Jimmy Stewart Church presentation by David Perry

JIMMY STEWART Film Festival

& the mary stewart art exhibition

the parallel careers of siblings jimmy and mary stewart during WWII

A PROPOSAL TO THE CHURCH

Date TBD: Mary Stewart Opening 5:30 PM

6:30 PM: “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”

8:30 PM, Special Screening of “The Mortal Storm”

Q&A with Stewart family members after the showing.

Dear April and Erik,

As the nephew of the ‘everyman’ actor, Jimmy Stewart, our family honors him and his sister, Mary Stewart, an artist, as having been staunch defenders of democracy. Because two of his critically acclaimed films, The Mortal Storm and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and his sister’s artwork so pointedly addressed the attack on democracy in their day, and acknowledging similar threats in our country today, we are proposing a celebratory festival, described below, as an event, hopefully, to present around the country. Note that our first presentation in Brattleboro, VT at the Latchis Theater has completed a successful run and included Stewart family Q & A.

The Mortal Storm (MGM, 1940) is not well known. It was the first Hollywood film to show the deportation of Jews to concentration camps in Germany. All MGM films were banned in Germany after the film’s US release.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (MGM, 1939) relates the story of a young, naive US Senator who fights against corruption in Government. Mr. Stewart’s heroic performance showcased the ideals that are the foundation of our Democracy and catapulted him to major stardom.

The proposed venue will also feature a companion exhibit of “War Orphans” by Jimmy’s sister, Mary Stewart. The show depicts the effects on the children of Europe at the time, where family separations and mass deportations became the norm.

With best regards,

David Perry

“Every American today should see The Mortal Storm.”

Kelly Stewart Daughter of Jimmy Stewart

The Mortal Storm (1940) was MGM's first feature film to openly criticize Germany's Nazi regime. Set in 1933, the film unflinchingly looked at the rise of Nazism, and helped explain why some Jews stayed in Germany in the face of the rising Nazi persecution.

The film shows the impact on Germans after Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany and gains unlimited power. Several weeks after the film’s US release, all MGM movies were banned in Germany, including The Mortal Storm.

A year after the film’s release, James Stewart became the first major star to join the United States military at the beginning of World War II.

Escape to Austria

The rise of Naziism

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American political satire film directed by Frank Capra, starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart. The film is about a naive, newly appointed United States senator who fights against government corruption. It was loosely based on the life of Montana US Senator Burton Wheeler, who underwent a similar experience when he investigated the Warren Harding administration.

The film was controversial in the US when it was first released, with attacks from many politicians claiming that it brought Washington into disrepute, but it was very successful at both the domestic and international box offices, and it made Stewart a major star.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, winning Best Original Story. Considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, the film was selected by the Library of Congress as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

We propose The Church feature a companion exhibit – The Mary Stewart Art Exhibition, featuring artwork by Jimmy Stewart’s sister, an award winning artist in her own right, whose work during World War II forms a parallel story to that of her famous brother.

The exhibit signage details Jimmy Stewart’s war career as he became a decorated bomber pilot and squadron commander who flew 20 missions over enemy territory and won two Distinguished Flying Crosses and the French Croix de Guerre.

Meanwhile, back home, Mary Stewart was deeply affected by the war, especially the mass deportations and family separations, and the effects on the children. She created a series of studies called “The War Orphans” that will be on exhibit during the film festival.

Later in the war she designed powerful anti-Nazi propaganda posters, and created artwork for the organization Artists for Victory, which held the National War Poster Competition of 1942. Her cartoon was accepted and won first prize at a juried exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, beating out luminaries like Saul Steinberg, Charles Addams, Peter Arno and others. The exhibition went on to tour the country to promote war bonds.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL LIFE

THE EARLY WAR YEARS 1940-1942

Jimmy Stewart was the first major Hollywood star to join the service in World War II, enlisting in the Army Air Corps as a private. As an experienced airplane pilot, he spent his first years training pilots to fly the B-17, but he kept pushing his superiors to let him get over to Europe and see some action. In February 1942, he had to present the 1941 Oscar for best actor he had won in 1940 for The Philadelphia Story. Lieutenant Jimmy Stewart, sporting his pilot’s wings, accompanied Ginger Rogers to the ceremony, shown at right.

Meanwhile, Jimmy’s sister, Mary Stewart was in New York City teaching at the Arts Student’s League. The war in Europe with the rise of Nazism and Fascism had a profound influence on her art. Mary felt that the real victims of all military arrogance were the youth. In her work she depicted the horrors to children that were taking place in Europe. Her art was influenced by but not derivative of the great German artist Kathe Kollwitz, whose work was suppressed by the Nazis.