THE WAR THAT
FOLLOWED HIM HOME

Rather than celebrate a legend,
Brian Rohan reveals the man
still haunted by war

Brian Rohan

At the outset of World War II, Jimmy Stewart (1908–1997) became the first major Hollywood star to enlist.

A flying enthusiast from early on, Stewart was already a licensed pilot when he joined the Army Air Force. He refused to serve stateside as a war bonds salesman, insisting instead on seeing active duty. He got his wish, flying 20 combat missions over Germany as the pilot of a B-24 Liberator bomber.

Brian Rohan

If you glance at him sideways, Brian Rohan bears a conspicuous resemblance to Stewart. He wisely avoids any attempt at duplicating Stewart’s unique vocal qualities while succeeding in capturing the actor’s natural pacing.

Brian Rohan

Unlike Day After Day, the gang-busting musical bio of Doris Day also at the Fringe, Jimmy Stewart On the Front of Life, Rohan’s tightly written play at the Skiptown Playhouse, doesn’t offer a complete history of the actor’s life or career, but instead focuses on the period following his return from the European war. The result is an intensely moving character study not of a movie star, but of a man who, though returned from war, still struggles to escape it.

Brian Rohan

Production coordinator Amy Francis Schott has given an excellent stage to Rohan, who has filled it with a superb performance.

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photos courtesy of the production

Jimmy Stewart On the Front of Life
Skiptown Playhouse, 665 N. Heliotrope Dr. in Los Angeles
75 minutes
ended on June 27, 2026
for more info, visit Brian Rohan and Jimmy Stewart On the Front of Life

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