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REVIEW: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe

Though I was vaguely aware of Jimmy Stewart’s World War II military service (I once read somewhere he experienced a “nervous breakdown” during the war), I didn't know many details—partly because, like many of his generation, Stewart didn’t speak much about it. So while looking for a book in exchange for one I received as a birthday present, when I saw this on the bookshelf, Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen, it seemed right up my alley since I’ve always enjoyed military history and memoirs, as well as stories of old Hollywood.

Many Hollywood stars served in the military during World War II; that said, not to take anything away from their service, many served in roles to boost morale and recruitment. This was admittedly partly due to national morale as much as personal safety—the death or capture of a celebrity in combat would have been a propaganda coup for the enemy and hurt morale at home. (Clark Gable served as a tail gunner on several missions, partly to shoot footage as part of the First Motion Picture Unit, and reportedly had a bounty on his capture placed on him by Nazi Germany.)

Actor James Stewart would have none of it and saw real combat, one of a few in the military who rose through the ranks from the rank of private to major in the span of four years during the war.

Stewart came from a line of family members who had served their country in war: his two grandfathers served in the Civil War and a great uncle died in that same conflict. Though his father was too old for military service in World War I, he nevertheless volunteered to fight despite being 40 years old and having a family and children (which included young Jimmy).

Stewart was a plane nut from a young age, even building airplane models with fellow budding star and roommate Henry Fonda. Seeing the coming war and wanting to serve in the army air force, he got his pilot’s license and gained experience flying larger aircraft. He enlisted just months before the war, though he was initially turned down for being underweight. It also should be added that when he enlisted, Stewart was already in his mid-30s and deemed too old for enlistment. Though he was originally earmarked to be a flight instructor, he eventually pulled strings to get his wish to serve in combat. He was assigned to the 445th Bomber Group as an operations officer, based in England. (Neither Hollywood nor Washington, DC initially wanted him in harm’s way).

Stewart saw real action, flying more than 20 combat missions with distinction—during the course of the war, he flew as a B-29 command pilot, wing commander and squadron commander. As squadron commander, he rotated onto different planes as co-pilot during missions. He crash landed once (on a non-combat flight) and, on another mission, flak blew a two-foot hole in the cockpit mere inches from him. He successfully flew back exposed to subzero weather with a direct view of the ground below him through the hole next to him. He also led a 1000-bomber raid against Berlin in 1944.

The book successfully conveys the visceral feel of the tough and draining physical experience of bombing missions. Pilots were glued to their seats for grueling and terror-filled 8 to 9 straight hour sets, in wintertime braving temperatures from 20 to 40 degrees below where heated suits barely made a difference; the cold formed icicles below their oxygen masks that they had to break off periodically or risk asphyxiation. The cold could also freeze equipment like guns and bombay doors. And while they sometimes enjoyed the protection of U.S. and British fighter pilots flying Mustangs and Spitfires, other times they were at the mercy of flak and German fighters with only their own gunners to protect themselves. The aim of the bombing was to destroy Nazi Germany’s supply and materiel resources, which included emasculating the enemy air force as much as possible prior to the eventual invasion of Europe—and, yes, to terrorize. By D-Day and after, the allies achieved that goal for the most part. Stewart’s missions throughout Europe included runs into Berlin (“the Big B”) as well as over Paris, where his wing flew past the Eiffel Tower. (My only minor complaint about the book is the borderline salacious way it covers Stewart’s sexual escapades as a young bachelor in Hollywood, which included relationships with Norma Shearer, Olivia DeHavilland, Dinah Shore and more, though these experiences convinced him not to marry an actress! On the other hand, it was fun to hear of others within his circle of friends like Burgess (“Buzz”) Meredith.)

Though Stewart lost his share of men under his command, he was considered somewhat of a good luck charm because his losses were not as bad as others. While this can be attributed somewhat to simple good luck since combat can be fickle, the book suggests this was also partly due to Stewart's leadership and insistence on discipline, keeping tight formations which made for a smaller target and made it easier for ships to cover each other. In this case, Stewart's age and maturity relative to the young 20-somethings under his command may have been an advantage.

Not unlike Yossarian in the Joseph Hellerman novel, Catch-22, the stress of combat and the constant eyewitnessing of the downing of planes and the fates of the airmen on those aircraft would come to deeply affect Stewart, as it did many others, leading to his commanding officers to give him a break from flying. Though he assumed operations duty to give some relief, he eventually took on an executive command in another squadron where he continued to serve with competence and effective leadership.

When Stewart returned, people were shocked by how much he had aged. Hollywood also had changed, with the studio system having begun to break—Stewart signed with Lew Wasserman, who had bought out MCA, and became an independent. Stewart was adrift for a time, not sure how he fit in or what roles would suit him now. As is well known, Stewart’s first project was the beloved It’s A Wonderful Life (Stewart later said the movie and filmmaker Frank Capa “saved his life.”) Indeed, anecdotes from the shoot bookend the book. Stewart, of course, would continue to have a successful film career, his postwar Westerns particularly being known for revealing a dark brooding side of Stewart that otherwise belied his “aw, shucks'' image. (His wife would later say that was the “real” Jimmy Stewart she knew.)

