James Stewart

"What do you think of Ronald Reagan for governor?" Jack Warner was asked by an assistant in 1966. According to Hollywood legend, the aged mogul replied without missing a beat, "No, no: Jimmy Stewart for governor. Ronald Reagan for best friend. " You won't hear that anecdote in James Stewart - A Wonderful Life, an engaging tribute to that most engaging of American actors, which airs at 9:10 p.m. Wednesday on Channel 12. But you will hear Ronald Reagan as best friend, extolling the virtues of that stammering beanpole born in Indiana, Pa., in 1908.

James Stewart, beloved by generations of moviegoers for his uncommon range and extraordinary gift for bringing ordinary characters to wonderful life, died yesterday in his Beverly Hills home. Mort Viner, Mr. Stewart's agent, said the 89-year-old actor died of cardiac arrest. His health had declined precipitously following the death of his wife, Gloria, in 1994, leaving Mr. Stewart too frail even to attend the 1995 dedication of a museum in his honor in his hometown of Indiana, Pa. At the tribute to Mr. Stewart hosted by the American Film Institute in 1980, Frank Capra, who directed him in the classics Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life, took the podium to address a hushed celebrity audience.

Three family members were hospitalized early today after escaping a suspected arson fire in their South Philadelphia home, fire officials said. The 2:45 a.m. fire in the three-story rowhouse on Federal Street near 3rd was deliberately set, according to Fire Lt. Jack Christmas. The blaze was under control in 19 minutes. "The fire marshal's office has determined that the fire started in a second-floor middle bedroom and was confined to that room. The exact method used (to start the fire)

James Stewart, a former star running back for the University of Miami, sued The New York Times for libel yesterday, saying the newspaper falsely reported he failed an NFL marijuana test. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from The New York Times Co., reporter Mike Freeman and sports editor Neil Amdur. A March 14 story written by Freeman quoted unidentified sources as saying Stewart failed a marijuana test at the NFL scouting combine in February. Former Miami defensive tackle Warren Sapp, a possible No. 1 draft pick, failed both cocaine and marijuana tests, the story said.

There are, in fact, 31 windows in Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. It's the ultimate voyeur movie and a picture that found Hitchcock's genius for exploring the philosophical implications of surface tensions in full flower. The master of suspense always cast a jaded eye on the frailty of humanity - often, several biographers have suggested, to avoid peering into his own troubled heart. In one of his finest efforts, Hitchcock made a covenant with the viewer. We share the perspective with the hero, James Stewart, but we do it in a way that makes him an ambivalent figure.

John Stewart, 75, of Collegeville, a successful lawyer and feisty newspaper editor and publisher, died Sunday at Phoenixville Hospital after a short illness. Mr. Stewart was known for decrying untruths as "donkey dust" in his "Valley Views" column for the Independent and Montgomery Transcript, a weekly Collegeville newspaper he bought over coffee at the Limerick Diner in 1971. Family and friends remembered Mr. Stewart's penchant for sharing his opinions. "He was a hell-raiser," said his son and coworker James Stewart.

Crystal Carroll will have you know that the recent construction of the 10- by-12-foot greenhouse in the Whitman Elementary School courtyard was not all fun and games. "It made us learn stuff," stressed the hammer-carrying 10-year-old. "It's not all play or something. " But it looked as if the 24 fourth graders in James Stewart's class were having a blast. Aided by Stewart and a few other adults, they erected the wooden structure in just over an hour last Tuesday. Younger children, many brothers and sisters of the budding builders, were led to the courtyard by their teachers to watch the event, anticipating its finish so they could plant seeds in the new greenhouse.

A Camden man, described by authorities as a career criminal with 17 prior convictions, was flushed out of his Kossuth Street home yesterday, where he allegedly kidnapped and assaulted a man 4 1/2 years ago. Jackie Lee Johnson, 48, who had been sought since the 1983 incident, was arrested at 2 p.m. by city police and members of the Camden County Sheriff's Office. After learning that Johnson was back in town, officers surrounded the house in the 2100 block of Kossuth Street at 10 a.m., waiting for him to come out. When Johnson did not appear, officers obtained a search warrant from Camden County Superior Court Judge A. Donald Bigley and, after ruling out a raid because there were children inside, prompted Johnson to flee by smashing open a side window, said George Fallon, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.

In researching "Blood Sport," his book on the Whitewater scandal, author James Stewart heard an anecdote that tells much about the relationship between Bill and Hillary Clinton. The president told a friend, " 'I was born 16 and will always be 16, Hillary was born 40 and will always be 40,' " Stewart said in an interview. Like many adolescents, Bill Clinton is flighty, impulsive, creative, eager to be liked. Like many grownups, Hillary Clinton is strong-willed, suspicious, stubborn, control-oriented.

