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Jimmy Stewart and His Poems
I'm sure I never said to myself: 'Now, Jim--why don't you sit down and write a poem.' It's still a mystery to me, but I think probably it's something that happened by accident--like a lot of things have happened in my life.-
So begins this delightful collection of poetry by America's best-loved actor, Jimmy Stewart. Interspersed with vivid recollections and charming illustrations, the poems document a life that isn't too different from yours or mine.
Jimmy Stewart won the hearts of generations of movie viewers with a confused innocence and stammering delivery that made his acting seem genuine and effortless. Somehow he managed to make the boy next door into a national hero. Now, in Jimmy Stewart and His Poems, the consummate Everyman shares tales from his everyday life.
From fishing trips and dog stories to a hilarious account of a photo safari where the camera was lost to a hungry hyena, the poems are related in Jimmy Stewart's inimitable voice and are enlivened with charming illustrations.
The book confirms what we all expected--that the real Jimmy Stewart is every bit as endearing as the film characters he's portrayed. 'Jimmy Stewart and His Poems' is a perfect gift, one that fans will treasure as much as Jimmy Stewart's timeless performances.
So begins this delightful collection of poetry by America's best-loved actor, Jimmy Stewart. Interspersed with vivid recollections and charming illustrations, the poems document a life that isn't too different from yours or mine.
Jimmy Stewart won the hearts of generations of movie viewers with a confused innocence and stammering delivery that made his acting seem genuine and effortless. Somehow he managed to make the boy next door into a national hero. Now, in Jimmy Stewart and His Poems, the consummate Everyman shares tales from his everyday life.
From fishing trips and dog stories to a hilarious account of a photo safari where the camera was lost to a hungry hyena, the poems are related in Jimmy Stewart's inimitable voice and are enlivened with charming illustrations.
The book confirms what we all expected--that the real Jimmy Stewart is every bit as endearing as the film characters he's portrayed. 'Jimmy Stewart and His Poems' is a perfect gift, one that fans will treasure as much as Jimmy Stewart's timeless performances.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 19, 1989
1 person is currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Jimmy Stewart
34 books12 followersJames Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American film and stage actor, best known for his self-effacing persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime Achievement award. He was a major MGM contract star. He also had a noted military career, a WWII and Vietnam War veteran, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve.
Throughout his seven decades in Hollywood, Stewart cultivated a versatile career and recognized screen image in such classics as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo. He is the most represented leading actor on the AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) and AFI's 10 Top 10 lists. He is also the most represented leading actor on the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list presented by Entertainment Weekly. As of 2007, ten of his films have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry.
Stewart left his mark on a wide range of film genres, including westerns, suspense thrillers, family films, biographies and screwball comedies. He worked for a number of renowned directors later in his career, most notably Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Billy Wilder, Frank Capra, George Cukor, and Anthony Mann. He won many of the industry's highest honors and earned Lifetime Achievement awards from every major film organization. He died in 1997, leaving behind a legacy of classic performances, and is considered one of the finest actors of the "Golden Age of Hollywood." He was named the third Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute.
(this and more from Wikipedia --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_St... )
Throughout his seven decades in Hollywood, Stewart cultivated a versatile career and recognized screen image in such classics as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo. He is the most represented leading actor on the AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) and AFI's 10 Top 10 lists. He is also the most represented leading actor on the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list presented by Entertainment Weekly. As of 2007, ten of his films have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry.
Stewart left his mark on a wide range of film genres, including westerns, suspense thrillers, family films, biographies and screwball comedies. He worked for a number of renowned directors later in his career, most notably Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Billy Wilder, Frank Capra, George Cukor, and Anthony Mann. He won many of the industry's highest honors and earned Lifetime Achievement awards from every major film organization. He died in 1997, leaving behind a legacy of classic performances, and is considered one of the finest actors of the "Golden Age of Hollywood." He was named the third Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute.
