Why did the characteristic features of Stewart and Wayne in these films rocket them to permanent stardom? The two films which this essay will talk about are “Mr. Smith goes to Washington” and “Stagecoach”. Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne were two famous actors and were part of Hollywood’s Golden Age. They were both gifted actors and had characteristics which made them stand out. 

Jimmy Stewart was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania. When he was older, he wanted to go to the United States Naval Academy. His father didn’t want him to and insisted that he went to Princeton University instead. He did this. He started out by majoring in Architecture. While doing that, he became involved in drama and music clubs. Eventually he decided to change his major to acting instead of architecture. After graduating from Princeton, he joined the University Players. This was a summer stock company for college students. While there, he met James Fonda, his lifelong friend and fellow actor. After the summer, they both moved to New York in order to pursue their careers. Jimmy Stewart found a couple small Broadway roles. He eventually began to star in many films including “Next Time We Love”, “You Can’t Take It With You”, and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Jimmy stared in roles where he played honest men in times of hardships and trials. Because of this, he related to the audience because his character struggled with life, but in the end he chose to do the right thing. This is what the audience wanted to do in a similar situation. 

John Wayne was born in 1907 in Iowa, but was primarily raised in California. He was turned down by the United States Naval Academy. He attended USC on a football scholarship, but lost the scholarship due to a bodysurfing accident. After that he needed to find a job. Wayne found work by acting in small parts for Fox films. This led to his first big film “The Big Trail” in 1930. He acted in several B movies. He connected with the audience because he acted as an ultimately good man that other men could connect with.