Barbara Stanwyck

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  • BARBARA STANWYCK


    Information From IMDb


    Date of Birth
    16 July 1907, Brooklyn, New York, USA

    Date of Death
    20 January 1990, Santa Monica, California, USA (congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, emphysema)


    Birth Name
    Ruby Catherine Stevens


    Nickname
    Missy
    The Queen


    Height
    5' 5" (1.65 m)


    Spouse
    Robert Taylor (13 May 1939 - 21 February 1951) (divorced)
    Frank Fay (26 August 1928 - 30 December 1935) (divorced) 1 child


    Trivia
    Godmother of Bobbie Poledouris.


    Sister-in-law of actress Caryl Lincoln.


    Her stage name was inspired by a theatrical poster that read "Jane Stanwyck in 'Barbara Frietchie.'".


    Her nickname among co-workers was "Missy" or "The Queen."


    In 1944, when she earned $400,000, the government listed her as the nation's highest-paid woman.


    Often called "The Best Actress Who Never Won an Oscar."


    According to biographical film Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire (1991) (TV), Stanwyck became a model for women actors. Such stars as Sally Field and Virginia Madsen have publicly pointed to Stanwyck as their model.


    American Film Institute Life Achievement Award. [1987]


    Sister of actor Bert Stevens.


    In the early 1950s, made a television commercial for Lustre Creme shampoo.


    Was of Scots-Irish and English descent.


    Her mother died when she was accidentally knocked off a trolley by a drunk. Barbara was four at the time.


    Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1973.


    Measurements: 33 1/4-23-33 1/2 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).


    Her son, Dion Anthony "Tony" Fay, was born in February 1932. He was adopted on December 5, 1932.


    Worked briefly as a fashion model in the late 1920s.


    Was listed #11 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years of The Greatest Screen Legends."


    Her wicked turn as Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944) was ranked #8 on the American Film Institute's "100 Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains" list.


    She was voted the 40th "Greatest Movie Star of All Time" by Entertainment Weekly.


    Her stormy marriage to Frank Fay finally ended after a drunken brawl, during which he tossed their adopted son, Dion, into the swimming pool. Despite rumours of affairs with Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford, Stanwyck wed Robert Taylor, who had gay rumours of his own to dispel. Their marriage started off on a sour note when his possessive mother demanded he spend his wedding night with her rather than with Barbara.


    Picked up the starring role in Ball of Fire (1941) after Ginger Rogers dropped out.


    She became estranged from her son in February 1951.


    She lost a kidney in 1971.


    In 1981 she was beaten and robbed in her bedroom by an intruder who woke her up at 1:00 in the morning.


    In 1985, her house was destroyed in a fire. She was upset to lose all of Robert Taylor's love letters.


    She did not have a funeral and has no grave. Her ashes are scattered in Lone Pine, California.


    Her siblings were named Maude, Mable, Mildred ("Millie"), and Malcolm Byron ("Bert") Stevens. Her parents were Byron and Catherine McGee Stevens.


    Ailing, she was replaced by Susan Hayward in Heat of Anger (1972) (TV), which was to have been a pilot for a prospective TV series to be called "Fitzgerald and Pride."


    Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1751 Vine St.


    Graduate of Erasmus Hall High School, Brooklyn, New York.


    Her papers are in the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming, PO Box 3924, Laramie, WY 82071.


    Turned down the role of Angela Channing on "Falcon Crest" (1981).


    Her performance as Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944) is ranked #98 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time list (2006).


    Her performance as Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944) is ranked #58 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time list.


    Was best friends for many years with Frank Sinatra's first wife, Nancy.


    A Star Is Born (1937) starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March is said to be modeled after Stanwyck's rise to stardom and first husband Frank Fay's descent into obscurity.


    William Holden was considered to be too lightweight for the lead role in Golden Boy (1939), but Stanwyck urged producers to keep him in the picture and it was through her efforts he was kept in the picture, and the role made him a star. In 1978, at the The 50th Annual Academy Awards (1978) (TV), before starting the presentation of the sound award, Holden publicly thanked her for what she did. She nearly broke down in tears and kissed Holden, and the exchange received thunderous audience applause.


