Having a dog for a pet can be an incredible experience. No matter who you are, they’ll love you loyally and unconditionally. Even if you’re one of the most famous people in the world, there’s nothing more valuable than that. Which is why Hollywood celebrities love their dogs, just like the rest of us — and feel just as heartbroken when their pets pass away. But when that happens, it can help to remember the good times, and to put your feelings down on paper.
That’s what legendary actor Jimmy Stewart did, penning an ode to his dog Beau, and reading it on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — a beautiful, emotional moment that has become a TV classic, and will still touch the hearts of anyone who has ever loved a dog. Stewart, the star of classic Hollywood films like It’s a Wonderful Life, Rear Window and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, made his appearance on the Tonight Show in 1981, when the actor was 73. He tells Carson that he wants to read a poem, titled “Beau,” the name of his pet golden retriever.
At first, it seems to be a comedy bit fitting the late-night show: Stewart gets laughs with early lines about Beau’s stubborn behavior.
“He never came to me when I would call, unless I had a tennis ball… or he felt like it,” Stewart reads. “But mostly, he didn’t come at all. He never learned to heel or sit or stay, he did things his way.”
He makes it clear that despite Beau’s bad behaviors (including biting his famous owner and “setting the house on fire”) he was still fun to have around: “Discipline wasn’t his bag. But when you were with him, things sure didn’t drag.” But halfway through the poem, it becomes clear that this isn’t just a joke poem about his troublesome dog. Stewart, growing increasingly emotional, describes calm nights by the fire when he would get Beau a ball, or the dog would come to sleep in their bed. He recalls sensing that the dog had fears, and that he was the one who could make him feel safe.
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.
And sometimes I’d feel him sigh and I think I know the reason why.
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.