(this and more from Wikipedia --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_St... )
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
December 27, 2018
A delightful little book of poetry that I could almost hear Jimmy Stewart reading out loud to me! 🤗
December 23, 2023
This extremely short book contains four poems by the legendary actor, Jimmy Stewart. He sets up each one with a brief story about what happened, and why he was moved to capture the experience in poetry, and then comes the poem - full of gentle humour and Stewart charm, each one made me laugh. 'The Top Step in the Hotel in Junin' tells of a staircase in an Argentinean hotel where the top step is a full inch higher than the other stairs, resulting in people regularly tripping.
'And it uses this inch as a weapon,
The guests of the place to harass:
For when you reach the third floor of that hotel in Junin,
The top step trips you right on your ass.'
He follows it up with a poem about his trip to Africa, called 'Aberdares,' a location six thousand feet above sea level and the coldest place he had ever known:
'But then there’s a place in Africa
That puts them all to shame.
They say Jack Frost was born here,
The Aberdare’s its name.'
'I'm a Movie Camera' tells the story of his video camera that was eaten by a hyena, from the perspective of the camera.
His final poem is well-known to anyone who followed Stewart. He read his tribute to his dog, Beau a few times on talk shows, and never without having to wipe his eyes at the end of it. Stewart's persona was an endearing everyman, and his real life personality was equally charming, and humble and straightforward. Stewart was the among the best that Hollywood ever offered, and his four brief poems remind one of why he was so well-loved.
'And it uses this inch as a weapon,
The guests of the place to harass:
For when you reach the third floor of that hotel in Junin,
The top step trips you right on your ass.'
He follows it up with a poem about his trip to Africa, called 'Aberdares,' a location six thousand feet above sea level and the coldest place he had ever known:
'But then there’s a place in Africa
That puts them all to shame.
They say Jack Frost was born here,
The Aberdare’s its name.'
'I'm a Movie Camera' tells the story of his video camera that was eaten by a hyena, from the perspective of the camera.
His final poem is well-known to anyone who followed Stewart. He read his tribute to his dog, Beau a few times on talk shows, and never without having to wipe his eyes at the end of it. Stewart's persona was an endearing everyman, and his real life personality was equally charming, and humble and straightforward. Stewart was the among the best that Hollywood ever offered, and his four brief poems remind one of why he was so well-loved.
March 26, 2022
James Stewart was a big movie star, but it was his down-home Midwest aura that turned him into “Jimmy”. He was considered an everyman, one who gladly gave up his soaring Hollywood career to go fight in World War II. And while other stars and industry personnel secluded themselves within gargantuan fortresses, Jimmy Stewart stayed in his basic home, where tourists could see him picking up his daily newspaper or walking his dog along the street. As a hobby, he started writing poetry in his later years and this slim volume captured the ones he liked the most. Each poem is introduced by Stewart as he explains why the poem was written, all in his usual self-effacing style.
I think the one I like the most is I’m A Movie Camera, all about the travails of a camera which gets the adventure of its lifetime when Stewart was on a photographic safari in Africa.
That night they praised the camera work
And I just burst with pride,
But if they like my work so much,
Why’d they leave me here outside?
A midnight wind came through the case
And chilled me to the core,
And also there were noises
That I hadn’t heard before.
The poor camera gets dragged away by hyenas and bitten into pieces. Its Hollywood career was over.
I’m just a movie camera
And I did the best I could.
YouTubers may be aware of Stewart’s appearance on the Johnny Carson Show in 1981. It was there that Jimmy read out his most popular poem, Beau. That was the name of one of his dogs, a particularly rambunctious canine who became a close family member as he grew older. While filming on location, Stewart received word that Beau was dying, and he flew back to Beverly Hills so he could be with him when the dog was put to sleep.
He would wake up at night
And he would have this fear
Of the dark, of life, of lots of things,
And he’d be glad to have me near.
And there are nights when I think
I feel that stare
And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,
But he’s not there.
Oh, how I wish that wasn’t so,
I’ll always love a dog named Beau.