    In Italy, almost all of her films were dubbed by Lidia Simoneschi. She was occasionally dubbed by Tina Lattanzi and Marcella Rovena. As Leona Stevenson in Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), she was dubbed by Andreina Pagnani. This was the only time the Italian actress lent her voice to Stanwyck.


    Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 796-798. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.


    Planned to play the lead in Mildred Pierce (1945), but Joan Crawford was faster and got the role.


    She with Linda Evans in two series: "The Big Valley" (1965) and "Dynasty" (1981).


    Profiled in "Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames" bu Ray Hagen and Laura Wagner (McFarland, 2004).


    Profiled in "Back in the Saddle: Essays on Western Film and Television Actors", Gary Yoggy, ed. (McFarland, 1998).


    Personal Quote
    I want to go on until they have to shoot me.


    Mini Biography
    Today Barbara Stanwyck is remembered primarily as the matriarch of the family known as the Barkleys on the TV western "The Big Valley" (1965), wherein she played Victoria, and from the hit drama "The Colbys" (1985). But she was known to millions of other fans for her movie career, which spanned the period from 1927 until 1964, after which she appeared on television until 1986. It was a career that lasted for 59 years. She was born Ruby Stevens on July 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York. She went to work at the local telephone company for $14 a week, but she had the urge (a dream--that was all it was) somehow to enter show business. When not working, she pounded the pavement in search of dancing jobs. The persistence paid off. Barbara was hired as a chorus girl for the princely sum of $40 a week, much better than the wages she was getting from the phone company. She was 17, and she was going to make the most of the opportunity that had been given her.


    In 1928 Barbara moved to Hollywood, where she was to start one of the most lucrative careers filmdom had ever seen. She was an extremely versatile actress who could adapt to any role. Barbara was equally at home in all genres, from melodramas, such as Forbidden (1932) and Stella Dallas (1937), to thrillers, such as Double Indemnity (1944), one of her best films, also starring Fred MacMurray (as you have never seen him before). She also excelled in comedies such as Remember the Night (1940) and The Lady Eve (1941). Another genre she excelled in was westerns, Union Pacific (1939) being one of her first and TV's "The Big Valley" (1965) (her most memorable role) being her last. In 1983, she played in the ABC hit mini-series "The Thorn Birds" (1983), which did much to keep her in the eye of the public. She turned in an outstanding performance as Mary Carson.


    Barbara was considered a gem to work with for her serious but easygoing attitude on the set. She worked hard at being an actress, and she never allowed her star quality to go to her head. She was nominated for four Academy Awards, though she never won. She turned in magnificent performances for all the roles she was nominated for, but the "powers that be" always awarded the Oscar to someone else. However, in 1982 she was awarded an honorary Academy Award for "superlative creativity and unique contribution to the art of screen acting." Sadly, Barbara died on January 20, 1990, leaving 93 movies and a host of TV appearances as her legacy to us.
    IMDb Mini Biography By: Denny Jackson


