10 Most Underrated James Stewart Movies, Ranked

An iconic symbol of the Golden Era of Hollywood, James “Jimmy” Stewart” spent over 50 years entertaining audiences. A five-time Oscar nominee for his roles in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Harvey, and Anatomy of a Murder, Stewart would only win once for The Philadelphia Story. He received an Honorary Academy Award in 1985 for his long career and “his high ideals both on and off the screen, with respect and affection for his colleagues.”

From his work with directors like Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford to succeeding in multiple genres, Stewart was truly a versatile star. His career-defining roles are masterclasses in the craft, but there are a collection of other roles lost beneath the hype of his critically acclaimed features. Whether playing a cowboy, depicting real-life people and/or events, or departing from expectations, Stewart’s underrated movies deserve a second look when considering his filmography.

10 ‘American Tail: Fievel Goes West’ (1991)

Directed by Phil Nibbelink Simon Wells

In his final career performance, Stewart donned the cowboy hat one last time, except from the animation studio as Sheriff Wylie Burp. A sequel, American Tail: Fievel Goes West brings the Mousekewitz family back to the screen as they move from New York to Utah. There, Fievel (Phillip Glasser) idolizes the hound dog Sheriff Wylie, and meets him by accident, enlisting his help to defeat the villains of the old west town.

Once a cowboy, always a cowboy—as Stewart’s career spanned over five decades, his last role was his only animated role. The movie competed with a heavily saturated market of 1990s Disney animation, but Stewart’s supporting performance is one of those that catered to the adults in the room with his recognizable drawl and affinity for Western roles.

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9 ‘The FBI Story’ (1959)

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy

While Stewart’s character is fictional, the cases he investigates in The FBI Story are very much real. He stars as John Michael “Chip” Hardesty, a seasoned FBI agent whose career spanned the 1920s-1940s where he faces some of history’s most notorious mobsters and crimes like the Osage murders. Vera Miles co-stars as Chip’s wife, Lucy Ann, whom he promises that he’ll quit the FBI, but ultimately has a change of heart.

The film teeters on the edge of like and dislike for critics and audiences, heavily criticized as being a propaganda film for J. Edgar Hoover and law enforcement. Setting aside the critical discourse, Stewart once again demonstrated his mastery of the craft as he not only portrayed the young, eager Chip evolving into a weathered man, he nourishes the chemistry with Miles to bring to screen a crumbling marriage.

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8 ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ (1952)

Directed by Cecil B. DeMille

Whether you believe The Greatest Show on Earth was deserving of Best Picture or not, there’s no denying the value of Stewart’s supporting performance. A celebration of the controversial Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the movie follows the traveling circus and its non-nonsense show manager alongside the performers, including trapeze artists, an elephant trainer, and a clown. Unrecognizable underneath the make-up, Stewart is Buttons, a clown who audiences never see without his make-up.

Buttons is a complex character with a mysterious background, which is revealed later he’s a former doctor on the run from the police. He serves as a voice of reason, a shoulder to cry on, and at times, an expository character. While The Greatest Show on Earth is arguably not the greatest movie on Earth, it’s better for utilizing Stewart in a way not seen in his career before.

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7 ‘Call Northside 777’ (1948)

Directed by Henry Hathaway

This noir should not be forgotten when remembering Stewart’s movies. He stars as newspaper reporter P.J. McNeal, tasked with investigating a decade-old murder case after the victim’s mother takes out a classified ad seeking information on the crime. Call Northside 777 is based on a true story of a Chicago policeman’s murder in 1932.

In this routine crime procedural, Stewart’s performance paired with the on-location filming in Chicago created complex storytelling that’s often lost in the routine of the genre. Today, this classic Hollywood film caters to noir fans while also hitting home with the investigative journalism genre.

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6 ‘Bend of the River’ (1952)

Directed by Anthony Mann

In this double-crossing Western, Stewart stars as Glyn McLyntock, a reformed outlaw who, after guiding a group of farmers to Oregon, must go after the trader withholding their provisions. He teams up with a rescued thief named Emerson Cole (Arthur Kennedy) to retrieve the supplies; however, Cole steals them all for himself, incurring the wrath of McLyntock and his now relentless pursuit.

