Frank called me one day and said, 'I have an idea for a movie, why don't you come over and I'll tell you?' So I went over and we sat down and he said, 'This picture starts in heaven'. That shook me.

Stewart rarely spoke about his wartime service but did appear in January 1974 in an episode of the TV series The World At War "Whirlwind: Bombing Germany (September 1939 – April 1944)" commenting on the disastrous mission of October 14 1943 against Schweinfurt Germany. How the West Was Won (which Ford co-directed though without directing Stewart's scenes) and Cheyenne Autumn were western epics released in 1962 and 1964 respectively. Over the following two summers he took a job as an assistant with a professional magician.

Over the course of his career he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime Achievement award. James Maitland Stewart (May 20 1908 – July 2 1997) was an American film and stage actor known for his distinctive voice and persona.