The beloved Christmas classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life” was the movie that brought a beleaguered and combat-weary actor James “Jimmy” Stewart back to fans after the war — but it may have also been the movie that brought a desperate man back from the brink.
James Maitland Stewart was preparing to go to war for several years before he was drafted in 1941. He earned a civilian pilot’s license in the hopes that the Army would let him fly — and he even took a trip to Europe in 1939 to get a feel for the landscape, knowing that it was likely he would end up there at some point.
By the time the Empire of Japan launched its surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Stewart had already attempted to join the Army. Rejected once in 1940 because he was underweight, the always-slim actor attempted to pack on a few pounds and ultimately turned to a doctor…
