Barbara Stanwyck

The Lady Eve - Criterion Collection
$39.95
Preston Sturges dominated cinema comedy in the early 1940s and finished off the competition with several films that took the genre to a new place others have tried to reach, rarely successfully, ever since. His ability to combine slapstick with some of the subtlest eye gags and dialogue wit is breathtaking in this example of his work. He leads and deceives the audience with such a sure touch - only the director is more conniving than the con-men and con-women who dominate the story. Stanwyck is fabulous - sexy, yes, as others have noted (with expressed surprise). Fonda is the perfect prat (not so unsuspecting as to be vacuous). The supporting cast features many of the great character actors of the time. Coburn as the elder card shark delivers the deadpan stuff with his usual perfect pitch. This is a genuine laugh-out-loud comedy (the scene with the horse is a hoot) - but, if you aren't in tears from the humour (at a couple of points Fonda is unable to suppress a smile), you will marvel observing the amazing skill of the ringmaster. For any serious collection.

The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Vol. 1
$39.98
The great Barbara Stanwyck, on nearly everyone's list of the five best film actresses of alltime, starred in this long-unseen one-season anthology series for NBC in 1960-61, which was a critic's darling but apparently did not pull in high enough ratings for the network to renew it for a second season. Stanwyck would go on to win the Emmy award for "Best Actress in a Dramatic Series" at the end of the season and the show quietly slipped away into TV history after that although for decades it has been the subject of much lament by Stanwyck buffs at the frustration at not having the chance to see the acclaimed program. Now almost 50 years after it's initial run, THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW has at last been unearthed! Sadly, a number of episodes are to date not known to survive (most alarming is the fact that this set has only 15 of the 36 episodes produced although the accompanying booklet says a "volume two" set is in the works, it seems apparent that at this point most of the remaining episodes have yet to be found.) Several of the episodes here are in less than pristine shape, with a few scenes with film scratches or imperfect picture quality but one suspects in many cases the producers of this set were working with mostly 16mm film prints and most likely single copies of most of them. The print quality generally is very good to excellent however and let's just be grateful we have these considering the unknown status of most of the other episodes.

Barbara Stanwyck proves again and again in these episodes she well deserved that Emmy. These little 25-minute dramas may have to use economy to tell their stories (the endings are often a bit rushed) but most of the episodes are highly satisfying. Stanwyck's roles run the gamut to fashion tycoon to brillant physicist to upperclass housewife and, as in her film roles, Stanwyck is always believable and natural. She also has a number of excellent costars including Ralph Bellamy, Charles Bickford, Gene Raymond, Ellen Drew, Elizabeth Patterson, and Lee Marvin. There's also the excellent character actress Doris Packer, a very familiar face on television during this era, giving Babs a run for her money as her domineering mother-in-law in THE SECRET OF MRS. RANDALL, my favorite episode of the lot. There are lots of other notable supporting players although it is disappointing the Anna May Wong who appears in one episode is not the famous star of the 1930's but another actress who used the same name.

Barbara Stanwyck a few years later did enjoy a big tv success with the western THE BIG VALLEY which won her a second Emmy and ran for four years. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW was the highlight of Stanwyck's small screen career and I can't wait for "volume two".

My Reputation
$19.98
When the name Barbara Stanwyck is mentioned many people familiar with classic films will almost automatically produce images in their mind of the perrenial "tough woman" best remembered out shooting cowboys in the wild west or matching wits in some tense noir melodrama. Stanwyck however had a far wider range as an actress and during her long career she took roles in many genres and played all types of characters in both comedies and drama. Here we have her in one of my all time favourite Stanwyck vehicles 1946's "My Reputation". At first glance the storyline of a young widow who begins "seeing" another man a bit too soon after the death of her husband, (according to her "friends" and the stuffy local community) causing all kinds of gossip might sound like a fairly run of the mill soaper. However Barbara Stanwyck turns the story into a strong woman's role and her character of Jessica Drummond ends up being far from the victim she might have appeared to be at the film's opening dominated as she is by her very proper and straightlaced mother. Barbara manages to make her character appealing, feminine and yet with a strong backbone that carries the story. "My Reputation" boasts a wonderful cast including gifted Canadian character actress Lucile Watson playing Barbara's suffocating mother, George Brent in one of his typical leading man roles, the always magical Eve Arden playing one of her typical "best friend" roles that she did so well, and gifted child actor Scotty Beckett who appears as one of Barbara's sons who suffers due to the "scandal" of his mother's supposedly improper behaviour. While this film may not be as well remembered today as other Stanwyck films such as the tear jerker "Stella Dallas" or her Noir classic "Double Indemnity" it is well worth including in any collection of her films as it displays Stanwyck in a slight change of pace which she handles with her usual aplomb delivering a fine multi-layered performance in a very handsome looking film.

The Life and Loves of Barbara Stanwyck
$30.12
I agree that ordinarily it would not be fair to submit a "review" about a book that one hasn't read. The problem, however, is that Ms. Wayne's own reputation for lack of fairness to her subjects precedes her. I especially liked this quote, from a review of "Crawford's Men" (referring to Joan Crawford, of course): "Be VERY skeptical when reading this book. Most of the book consists of conversations that Wayne made up after doing research into Joan's life. There is no way this book could be completely accurate unless Joan was wired for sound at birth." Reviews of Ms. Wayne's other works evoke such colorful and creative terms as "tattlefest."
I would also suggest that people look at both the editorial and customer reviews of Ms. Wayne's 1986 work, simply titled, "Stanwyck," here on Amazon, to understand why there is grave cause for concern about this new volume. But let's be honest: The comments posted to date are not actually "reviews," per se. These comes more in the category of "warnings."
I believe in the power of human redemption, so perhaps there is a small chance that Ms. Wayne has outgrown her earlier inclinations as a writer and the actual work, and reviews of same, will prove these early warnings to be unwarranted -- in which case, there is always the possibility of retraction or apology. But so far, the track record doesn't seem encouraging. And meanwhile, there is a socially useful purpose to be served by issuing these non-review "warnings" to possibly unwary consumers. There is nothing wrong with telling fellow consumers to "proceed with caution" before spending your hard-earned income. CAVEAT EMPTOR!