Just before legendary actor Jimmy Stewart shipped out for World War II, the father of the future decorated B-24 bomber pilot tucked a small booklet into his uniform pocket that included a personal handwritten note and the 91st Psalm.
“My dear Jim, soon after you read this letter, you will be on your way to the worst sort of danger,” wrote Alexander Stewart. “I have had this in mind for a long time and I am very concerned… But Jim, I am banking on the enclosed copy of the 91st Psalm.”
The note continued:
“The thing that takes the place of fear and worry is the promise in these words. I am staking my faith in these words. I feel sure that God will lead you through this mad experience … I can say no more. I only continue to pray. God bless you and keep you.”
After a year of training, Stewart deployed to England as the commanding officer of the 703rd Bomb Squadron in the 445th Bomb Group. He flew 20 combat missions. Returning to the United States in September of 1945, Stewart was awarded, among other citations, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Reflecting back on the peace that Psalm 91 brought him, Stewart said, “From that day, the little booklet was always with me. Before every bombing raid over Europe, I read some of it, and with each reading, the meaning deepened for me.”
The depth and foundation of Jimmy Stewart’s faith will be featured in a new biopic about the beloved actor. A Truly Wonderful Life, is in the planning stage, and is being directed and produced by Aaron Burns with the cooperation of the Stewart family.
“I am so honored Kelly and her family are trusting us with their father’s legacy,” Burns told Deadline. “We are excited to take moviegoers on a journey to discover the real Jimmy, and how his father’s prayers and his collaboration with Frank Capra guided him through his darkest hours. Jimmy came to truly embody the characters he played, as husband, father, and citizen.”
Kelly Stewart was one of Gloria and Jimmy’s Stewarts two daughters and four children.
“Our family is thrilled that Aaron and his team approached us about bringing Dad’s story to life on the big screen,” she said. “Everyone loved him as George Bailey. Now they can learn how that movie intertwined with other parts of his life in so many important ways.”
Burns and Co. is an award-winning film company committed to “crafting timeless adventure films and stories for the enjoyment of families around the world.” Previous projects have included the popular hits, War Room, Overcomer, Lifemark, Legacy Peak, Beyond the Mask, and Birthright Outlaw.
In an era that seems to celebrate and glamorize sin and scandal on the big screen, a project that shines a bright light on the long and faith-filled life of Jimmy Stewart will be a much needed and welcome reprieve.
“The true Christian reaction to suffering and sorrow is not the attitude of self-pity, fatalism or resentment,” Stewart once said. “It is the spirit which takes life’s difficulties as a God given opportunity, and regards its troubles as a sacred trust, and wears the thorns as a crown.”
Stewart’s service in World War II and his stellar and honorable career in Hollywood long ago established him as an American legend. The forthcoming biopic, which does not yet have a release date, promises to leave little doubt about his faith and the fact that God answered the prayers he prayed as he read Psalm 91, which reads in part:
Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.
We pray the Lord will inspire the Burns and Co. team as they create and produce, A Truly Wonderful Life.
