I'm a huge Barbara Stanwyck fan. One of my favorite films is of course as bad girl Phyllis Dietrichson in "Double Idemnity". My favorite comedy of hers is "The Lady Eve", she and Henry Fonda were awesome, another great Preston Sturges film. Adored her as Victoria Barkley in "The Big Valley" and… More enjoyed her as Constance Colby in "The Colbys". So what's your favorite Barbara Stanwyck film?
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With her husky voice, arched brows, and willowy figure, Miss Barbara Stanwyck had a striking look about her, and would have been the perfect part in many a film…if only she had the ability to act. I don't remember whether I first came to know Stanwyck through her role as Victoria Barkley in The Big Valley or in the Elvis Presley film Roustabout, but I remember being a fairly young kid and realizing that acting was not her strong suit. It may have been her gesticulating and uber-acting in Roustabout, or watching Big Valley with my father and seeing one too many scenes in which she had supposedly been heavily drugged or clobbered unconscious, and moments later, she was flying into her buggy lickety-split as though she hadn't just been deathly lethargic seconds ago. However, it was seeing her again as an adult in her role as the evil widow Mary Carson in The Thorn Birds that sealed the deal. Her acting was so dreadful that I sat there actually feeling sorry for the splendid Richard Chamberlain, who had to play opposite her.
True, there was Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford- all remarkable actresses, and there was Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth- all screen sirens. But if we're looking for someone human, someone like us, that would be Barbara Stanwyck. She was real in everything she did. She didn't overact like some actresses, nor did she just 'act well', she WAS the characters she played. She knew exactly how to carry a movie all on her own, no help needed from her male co-stars. Heck, she diminished her male leads into eye-candy! We hear a lot that she was "The Best Actress to Never Win an Oscar" or "The Most Underrated Actress", all these praises are true. She never got the credit she deserved during her lifetime, yet she was the most versatile actress of The Golden Age and probably ever. She explored every genre: comedy, noir, drama, suspense/thriller and she made all her roles seem effortless. She could deliver funny lines--her timing was perfect--but she could also break your heart silly. I cried buckets during Stella Dallas and I've gotten abs from laughing at The Lady Eve and Ball of Fire. Although not the most beautiful actress, she made well sure all eyes were on her. She played tough broads on screen, always getting the last word, never letting anyone walk over her; on the other hand, she could also play your best friend, someone who you could sympathize or empathize with. She was a natural, sincere and dedicated actress, a professional and treated everyone with respect. Barbara Stanwyck, my favourite actress.
By far Barbara Stanwyck is a legendary icon in the field of entertainment. Her characters ranged from heroines to evil incarnate, her portrayals were always amazing and a rare treat for the viewers. Watch any film of hers and be ready for anything because she did it all, singing, dancing, stuntwoman, she went with her gut feeling about life and film. In this age so many actresses are similar, they are bland or nothing special, Barbara Stanwyck stood above the crowd and to this day most people know who she is. From Broadway to film, to television her star will always live on.
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