Unlike some of the current pretentious lot of “stars”, Jimmy Stewart didn’t take his poetry too seriously and that’s what makes this book so lovely. There’s only a handful of poems inside, but it’s a fun read. It’s a remembrance of a man who belonged to the Greatest Generation with all its humble work ethic.
Book Season = Year Round (wondrous times)
I think the one I like the most is I’m A Movie Camera, all about the travails of a camera which gets the adventure of its lifetime when Stewart was on a photographic safari in Africa.
That night they praised the camera work
And I just burst with pride,
But if they like my work so much,
Why’d they leave me here outside?
A midnight wind came through the case
And chilled me to the core,
And also there were noises
That I hadn’t heard before.
The poor camera gets dragged away by hyenas and bitten into pieces. Its Hollywood career was over.
I’m just a movie camera
And I did the best I could.
YouTubers may be aware of Stewart’s appearance on the Johnny Carson Show in 1981. It was there that Jimmy read out his most popular poem, Beau. That was the name of one of his dogs, a particularly rambunctious canine who became a close family member as he grew older. While filming on location, Stewart received word that Beau was dying, and he flew back to Beverly Hills so he could be with him when the dog was put to sleep.
He would wake up at night
And he would have this fear
Of the dark, of life, of lots of things,
And he’d be glad to have me near.
And there are nights when I think
I feel that stare
And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,
But he’s not there.
Oh, how I wish that wasn’t so,
I’ll always love a dog named Beau.
Unlike some of the current pretentious lot of “stars”, Jimmy Stewart didn’t take his poetry too seriously and that’s what makes this book so lovely. There’s only a handful of poems inside, but it’s a fun read. It’s a remembrance of a man who belonged to the Greatest Generation with all its humble work ethic.
Book Season = Year Round (wondrous times)
December 31, 2022
Had this collection been written by anyone else, it likely would never have been published. But it was penned by Jimmy Stewart, and thus found its way to a publisher and then into the hands of his fans. Not great poetry, it nevertheless has a cadence and charm of its own that is pure Stewart. The explanations as to how and why the poems came to be written just adds to the enjoyment.
April 8, 2016
One of my favorite celebrities, Jimmy Stewart. I remember hearing him read these poems to Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show years ago. I couldn't resist picking it up at the used bookstore. It was on the dollar table. The poems are fairly mediocre, but personal and very much a part of his personality.
A sample...the end of his poem titled Beau
And now he's dead.
And there are nights when I think I feel him
Climb upon our bed and lie between us
And I pat his head.
And there are nights when I think
I feel that stare
And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair
But he's not there.
Oh, how I wish that wasn't so,
I'll always love a dog named Beau.
If you have ever loved an animal (and who hasn't) you will feel the emotion that is real beneath the simplicity of his verse. Quite a man, Jimmy Stewart. A war hero, a quite philanthropist, a civil and gentle gentleman. We don't have many of his ilk today.
We miss your kind, Mr. Stewart,
You had such class and style.
I'm glad I found this book today
And thought of you a while.
A sample...the end of his poem titled Beau
And now he's dead.
And there are nights when I think I feel him
Climb upon our bed and lie between us
And I pat his head.
And there are nights when I think
I feel that stare
And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair
But he's not there.
Oh, how I wish that wasn't so,
I'll always love a dog named Beau.
If you have ever loved an animal (and who hasn't) you will feel the emotion that is real beneath the simplicity of his verse. Quite a man, Jimmy Stewart. A war hero, a quite philanthropist, a civil and gentle gentleman. We don't have many of his ilk today.
We miss your kind, Mr. Stewart,
You had such class and style.
I'm glad I found this book today
And thought of you a while.
May 29, 2023
I am not shocked that he could write such wonderful poetry. I wish he had written many poetry books. My parents got to see his house and the museum. Maybe someday I can experience that too. I hope so.
December 23, 2020
Only four poems in this autobiographical and amateur collection, but Stewart captured his iconic voice in the poems.