    Filmography
    Actor
    1. "The Colbys" .... Constance 'Conny' Colby Patterson (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
    ... aka Dynasty II: The Colbys (original title (first four episodes title))
    - Checkmate (1986) TV episode .... Constance 'Conny' Colby Patterson
    - Anniversary Waltz (1986) TV episode .... Constance 'Conny' Colby Patterson
    - The Reckoning (1986) TV episode .... Constance 'Conny' Colby Patterson
    - A Family Affair (1986) TV episode .... Constance 'Conny' Colby Patterson
    - Double Jeopardy (1986) TV episode .... Constance 'Conny' Colby Patterson
    (19 more)
    2. "Dynasty" .... Constance Colby Patterson (3 episodes, 1985)
    - The Titans (1985) TV episode .... Constance Colby Patterson
    - The Man (1985) TV episode .... Constance Colby Patterson
    - The Californians (1985) TV episode .... Constance Colby Patterson
    3. "The Thorn Birds" (1983) TV mini-series .... Mary Carson
    4. "Charlie's Angels" .... Toni (1 episode, 1980)
    - Toni's Boys (1980) TV episode .... Toni
    5. The Letters (1973) (TV) .... Geraldine Parkington
    6. A Taste of Evil (1971) (TV) .... Miriam Jennings
    7. The House That Would Not Die (1970) (TV) .... Ruth Bennett
    8. "The Big Valley" .... Victoria Barkley (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
    - Point and Counterpoint (1969) TV episode .... Victoria Barkley
    - Flight from San Miguel (1969) TV episode .... Victoria Barkley
    - Danger Road (1969) TV episode .... Victoria Barkley
    - Town of No Exit (1969) TV episode (credit only) .... Victoria Barkley
    - The Other Face of Justice (1969) TV episode .... Victoria Barkley
    (107 more)
    9. The Night Walker (1964) .... Irene Trent
    ... aka The Dream Killer
    ... aka William Castle's The Night Walker (USA: complete title)
    10. Roustabout (1964) .... Maggie Morgan
    11. "Wagon Train" .... Kate Crawley / ... (4 episodes, 1961-1964)
    ... aka Major Adams, Trail Master
    - The Kate Crawley Story (1964) TV episode .... Kate Crawley
    - The Molly Kincaid Story (1963) TV episode .... Kate Crawley
    - The Caroline Casteel Story (1962) TV episode .... Caroline Casteel
    - The Maud Frazer Story (1961) TV episode .... Maud Frazer
    12. Calhoun: County Agent (1964) (TV)
    13. "The Untouchables" .... Lt Agatha 'Aggie' Stewart / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
    - Search for a Dead Man (1963) TV episode .... Lt. Agatha Stewart
    - Elegy (1962) TV episode .... Lt Agatha 'Aggie' Stewart
    14. "The Dick Powell Show" .... Irene Phillips (1 episode, 1962)
    ... aka The Dick Powell Theatre (USA: new title)
    - Special Assignment (1962) TV episode .... Irene Phillips
    15. Walk on the Wild Side (1962) .... Jo Courtney
    16. "Rawhide" .... Nora Holloway (1 episode, 1962)
    - The Captain's Wife (1962) TV episode (as Miss Barbara Stanwyck) .... Nora Holloway
    17. "General Electric Theater" .... Lili Parrish (1 episode, 1961)
    ... aka G.E. Theater (USA: informal short title)
    ... aka G.E. True Theater (USA: new title)
    - Star Witness: The Lili Parrish Story (1961) TV episode .... Lili Parrish
