waiting in the wings. Loretta Young was one of Hollywood’s most pious good girls, gorgeous and upstanding in every way. But while she fell head over heels for Stewart, it became painfully clear that he wasn’t as into her. As such, he was on the fast track to breaking the poor girl’s heart.

Unsurprisingly, Stewart wasn’t ready to settle down quite yet. After all, the life of a bachelor offered endless opportunities for fun and trouble. The next girl on Jimmy Stewart’s growing list of leading ladies was none other than Marlene Dietrich, a tryst made all the more scandalous by the fact that she was a married woman. Together, they embarked on an affair during the filming of 1939’s Destry Rides Again. But their passion came to a sobering halt once Dietrich made a stunning announcement. When she told Stewart that she was pregnant, he was not happy. In fact, he made it clear that he wanted her to get an abortion, and after that, the relationship never stood a chance. She went ahead and terminated the pregnancy, but the damage was already done. Once filming wrapped, Stewart cut ties once and for all, pulverizing Dietrich’s heart in the process. And that wasn’t all. Down the road, Dietrich expressed her feelings for Stewart in the most passive-aggressive way possible. When she published her memoir, she made sure to gloss over their relationship. She brutally framed Stewart as just a meaningless affair and mentioned him as little as possible.

Clearly, Stewart had become quite the heartbreaker. By 1940, however, while his romantic life was troubled to say the least, his professional career turned positively meteoric. 1940 was an amazing year for Stewart. For one, he got to reunite with his number one leading lady, Margaret Sullavan, on two projects, one being The Shop Around the Corner. However, the project that truly made 1940 a standout year for Stewart took his fame to new heights. Jimmy Stewart absolutely shone in the romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story, playing opposite Hollywood giants Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. Critics especially appreciated his comedy chops, and the film became a huge box office success. But while he seemed the picture of confidence on screen, Stewart faced some distinct challenges throughout filming. His anxiety reared its head on the set of The Philadelphia Story, and there was one scene in particular that freaked him out. The script called for a moment where Stewart’s character recites poetry to Hepburn. For some reason, he convinced himself that he’d fail. Luckily, actor Noël Coward came to the rescue and gave the worried actor some much-needed encouragement.

Nerves or not, Stewart overcame his doubts and went on to win his greatest accolade yet. The Academy nominated both Jimmy Stewart and his old roomie Henry Fonda for Best Actor, but it was Stewart who took home the golden statue for The Philadelphia Story. The night was a triumph, except for one little thing: Stewart sincerely believed that he didn’t deserve the award. The year previous, he had been nominated for his excellent performance in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and had gone on to lose. This time, he’d won the Oscar for Best Lead Actor despite playing a supporting role in the film. So it was thought that the Academy was in some way making it up to him, but these worries were soon to be a thing of the past. There was something quite a bit more concerning going on across the ocean, something that Jimmy would soon find himself embroiled in.

Right before the nightmare of World War II touched down, Jimmy Stewart entertained one last romance, and it almost led to marriage. One of his longest and most high-profile relationships was with screen legend Olivia de Havilland. In fact, de Havilland somehow even managed to get the confirmed bachelor to propose to her, but it had a bitter end. After Stewart popped the question, she rejected him. She believed that he wasn’t quite ready for commitment, but she had another reason too. You see, while courting Stewart, de Havilland had had her head turned by the director John Huston, totally in love with another, and she left Jimmy high and dry. Of course, as we’ll see later, Stewart’s journey towards the altar would become even more fraught.

Jimmy came from a passionate and patriotic family, and so when World War II descended, he didn’t hesitate to get involved. In fact, of all the major American movie stars, he was the very first to sign up. He encountered a slight problem, though. Because of his notoriously gangly frame, he was too light to be accepted into the Army. It took a few months for him to bulk up, but by February 1941, he was well on his way to defending his country. And as we’ll see, his traumatic experiences returned him to Hollywood a completely changed man. While many celebrities enlisting in World War II got confined to symbolic roles, Jimmy Stewart refused to sit on the sidelines. Following his passion for aviation, he became a pilot and begged to be put in the fray. Astonishingly, he rose from the rank of private to colonel in four years, fought in Germany, and earned the prestigious Croix de Guerre.

However, during his service, he still managed to find someone to keep him warm. At a club intended for servicemen, the Hollywood Canteen, he met his next conquest: Dinah Shore. The couple would come perilously close to getting married, even getting as far as a Las Vegas chapel before Stewart got cold feet and called the whole thing off. Compared to the horrors of World War II, however, a disappointing romance was the last thing on his mind. Stewart staunchly refused to talk about his time in battle, but we do have chilling clues about his experiences. According to one of his biographers, the conflict affected him deeply. He was never a big eater, but he spent long periods during the war eating almost nothing. He flew on 20 missions, and as time wore on, his stress only mounted. He couldn’t sleep or eat, and the worst was still yet to come.

