Barbara Stanwyck aka Ruby Stevens was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1907 to Byron Stevens and Catherine McGee Stevens. Her pregnant mother died when a drunk pushed her off a moving trolley, not long before her father abandoned the family. Ruby was now an orphan at age four, she was raised in foster homes and by her older showgirl sister. At 13, she began working as a fashion model and by the age of 15 was in the Broadway chorine, a Ziegfeld chorus girl. Struggling from an early age, Ruby grew up with a strength and courage that most people don't achieve in a lifetime. Her determination to win… More against the odds only strengthen her will to make it big.
In 1926, Ruby got her first major Broadway break from Willard Mack who cast her in his drama "The Noose", which became one of the biggest hit plays of the season. Mack suggested Ruby change her name and noticing a playbill for a play called "Barbara Frietchie" starring Joan Stanwyck he came up with the name "Barbara Stanwyck". She began a romance with her co-star actor Rex Cherryman, but that relationship was cut short when he died at age 30 of septic poisoning while vacationing in Le Havre, France.
Her role in "The Noose" led film producer Bob Kane to cast her in his upcoming silent 1927 film "Broadway Nights", her role was a minor part as a fan dancer. Barbara married actor Frank Fay and the couple adopted a son, Dion Anthony "Tony" Fay, was born in February, 1932. and adopted on December 5, 1932. Barbara became estranged from Dion for reasons unknown. The marriage ended and film historians claim that the basis for the film "A Star Is Born" was based on the Fay-Stanwyck marriage. While Barbara's personal life was in turmoil, her career was taking off and offers were coming in.
Barbara's first breakthrough role was in Frank Capra's 1930 film "Ladies of Leisure". Receiving rave reviews Barbara began her hit after hit film run. Barbara picked up the starring role in "Ball of Fire" (1941) after Ginger Rogers dropped out. Barbara received four Academy Award nominations for her film work. Barbara's nickname was "Missy" and sometimes known as "The Queen". Although strong-willed and a perfectionist, she was no diva.
The fifties proved a turning point in her career as roles became scarce and so Barbara turned her eye towards television. In 1960 she received an EMMY for her work on "The Barbara Stanwyck Show". Rejecting a role in "Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte". The last motion picture Barbara made was "The Night Walker" in 1964. Barbara returned to television to star in the long-running Western series "The Big Valley", earning another EMMY for her performance as the matriarch of a frontier family.
The 70's were a quite time for Barbara who appeared in a couple of tv movies. And it wasn't until the 1983 when Barbara appeared in the mini series "The Thorn Birds" and won an EMMY, that her career started up once again. And her final tv series "The Colbys" in 1985, a spinoff of the popular "Dynasty" series. Barbara passed away on January 20, 1990 in Santa Monica, California of emphysema, congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive lung disease. But her legend lives on for a new generation to appreciate this maverick of a woman's career.
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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****AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE HONORS MIKE NICHOLSAT 38th AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD GALA****John GoodmanMichael DouglasTim CurryCher With Mike NicholsNatalie PortmanMary Louise ParkerCherKevin...
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A distinctive looking dame, but a lousy actress... hide show
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.
Barbara Stanwyck is one of those very rare actresses that was ahead of her time and strong-willed enough to go after what she wanted. Talented, beautiful and that silky voice of hers hold you mesmerized as she literally takes you on one heck of ride. hide show
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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