"It's a Wonderful Life" Actor Jimmy Stewart Holds Back Tears As He Read A Heartfelt Poem For His Dog Beau

Watch him and Johnny Carson wipe away their tears in this 1981 episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson"

Chelsi

• Published in Animal Stories
• July 23, 2023

The actor Jimmy Stewart is one of America's most beloved movie stars. The It's a Wonderful Life (1946) actor was one of the most celebrated film superstars of his time.

Beyond his big screen persona and magnetism, the actor is also known for one of his appearances in the late-night favorite, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His appearance at the show in 1981 gave a glimpse of the kind of person Mr. Stewart was behind the cameras.

In the episode, Stewart read a poem he wrote for his dog Beau. His enchanting dog wasn't known for his discipline and tricks.

"He never came to me when I would call/ Unless I had a tennis ball,/ Or he felt like it,/ But mostly he didn't come at all." The audience and Carson laughed along as Stewart regaled them with anecdotes of Beau's unruly ways.

He talked about Beau's many antics, which included digging up a rose bush to spite the actor. His game of biting their delivery man and the fear Beau instilled in their gas meter reader.

Beau almost burned down their house, but that story Stewart kept to himself. He may not have been the most obedient dog, but the actor loved him no less.

Stewart's voice trembled as he read, "And there were nights when I'd feel him climb upon our bed/ And lie between us,/ And I'd pat his head."

He soldiered on an continued, "And there were nights when I'd feel this stare/ And I'd wake up and he'd be sitting there/ And I reach out my hand and stroke his hair."

He would wake up at night

And he would have this fear

Of the dark, of life, of lots of things,

And he'd be glad to have me near.

"And now he's dead."

"Oh, how I wish that wasn't so,/ I'll always love a dog named Beau."

The silence filled the sound stage as Jimmy Stewart finished his loving tribute. He and Johnny Carson were wiping away their tears as the actor ended the eulogy.

Long-time fans of Stewart still find comfort in the video years after his passing. He and his beloved dog Beau are surely making up for lost time.

His poem showed the kind of person Stewart was. He was an incredible person.

He was the kind of person who willingly showed authentic emotion to a massive audience to pay tribute to a dearly departed pet

Anyone who has ever had an animal companion related to that poem and the mix of pain & joy behind it

In that aspect, Jimmy Stewart was no different that the rest of us

Here's the clip of his reading:

He was a pet owner who was grateful for the time they spent with their beloved animal. He was someone who sorely missed the routine of ruffling their dog's fur for comfort.

He and Beau had the kind of friendship we have with our own pets. We can only imagine the kind of shenanigans Beau is getting into that's making Jimmy Stewart shake his head in the beyond.

Chelsi