December 15, 2022
I have always been a fan of James Stewart, I enjoyed all his films and that slow drawl had a certain charm so I was delighted when I spotted that he had written a book of poems. And it is an absolutely charming book, rather like the man comes across on the blurb and also whenever I have seen him interviewed when he comes across a most self-effacing gentleman. I should just add that 'Rear Window' was probably my favourite of his films.
The added feature of these poems is that each one has explanatory text prior to the poem, explaining how it came about and this does add to the charm of the finished poem. And he begins by telling us of how he regularly tripped on the top step of his hotel in Junin de los Andes, where he and friends had gone to fish for German brown and rainbow trout. Initially he thought nothing of it but when his friends also tripped on that top stair he knew something was wrong. He decided to tell the story of Junin and to make it rhyme. Thus: 'The to step in the hotel in Junin is mean./Like the Devil is mean./And it lies at the top of the other steps ,/So quiet, so still, so serene.' Then after 'The top step trips you right on your ass', he finishes with 'Of all the degrading, inhuman, mean things,/That I in my life have yet seen, 'The gross, most despicable ne of them all/Is that top step in the hotel in Junin. It's a great fun poem.
On a visit to Est Africa he visited the Aberdares, a beautiful mountain range just north of Nairobi. No wonder his subsequent poem 'The Abedares!' has that exclamation mark for he tells of 'Jack Frost' being born there, as it got so cold in the night. He was 'gasping in my tent', dreaming of 'California sunshine' and 'a frigid mist moving in' so his last lines are 'Oh! Aberdare, you're beautiful,/But Aberdare, you're cold.' Once again it is a lovely told poem, just right for reading out loud.
It is very difficult to pick the best of the poems so I am hedging my bets with the two longest poems, 'I 'm a Movie Camera' and 'Beau'. The first is an ingenious idea as he tells the story from the movie camera's perspective after He accidentally left it outside his tent while on safari in Kenya and overnight a hyena came and ravaged it. It incensed him so much that he wrote this delightful poem when the poignant verse is 'And so I'm all in pieces/My career is ended now,/I don't know what the future holds/It matters not somehow.'
And 'Beau' is a heart-rending poem about his golden retriever who was, in his words in the preamble to the poem 'on the wild side'. He states, 'We all tried to calm his down but he had his own ideas.' Then, 'After about a year, Beau quietened down a lot and we became better friends than ever.' Then when he was away making a picture, Beau became ill, he flew back to be by his family's side but it was in vain, he had to take the doctor's advice and have him put down. The poem is testimony to the love that he and his family had for Beau and his last full verse reads, 'And there are nights when I think/I feel that stare/And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,/But he's not there.' followed by just two lines in which the reader can feel his sorrow, 'Oh, how I wish that wasn't so. I'll always love a dog named Beau.'
I admired James Stewart as an actor and now I admire him as a poet as well! I have his book on his war exploits in my collection so when I read that I will no doubt discover that he has another string to his bow!
The added feature of these poems is that each one has explanatory text prior to the poem, explaining how it came about and this does add to the charm of the finished poem. And he begins by telling us of how he regularly tripped on the top step of his hotel in Junin de los Andes, where he and friends had gone to fish for German brown and rainbow trout. Initially he thought nothing of it but when his friends also tripped on that top stair he knew something was wrong. He decided to tell the story of Junin and to make it rhyme. Thus: 'The to step in the hotel in Junin is mean./Like the Devil is mean./And it lies at the top of the other steps ,/So quiet, so still, so serene.' Then after 'The top step trips you right on your ass', he finishes with 'Of all the degrading, inhuman, mean things,/That I in my life have yet seen, 'The gross, most despicable ne of them all/Is that top step in the hotel in Junin. It's a great fun poem.
On a visit to Est Africa he visited the Aberdares, a beautiful mountain range just north of Nairobi. No wonder his subsequent poem 'The Abedares!' has that exclamation mark for he tells of 'Jack Frost' being born there, as it got so cold in the night. He was 'gasping in my tent', dreaming of 'California sunshine' and 'a frigid mist moving in' so his last lines are 'Oh! Aberdare, you're beautiful,/But Aberdare, you're cold.' Once again it is a lovely told poem, just right for reading out loud.
