James Stewart once named the director who “hated” the human voice
Within the vast history of Hollywood and all the great stars it has produced over the years, very few can rival the influence and talent of James Stewart. Rightly regarded by the American Film Institute, as well as countless fans around the world, as one of the definitive actors of all time, Stewart’s legendary body of work continues to make younger generations of audiences sit at the edge of their seats.
Working in one of the greatest eras in Hollywood history at the top of the industry undoubtedly gives one the opportunity to collaborate with the very best, and Stewart certainly made the best of it. Ranging from Frank Capra to Alfred Hitchcock, the American icon’s collaborations with some of the most important filmmakers of his time allowed him not only to develop his own craft but also to get a better understanding of the nature of the medium.
Whether it be his timelessly moving performance in Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, his anxiety-inducing approach in Hitchcock’s Rear Window or his wonderfully deep and measured work in Anatomy of a Murder, Stewart’s oeuvre is simply incomparable. However, even within his celebrated body of work, there are some creative partnerships that left a stronger impression on Stewart’s mind when he looked back on his extensive career.
One such partnership was his work with John Ford, the American filmmaker whose legacy is inextricably linked to the rise and fall of the western genre. Other auteurs around the world, such as the legendary Akira Kurosawa, routinely studied Ford’s experiments with the cinematic image in order to properly comprehend the magnitude of the cinematic spectacle.
During a conversation after being honoured at the Kennedy Center, Stewart opened up about his memories of working with Ford and even revealed that the filmmaker was not particularly fond of the human voice. For someone who was as much of an advocate for the film image as Ford, it’s not surprising that he prioritised the visual language of cinema more than the traditional narrative developments through dialogue.
When asked about his own perception of Ford and how he was different from his contemporaries, Stewart responded: “He was very, very special. He didn’t follow the rules of moviemaking. He just made his own. As I said, he hated the spoken word. Usually, you talk about… how it is on the set… the complete tranquillity on the set. Ford didn’t agree with that at all.”
Stewart, who collaborated with both Ford and John Wayne on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, also remembered the massive presence of the filmmaker that completely dominated the atmosphere on set. It kept everybody on edge, bringing out the best from everyone.
The actor added: “Ford wanted tension on the set this is this is why he got a certain feeling that is forward and nobody else is. He wanted tension, and he got it in all sorts of ways. He’d get on poor Duke Wayne on it and just get him so embarrassed and so terrible… they loved each other, devoted to each other.”
Years later, it’s clear why Ford preferred images over dialogue because it’s those images that define his cinematic legacy.
