Kelly Stewart Harcourt, daughter of late actor Jimmy Stewart, lambasted a speaker at the Republican National Convention for comparing President Donald Trump to the mild-mannered character her father played in the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“In her speech at the G.O.P. convention Monday night, Natalie Harp, a cancer survivor, made reference to the film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ comparing Donald Trump to George Bailey, the main character in the film, played by my father, Jimmy Stewart,” Harcourt wrote in a letter to the New York Times published Thursday.
She went on, “Given that this beloved American classic is about decency, compassion, sacrifice and a fight against corruption, our family considers Ms. Harp’s analogy to be the height of hypocrisy and dishonesty.”
The letter appeared online as well as in print.
Harp made her remarks during the opening night of the Republican National Convention on Monday, saying, “George Bailey is given a great gift: The chance to see what the world would be like without him. Tonight, Mr. President, we’d like to give you that same gift.”
The New York Times made mention of the moment in a television critique of the first night’s speakers, pointing out that in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Stewart played “a character who famously battled a greedy real estate developer.”