James Stewart Trivia

1. After his first screen role in 1935's "The Murder Man", and over a dozen other films, Stewart got his first Best Actor Oscar nomination a short while later for a film released in 1939. Which film was it for?

From Quiz James Stewart at the Oscars

Answer: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Stewart's idealistic performance of Jefferson Smith and his standoff against corrupt senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains) and the Taylor political machine in Frank Capra's 1939 classic continues to inspire to this day. The film also placed 5th on the AFI's list of the 100 most inspirational movies. The other choices are films that star Stewart and were also released in 1939, an indication of the level of output in classic Hollywood.

From Quiz The Many Films of James Stewart

Answer: Murder Man

Jimmy Stewart's first feature film was "Murder Man" released in 1935 and starring Spencer Tracy and Virginia Bruce. "Art Trouble" and "Important News" were both made before "Murder Man", but they were shorts. Billy Grady saw Jim in plays at Princeton and later summer stock in Cape Cod. He urged Stewart to make a screen test and become a professional actor. The director of "Murder Man" thought Grady was crazy because for Stewart's first feature film, Grady had chosen the 6'3", 130 pound Stewart to play a reporter named "Shorty". "Next Time We Love" was Stewart's second film with Margaret Sullavan.

From Quiz James Stewart's Leading Ladies

Answer: Donna Reed

This is one of the most memorable films of all time. It is a great film with an extraordinary cast and director, Frank Capra. It was made in 1946, by Capra's production studio, Liberty Films. The film did badly at the box office, so Liberty went bankrupt. Unfortunately, Jimmy and Donna never did another film together.

From Quiz James Stewart Movies

Answer: Ballplayer

Basebll pitcher, injured in hunting accident.

From Quiz James Stewart at the Oscars

Answer: Robert Donat for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips"

Though it was quite a competitive year, Donat managed to come away with the statue for his 65-year-spanning performance as London prep school Professor "Chips" Chipping, beating Stewart by only a few votes. This close result soon caused the Academy to revamp its voting procedures, including keeping the results secret till the show. Donat, who's chronic asthma always plagued him, would only make 10 more films until his death in 1958.

From Quiz The Many Films of James Stewart

Answer: Born to Dance

This film was made in 1936 (one of the eight he made that year). It co-starred Eleanor Powell and Buddy Ebsen. Stewart was certainly not the first person you would think would be in a musical, but at that time in the studio system, the heads of studios would use any entertainers they had to sing and dance whether they could or not. Stewart's voice singing "Easy to Love" was dubbed at the first screening of the film, but the director figured that the song was a classic and no matter how bad the voice, the song would not turn out bad.

From Quiz James Stewart's Leading Ladies

Answer: June Allyson & Allyson

June Allyson and James Stewart were a great pair. They made their first film together, "The Stratton Story", in 1949. They made two other films together after that, "The Glenn Miller Story" in 1954 and "Strategic Air Command" in 1955 both directed by Anthony Mann. They had wonderful chemistry and many in the public thought they were really married. They remained friends until Jimmy's death in 1997.

From Quiz James Stewart Movies

Answer: Lee Remick

With Ben Gazzara.

From Quiz James Stewart at the Oscars

Answer: The Philadelphia Story

His portrayal of struggling writer/cynical reporter Macaulay Connor was only a portion of the great comedy classic by George Cukor, which followed an ex-husband's (Cary Grant) attempts to sabotage his ex-wife's (Katharine Hepburn) plans of remarriage, and the tabloid pair sent to cover the scoop. Hepburn and costar Ruth Hussey were also Oscar nominated, for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively.

From Quiz The Many Films of James Stewart

Answer: Navy Blue and Gold

This film was made in 1937 and co-starred Robert Young and Florence Rice. Although not very well known, Stewart gave a stirring performance of a young navy cadet who changed his name because of his lured family ties. He is a football star and he doesn't want his career to be ruined but has to come out with the truth to one of his professors about a certain navy cadet from years past who broke a long standing rule of the institution. The professor bashes this cadet and Stewart's character stands up in front of the class to correct his superior with the right information. That cadet happened to be the father of Stewart's character. Because of the character's ties, he is not allowed to play in the big football game.

From Quiz Films of James Stewart

Answer: The Stratton Story

Made in 1949, it was the first of 3 films Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson would make together. It was Jimmy Stewart's first box office hit after returning from the war.

From Quiz James Stewart Movies

Answer: Glenn Miller

Steve Allen was {Goodman;} Kirk Douglas was Bix (in 'Young Man With A Horn'). I think Sal Mineo played Krupa.

From Quiz James Stewart's Leading Ladies

Answer: Margaret Sullavan & Sullavan

Margaret Sullavan was the first love of Jimmy Stewart's life. They first met while doing summer stock in Cape Cod. That is where Jim also met Henry Fonda, who became a life long friend. Jimmy was in love with Sullavan but didn't want to express his love because she was married to his best bud, Henry Fonda for about 13 months. Jimmy's 2nd film "Next Time We Love" (1936) was the first film in which he co-starred with Margaret Sullavan. She taught him to use the camera to his advantage, and that it was ok to be awkward. "The Shopworn Angel" (1938) was the 2nd of the four films the two would make. "The Shop Around the Corner" and "The Mortal Storm" were both made in 1940. "The Shop Around the Corner" was the best of the four made by the co-stars. Incidentally, Stewart never stopped loving Sullavan even after her death of an overdose in 1960.

