- Born
- DiedJanuary 20, 1990 · Santa Monica, California, USA (congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, emphysema)
- Birth nameRuby Catherine Stevens
- Nicknames
- Missy
- The Queen
- Babs
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- 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.
Barbara Stanwyck was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on July 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York, to working class parents Catherine Ann (McPhee) and Byron E. Stevens. Her father, from Massachusetts, had English ancestry, and her Canadian mother, from Nova Scotia, was of Scottish and Irish descent. Stanwyck went to work at
the local telephone company for fourteen dollars 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 seventeen, and 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 (1939) 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
- SpousesRobert Taylor(May 14, 1939 - February 25, 1952) (divorced)Frank Fay(August 26, 1928 - December 30, 1935) (divorced, 1 child)
- ChildrenDion Anthony "Tony" Fay
- ParentsCatherine Ann Stevens (McPhee)Byron E Stevens
- RelativesBert Stevens(Sibling)Mable Stevens(Sibling)Maude Stevens(Sibling)Mildre "Millie" Stevens(Sibling)
- Seductive husky voice with Brooklyn accent
- Frequently played women who must deal with their low class standing
- Her shapely legs
- Often called "The Best Actress Who Never Won an Oscar."
- When she was awarded an Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement, the statuette was presented to her by John Travolta who later confessed that the experience was his supreme Oscar moment. Stanwyck had been a Travolta family favorite for years.
- 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. - Throughout her career she was known for her kindness and
patience with younger performers. Marilyn Monroe, who worked
with Stanwyck in the 1952 film Clash by Night (1952) said that Stanwyck was the only member of Hollywood's older generation who was kind to her. - Lived near Joan Crawford during her marriage to Frank Fay. According to Christina Crawford, between 1932 and 1934, Stanwyck would escape from the alcoholic and volatile Fay when things got too hot by scaling a fence on their property. She would stay with Crawford, who lived across the street, until the heat died down. Stanwyck and Crawford had been friends since the days when they were single young actresses and remained friends until Crawford's death.
- During Double Indemnity (1944), Fred MacMurray would go to rushes [viewings of daily completed shots]. I
remember asking Fred, "How was I?" [Fred's response was] "I don't know about you, but I was
wonderful!" Such a true remark. Actors only look at themselves. - I'm a tough old broad from Brooklyn. I intend to go on acting until
I'm ninety and they won't need to paste my face with make-up. - [referring to director Frank Capra] Eyes are the greatest tool in film. Mr. Capra taught me that. Sure, it's nice to say very good dialogue, if you can get it. But great movie acting - watch the eyes!
- Put me in the last fifteen minutes of a picture and I don't care what
happened before. I don't even care if I was IN the rest of the damned
thing - I'll take it in those fifteen minutes. - My only problem is finding a way to play my fortieth fallen female in
a different way from my thirty-ninth.
- The Colbys (1985) - $85,000 per episode
- Titanic (1953) - $75,000
- The Mad Miss Manton (1938) - $60,000
- Stella Dallas (1937) - $50 .000
- Gambling Lady (1934) - $50 .000
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