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
