James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987) (TV)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

David Heeley

Writer:

John L. Miller (writer)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Plot:

A retrospective on the life and career of actor James Stewart, with clips from many of his films and interviews with people who have worked with him. |

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

James Stewart	...	Himself
Johnny Carson	...	Himself - Host
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Himself
Carol Burnett	...	Herself
Nancy Davis	...	Herself
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Himself
Clint Eastwood	...	Himself
Sally Field	...	Herself
Katharine Hepburn	...	Herself
Gene Kelly	...	Himself
Walter Matthau	...	Himself
Ramsay D. Potts	...	Himself
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself
Lee Remick	...	Herself
Gloria Stewart	...	Herself

Runtime:

West Germany:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

MGM Television

Movie Connections:

Features Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Fairly good and short

Any one-hour encapsulation of an important actor's life and work is bound to feel a little trivial and rushed. Still, this documentary does actually have Stewart in it, with Johnny Carson, and it does tell you a good deal about his life. However, The Greatest Show On Earth is mysteriously omitted, Rear Window isn't included because of copyright problems at the time, and his later pieces (Airport '77) are politely skipped over. But, for those who know nothing about Stewart's overall career, a worthy, short introduction...although watching the movies is a lot better.