Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck (
July 16,
1907 –
January 20,
1990) was an
American film/television
actress.
Born
Ruby Katherine Stevens in
New York City to Byron Stevens (the son of
English immigrants) and Catherine McGee (whose parents were
Irish). Her mother died when she was four (pregnant at the time, her mother was pushed off a moving trolley by a drunken man), not long before her father abandoned the family. She was raised in foster homes and by an elder sister but began working at age 13, and was a fashion model and
Broadway chorine in 1922 at the age of 15.
In 1926, Stanwyck began performing at the Hudson Theatre in the drama
The Noose which subsequently became one of the biggest hit plays of the season. She co-starred with actors
Rex Cherryman and
Wilfred Lucas. Cherryman and Stanwyck began a romantic relationship. The relationship was cut short however, when in 1928 Cherryman died at the age of 30 of septic poisoning while vacationing in
Le Havre, France. Barbara's performance in
The Noose earned her rave reviews from critics and she was summoned by film producer
Bob Kane to make a screen test for his upcoming 1927 silent film
Broadway Nights where she won a minor part of a fan dancer. The film marked Stanwyck's first film appearance.
Her first husband was established actor
Frank Fay: they were married on
August 26,
1928. On
December 5,
1932 they adopted a son, Dion, who was one month old (Stanwyck eventually became estranged from Dion for reasons which are still not known). The marriage was a troubled one. Fay's successful career on Broadway did not translate to the big screen, whereas Stanwyck achieved
Hollywood stardom fairly rapidly. Also, Fay reportedly did not shy away from physical confrontations with his young wife, especially when he was inebriated (Some film historians claim that the Fay-Stanwyck marriage was the basis for
A Star is Born). The couple divorced on
December 30,
1935.
Some books have said that the younger actor
Robert Taylor was less in love with Stanwyck than she was with him, but since they were already living together, their marriage on
May 13,
1939 was arranged with the help of the studio in view of the times, which was common in Hollywood's golden age.
Taylor was rumored to have had several affairs during the marriage, including one with
Ava Gardner. Stanwyck was rumored to have attempted suicide when she learned of Taylor's fling with
Lana Turner. She ultimately filed for divorce in 1950 when a starlet made her romance with Taylor public, the decree being granted on
February 21,
1951. She never remarried, collecting alimony of 15 percent from Taylor's salary until his death. According to one book, she tried to collect back alimony even after Taylor's death from his second wife, Ursula, even while Ursula was struggling with financial problems. Despite her apparent rancor for Taylor, Stanwyck was reportedly devastated when many of Taylor's old letters and photos were lost in a house fire.
Stanwyck's younger brother, Byron Stevens, also became an actor in Hollywood (possibly due to his sister's connections) but never found real fame.
In 1926 a friend introduced Stanwyck (then known under her original name) to
Willard Mack who was casting his play
The Noose. Asked to audition, she was cast on the spot. Willard thought a great deal of the actress and believed that to change her image she needed a first class name, one that would stand out. He happened to notice a playbill for a play then running called
Barbara Frietchie in which an actress named Joan Stanwyck appeared. He used this to come up with "Barbara Stanwyck" as Ruby's new stage name. She was an instant hit and he even re-wrote the script to give her a bigger part.
Stanwyck starred in almost a hundred films during her career and received four nominations for the
Academy Award for Best Actress:
Stella Dallas (1937),
Ball of Fire (1941),
Double Indemnity (1944), and
Sorry, Wrong Number (1948). In her best films (such as
The Lady Eve) she often mixed a worldly toughness (a husky voice, an earthy sense of humor) with heartbreaking vulnerability, particularly in her early
Pre-Code films.
She received an
Academy Honorary Award "for superlative creativity and unique contribution to the art of screen acting" in 1982. In her later years, she also starred in television, notably in the 1960s
western series,
The Big Valley. Her last starring role was in 1985, on the TV series
The Colbys alongside
Charlton Heston,
Stephanie Beacham and
Katharine Ross.
She and Taylor enjoyed their time together outdoors during the early years of their marriage, and were the proud owners of many acres of prime West Los Angeles property. Their large ranch and home in the Mandeville Canyon section of
Brentwood, Los Angeles, California is still to this day referred to by locals as the old "Robert Taylor ranch". After her divorce from Taylor, Stanwyck had several discreet romances including one which was revealed many years later by actor
Robert Wagner, 23 years her junior.
When Stanwyck's film career declined at age 50 in 1957 she moved to television. Her 1961â€"1962 series
The Barbara Stanwyck Show was not a ratings success but earned the star her first
Emmy Award. The 1964â€"1968 series
The Big Valley made her one of the most popular actresses on television, winning her another Emmy. Twenty years later, she earned her third Emmy for
The Thorn Birds.