One day, Stewart’s squadron went on a raid without him, and his worst nightmare came true. It turned into a brutal massacre. A single mission wiped out 130 of his men in one fell swoop. The loss of so many of his companions devastated him. When he reunited with his family after his service, his appearance shocked them. He looked aged and emaciated, and even more startling, he had a commanding edge to him that hadn’t been there before. To make matters worse, his acting prospects were scarce. He even considered quitting acting for good and returning to work for the family business. However, fate had another plan in store for him, and it would lead him to his most famous film yet.

Jimmy Stewart credits Frank Capra with sparking his next chapter. It’s a Wonderful Life is now a bona fide Christmas classic, and when Capra was casting for the lead, George Bailey, both Stewart and his BFF Henry Fonda were up for the part. In the end, though, Capra knew Bailey’s nearly unerring optimism and goodness were difficult to play, and as he said, there was only one man who could play it. But at first, the part didn’t enthuse Jimmy at all. Following his return to Hollywood, he was asked what kind of film he wanted to act in, and his reply was downright heartbreaking. So when Capra approached him with It’s a Wonderful Life, it wasn’t the kind of role he had in mind. When he learned that his character eventually considers taking his own life, he was scandalized. Of course, with very few options on the table, the actor had no choice but to begrudgingly take the role on.

Though we now see It’s a Wonderful Life as a feel-good, even schmaltzy Christmas movie, few people know just how nightmarish it was behind the scenes. Stewart, newly returned from war, was reportedly tense the entire time throughout filming. He constantly questioned his own abilities and wondered whether he should just throw in the towel. Jimmy Stewart took all of his rage and heart and channeled it into some of the most heart-wrenching scenes. Unfortunately, all the effort and personal strife he injected into his performance couldn’t make the film a success. Although it might sound shocking now, It’s a Wonderful Life was not a huge hit upon release. In fact, it didn’t even make enough to cover its production costs. Little did he know the film would one day have an unprecedented revival. Today, it’s considered one of the best films ever made. At the end of the day, even Stewart ended up changing his tune; of all his films, it was his favorite one.

Unfortunately for Stewart, many of his most acclaimed films didn’t receive recognition until much later. He famously worked with Alfred Hitchcock on thriller classics like Rear Window and Vertigo until the director dealt him a cold-hearted betrayal. Vertigo was initially a critical and commercial failure, and Hitchcock blamed it on the fact that Stewart looked too old, which, you know, sometimes happens when you spend four years in brutal combat. And that wasn’t all. When it came time to cast his next film, North by Northwest, Hitchcock passed the very eager Stewart over. Instead, he cast the more youthful-looking Cary Grant, who was actually four years older than Stewart.

But while Jimmy grappled with these career disappointments, his romantic life became as stable as it had ever been. When it came to romance, Jimmy Stewart was rather a man about town. However, once he hit his 40s, this great American bachelor finally found the one woman he could settle down with for life: Gloria Hatrick McLean. Stewart first met his future wife at a Christmas party in 1947, a party that he crashed. Not only that, but he also got completely wasted, and his wild behavior left Gloria Hatrick with a sour taste in her mouth. Luckily for Stewart, however, he’d have a second chance to make amends. The next year, Stewart’s good friend Gary Cooper invited him to a dinner party. Hatrick just so happened to be there, and during their second meeting, the abashed actor was able to charm his way back into her good graces.

By all accounts, Stewart’s marriage to Hatrick in 1949 put an end to his playboy adventures. From then on, he remained completely devoted to her. His children also praised him for being a wonderful father. Still, parenthood wasn’t always easy for him. Stewart’s marriage to Hatrick gave him two adopted sons, and then in 1951, the happy couple welcomed twin daughters. Unfortunately, his parenting experience brought him face to face with unspeakable tragedy. After his own hard work in World War II, Stewart expected his sons to enroll in the Army, but this patriotism came at a heartbreakingly high cost. In 1969, his eldest son, Ronald, tragically died while deployed in Vietnam. However, this wasn’t Stewart’s first encounter with grief. Only nine years earlier, he’d faced one of the most devastating losses of all.

Although James Stewart adored his wife, he still felt deeply for his old love, Margaret Sullavan. Sadly, she was doomed to a heartbreaking fate. While Stewart managed to hold on to his career despite his age, Sullavan wasn’t so lucky. She began to lose her hearing and eventually suffered a full mental breakdown, and she died by accidental overdose in 1960. Stewart’s wife later confessed that Sullavan’s death completely broke him. He would also outlive Gloria herself, and he never truly recovered from her passing.

Except for a couple of bumps in the road, Jimmy Stewart’s reputation has remained unsullied and wholesome. However, his early years hid at least one dark secret. After Margaret Sullavan passed in 1960, her daughter Brooke wrote a tell-all memoir that revealed perhaps the most shocking secret of all. While Sullavan was married to his best friend Henry Fonda, she had finally, if temporarily, given in to her feelings for Stewart, and they’d had a year-long affair. After his wife Gloria passed in 1994, the heartbroken actor was reportedly lost at sea, and he died from heart failure just three years later. But it was far from a lonely end. He was surrounded by his family and friends, and all of America mourned his passing. As President Bill Clinton commented upon the news, the country had lost a national treasure, a great actor, a gentleman, and a patriot. If you enjoyed this video, please give it a like and subscribe for more videos. It’s been a wonderful life for me.