    18. "The Joey Bishop Show" (1 episode, 1961)
    - A Windfall for Mom (1961) TV episode
    19. "The Barbara Stanwyck Show" .... Josephine Little / ... (31 episodes, 1960-1961)
    - A Man's Game (1961) TV episode .... Chris Mathews
    - The Hitch-Hiker (1961) TV episode .... Maggie McClay
    - Triple C (1961) TV episode .... Carolyn Callendar
    - The Assassin (1961) TV episode .... Louise Forest
    - Little Big Mouth (1961) TV episode .... Nellie Bly
    (26 more)
    20. "Zane Grey Theater" .... Belle Garrison / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
    ... aka Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater (USA: complete title)
    ... aka The Westerners (USA: rerun title)
    - The Lone Woman (1959) TV episode .... Leona Butler
    - Hang the Heart High (1959) TV episode .... Regan Moore
    - Trail to Nowhere (1958) TV episode .... Julie Holman
    - The Freighter (1958) TV episode .... Belle Garrison
    21. "Goodyear Theatre" .... Midge Varney (1 episode, 1958)
    ... aka Award Theatre (USA: syndication title)
    ... aka Golden Years of Television (USA: cable TV title)
    - Three Dark Years (1958) TV episode .... Midge Varney
    22. Forty Guns (1957) .... Jessica Drummond
    23. Trooper Hook (1957) .... Cora Sutliff
    24. "The Christophers" .... Guest Host (2 episodes, 1957)
    - Two Worlds of Ann Foster (1957) TV episode .... Guest Host
    - Sentence Deferred (1957) TV episode .... Guest Host
    25. Crime of Passion (1957) .... Kathy Ferguson Doyle
    26. "The Ford Television Theatre" .... Irene Frazier (1 episode, 1956)
    ... aka Ford Theatre (USA: short title)
    - Sudden Silence (1956) TV episode .... Irene Frazier
    27. These Wilder Years (1956) .... Ann Dempster
    28. The Maverick Queen (1956) .... Kit Banion
    29. There's Always Tomorrow (1956) .... Norma Miller Vale
    30. "Letter to Loretta" .... Guest Hostess (2 episodes, 1955)
    ... aka The Loretta Young Show (USA: new title)
    ... aka The Loretta Young Theatre (USA: rerun title)
    - The Waiting Game (1955) TV episode .... Guest Hostess
    - My Uncle O'Moore (1955) TV episode .... Guest Hostess
    31. Escape to Burma (1955) .... Gwen Moore
    32. The Violent Men (1955) .... Martha Wilkison
    ... aka Rough Company (UK)
    ... aka The Bandits (USA)
    33. Cattle Queen of Montana (1954) .... Sierra Nevada Jones
    34. Executive Suite (1954) .... Julia O. Tredway
    35. Witness to Murder (1954) .... Cheryl Draper
    36. Blowing Wild (1953) .... Marina Conway
    37. The Moonlighter (1953) .... Rela
    38. All I Desire (1953) .... Naomi Murdock
    ... aka You Belong to Me (USA: alternative title)
    39. Titanic (1953) .... Julia Sturges
    40. Jeopardy (1953) .... Helen Stilwin
    41. Clash by Night (1952) .... Mae Doyle D'Amato
    42. The Man with a Cloak (1951) .... Lorna Bounty
    43. To Please a Lady (1950) .... Regina Forbes
    ... aka Red Hot Wheels (USA: reissue title)
    44. The Furies (1950) .... Vance Jeffords
    45. No Man of Her Own (1950) .... Helen Ferguson / Patrice Harkness
    46. The File on Thelma Jordon (1950) .... Thelma Jordon
    ... aka Thelma Jordon


