Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Hank and Jim by Scott Eyman - Available

Hank and Jim

The Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart

by Scott Eyman
David Colacci
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Henry Fonda and James Stewart were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood for forty years. They became friends and then roommates as stage actors in New York, and when they began making films in Hollywood, they roomed together again. Between them they made such memorable films as The Grapes of Wrath, Mister Roberts, Twelve Angry Men, and On Golden Pond; and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Destry Rides Again, The Philadelphia Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Vertigo, and Rear Window. They got along famously, with a shared interest in elaborate practical jokes and model airplanes, among other things. Fonda was a liberal Democrat, Stewart a conservative Republican, but after one memorable blow-up over politics, they agreed never to discuss that subject again. Fonda was a ladies' man who was married five times; Stewart remained married to the same woman for forty-five years. Both men volunteered during World War II and were decorated for their service. When Stewart returned home, still unmarried, he once again moved in with Fonda, his wife, and his two children, Jane and Peter, who knew him as Uncle Jimmy.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 24, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781681689630
      • File size: 370314 KB
      • Duration: 12:51:29

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Iconic actors Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart's long friendship provides a pleasing and positive framework for an informal and episodic dual portrait of two very American men in a time they largely defined. Narrator David Colacci's deep and exacting baritone is a perfect choice for these quintessentially American stories. His precise, unhurried, and nuanced performance adds an additional layer to the meaningful text. Despite being opposites, politically speaking, the protagonists' shared interests included model airplanes and executing complex practical jokes both on-set and off. This audiobook is at its best when discussing the sad and sensitive topic of the decline in Fonda's health. Stewart's supportive presence was nearly always there. This is a must-listen for classic film buffs and those wishing to introduce themselves to two special practitioners of cinematic art. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 24, 2017
      Henry Fonda (The Grapes of Wrath) and James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life), from their days as starving stage actors to their primes as Hollywood stars and into their twilight years, maintained a steady, unwavering friendship that sustained both men. In this breezy, entertaining dual biography, Eyman (John Wayne: The Life and Legend) avoids hagiography, though he clearly admires his subjects. Fonda was liberal and Stewart conservative, but both came from small-town stock, were decidedly professional, often insecure, and, together, boyishly fun loving, bringing out the best in each other. They first became friends as roommates in New York City after spending time with the University Players, a summer theater troupe. Eyman highlights WWII’s importance in both men’s lives—Fonda served in naval intelligence and Stewart in the Army Air Corps, and Stewart remained in the Air Force Reserves after the war, rising to the rank of brigadier general. Fonda’s fraught relationship with his children also comes to the fore, especially through quotations from the extensive interviews Eyman conducted with family and friends of both Fonda and Stewart. Balanced analyses of their film and stage performances pepper the study, as Eyman perceptively charts the courses of two legendary Hollywood careers. Agent: Mort Janklow, Janklow & Nesbit.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading