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James Stewart

James Stewart

Actor · Died July 2, 1997, aged 89 · Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA

James Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime Achievement award. He was a major MGM contract star. He also had a noted military career and was a World War II and Vietnam War veteran, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve. Throughout his seven decades in Hollywood, Stewart cultivated a versatile career and recognized screen image in such classics as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, Shenandoah, Rear Window, Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo. He is the most represented leading actor on the AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) and AFI's 10 Top 10 lists. He is also the most represented leading actor on the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list presented by Entertainment Weekly. As of 2007, ten of his films have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry. Stewart left his mark on a wide range of film genres, including westerns, suspense thrillers, family films, biographies and screwball comedies. He worked for a number of renowned directors later in his career, most notably Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Billy Wilder, Frank Capra, George Cukor, and Anthony Mann. He won many of the industry's highest honors and earned Lifetime Achievement awards from every major film organization. He died at age 89, leaving behind a legacy of classic performances, and is considered one of the finest actors of the "Golden Age of Hollywood". He was named the third Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 20, 1908
Died
July 2, 1997 (aged 89)
From
Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
84 on MovieCove · 127 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

What are James Stewart's films like?

Across their 83 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 82 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 40 · Serious 24 · Dark 18

Grounded 55 · Stylized 23 · Heightened 4

Gentle 29 · Charged 42 · Intense 11

Steady 51 · Shifting 29 · Whiplash 2

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 42 · Some laughs 27 · Funny 13

A split, not a type: Slow burn 42 · Even-paced 36 · Relentless 4

Casual 51 · Engaged 26 · Full focus 5

A split, not a type: Easy watch 39 · Affecting 30 · Heavy 13

Resolved 73 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

65 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 55 of 65 analyzed roles.

Hero
55 of 65
Mentor
3 of 65
Shadow
2 of 65
Ally
2 of 65
Threshold guardian
2 of 65
Herald
1 of 65
Show the 65 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
41
Warm
27
Hopeful
32
Joyful
21
Contemplative
20
Other
70

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy43
  • Bittersweet32
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous5
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Stewart's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 23 of their 84 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for James Stewart's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

127 credits, 84 with a MovieCove page; 96 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • It’s a Wonderful Night of the Living Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as George Bailey

  • Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as John 'Scottie' Ferguson (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • James Stewart, l'ami américain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Actor

  • Discovering Jean Harlow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as archive footage

  • Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
  • Hell's Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Narrator (archive footage)

  • Sasquatch Odyssey: The Hunt for Bigfoot(1999)

    as Conveyor of Yeti Finger

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as George Bailey (archive footage)

  • No Angel: A Life of Marlene Dietrich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • La classe américaine(1993)

    as Jacques (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Dark Galaxy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as (archive footage)

  • An American Tail: Fievel Goes West(1991)

    as Wylie Burp (voice)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • North & South: Book 1, North & South(1985)

    Show 3 episodes · as Miles Colbert

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
  • Olympic Gala (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Actor

  • Right of Way(1983)

    as Teddy Dwyer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Showbiz Goes to War(1982)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Mr. Krueger's Christmas(1980)

    as Mr. Krueger

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • A Tale of Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Old Man

  • The Magic of Lassie(1978)

    as Clovis Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
  • The Big Sleep(1978)

    as General Sternwood

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • Laugh-In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Guest Performer

  • Airport '77(1977)

    as Philip Stevens

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • The Shootist(1976)

    as Dr. Hostetler

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • Sentimental Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • Hawkins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 8 episodes · as Billy Jim Hawkins

  • Harvey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Elwood P. Dowd

  • The Jimmy Stewart Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 24 episodes · as James Howard

  • Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Fools' Parade(1971)

    as Mattie Appleyard

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • The Cheyenne Social Club(1970)

    as John O'Hanlan

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • The Dean Martin Christmas Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Actor

  • Bandolero!(1968)

    as Mace Bishop

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
  • Firecreek(1968)

    as Johnny Cobb

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • Mondo Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • The Rare Breed(1966)

    as Sam Burnett

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • The Flight of the Phoenix(1965)

    as Frank Towns

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • The Dean Martin Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Shenandoah(1965)

    as Charlie Anderson

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • Dear Brigitte(1965)

    as Professor Robert Leaf

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
  • National Geographic Specials(1965)

    Show as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
  • Cheyenne Autumn(1964)

    as Wyatt Earp

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • Cheyenne Autumn Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Narrator

  • Take Her, She's Mine(1963)

    as Frank Michaelson

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • How the West Was Won(1962)

    as Linus Rawlings

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
  • Flashing Spikes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Slim Conway

  • Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation(1962)

    as Roger Hobbs

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance(1962)

    as Ransom Stoddard

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Alcoa Premiere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Two Rode Together(1961)

    as Marshal Guthrie McCabe

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • My Three Sons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as James Stewart

  • The Mountain Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Major Baldwin

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Azel Dorsey

  • The FBI Story(1959)

    as John Michael ('Chip') Hardesty

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • Anatomy of a Murder(1959)

    as Paul Biegler

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
  • Bell Book and Candle(1958)

    as Shep Henderson

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Lux Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 19 episodes · Actor