    47. East Side, West Side (1949) .... Jessie Bourne
    48. The Lady Gambles (1949) .... Joan Phillips Boothe
    49. Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) .... Leona Stevenson
    50. B.F.'s Daughter (1948) .... Pauline 'Polly' Fulton Brett
    ... aka Polly Fulton (UK)
    51. Cry Wolf (1947) .... Sandra Marshall
    52. The Other Love (1947) .... Karen Duncan
    ... aka Man Killer (USA: reissue title)
    53. The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947) .... Sally Morton Carroll
    54. California (1946) .... Lily Bishop
    55. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) .... Martha Ivers
    56. The Bride Wore Boots (1946) .... Sally Warren
    57. My Reputation (1946) .... Jessica Drummond
    58. Christmas in Connecticut (1945) .... Elizabeth Lane
    ... aka Indiscretion (UK)
    59. Double Indemnity (1944) .... Phyllis Dietrichson
    60. Flesh and Fantasy (1943) .... Joan Stanley
    ... aka Six Destinies
    61. Lady of Burlesque (1943) .... Deborah Hoople, aka Dixie Daisy
    ... aka Striptease Lady (UK)
    ... aka The G-String Murders
    62. The Gay Sisters (1942) .... Fiona Gaylord
    63. The Great Man's Lady (1942) .... Hannah Sempler
    64. Ball of Fire (1941) .... Katherine 'Sugarpuss' O'Shea
    ... aka The Professor and the Burlesque Queen
    65. You Belong to Me (1941) .... Dr. Helen Hunt
    ... aka Good Morning, Doctor (UK)
    66. Meet John Doe (1941) .... Ann Mitchell
    ... aka Frank Capra's 'Meet John Doe' (USA: complete title)
    ... aka John Doe, Dynamite (UK)
    67. The Lady Eve (1941) .... Jean Harrington
    68. Remember the Night (1940) .... Lee Leander
    69. Golden Boy (1939) .... Lorna Moon
    70. Union Pacific (1939) .... Mollie Monahan
    71. The Mad Miss Manton (1938) .... Melsa Manton
    72. Always Goodbye (1938) .... Margot Weston
    73. Breakfast for Two (1937) .... Valentine Ransome
    74. Stella Dallas (1937) .... Stella Martin 'Stell' Dallas
    75. This Is My Affair (1937) .... Lil Duryea
    ... aka His Affair (UK)
    76. Internes Can't Take Money (1937) .... Janet Haley
    ... aka You Can't Take Money (UK)
    77. The Plough and the Stars (1936) .... Nora Clitheroe
    78. Banjo on My Knee (1936) .... Pearl Elliott Holley
    79. His Brother's Wife (1936) .... Rita Wilson Claybourne
    ... aka Lady of the Tropics (UK)
    80. The Bride Walks Out (1936) .... Carolyn Martin
    81. A Message to Garcia (1936) .... Raphaelita Maderos
    82. Annie Oakley (1935) .... Annie Oakley
    83. Red Salute (1935) .... Drue Van Allen
    ... aka Her Enlisted Man (USA: reissue title)
    84. The Woman in Red (1935) .... Shelby Barret Wyatt
    85. The Secret Bride (1934) .... Ruth Vincent
    ... aka Concealment
    86. A Lost Lady (1934) .... Marian Ormsby Forrester
    ... aka Courageous (UK)
    87. Gambling Lady (1934) .... Lady Lee
    88. Ever in My Heart (1933) .... Mary Archer Wilbrandt
    89. Baby Face (1933) .... Lily Powers
    90. Ladies They Talk About (1933) .... Nan Taylor, Alias of Nan Ellis, aka Mrs. Andrews
    ... aka Women in Prison
    91. The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) .... Megan Davis
    92. The Purchase Price (1932) .... Joan Gordon, aka Francine La Rue
    93. So Big! (1932) .... Selina Peake De Jong
    94. Shopworn (1932) .... Kitty Lane
    95. Forbidden (1932) .... Lulu Smith
    96. The Miracle Woman (1931) .... Florence 'Faith' Fallon
    97. Night Nurse (1931) .... Lora Hart
    98. Ten Cents a Dance (1931) .... Barbara O'Neill
    99. Illicit (1931) .... Anne Vincent Ives
    100. Ladies of Leisure (1930) .... Kay Arnold
    101. Mexicali Rose (1929) .... Mexicali Rose
    ... aka The Girl from Mexico
    102. The Locked Door (1929) .... Ann Carter
    103. Broadway Nights (1927) .... Fan dancer


