The blog A Life in Equinox posted a Jimmy Stewart video today - it's one from the Tonight Show from the early 80s where Jimmy reads his tribute poem to his dog Beau, who had recently died.

Here's a good video with a focus on Raquel Welch in Bandolero!



Thanks to the Memories are Made of This blog for bringing this video to my attention.

Last night, legendary actress Julie Adams, 83, taked with Sonny Starr on the Star Talk radio show. She sounded really good and energetic.

One of the films that they talked about was Bend of the River, the great western she appeared in with Jimmy Stewart. She said that she sees it ever so often on Turner Classics, and said how well it holds up.

The other stars of the film, Rock Hudson and Arthur Kennedy, were her co-stars in several other films, so she talked more about them than Jimmy. She said that she and Rock Hudson were good friends, and had a similar sense of humor.

She remembered Bend of the River director Anthony Mann as a great pleasure to work with, and she has fond memories of filming on location in Oregon, around Mount Hood. (The film premiered in Portland, Oregon)

She remembered Bright Victory (starring Arthur Kennedy) as one of her favorite films that she made. Arthur Kennedy was nominated for an Oscar playing a blinded veteran's return to his hometown.

She also talked about working with Elvis in Tickle Me, and said that he was always polite and was a Southern gentlemen, never was full of himself on the set. He would tell stories about his time in the military and his experiences on other films.

She also talked about the film that she will always be remembered for: Creature of the Black Lagoon, and she always has fun talking about it whenever she is interviewed or attends conventions, and takes delight in knowing this is her signature film.

Jimmy Stewart plays a college professor who quickly marries a sassy nightclub singer (Ginger Rogers) after they both fall in love at first sight. When they travel to his hometown, Jimmy can't bring himself to introduce his parents -- ailing mom (Beulah Bondi) and curmudgeonly father (Charles Coburn) -- to his new vivacious wife. Waiting for the right time to make their announcement, Jimmy & Ginger put on act that backfires into numerous hilarious results. With Jack Carson, Franklin Pangborn, Hattie McDaniel, and Willie Best.

According to Gary Fishgall's Jimmy bio "Pieces of Time: The Life of James Stewart", this film took almost one year to make; there were numerous rewrites and production delays, including Stewart's illness and subsequent hospitalization (for unknown reasons)



Critic Rose Pelswick of the New York Journal wrote of the film was "...not only elegant entertainment, but also a welcome departure from the crack-brained concoctions that have been passing for comedy of late. For this one, instead of depending upon wild-eyed gags, gets its laughs from genuinely funny situations that arise from the action and become part of it....Mr. Stewart checks in with a grand performance."

Directed by George Stevens. Note: This film is not yet available on DVD (unfortunately)

Below: Jimmy, Jennifer and Burt Reynolds (?). Apparently this picture (from Feb '83) was originally published in LIFE magazine, but I couldn't find a caption for it. What were they all doing together, I wonder?? Perhaps discussing a new movie project? I think that would have been pretty cool, because Jimmy and Jennifer were never in a movie together. :(

Why they made these films, I'll never know. In "Airport '77" (I love how they cut out the "19" in "1977" from the title) Jack Lemmon saves the day, and features cameos by Jimmy Stewart and Olivia DeHavilland. Fortunately, Jim is only in one or two scenes of this.