For Your Binge Consideration: James Stewart

20. The Shootist 

A relatively small role in the grand scheme of things, but Stewart is one of the best things about this revisionist Western as ageing gunfighter J.B. Books's (John Wayne) doctor friend Dr Hostetler. The chemistry the two share is undeniable and while it is a small role, Stewart grants every small reaction of sympathy and nostalgia to his friend's plight with such poignancy.

19. The Man Who Knew Too Much 

Lesser Hitchcock (though it did introduce the iconic 'Que Sera, Sera' song to the world) and the least of his collaborations with Stewart, nevertheless ol' Jimmy once again is an anchoring, dependable lead to this suspense thriller along with Doris Day, and makes for an entertaining enough avatar to follow along in this decent but unremarkable mystery film.

18. The Greatest Show on Earth 

An overblown epic film affair but Stewart is its greatest asset. As Buttons the Clown, a performer at the titular circus with a particularly dark past, he grants so much characters in the margins of the film and I'd have gladly followed a whole film about his character.

17. You Can't Take It with You 

The film itself is one I highly recommend just as such a great example of early heartwarming Capra, and Capra and Stewart were indeed two of the great collaborators of pre-50s cinema. In this tale of rich snobbish family meets poor, but endearingly eccentric family, Stewart isn't asked to do much besides be utterly charming and sweet and he entirely deliver on that.

16. The Man From Laramie 

The final collaboration between Anthony Mann and James Stewart, this hardboiled Western is in some ways a product of its time but boasts gorgeous CinemaScope cinematography, and a rock solid turn from Stewart as a stranger from out of town who investigates a conspiracy regarding the sale of rifles. While the film's gritty tone never quite balances well with its overly simplistic view of morality, Stewart is a great lead in delving into this seedy underworld.

15. The Mortal Storm 

A quietly moving turn from Stewart in this small-scale story about a German family suffering from the rise of the Nazi party. Stewart's penchant for righteous indignation is well used here as a quietly unassuming anti-Nazi individual and is heartbreaking in one particular scene of an extreme loss at the hands of those he despises.

14. The Philadelphia Story 

James Stewart won his one and only competitive Oscar for his screwball comedy turn as somewhat obnoxious reporter Mike Connor who gets entangled in the affairs of wealthy socialite Tracy Lord (Katherine Hepburn) whose wedding he's covering. This is not one of Stewart's great performances but it's a strong one nevertheless in hitting both the comedic beats, the slight dramatic ones, and having good rapport with both Hepburn and Cary Grant.

13. Rope

Famed for the one-shot simulation through long takes and editing, Stewart's performance as cold, clinical former housemaster to two snobbish aesthetes turned murderers is not one of his more likeable characters. He does well with the role nevertheless in capturing a surprising amount of nuance to such a character, and delivering in both the cold incisive qualities and the realisation of how his teachings influenced such a horrifying mentality in the two men.

12. Winchester '73 

A Mann Western with a particularly stacked cast, Stewart once again delivers as Mann's Western lead Lin McAdams who's looking to settle a score. It is a bit of an overblown film and once again somewhat dated, but it's a compelling enough watch, and Stewart is particularly great in any instance where he shows the dark, brooding intensity of a man with little else but disdain for his opponents on his mind.

11. Destry Rides Again 

A perhaps somewhat overlooked film from the great year of 1939, this was an early display of Stewart's range as a legendary lawman's son, Tom Destry, in town to support the newly appointed sheriff. He's incredibly charming as the dashing, twinkly eyed man of the law sorting out some rascals while advocating non-violence, and handles the slapstick elements just as well as the later more dramatic elements as the situation grows more dire. Plus he has surprisingly good chemistry with Marlene Dietrich as saloon singer Frenchy.  

10. The Spirit of St. Louis 

An excellent and underrated film in Billy Wilder's career, Stewart's depiction of aviator Charles Lindbergh is not in some by the books biopic of the time but rather a very immersive following of Lindbergh's preparations and execution of his 1927 solo transatlantic flight. Stewart gives a rock solid reactionary turn in delivering all the emotions, the trials and tribulations, and the exhilaration of such a remarkable human achievement. It's terrific work as he manages to make just a man sitting in a cockpit so compelling through his screen presence and devotion alone to reflect the. real Lindbergh's determination.

9. The Naked Spur

A terrific performance by Stewart leads Anthony Mann's best collaboration with him, in this terse, intense five-hander where his morally grey Howard Kemp, determined to bring the notorious Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan) in. Stewart does well to not get in the way of Ryan's terrific, manipulative and dominating performance, and more than holds his own in the battle of wits as this man of both strict morals and a somewhat questionable way of going about them, and is particularly great in his dynamic interactions with Ryan.

8. Rear Window 

Though the film is in many ways a masterclass in directing by Hitchcock just in the use of the camera and space to create the voyeuristic tone, Stewart is also essential as L.B. Jeffries. Confined to his apartment, Stewart's depiction of Jeffries offers an interesting challenge as he is essentially the audience's point of view every step of the way. He's great at bringing a wry comedic energy to the role, the pivotal focal point in drawing us into the thriller element of the film as he suspects one of his neighbours being up to no good, and amplifying the tension with every reaction, whether it's to a new clue, a stare, or a voiceless phone call.