From Quiz Films of James Stewart

Answer: The Greatest Show On Earth

Made in 1952, "The Greatest Show On Earth" starred Charlton Heston, Cornel Wilde, Betty Hutton, Gloria Grahame, and James Stewart as Buttons the Clown. His real face is never seen as he is in clown makeup the whole film. It won an Oscar for Best Picture and was directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

From Quiz James Stewart Movies

Answer: Cochise

With Debra Paget.

From Quiz The Many Films of James Stewart

Answer: The Philadelphia Story

Stewart was given the Academy Award in 1941 for his portrayal of reporter Macaulay Connor. Stewart co-starred with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. "The Philadelphia Story" is a sophisticated love story with comedy, love, and classic acting. The other three choices were all films in which Stewart received Academy Award nods.

From Quiz James Stewart's Leading Ladies

Answer: Maureen O'Hara

This is a great family film made in 1962 and directed by Henry Koster ("Harvey"). Maureen O'Hara and Jimmy Stewart are great as parents who decide to spend a month with their whole family in one house. What happens next is pure chaos. Lucille Ball was considered for the role. I think that would have been a great pairing. Rita Hayworth never made a film with Jimmy Stewart.

From Quiz James Stewart Movies

Answer: Cornel Wilde

Roland played that type of role in 'The Big Circus', Curtis and Lancaster were aerial performers in 'Trapeze'.

From Quiz James Stewart at the Oscars

Answer: Fredric March

Fredric March picked up his second Oscar for the William Wyler drama "The Best Years of Our Lives", playing a soldier returning from World War II and his struggles with alcoholism. This is quite a departure from his first Oscar-winning role, and shows his desire to avoid typecasting. Olivier and Peck would win their first Oscars in 1949 and 1963 respectively, while Parks fell into obscurity following the Communist blacklisting of the '50s.

From Quiz The Many Films of James Stewart

Answer: It's A Wonderful Life

This film is the quintessential James Stewart film. The one which he is best known for. It was released in the US in 1946 to a country recovering from a war. Jimmy portrayed George Bailey, a man down on his luck who makes a wish that he was never born. A guardian angel named Clarence comes down and shows George what it would be like without him. Many believe that this message follows Stewart's career as well: "Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole."

From Quiz James Stewart's Leading Ladies

Answer: Grace Kelly & Kelly

Grace Kelly was one of (if not the most) beautiful actresses to ever be in films. "Rear Window" is considered one of the best Alfred Hitchcock films of all time. James Stewart and Grace Kelly are a wonderful pair who had amazing chemistry. Although Stewart was 45 and Kelly was about 25 at the time of the film, the age difference doesn't show. In 1956, Stewart found out he would be making "Designing Woman" with Grace and he was extremely excited to be working with her again. Unfortunately (for Stewart), she met and married Prince Ranier of Monaco in 1956 and Stewart was so upset he dropped out of the film. The roles went to Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall.

From Quiz Films of James Stewart

Answer: Harvey

A classic film made in 1950, Jimmy Stewart was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. Alas, he did not win again but he gave a great performance.

From Quiz James Stewart at the Oscars

Answer: Elwood P. Dowd

Having played the role of the naively good-natured, possibly mentally-ill Elwood P. Dowd on Broadway for three years, Stewart was a natural for the film adaptation. Stewart contributed much to the film's production, even suggesting to director Henry Koster that he shoot the film so that Harvey could be "included" in the frame.

From Quiz The Many Films of James Stewart

Answer: Rope

"Rope" was released in the US in 1948 and was the first color Hitchcock film. This isn't the most well-known film of the long and historic partnership, but holds its own.

From Quiz Films of James Stewart

Answer: Anatomy of A Murder

Made in 1959, directed by Otto Preminger (Mr. Freeze on tv's "Batman"). One of Jimmy's finest performances and one of the best courtroom dramas in film history. Jimmy Stewart was nominated for the 5th and final time for Best Actor, but it was the year of "Ben-Hur" and Charlton Heston beat him out.

From Quiz James Stewart at the Oscars

Answer: Josephine Hull

Hull was 62 when she received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress of 1950, playing Stewart's character's sister, Veta Louise. Stewart would praise Hull's performance, saying she had the most difficult role in the film because she had to believe and not believe in Harvey at the same time. Viewers may also recognize Hull as one of Cary Grant's crazy aunts in 1944's "Arsenic and Old Lace."

From Quiz James Stewart's Leading Ladies

Answer: Marlene Dietrich

"Destry Rides Again" was Jimmy Stewart's first western (although more a comedy). The film was made in 1939. As with her other leading men, Stewart supposedly had an affair with Dietrich on the set of the film. It was a huge success at the box office and in the careers of Dietrich and Stewart.

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Last Updated Sep 05 2026 5:45 AM

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