Jimmy Stewart and His Poems (1989)

By the end of the 1970s James Stewart had effectively semi-retired from the screen. The roles he enjoyed playing were simply no longer being offered, his type of film seemed out of vogue. Never the less he remained well exposed thanks to regular appearances on television and at organised public events. Due to a number of wise investments Stewart was independently wealthy so these appearances were not a matter of financial necessity. It is believed that his wife Gloria was instrumental in keeping him active during his later years. Her belief was that, if left to his own devices, the aging star would never leave his own house.

One of the strangest directions for Stewart’s career to take was his foray into the world of poetry. By his own admission this wasn’t a planned move.

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. (Stewart, 1989; 5)

Stewart goes on to give a typically matter of fact account of his first stumbling steps towards authorship. On a trip to Junín (pronounced Who-need) he tripped over the top step leading to his hotel.

I remember saying to Gloria – out of the clear blue sky – “The top step in the hotel in Who-neen is mean.” It sort of surprised me that what I had just said rhymed. (Stewart, 1989; 6)

His meditations on why that particular step seemed to attack everyone to cross its path were recorded for posterity in his notebook, a poem which he called, perhaps unsurprisingly, ‘The top step in the hotel in Junín.’

One of the first outlets for Stewart’s verse was on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Jimmy had been appearing on the late night chat show on a near annually basis and new material was always welcome. His casual readings endeared him to the millions of viewers on many occasions.

One interesting historical note is that, while Stewart may have personified a cosy brand of American family values to the viewing public, even he could not escape the wrath of the all powerful network censor. His reading of the poem Lake Baringo got him into hot water over the use of the word ass. (Dewy, 1996)

Perhaps the most well known of these appearances is the time Stewart recited his poem Beau. Thanks to the joys of youtube we can see this reading in full. I highly recommend you view before reading on.

What starts off as a deceptively simple character study slowly reveals itself to be a touching, heart breaking meditation on the relationship between a man and his dog. The one line, “and now he’s dead” cuts through the audience like a knife. Gone is the folksy, comforting Jimmy Stewart and in his place is an equally loveable yet far more real man.

Despite encouragement from television audiences Stewart was reluctant to publish any of his verse. Eventually though a children’s book entitles Buffalo Girls sufficiently impressed him and he offered the book to the publisher, Crown Books.

Upon release in late 1989 the book, Jimmy Stewart and His Poems, climbed to the top of many best seller lists. It reached number three on The Los Angeles Times chart and ranked fourth in The New York Times. There were a number of factors that led to this great success. Television exposure certainly helped, as did the $9.95 price tag and pre Christmas release. At the age of 81 Stewart also embarked upon an extensive promotional appearance tour. It is estimated he signed over 5000 books.

Contemporary reviews were positive for the most part. Daniel Pinkwater of The New York Times was particularly upbeat in his review.

The jacket copy of ‘Jimmy Stewart and His Poems’ concludes that ‘the book confirms what we all expected. That the real Jimmy Stewart is every bit as endearing as the film characters he’s portrayed!’ Well, you’re not going to hear any argument from me. (Cited in Molyneaux, 1992: 229)

Other reviewers were not so kind, particularly those in higher literary circles. The argument was made that there was little artistic value to the work beneath the surface. Would similar poetry from a lesser known author have received as much attention? Would it even have been published? This kind of criticism though seems to be missing the point somewhat. The book was never expected to appeal to poet laureates but instead to the many fans who had invited Stewart into their home via the medium of television.

The only disappointment I really had with the book was that it is far too short. In fact there are only four poems contained in the slim hardback volume, each accompanied by an introduction by the author. This seems odd considering that poems Stewart had recited on television were not all included, work like No More Milk and Lake Baringo. Perhaps this is indicative of Stewart’s own insecurity over the quality of his writing. The introductions to each poem in the book convey what seems to be an honest bewilderment about their publication. He was very happy if people wanted to buy his book, but couldn’t really understand why.

Finally I highly recommend you seek out a copy of the unabridged audio book that was released on cassette by Random House in 1991. However nice it may be to own the poems in print nothing can ever compare to the unique Stewart delivery. Listening to his voice here feels like listening to an old friend delivering a story in person. Some feat considering that he sticks exactly to the text as printed!

For those of you who have waited patiently for this long delayed post here is your reward; a recital of the poem No More Milk. Enjoy!