What every NFL coach fears most in the last exhibition game happened to Steve Mariucci and the Detroit Lions last night. Starting running back James Stewart separated his right shoulder in the first quarter of a 22-16 loss to host Buffalo last night. Stewart, who led Detroit with 1,021 yards rushing last season, was hurt 6 minutes into the game and is out indefinitely. The Lions also lost linebacker Brian Williams, who dislocated his left shoulder. Mariucci said Stewart will be examined immediately when the team returns home.

James Martin Stewart, 87, of Lafayette Hill, a businessman and naturalist who was a founding member of the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, died Friday, April 19, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital of complications from a fall. The longtime resident of Ambler had lived for the last few years at the Hill at Whitemarsh retirement community. Mr. Stewart devoted much of his life to nature conservation. "He really felt that God revealed himself in nature," said his son Mahlon.

When he returned home from World War II, Hollywood icon James Stewart was featured on the cover of Life magazine in front of the Indiana County courthouse. "In New York, Stewart refused a hero's welcome," the text read. "Instead, he drove to Indiana, Pa., 50 miles from Pittsburgh. There, in his parents' comfortable red-brick house overlooking the town, he slept late, played the piano and joked with his family about the old days. " Just plain folks. That was the Jimmy Stewart legend.

What every NFL coach fears most in the last exhibition game happened to Steve Mariucci and the Detroit Lions last night. Starting running back James Stewart separated his right shoulder in the first quarter of a 22-16 loss to host Buffalo last night. Stewart, who led Detroit with 1,021 yards rushing last season, was hurt 6 minutes into the game and is out indefinitely. The Lions also lost linebacker Brian Williams, who dislocated his left shoulder. Mariucci said Stewart will be examined immediately when the team returns home.

The man who served as Cigna Corp.'s top financial officer for most of its history will retire at the end of the year, the Philadelphia employee-benefits giant said yesterday. James G. Stewart, who has overseen Cigna's money management since soon after the merger that created the company 20 years ago, made his announcement as Cigna attempts to convince investors it can cope with a string of financial troubles during a tough period for its health- and pension-benefits businesses.

A season that started with so much fire and promise now hangs in the balance for the New York Jets. Needing a victory to clinch a playoff spot, the Jets left Giants Stadium yesterday with their immediate future still in doubt after kicker John Hall missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt with 12 seconds remaining, enabling the Detroit Lions to escape with a 10-7 victory. It was a dramatic end to a windy and rainy day that left Detroit leaning heavily on the running game. In the end, the Jets leaned just as hard on their placekicker.

In the end, the Detroit Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at their own game. It's called brutality. In a game that seemed devoid of offense for three quarters, the weight shifted to the Lions in the fourth quarter because running back James Stewart had too many cracks at the exhausted Tampa Bay defense last night. The Detroit offensive line had too many chances to make a crease and, because the Buccaneers' offense could do none of that, the Lions came away with a 28-14 victory at Raymond James Stadium.

The Detroit Lions took dead aim on free-agent running back James Stewart. Yesterday, they got their man. Stewart, a tailback who led the Jacksonville Jaguars with 931 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns last season, signed for $25 million over five years, including a signing bonus of $5.75 million. The Lions, who got by with virtually no running game after the surprise retirement of Barry Sanders on the eve of training camp last season, outbid the Cleveland Browns for Stewart.

Inside the Jaguars' locker room, James Stewart was surrounded by a mob of reporters. Their television cameras and tape recorders were whirring away to capture the moment and afterglow of the reserve tailback's recordsetting, five-touchdown performance against the Eagles. But Stewart was reluctant to accept the mantle of history when asked how it felt to have his name mentioned in the same breath with Jim Brown, Cookie Gilchrist and Jim Taylor. "I wish they wouldn't mention me with those guys because they are great running backs," Stewart said after becoming the first player to rush for five touchdowns since Dec. 8, 1963, when Gilchrist scored five against the New York Jets for the Buffalo Bills.

Up until yesterday, when James Stewart faced the Eagles' defense and proceeded to look like a one-man highlight film, the Jacksonville Jaguars' third-year running back had hardly taken the NFL by storm. His rushing statistics were modest, his touchdown runs highly occasional. His mistakes, on the other hand, were sometime horrendous, such as the fumble he lost last year in the AFC championship game. "It was hard on James," left tackle Tony Boselli said. Kindly Jacksonville fans, a breed not given to Philadelphian tendencies, might have even thought about booing the No. 1 draft selection.

James Stewart, beloved by generations of moviegoers for his uncommon range and extraordinary gift for bringing ordinary characters to wonderful life, died yesterday in his Beverly Hills home. Mort Viner, Mr. Stewart's agent, said the 89-year-old actor died of cardiac arrest. His health had declined precipitously following the death of his wife, Gloria, in 1994, leaving Mr. Stewart too frail even to attend the 1995 dedication of a museum in his honor in his hometown of Indiana, Pa. At the tribute to Mr. Stewart hosted by the American Film Institute in 1980, Frank Capra, who directed him in the classics Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life, took the podium to address a hushed celebrity audience.