Honorable mention to Shenendoah and Destry Rides Again. Shenendoah was basically what The Patriot should have been, and Destry Rides Again is just a great movie.
Limiting the list to 5 was difficult. Others could also be in another top 5. I’ve added my opinions, which you are welcome to ignore.
[ul]
[li]The FBI Story: Pure cornball eye-popping fiction. Also a sexist movie with ridiculously implausible espionage and father-knows-best sequences. And yet, very entertaining with Stewart compellingly watchable. (review)[/li][li]The Shop Around the Corner: A family tradition every Christmas. Stewart and Sullavan again, and the entire cast is tops with a screenplay that is lots of fun. (review)[/li][li]Destry Rides Again: Dietrich, reason enough. Also a compelling story told succinctly in 94 minutes. (review)[/li][li]The Shopworn Angel: Sullavan and Stewart, with innocent Stewart and experienced Sullavan getting to know each other. (review)[/li][li]Born to Dance: Gob Stewart meets dancer Eleanor Powell. Also Virginia Bruce, Una Merkel, Frances Langford (and Juanita Quigley, who just turned 84 last month). An MGM fantasy of night-club life, with some top Cole Porter songs and a fun script. Powell can also dance. (review)[/li][/ul]7 more…
[ul]
[li]Vivacious Lady (Fun including Ginger Rogers, Beulah Bondi, Charles Coburn, and Franklin Pangborn; review)[/li][li]Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (14 years since Jean Arthur was reading Elinor Glyn, and she’s still got It; review)[/li][li]The Mortal Storm (Sullavan again, she and Stewart are tops; review)[/li][li]Anatomy of a Murder (Lee Remick, Duke Ellington, fish; review)[/li][li]The Glenn Miller Story (still more insulting fiction, and June Allyson is weepy+helpless, but the music and Stewart make it easy to recommend; review)[/li][li]The Flight of the Phoenix (Top ensemble cast and story, plus “Senza fine”; review)[/li][li]The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Dorothy Johnson’s short story, well worth reading, drawn out to epic length during 123 riveting minutes; review)[/li][/ul]
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Rear Window (1954)
Carbine Williams (1952)
Although I love The Shootist (1976), I can’t consider it a James Stewart movie, since he has about 10 minutes screen time.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)