Although beloved by her directors and most of her co-workers for her lack of vanity and unprententiousness on film sets, Stanwyck was not without flaws. She was considerably less friendly with her younger female co-stars than the male ones, and was notorious for holding grudges against those whom she believed crossed her (like
Bette Davis, with whom she appeared in a movie in 1932). Overall though, Stanwyck had a reputation as one of the least "difficult" silver screen goddesses.
William Holden always credited her with saving his career when they costarred together in
Golden Boy. They remained lifelong friends and he paid tribute to her at the 1977 Academy Awards. In 1977 Stanwyck and Holden presenting the Sound Oscar. A rare example of pure graciousness and sincerity, Holden paused to tell a story before they presented their Oscar, to pay a special tribute to his good friend and acting partner Stanwyck. Stanwyck had no idea the tribute was coming. Holden continued discussing the tribulations that were going on the set of the film
Golden Boy, and that he owed his career to Stanwyck who stuck up for him when things looked bad. Stanwyck was overwhelmed by the tribute, and hugged her good friend.
Her
retirement years were somewhat active, with charity work done completely out of the limelight, although she became somewhat reclusive following a robbery in her home while she was present, during which she was pushed into a closet, but fortunately suffered no serious physical injuries.
She died at age 82 of congestive
heart disease at her home â€" the same home â€" in
Santa Monica, California in 1990.
For her contributions to the motion picture industry, Stanwyck has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1751 Vine Street.
In 1973, she was inducted into the
Western Performers Hall of Fame at the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The Night Walker (
1964)
Roustabout (
1964)
Walk on the Wild Side (
1962)
Forty Guns (
1957)
Trooper Hook (
1957)
Crime of Passion (
1957)
There's Always Tomorrow (
1956)
These Wilder Years (
1956)
The Maverick Queen (
1956)
Escape to Burma (
1955)
The Violent Men (
1955)
Cattle Queen of Montana (
1954)
Executive Suite (
1954)
Witness to Murder (
1954)
Blowing Wild (
1953)
Jeopardy (
1953)
All I Desire (
1953)
The Moonlighter (
1953)
Titanic (
1953)
Clash by Night (
1952)
The Man with a Cloak (
1951)
The Furies (
1950)
To Please a Lady (
1950)
No Man of Her Own (
1950)
East Side, West Side (
1949)
The File on Thelma Jordon (
1949)
The Lady Gambles (
1949)
B. F.'s Daughter (
1948)
Sorry, Wrong Number (
1948)
Cry Wolf (
1947)
The Other Love (
1947)
Variety Girl (
1947)
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (
1947)
The Bride Wore Boots (
1946)
California (
1946)
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (
1946)
My Reputation (
1946)
Christmas in Connecticut (
1945)
Hollywood Canteen (
1944)
Double Indemnity (
1944)
Flesh and Fantasy (
1943)
Lady of Burlesque (
1943)
The Gay Sisters (
1942)
The Great Man's Lady (
1942)
The Lady Eve (
1941)
Ball of Fire (
1941)
You Belong to Me (
1941)
Meet John Doe (
1941)
Remember the Night (
1940)
Union Pacific (
1939)
Golden Boy (
1939)
Always Goodbye (
1938)
The Mad Miss Manton (
1938)
Internes Can't Take Money (
1937)
Breakfast for Two (
1937)
Stella Dallas (
1937)
This Is My Affair (
1937)
Banjo on My Knee (
1936)
The Bride Walks Out (
1936)
The Plough and the Stars (
1936)
A Message to Garcia (
1936)
His Brother's Wife (
1936)
Red Salute (
1935)
The Woman in Red (
1935)
Annie Oakley (
1935)
Gambling Lady (
1934)
The Secret Bride (
1934)
A Lost Lady (
1934)
Ever in My Heart (
1933)
Ladies They Talk About (
1933)
Baby Face (
1933)
The Bitter Tea of General Yen (
1933)
The Purchase Price (
1932)
So Big! (
1932)
Shopworn (
1932)
Forbidden (
1932)
Night Nurse (
1931)
The Miracle Woman (
1931)
The Slippery Pearls (
1931) (short subject)
Ten Cents a Dance (
1931)
Illicit (
1931)
Ladies of Leisure (
1930)
The Locked Door (
1929)
Mexicali Rose (
1929)
Broadway Nights (
1927)
*
Other notable figures in Western films*Peter B. Flint. "Barbara Stanwyck, Actress, Dead at 82."
The New York Times. January 22,
1990. D11.
*
* [
1] Classic Movies (1939 - 1969): Barbara Stanwyck
