When you hear about the great actresses of our century you may hear about Garbo, Hepburn, or Elizabeth Taylor but rarely does Barbara Stanwyck get her due for a long and distinguished film career than spanned decades and encompassed over 80 films. Unfortunately she never won an Oscar for any of her films until she received an honorary life achievement award.
Until a few years my only exposure to Stanwyck was her role on the television series, “The Big Valley”. Discovering her big screens gems in the last few years has been a treat.
Most famous of her films are probably “Double Indemnity” and “Sorry, Wrong Number”. Stanwyck did not shy away from dark roles or ones that cast her in an unfavorable light, such as the one in “Double Indemnity” in which she plots to kill her husband with insurance salesman, Fred MacMurray, or the role of a rich woman with a dark secret in her past in, “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers”, with a young Kirk Douglas as her alcoholic district attorney husband, who is described in the movie by Van Heflin as, “still looking like a frightened little boy”.
She also had displayed her comedic talents in such feel good movies as Preston Sturges’ “All About Eve” and the Capra film “Meet John Doe”. Whether femme fatale, romantic vixen, or hapless victim she presented a dignified air to her roles.
Her leading men read like a Hollywood who’s who: Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper, Bogart, Errol Flynn and more. She also worked with some of Hollywood’s greatest directors including Fritz Lang, Howard Hawks and Billy Wilder.
Next time there is a rainy day or you have insomnia, check out at a classic Barbara Stanwyck flick. Whether you are in the mood for comedy, suspense or melodrama you won’t be disappointed.
Couch Potato Picks
Turner Classic Movies, is presenting “Summer Under the Stars” all August. Each day is 24 hours of movies from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Some highlights that I recommend: Aug 5- Sidney Poitier, Aug 7- Hepburn, Aug 11- Jean Harlow, Aug 14- Bogart, Aug 18- Edward G Robinson, Aug 21- James Stewart, Aug 29- Gregory Peck. However, the whole month is teeming with great classic films, and while they may not be genre films they are must viewing for any serious film buff. Check out the TCM website for a complete schedule.
Until next time, Keep the cathode-ray home fires burning.
"Couch Potato Confessions" is ©2004 by Vinnie B. Couch Potato main graphic by Vin Blesi and Nolan Canova. Webpage design and all graphics herein (except where otherwise noted) are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2004 by Nolan B. Canova.
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