Did James Stewart smuggle a mummified hand out of Nepal?
Several film roles and characters portrayed by James Stewart could be perceived as eccentric. Nonetheless, he also played numerous endearing characters, such as in Frank Capra‘s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It’s a Wonderful Life. Stewart was primarily revered for embodying humble personas navigating intricate worlds on-screen, yet off-screen, his demeanour was somewhat different.
Stewart’s versatility as an actor shone through a diverse array of roles. His performances in Hitchcock’s Rear Window and Vertigo highlighted his ability to portray complex and multi-layered characters, cementing his status as a craft master. Throughout his career, he received several accolades, including an Academy Award for ‘Best Actor’ for his role in The Philadelphia Story.
Even as the golden age of Hollywood began to fade, Stewart’s influence endured. His acting prowess, genuine persona, and dedication to his craft remained unparalleled. Beyond his cinematic achievements, Stewart was a decorated war hero, serving in World War II and eventually rising to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve.
Although many pointed out Stewart’s strange antics over the years, the forerunner has to be his reputation as an alleged international smuggler. In a particularly peculiar turn of events, some claims suggest Stewart was involved in a rather unusual task: transporting the mummified hand of a purported yeti from Nepal to the United Kingdom. He allegedly accomplished this by concealing it within his wife’s lingerie.
This incident took place in the 1950s after a Nepalese group of monks claimed possession of the yeti hand, and Stewart, residing in India at the time, was chosen to transport it for secret examination. In the end, however, the outcome revealed it to be a fake artefact.
In the film world, opinions on Stewart remained divisive. For some, he was as approachable and likeable as his on-screen personas. For others, he came across a little hostile. During the shooting of Rear Window, for instance, director Alfred Hitchcock was apparently a “little afraid” of Stewart’s behaviour and attitude.
When asked about the creation of the film and the dynamic between Hitchcock and Stewart, Wendell Corey, Stewart’s co-star in Rear Window, disclosed the presence of significant tension. “There was a whopping big ego underneath that allegedly shy, stuttering, bumbling persona,” Corey said. “When Jimmy Stewart didn’t like the way a scene was going, he could yell with the best of them — you could hear him over to the next sound stage!”
Corey recounted Stewart’s meticulous nature regarding every shot, frequently identifying imperfections in the setup, leading to multiple retakes. He conceded that beyond the crew, even Hitchcock found Stewart somewhat intimidating.