It is very difficult to pick the best of the poems so I am hedging my bets with the two longest poems, 'I 'm a Movie Camera' and 'Beau'. The first is an ingenious idea as he tells the story from the movie camera's perspective after He accidentally left it outside his tent while on safari in Kenya and overnight a hyena came and ravaged it. It incensed him so much that he wrote this delightful poem when the poignant verse is 'And so I'm all in pieces/My career is ended now,/I don't know what the future holds/It matters not somehow.'
And 'Beau' is a heart-rending poem about his golden retriever who was, in his words in the preamble to the poem 'on the wild side'. He states, 'We all tried to calm his down but he had his own ideas.' Then, 'After about a year, Beau quietened down a lot and we became better friends than ever.' Then when he was away making a picture, Beau became ill, he flew back to be by his family's side but it was in vain, he had to take the doctor's advice and have him put down. The poem is testimony to the love that he and his family had for Beau and his last full verse reads, 'And there are nights when I think/I feel that stare/And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,/But he's not there.' followed by just two lines in which the reader can feel his sorrow, 'Oh, how I wish that wasn't so. I'll always love a dog named Beau.'
I admired James Stewart as an actor and now I admire him as a poet as well! I have his book on his war exploits in my collection so when I read that I will no doubt discover that he has another string to his bow!
February 26, 2025
The great actor could also write a great poem! The 5 Stars are well deserved!
October 19, 2024
Jimmy Stewart was an actor, not a poet. Those who read this book expecting Frost-level work will be disappointed.
The lovability of this little volume is that it is structured like a poetry reading: Stewart includes a brief explanation of each poem, and then the poem--both of which the reader can't help but hear in Stewart's distinctive voice.
Humorous and earnest, just like Stewart, this book would be a great gift for a James Stewart fan or a wonderful introduction to poetry for young children. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing into the life of Jimmy Stewart the man (and not the actor) for the first time.
The lovability of this little volume is that it is structured like a poetry reading: Stewart includes a brief explanation of each poem, and then the poem--both of which the reader can't help but hear in Stewart's distinctive voice.
Humorous and earnest, just like Stewart, this book would be a great gift for a James Stewart fan or a wonderful introduction to poetry for young children. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing into the life of Jimmy Stewart the man (and not the actor) for the first time.
April 23, 2019
I've always been a huge fan of Jimmy Stewart (who, sadly, died in 1997 on my birthday). I was so happy to find this book on E-bay! It is short, but very sweet; a charming souvenir of one of America's greats. Great husband and father, great military man, and of course, great actor! And a good poet too.
July 12, 2022
Jimmy Stewart was a great actor, but I do not think he was a great writer. I cannot give this book 2 stars (even if it's amateurish) because I think in general he deserves better. This is not a book I would recommend though.
January 8, 2022
Wonderful, delightful poems from one of America's greatest actors.
December 24, 2024
An abominable if necessary cheat for my Goodreads challenge
January 26, 2025
Read with my daughter, age 2. It’s a strange curiosity of a book. It only has four poems, but also has prefaces for each and some simple illustrations. Good ol’ Jimmy. They’re very juvenile, but as a curiosity of old Hollywood it’s appreciated.
August 5, 2015
I finally got around to reading this book, after 8 years of carrying it around. It was a fun little book, though sad - one of the four poems was about his dog who died. The others were witty (with swears even!) autobiographical rhyme-y poems about his family. This was definitely designed as a gift book, and I'd bet two dollars that it was published around some sort of gift giving holiday.
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Jimmy Stewart wrote poetry? Whodathunk!
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Jimmy Stewart wrote poetry? Whodathunk!
April 1, 2008
Gorgeous. I cried all the way through 'Beau'. A gentle read, especially enjoyed the stories behind the poems.
