As the beloved hero of It's a Wonderful Life, and in scores of other roles, Jimmy Stewart, legendary star of Hollywood's Golden Era, has stolen his way into our hearts. Here, at last, as he nears ninety, is the definitive biography of this major American icon.Jimmy Stewart catapulted to stardom as everybody s favorite boy next door, his appeal emanating from his honest, affable persona. And he parlayed that appeal into a brilliant acting career spanning 79 films and nearly half a century.His unforgettable performances as the naive idealist fighting political corruption in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington...the delightful drunk whose companion is a six-foot rabbit in Harvey...and the flippant reporter caught between Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in his Oscar "RM" winner, The Philadelphia Story, have made him a cultural icon, a symbol of the idealism and simple nobility of the average guy.Gary Fishgall, author of the well-received biography of Burr Lancaster Against Type, conducted thousands of hours of interviews for this book. Whether looking at Stewart's childhood, recalling the actor's fast-track dating days before his marriage at age forty to Gloria McLean, chronicling his heroic missions as a bomber pilot during World War II, telling behind-the-scenes film stories, or looking at his reclusive twilight years, Fishgall reveals a very human Jimmy Stewart -- in a superbly researched book that movie lovers will cherish.