Stewart’s performance as the gruff, but tender McLyntock gets lost in his canon of Western roles, but proves to be another top-notch performance for genre fans. Bend of the River was one of the five projects Stewart and director Anthony Mann collaborated on. The movie is based on the novel by William Gulick, Bend of the Snake.

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5 ‘Destry Rides Again’ (1939)

Directed by George Marshall

Not only is this feature home to an underrated Stewart performance, it houses one of the best bar fights in the Western genre. Destry Rides Again stars Stewart as the titular Tom Destry Jr., the son of the infamous lawman, in his pursuit to clean up the rough and rugged fictional town of Bottleneck.

Stewart’s Destry was a stand-out and pivot from the standard tropes of the Western hero. Where others would’ve thrown punches, Destry tries to reason. Where others would’ve disregarded and undermined the women, Destry shows respect to saloon singer, Frenchy (Marlene Deitrrich). During a huge year of cinematic releases, Destry Rides Again established its own legacy with Stewart’s poignant performance that’s often lost among the popularity of its competition like Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Stagecoach.

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4 ‘Winchester ’73’ (1950)

Directed by Anthony Mann

A departure from Stewart’s leading man charm and charisma, Winchester ’73 gave audiences a darker version of the iconic actor. In one of his many outings with director Anthony Mann, Stewart is Lin McAdam, a skilled rifleman who, after winning a prized rifle in a shooting contest only to have it stolen, hunts down the thief.

The golden age of the Western genre’s morally gray character, Lin is anything but what audiences had come to expect from Stewart—a gritty gunslinger with a stomach for violence. From start to finish, Stewart’s performance is pulsating with tension, perfectly performed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

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3 ‘The Shootist’ (1976)

Directed by Don Siegel

Stewart would join The Duke one last time in John Wayne‘s final film. The Shootist stars Wayne as the dying gunfighter J.B. Books as he arrives in Nevada at the turn of the 20th Century. He rents a room from Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son Gillom (Ron Howard) while concocting a plan to not only address the questionable motives of people looking to profit off him but also to avoid a quiet, painful death.

Stewart stars as Dr. Hostetler, J.B.’s long-time friend who provides medical attention to J.B. during his final hurrah. Hostetler is instrumental in the way in which J.B. chooses to live his last days after receiving the cancer diagnosis, saying, “I would not die a death like I just described, not if I had your courage.” The film is always remembered as Wayne’s swan song while he managed his own experience with cancer, but Stewart’s performance is often underrated as he co-starred with another Hollywood legend for the last time.

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2 ‘The Glenn Miller Story’ (1954)

Directed by Anthony Mann

Starring one of the most successful musicians of the big-band era, Stewart is trombone player Glenn Miller. The biopic portrays Miller’s career from his poor beginnings to his rise to fame with hits like “Moonlight Seranade,” and to his decision to enlist in the army. Miller disappeared in 1944 after his plane took off from England to France and vanished over the English Channel.

While The Glenn Miller Story was nominated for three Oscars, Stewart for Best Actor was not one of them. Today, audiences love a good biopic, but forget that this classic Hollywood film was foundational in making the genre what it is today. Stewart provided a beautiful performance, even using one of Miller’s original trombones, making The Glenn Miller Story deserving of more recognition.

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1 ‘The Cheyenne Social Club’ (1970)

Directed by Gene Kelly

The comedic chemistry between Stewart and Henry Fonda makes this unique Western a great watch. Following the death of his brother, John O’Hanlan (Stewart) is unaware that the business he inherited is a gentlemen’s club until he gets a rude awakening upon his arrival in Cheyenne, Wyoming. With his best friend Harley (Fonda) in tow, an embarrassed and conservative John debates what to do with the brothel. It isn’t until one of the girls is assaulted that John takes action to defend her and forms a bond with the women.

The Cheyenne Social Club is not the typical “Jimmy Stewart Western,” rather a movie that breaks social norms and portrays a positive depiction of a brothel in which the women feel empowered and liberated by their occupation. Stewart’s character is comically complex as he struggles with the idea of a brothel, religiously, socially, and politically, but still maintains a level of respect for women. John evolves over the course of the film, making Stewart’s portrayal all the more underrated.

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