New film ‘Jimmy’ explores the untold story of Jimmy Stewart’s WWII service and enduring faith

A piece of American history came to life at the Nov. 4 red carpet premiere of a new film called “Jimmy.” With music from the 1940s playing in the background, a military color guard paying tribute to legendary actor Jimmy Stewart, and a B-24 Liberator flying overhead, the evening in Dallas celebrated a side of Stewart that many don’t know: his service as a World War II bomber pilot.

James “Jimmy” Stewart was a beloved American actor best known for his portrayal of George Bailey in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” But at the height of his Hollywood career, Stewart put acting on hold to serve his country during World War II. The new film explores this transformative chapter of his life and how his wartime experiences would later influence his iconic portrayal of the family man from Bedford Falls.

Stewart served in the military from 1941 to 1945, eventually deploying to England in 1943 as a heavy bomber pilot with the United States Army Air Forces. Assigned to the Eighth Air Force, he rose to become a squadron and group commander and flew the B-24 Liberator on 20 combat missions over occupied Europe, including raids on targets such as Berlin.

He would later serve as a strategic bomber officer and attain the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

It was Stewart’s service to his country that inspired director Aaron Burns to create the new film.

In an interview with EWTN News at the premiere of “Jimmy,” Burns shared that he grew up watching Stewart’s movies but he had “no idea that the life he lived was every bit as interesting — maybe even more so — than the films he made.”

“I read an article that Jimmy wrote about this period of his life and how ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ was the first movie he made when he came back from serving in World War II,” he added. “And I had no idea that Jimmy was in a war and so it uncovered, for me, a whole new chapter to explore.”

For Kelly Stewart-Harcourt — one of Stewart’s daughters — her initial reaction upon hearing someone wanted to make a biopic on her father was that it would be “boring because he had a scandal-free life.”

“But then, when it was focused on this particular chapter of his life, then I started thinking more about it,” she said. “My biggest concern was, ‘Would dad approve?’ And I think, it doesn’t glorify war, it tells a really true story, and I think he would approve.”

Stewart-Harcourt also recalled the role her father’s faith played in his life professionally as an actor, during his service, and as a father and husband.

“Faith was very important to dad. He didn’t wear it on his sleeve. He was very quietly religious but he went to church every single Sunday … A few times, I would burst into the bedroom to tell him something, and it would be before he was going to bed, and he would be kneeling at the bed like a little boy saying his prayers.”

She added that he often told her that his faith is what “gave him great strength and comfort.”

KJ Apa, the actor who portrays Stewart in the film, shared that taking on this role impacted the way in which he thinks about what it truly means to live a meaningful life.

He admitted that in his early 20s he got “caught up for the wrong reasons” in the entertainment industry. Now, as a father and in a committed relationship, it “puts things in perspective.”

“At the end of the day, what it comes down to is what kind of person you are behind closed doors. That’s who you really are. I can say with certainty that Jimmy was that same guy behind closed doors and hopefully it inspires other people to practice what you preach, in a way,” he said.

Apa added: “Because in a time where people like to capitalize on fame, and one opportunity, and they’re very quick to kind of forget about everything else in order to gain this thing that’s going to make them huge — this story kind of shows the opposite of what that looks like, to throw that away and be like I’m doing this because itʼs the right thing to do. It’s pretty cool. It’s the ultimate to me. It’s the ultimate story.”

Karolyn Grimes, the actress who played ZuZu Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” recalled her time working alongside Stewart and called him “an angel on earth” and that the beloved American Christmas classic “was a gift to people.”

She said she hopes viewers will “realize that there is kindness in this world and there is goodness. Sometimes you have to look for it, but it’s there.”

“Jimmy was the epitome of kindness and he set such a wonderful example that I hope they could take that away from him and maybe make some changes in their lives to be more of a good Samaritan and to give of themselves more,” Grimes added.

Hien Papaian, the founder of the production studio behind the film, Papaian Studios, shared similar sentiments. She told EWTN News that she hopes viewers will see “the kindness and the love that exudes from every part of this movie. Again we can disagree, we can have differences, but we can love each other through that and still unite in kindness.”

As for Stewart-Harcourt, she said she hopes viewers will come to see “how very honorable” her father was.

“Jimmy” can be watched in theaters nationwide now. Veterans, active-duty military, first responders, and their families can receive free tickets to see the film.

Instagram post

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/new-film-jimmy-explores-the-untold-story-of-jimmy-stewart-s-wwii-service-and-enduring-faith