    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 4 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Barbara Stanwyck first appeared in a Western as
    Mollie Monahan, in Union Pacific (1939)
    and her last as the family matriach
    Victoria Barkley The Big Valley (1965)
    Barbara, also appeared in some of our favourite
    TV Westerns, Wagon Train and Rawhide.


    Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers
    of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1973


    Duke appeared in 1 movie Barbara Stanwyck


    Baby Face (1939)


    Where she led our young Duke astray!!!


    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 2 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Barbra was fantastic in Double Indemnity but, I thought she was every bit as great in The Violent Men, playing the conniving, murderous wife of Edward G. Robinson who was having an affair with his brother played by Brian Keith.

  • What made me really start likiing her was her in the movie: "Titanic." (1953 version) I then liked her more after I saw her in: "Ball of Fire." w/ Gary Cooper, Dana Andrews and Dan Duryea.

    BTW, Ball of Fire is one of feww movies that Dan Duryea does not die in.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • [quote='The Ringo Kid','http://dukewayne.com/bb/index.php?thread/&postID=72666#post72666']What made me really start likiing her was her in the movie: "Titanic." (1953 version) quote]

  • Class act. I was watching some videos on You Tube recently & found this clip of her accepting her 1983 Emmy for "The Thorn Birds". As usual, she makes a point of thanking the crew, but the really cool part was the tribute she paid to a fellow nominee right at the end. Plus, given Robert Wagner's new revelation of their relationship in his biography, it's a neat moment when she walks up on the stage with him, Stefanie Powers, Lionel Stander, & of course, Freeway.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGAVmOyBaQI

  • Last week they announced they are making a movie version of The Big Valley. It doesn't sound to promising.


    http://latimesblogs.latimes.co…h-big-valley-edition.html

    It's almost impossible to scroll through showbiz news on the Web, or, God forbid, pick up a copy of Variety without reading the news of yet another remake or update or reboot of some old movie or TV show. (I just wrote the other day about New Line's "new" version of its 1980s "Nightmare on Elm Street" horror series.)

    It's gotten to the point where it's almost too generous to say that Hollywood has run out of new ideas. In point of fact, Hollywood seems actively uninterested in -- and allergic to -- new ideas. As a number of screenwriters have told me in recent months, studio executives appear to genuinely prefer old, easily recognized (and to use their parlance) "brandable" ideas to anything that might vaguely smack of freshness or unfamiliarity.

    Hence "The Remake Watch," which will allow us to dissect the latest announcement of some cobwebby film or TV show that you never imagined in your wildest dreams that anyone would possibly want to ever revive:

    The Story: Variety is reporting that the 1960s TV western "The Big Valley" is being remade as an indie feature by filmmakers Daniel Adams and Kate Edelman Johnson -- or as Variety put it: " 'The Big Valley' is headed to a much bigger screen." The film, being bankrolled by a pair of independent financing entities, is slated to start in April in New Mexico and Michigan, with Adams directing.

    What The Story Tells You: Johnson, who is presumably a producer on the project, is the daughter of Louis Edelman, the co-creator of the original TV series, which ran from 1964 to 1969 on ABC, and launched the careers of Lee Majors and Linda Evans.

    What the Story Doesn't Tell You: The director's most recent film, "The Golden Boys," had such a limited release last year that it made only $183,841 at the box office. His previous film, 1997's "The Mouse," did not have a theatrical release.

    What You Can Read Between the Lines: In a throwaway sentence, Variety notes that "roles have not yet been cast." Translation: It must've been an awfully slow news day in trade-land, since without any stars on board, this movie is still a long way from actually happening.

    Odds Of Ever Playing In a Multiplex Near You: 12%. If you're over 50, you might remember seeing "The Big Valley" as a kid, but old westerns are pretty low on the must-see pecking order, so it's certainly not an A-list title. That's especially true in an era where studio distributors view Westerns as having even less commercial potential than wrestling movies. Unless Adams and Johnson miraculously land a couple of big stars, this project -- if made -- seems destined to appear at a video store near you.

  • I happened to look up Richard Dreyfuss on IMDB last night and he was listed as being in the Big Valley remake. He was an in an episode of the original show very early in his career.


    I didn't think the film would ever get made or go straight to video if it did but Ryan Phillippe is listed a Jarrod Barkley and Susan Sarandon is in talks to play Victoria so it may turn out to be watchable.

  • Won't be watchable to me if Susan Sarandon is in it....


    Did read an article the other day where Lee Majors is supposed to be on board to play Tom Barkley, the father of his original character, Heath Barkley.

  • Nice shot, but I've never really thought of here as a beauty


    I think that was part of her appeal.
    There's an interesting documentary about Double Indemnity where they state she was specifically chosen for her 'less obvious' looks.


    I watched a few of her films over Christmas, She was an actress who really had some talent.

    "Pour yourself some backbone and shut up!"