5. Comedians began imitating his voice and vocal delivery in 1939
Between films, Stewart began delivering performances on radio broadcasts in 1939. The success of his films (his next, Destry Rides Again was another hit), and the frequency of his radio appearances made his vocal style well known. It led it to be widely imitated by comedians and other wags. Stewart then resumed the roller-coaster ride of his earlier career, with successful films followed by others poorly received. Despite the frequent flops, his performances were consistently praised. In 1940, he teamed with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story, a role for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor 1940.
Stewart did not believe he deserved the award, for several reasons. One was that his performance in the film was a supporting role, the lead belonged to Cary Grant. Secondly, he believed his performance in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was superior, and the Academy acknowledged their error the preceding year by gifting him an Oscar. Thirdly, he believed his friend Henry Fonda deserved the award for his role in The Grapes of Wrath, and voted accordingly. He eased his conscience by giving the statue to his father, who displayed it in the hardware store in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Stewart did not want a daily reminder in his house of an award he believed he had not earned.