Jimmy Stewart Was a Hero Both On & Off the Screen as Hollywood’s First Major Star to Fight in World War II

Born on May 20, 1908, James “Jimmy” Stewart started as a shy small-town boy from Indiana, Pa. He studied architecture at Princeton, joined a summer theater troupe in Cape Cod, befriended Henry Fonda, and honed his acting skills on Broadway before signing with MGM.

While Stewart’s stardom launched with the films You Can’t Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and The Philadelphia Story (1940), he also stood before the radio microphones many times. He starred in the radio adaptation of The Philadelphia Story alongside Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, and often carried the lead role on prestige programs, such as The Lux Radio Theater.