7. The Shop Around the Corner 

Stewart at perhaps his most purely charming best, in this delightful romantic comedy by Ernst Lubitsch that inspired the likes of You've Got Mail with its Budapest-set story about bickering co-workers Alfred Kralik (Stewart) and Klara Novak (Margaret Sullaven) who unwittingly begin to fall in love via anonymous correspondence. The film is a breezy, though not unsubstantial, affair and with a light touch of hand makes his verbal sparring with Sullaven so enjoyable to watch, his interactions with his boss (Frank Morgan) surprisingly moving at certain points, and his dealing with nastier lowlife sorts quite rousing. It's a terrific romantic comedy, one of my favourites led in the way only Stewart could've led it.

6. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 

Stewart's finest hour in the Western genre came here in this double-bill between himself and John Wayne, in this terrific revisionist Western that mourns the memory of the Old West through this nostalgic tale of two very different men intertwined by the titular outlaw (a terrifically sleazy Lee Marvin). Stewart plays idealistic attorney, Ransom Stoddard, whose strict moral code is challenged by a town crippled with fear of Liberty Valance. How Stewart's character plays off of Wayne's terrific portrayal of Tom Doniphon, the town badass and the only one brave enough to stand up to Valance, is a classic yin and yang that crackles with their differing approaches to the immortality represented by the town scum, and create true cinematic magic in the process. A fantastic film and featuring some of Stewart's best acting, particularly in the depiction of the titular event and the footnotes of an older Stoddard looking over his past.

5. Mr Smith Goes to Washington 

Personally I adore this somewhat cheesy yet undeniably powerful (and in some ways quite timely) film even though I completely understand how some might not. Stewart is sensational in a role he was born to play as upstanding head of Boy Scouts Jefferson Smith who is appointed as a US Senator by corrupt governers looking to take advantage of his naivety as a stooge. Only Stewart could make such earnest, moralistic righteousness so charming and compelling through his 'aw shucks' routine while dealing with some very shady politics and politicians. This all culminates in a breathtaking climax where Stewart has to defend his Bill in Congress against the machinations of the political machine, and he is amazing every step of the way in showing how his upstanding persistence drains him to his very core.

4. Harvey 

Grown man with a gigantic, invisible talking rabbit as a best friend? Seems like a recipe for disaster in the wrong hands and a tricky one even in the right ones, but luckily Stewart is more than up to task for the role of Elwood P. Dowd. He strikes the perfect balance between eccentricity and sweetness through the character of Elwood and really makes you feel right at home with the warm, cordial way he presents us with his worldview and pleasantries, and his titular best friend, and really makes you and the other characters buy into the concept of Harvey. The sheer delight of watching Stewart at the peak of his talents here is just remarkable as he carries you through every wacky moment of Elwood's life, and manages to somehow make his weirdness so approachable.

3. Anatomy of a Murder 

Playing a lawyer is just a great opportunity for any actor to go showboating, and Stewart certainly does a lot of that here. Mind you, not the obnoxious kind of showboating, but the brilliant, composed sort where he brings out of the character Paul Biegler what only Stewart could do. He is fantastic at showing the brilliance of Biegler as he goes about working on his case, and drawing on all possible sources for intel, and then as we move onto the court proceedings he's magnificent in holding the screen every second of the way as this dynamite, dynamic force to be reckoned with. The film itself is brilliantly directed, written and has a great cast, but Stewart is the one who takes it to altogether greater heights with his simple yet utterly brilliant portrayal of a genius lawyer.

2. Vertigo 

Stewart at his darkest here in Hitchcock's masterpiece, as private eye Scottie Ferguson who becomes enwrapped in the world of a bizarre case involving an old friend's wife and her erratic behaviour. Vertigo is a masterpiece for many reasons, its use of cinematography and colours, its cryptic yet narratively satisfying storytelling, Bernard Hermann's music, but it's greatest asset is perhaps Stewart's performance which starts off in his usual light Stewart fashion, albeit with the fear of heights that has haunted and will continue to haunt him, and as he spirals further and further into the mystery and becomes increasingly enraptured with Kim Novak's Madeline, Stewart's performance grows darker and intense in depicting the mental stress and the unhealthy obsessions that take a toll on his mind. It is a heartbreaking yet utterly chilling portrayal of mental degradation that Stewart gives here, and for many it would easily be the career highlight, except that...

1. It's a Wonderful Life 

...this is easily his best performance, and I love so many of his other performances. But George Bailey truly was the peak of Stewart's career, and of course this being my favourite film of all-time means that this only solidifies this as perhaps my favourite performance of all-time in any medium (though he faces stiff competition from Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter and Takashi Shimura in Ikiru). Stewart is on point every moment in this performance in delving into the complicated man George Bailey is. The generous man loved by all but also the resentful man underneath who's had to make so many sacrifices. The moralist but also the selfishness that comes out at sometimes inopportune moments. His interactions with everyone in the cast, small or big roles alike. The film represents to me everything I love about cinema and Stewart represents to me everything that is great about acting at its finest.