World War II ultimately didn’t break Stewart, but like anyone who served, it of course deeply affected and colored him for the remainder of his life and career. This book is another sobering contribution to many other great works that recount and honor the sacrifice and experiences of the Greatest Generation.

Remembering Neal Adams

The many posts about the passing of the great Neal Adams is a tribute to his influence and impact on the field of comics. He was a bridge between the Golden and Silver Ages of comics to the modern age, bringing in a breath of fresh air into the field with a slick commercial art style that was new in comic books. Along the way, he drew tons of comics for the major publishers, and many small ones and, along with writer Denny O’Neil and others, helped Batman shed the “campy” image from the ‘60s TV show, building the modern foundation of the character as it stands today. (Even today, my own efforts at drawing the character is heavily influenced by Adams’ take on the character.)

Just as importantly, he was a significant activist and champion for social issues as well as artist’s rights: he helped bring “relevance” to comics (also often with O’Neil) and tried to create a union for comics professionals. He also successfully fought for the return of artist’s work (including that of Jack Kirby’s) and, along with cartoonist Jerry Robinson and others, on the eve of the release of the 1978 Superman film, persuaded (or, rather, shamed) DC Comics/Warner Brothers into providing Superman’s impoverished creators—Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster—a pension and modicum of financial security, as well as creator credit, by using the attention to the movie as leverage.

Adam’s did so much work that is fondly remembered and admired—my personal favorite is 1978’s Muhammad Ali vs. Superman (with O’Neil again). At first glance, it might seem like a cheesy idea, but Adams and O’Neil took the job seriously and produced what I often consider (as I know others do) the greatest single Superman story ever—an epic space opera of Superman cleverly teaming with Ali to save the world against invading aliens.

Adams also provided work and mentorship to many cartoonists, especially through his comics and illustration studio, Continuity Studios.

Though I’d often go by his table at comics conventions, I had the opportunity to meet him back in 2019 at an event organized by local cartoonists that he kindly hosted at his L.A. Continuity office. After his talk, he invited me to sit with him and was delighted to learn that I was Filipino (he asked)—he spoke about how much he admired the great Philippine-based cartoonists who broke into the industry in the 1970s.

I had intended to also bring my copy of Muhammad Ali vs. Superman for his autograph (pictured above), but told him that I had forgotten it. He laughed, slapped my back and said, “Next time!”

Being on the eve of the pandemic, I didn’t find the right time to follow up, but regardless it was a thrill to get these memorable few moments with him and this photo. He always seemed so hale and active, so the news was a bit of a surprise to me. My condolences to his wife and widow; the news of his passing is giving his legacy and influence the attention it deserves.

See the original post on Facebook (with additional photos).

Read my 2019 post about meeting Neal Adams.

Read my 2008 look back at Superman vs. Muhammad Ali.

L.A. Festival of Books

Purchased from the Hi De Ho Comics Booth
at the festival.

On Sunday, April 25, we visited the L.A. Festival of Books (sponsored by the Los Angeles Times), held on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC) near downtown L.A. My wife primarily wished to attend some signings and panels, so I tagged along.

In addition to books and authors, I was glad to see comics and graphic novels well represented among the vendors, including a booth from one of the local Westside comic book stores near me in Santa Monica, Hi De Ho Comics, which I visited regularly when I was in college. You’ll see some of my purchases in the photo gallery.

In addition, when checking the schedule the day before we went, I discovered there was a panel appearance of Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez, the cartoonists behind the long-running Love and Rockets series. I snatched up tickets for what turned out to be a fun overview of their series and a fascinating conversation about their creative process. The panel was followed by a book signing.

It was also fun visiting USC (we actually took L.A.’s Metro rail there, which was only about a 20 minute ride). As I have occasionally mentioned, my wife and I both attended UCLA as undergrads. That said, I actually got my master’s degree at USC, while my wife spent several years there for her doctorate. (As a student, I went to several UCLA-USC football games, both at the Rose Bowl and the L.A. Coliseum.) But we remain Bruins through and through.

So with UCLA and USC being cross-town rivalries, naturally I made sure to wear a UCLA t-shirt (during the day, several people randomly called out “Go, Bruins!” when they saw me). At right is a selfie I took wearing a Bruin shirt in front of the Tommy Trojan mascot statue.

All kidding aside, we were impressed by the changes the campus has undergone (we’ve been aware of the changes, we just hadn’t seen them first hand). USC has gentrified much of the area around campus. In fact, a rather sketchy shopping center we remembered across the street from campus (which had a bar my wife recalled visiting occasionally with fellow grad students and professors) had been transformed into a mixed-use student residential dorm area with restaurants, bars, and even a Trader Joe’s and Target! We also quickly visited the building where our classes and programs were sited. We recalled that my wife’s office in the doctoral program overlooked USC's football practice field. This included a quick visit to the Annenberg School of Communication where I received my master’s, which I had not been to since my graduation there in ‘92!

Anyway, it was a fun day and a reminder that we’re overdue to visit the equally visit UCLA campus.

Below are additional photos...you can see the full photogallery here.

Remembering Robert Morse

Remembering Gilbert Gottfried

Celebrating the New Baseball Season