Tom's Jimmy Stewart Blog

Happy Birthday Ginger Rogers!

Saturday, July 16, 2011 8:09 AM Posted by Tom
Labels: Ginger Rogers , 1 comments

Hooray! Today is the 100th anniversary of Ginger's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

She was born on July 16 1911

Jimmy Stewart co-starred with her in Vivacious Lady in 1938, a great movie if you haven't seen it!

Check out a baby photo of Ginger here at Dawn's blog

Events at the Jimmy Stewart Museum

Friday, May 20, 2011 6:01 AM Posted by Tom
Labels: Museum , 5 comments

The JS museum has some really neat events coming up. (see the events page of the museum's site)

In addition to next month's Jimmy Stewart Festival, there is a new exhibit at the museum:

"Happy Birthday Jimmy" focuses on the Indiana Community's celebrations and the visit to Indiana of Mr. Stewart in May of 1983 for the dedication of the statue in his honor. Many local people are pictured in the photo essay. (from the press release)

Also, a new audio tour:

The Museum is also pleased to launch it's new Orpheo Audio Tour. This audio tour has been funded by the Indiana County Endowment and the Stewart Family Foundation of California.

The hand-held units guide visitors through a highlighted four of the Museum lasting about 45 minutes. The voice of the tour is Shannon Engemann, noted voice artist. Ms. Engemann and Mr. Gregg Paul, long time counsel to the Stewart Family attended the opening event over the weekend. The audio units will rent for $5. In addition to the regular admission. (from the press release)

I wish I were able to attend but if you are close to the Indiana Pennsylvania area I would check it out!

Farley Granger (1925-2011)

Farley Granger, Jimmy Stewart's co-star in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, has passed away at the age of 85. A Hollywood star since the early 1940s, he was best known for Rope and Strangers on a Train, two of Hitchcock's best films.
(News article from CBS-Los Angeles)

an autograph from Mr. Granger from 2006

Mr Graner's other film credits include the WWII dramas The North Star (1943) and The Purple Heart (1944), both with Dana Andrews, Small Town Girl (1953) with Jane Powell, O.Henry's Full House (1952), and Hans Christian Andersen (1952) with Danny Kaye.

Thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.

Jim Carrey impersonates Jimmy Stewart on Saturday Night Live

Sunday, March 20, 2011 4:32 PM Posted by Tom
Labels: Jimmy Stewart impressions , Saturday Night Live , 3 comments

Jim Carrey hosted the final show of the 1995-96 season, the 21st season. The show aired on Saturday May 19, 1996, just one day before Jimmy's 88th birthday.

The sketch where Carrey impersonates Jimmy occurred during the "The Joe Pesci Show" sketch, which was a reoccurring "talk-show" type sketch featuring Jim Breuer impersonating Joe Pesci's character from Goodfellas. Most of the humor from these sketches involves the talk show host's "mob connections" and penchant for stabbing people, just like the character from Goodfellas. All of these sketches - including this one - usually contain several uses of Italian stereotypes, which I don't find very funny. Here's how the sketch went:

At the start of the sketch, Joe Pesci announces that his first guest is his "boyhood idol" Jimmy Stewart.

Jim Carrey walks out as a frail Jimmy.

"Hello, Johnny", says Jim Carrey (as Jimmy)

Jim Carrey then pulls out a piece of paper and announces he has a poem to recite, just like Jimmy Stewart used to do on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show.

I didn't think anyone in the audience would remember that, but I guess they did because there were huge laughs at this and throughout the sketch.

Then Joe Pesci announces his next guest is Jim Carrey, and out comes Mark McKinney impersonating Jim Carey's "Ace Ventura" character, in costume. It's funny to see the Ace Ventura character next to Jim Carrey and how they interact.

"Smoke alot of dope, do you, son?" asks Jimmy Stewart of Ace Ventura.

Ace Ventura then does a mean-spirited impression of Jimmy Stewart which causes Joe Pesci to take out his baseball bat and clobber him. Jimmy Stewart says he doesn't like "gratuitous violence" and Joe Pesci responds by clobbering him over the head, too.

He gets up, and Pesci attempts to hit him again but Jimmy grabs the bat.

"Hey Harvey! Get Him!", shouts Jimmy Stewart.

"Who's Harvey?" says Joe Pesci, looking around.

Jimmy Stewart then clobbers him with a baseball bat several times,

including once in the crotch.

Then he comes after the cameraman, hits the camera, and says,

"Never underestimate the power of the elderly!"

and he walks off the set singing "Happy Birthday to me!"

--------------

I remember watching the show back then (and I was a huge Jimmy Stewart fan even back then) and was really surprised that he was mentioned on the show. It's kind of a stupid sketch, really. And vulgar (I don't think Mr. Stewart would like it) I supposed kudos could go to the writers for giving Jimmy a little nod and letting the public know he was still around. Also I always like seeing Jim Carrey do Stewart. He did him once before on In Living Color.

Jimmy passed away the following year in 1997.

Robert Wagner impersonates Jimmy on "What's My Line?" (1957)

Friday, January 7, 2011 9:16 PM Posted by Tom
Labels: Jimmy Stewart impressions , Robert Wagner , TV Shows , 3 comments

I just watched this funny clip off of You Tube - from "What's My Line" from 1957. Robert Wagner was the mystery guest and he disguises his voice (as Jimmy and other stars) as he answers the panelist's questions.

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 25, 2010 8:18 AM Posted by Tom
, 2 comments

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas season

(Above: autographed photo from Ms. Karolyn Grimes "Zuzu" , who
appeared in person at a screening and
Q&A on 12/19/10 in a Chicagoland theater)

Saturday Night Live spoofs "It's A Wonderful Life" again

Monday, December 20, 2010 7:53 PM Posted by Tom
Labels: It's A Wonderful Life , Jimmy Stewart impressions , Saturday Night Live , spoofs , 4 comments

This past weekend Saturday Night Live had another funny spoof of It's A Wonderful Life that featured Jewish characters and set at Hanukkah.

You can watch the entire program here from Hulu.
The spoof comes in close to the end. Set the marker to 36:25 and play from there.
(you have to sit through some commercials)