Tone - I should forward this book to you, I remembered the Parkie interview and thought you'd probably like this one.
Tone - I should forward this book to you, I remembered the Parkie interview and thought you'd probably like this one.
March 18, 2008
Bad. Sorry, Jimmy. If anyone else (that wasn't a celebrity) had written these poems, they would never have been published.
December 20, 2011
If it weren't Jimmy Stewart, it would be one star. I really wanted to like the poems since I enjoy him so much as an actor, but they're simply not good.
January 23, 2020
Jimmy Stewart is my favourite actor of all time. I love him in films and I loved him when he was being interviewed by Michael Parkinson.
One interview Jimmy Stewart gave with Parkinson, he read one of his poems. I've never laughed so much. It was the one about the movie camera.
When I read these poems, I could hear Jimmy Stewart's voice in my head and that lovely drawl of his. The poems are funny and there's sadness in the one about Beau the dog which made me cry.
If you love funny poems and also Jimmy Stewart, this is the book for you.
One interview Jimmy Stewart gave with Parkinson, he read one of his poems. I've never laughed so much. It was the one about the movie camera.
When I read these poems, I could hear Jimmy Stewart's voice in my head and that lovely drawl of his. The poems are funny and there's sadness in the one about Beau the dog which made me cry.
If you love funny poems and also Jimmy Stewart, this is the book for you.
January 4, 2023
Almost offensively short, containing a mere four poems with short introductory essays, I am not entirely sure what to make of this little collection. The poetry is bad, but delightful. Jimmy Stewart is such a beloved icon of American popular culture, and his voice certainly comes through in these poems. It's fun to imagine an actor of his stature writing such bad poems and treasuring them so. It's actually sweet.
January 5, 2018
I've had this book since it came out in 1989 and occasionally pull it off the shelf I'm already madly in love with Jimmy Stewart--have been for decades. These four poems are each introduced with a short story. Guaranteed to make you smile every time you read them, so if you're having a down moment, pick this book.
May 28, 2018
If you love old movies, then you definitely have an idea of who Jimmy Stewart is. This poetry book shows us another dimension of this man. I thoroughly enjoyed this little gem. I appreciated the autobiographical passages introducing each poem. This addition provides a reference point for each poem. A quick read and one that you'll come back to each time.
August 30, 2023
It should come as a surprise to no one that Jimmy Stewart was a better actor than he was a poet. The stories were great that came before and explained the poem though, which makes me wish he'd written more prose instead. The illustrations by Cheryl Gross really make the book IMHO, they really enhance the tone and humor of the writing really well.
November 17, 2025
A forgotten book that I pulled off the shelf as I couldn't read the title, and there was Jimmy Stewart staring at me from the cover. Just a charming little book of poems. As I read them I could hear in my mind Jimmy Stewart's voice reading them to me. And to paraphrase another poet, that has made all the difference.
December 25, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Jimmy Stewart as an actor so when I found out he had a book of poems I was thrilled. It was a very quick, but delightful read. I think even more than the poetry itself I enjoyed the stories that went along with each poem.
February 4, 2018
I adore Jimmy Stewart. I have such fond memories of him reading his poems on the Tonight Show to Johnny Carson. Is it great poetry, no. But it’s not meant to be. It’s Jimmy Stewart and it is sincere like he was.
April 23, 2018
This is a sweet little book of poetry from one of my favorite actors. What I like most about it, was when an event happened, Mr. Stewart just put pencil to paper and wrote. Fun. And I would sure love to fish for German Brown Trout in South America.
February 20, 2019
Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorite actors, so I thought I'd give this a try. I liked that he told the stories behind the 5 or 6 poems in the book. While the poems had good rhythm and rhyme, the vocabulary and depth of content was a bit lacking for my tastes. Quick easy read.
April 4, 2021
A very short, quick read. I bought it mainly for his beautiful poem about Beau, his Golden Retriever pup, but thoroughly enjoyed the others. I heard Stewart read a couple of these on the Johnny Carson show years ago.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews