Trivia Tuesday: Jimmy Stewart

Born on this date in 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania

His museum in his hometown was dedicated on his birthday in 1995

Never took acting lessons, instead relying more on actually working

Turned down the lead in "On Golden Pond", a role that Henry Fonda went on to win the Oscar for.

Wanted to play the role of Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest, but Hitchcock wanted to use Cary Grant.

His favorite type of films were Westerns, and greatly dislike war films because of their usually inaccurate portrayals of war.

Inducted to the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1972.

Enlisted in the service before the US entered World War II and eventually reached the rank of Brigadier General

It's a Wonderful Life was his first film in five years, after taking that time off for his service in the Army

Spoke before Congress in 1988, along with Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, and Martin Scorcese, against Ted Turner's attempts to colorize classic black and white films.

Trivia Tuesday: Gary Cooper

Died on this date in 1961, only six days after his 60th birthday

Had several affairs with high profile actresses including Clara Bow, Lupe Velez, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Tallulah Bankhead, and Patricia Neal.

The only actor that Alvin York would allow to play him in the film based on his life

Inducted to the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Heritage Museum in 1966

Won an Oscar for his roles in Sergeant York and High Noon

Turned down the role of Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind, The Ringo Kid in Stagecoach, and Norman Maine in A Star is Born

Founded his own production company with Samuel Goldwyn, International Pictures, in 1944. He sold it to Universal in 1946 and they changed the name to Universal-International.

Had a full face lift in 1958, which many people said left him looking very different from before.

Originally buried at Holy Cross cemetery in Los Angeles, his widow had his body moved and reburied under a three ton boulder in 1974 in Southampton, New York 

Was close friends with Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Bing Crosby, and James Stewart