  • Vertigo(1958)

    as Det. John 'Scottie' Ferguson

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Night Passage(1957)

    as Grant McLaine

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
  • The Spirit of St. Louis(1957)

    as Charles Augustus 'Slim' Lindbergh

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • The Man Who Knew Too Much(1956)

    as Ben McKenna

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
  • MGM Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Man from Laramie(1955)

    as Will Lockhart

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • Strategic Air Command(1955)

    as Robert "Dutch" Holland

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
  • Rear Window(1954)

    as L.B. Jefferies

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • The Far Country(1954)

    as Jeff Webster

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • The Glenn Miller Story(1954)

    as Glenn Miller

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • Tomorrow's Drivers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as the story teller

  • Thunder Bay(1953)

    as Steve Martin

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Director · as Bart · as Britt Ponset · as Joe Newman

  • The Naked Spur(1953)

    as Howard Kemp

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Carbine Williams(1952)

    as Marsh Williams

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • Bend of the River(1952)

    as Glyn McLyntock

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Elwood P. Dowd

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Director · as Narrator

  • No Highway in the Sky(1951)

    as Theodore Honey

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • Harvey(1950)

    as Elwood P. Dowd

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • The Jackpot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Bill Lawrence

  • The Jack Benny Program (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 5 episodes · as Jimmy Stewart

  • Broken Arrow(1950)

    as Tom Jeffords

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Winchester '73(1950)

    as Lin McAdam

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • Malaya(1949)

    as John Royer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
  • The Stratton Story(1949)

    as Monty Stratton

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
  • You Gotta Stay Happy(1948)

    as Marvin Payne

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • 10,000 Kids and a Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Narrator

  • Call Northside 777(1948)

    as P.J. 'Jim' McNeal

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • On Our Merry Way(1948)

    as Slim

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
  • Rope(1948)

    as Rupert Cadell

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
  • Magic Town(1947)

    as Rip Smith

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • It's a Wonderful Life(1946)

    as George Bailey

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Fellow Americans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Ziegfeld Girl(1941)

    as Gilbert Young

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
  • Pot o' Gold(1941)

    as James Hamilton 'Jimmy' Haskell

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
  • Come Live with Me(1941)

    as Bill Smith

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • The Philadelphia Story(1940)

    as Macaulay 'Mike' Connor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • No Time for Comedy(1940)

    as Gaylord 'Gay' Esterbrook

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
  • The Mortal Storm(1940)

    as Martin Breitner

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • The Shop Around the Corner(1940)

    as Alfred Kralik

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Destry Rides Again(1939)

    as Tom Destry Jr.

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939)

    as Jefferson Smith

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • It's a Wonderful World(1939)

    as Guy Johnson

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as James Stewart (archive footage)

  • The Ice Follies of 1939(1939)

    as Larry Hall

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
  • Made for Each Other(1939)

    as John Horace Mason

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • You Can't Take It with You(1938)

    as Tony Kirby

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as James Stewart

  • The Shopworn Angel(1938)

    as Pvt. William 'Texas' Pettigrew

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
  • Vivacious Lady(1938)

    as Peter

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • Of Human Hearts(1938)

    as Jason Wilkins

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Navy Blue and Gold(1937)

    as John 'Truck' Cross

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • The Last Gangster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Paul North Sr.

  • Seventh Heaven(1937)

    as Chico

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • After the Thin Man(1936)

    as David Graham

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Born to Dance(1936)

    as Ted Barker

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
  • The Gorgeous Hussy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Roderick "Rowdy" Dow

  • Speed(1936)

    as Terry Martin

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
  • Small Town Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Elmer Clampett

  • Important News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Cornelius 'Corn' Stevens

  • Wife vs. Secretary(1936)

    as Dave

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • Rose-Marie(1936)

    as John Flower

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Next Time We Love(1936)

    as Christopher Tyler

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • The Murder Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Shorty

  • Art Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Jack Burton

  • Yukon Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Narrator

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 122 titles, 121 of them dated from 1934 to 2026; peak year 1961.

Film career

19342026

Peak 1961 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 49 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting122 of 122: 120 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thDirecting2 of 122: 0 only directing, 2 with another role

By decade

1930s25 · acting1940s17 · acting1950s30 · 30 acting · 2 crew1960s20 · acting1970s13 · acting1980s6 · acting1990s5 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s3 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 64% of 61 roles
36415156616676

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do James Stewart's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 79th percentile, the median of all 82; across their 82 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 82

Approval · how many liked their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 82

Reach · how many have seen their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 82

Midcredits score across 84 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up48
  • 50th to 74th28
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

51 of their 84 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved21
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser51
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed5

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 76 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is James Stewart's work okay for kids?

Across up to 28 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore22 titles15–54 · median 33 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity28 titles6–29 · median 15 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity20 titles1–32 · median 10 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs21 titles24–44 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense20 titles10–58 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does James Stewart work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Stewart's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William H. Daniels shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles