Ingrid Bergman would've been 92 today.
Although Barbara Stanwyck is now my all time favorite, Bergman is one of the greats. What can one say of the gal in Casablanca? What more needsto be said? Catch her in Notorious and Gaslight which are some of her early Hollywood work. Then check out Autumn Sonata is the twilight of her career working with another Swede, Ingmar Bergman. She's still beautiful in it.
This is a list of those other bloggers who have decided to write something for Barbara Stanwyck’s 100th birthday. By all means not the most definitive, but the ones that I have read for today.
The Self Styled Siren
The Shamus. This may disappear quickly.
Another Old Movie Blog
Coffee, coffee, and more coffee does a review of Roustabout (The title of this blog is perfect for Marge)
The Shiela Variations
Spout Blog
If you come across anymore, feel free to post them in the comments.
If you haven’t seen any of Miss Stanwyck’s films, I again ask you to check out TCM who are celebrating her birthday today with 24 hours of her films. But if you’re like me stuck at work, here’s my list of 5 favorite Barbara Stanwyck films. I liked these the most.
The Lady Eve. I find this to be her best. She’s alluring and conniving, sexy and devious, witty and charming. She received an Academy nomination the same year for Ball of Fire, but it should’ve been for this role.
Meet John Doe. A lesser Frank Capra film, but still it had Miss Stanwyck. Even with the corn that Capra dishes, Stanwyck brings the joy out. This film was released in the same year as The Lady Eve and Ball of Fire (1941). It may not be as superb as those two, it sure has a moving performance from her.
Forty Guns. Miss Stanwyck in Samuel Fuller film. ‘Nuff said. The song written about her character nails it, “She’s a high riding woman with a whip.”
Sorry, Wrong Number. Barbara as a helpless victim? She’s not convincing, but she did garner her last Academy nomination for this role. Charged with playing a dubious hypochondriac she does show in the flashbacks why she’s such a dangerous woman.
Walk on the Wildside. One of her last roles on the big screen. She’s a New Orleans madam with a wicked crush on one of her girls. She’s villainous reminding us of her femme fatale role as Phyllis Diethrichson, and also reminding us why she’s wickedly bad.
Honorable mentions: Ball of Fire. Double Indemnity. Stella Dallas. Baby Face.
Tomorrow would’ve been Barbara Stanwyck’s 100th birthday. TCM is celebrating it by showing a whole day of her movies. I implore you, if you have the time catch a few of these. If you don’t, get your Tivo started. I certainly am.
Just check out the films, you’ll find something you like:
6:00 AM Night Nurse (1931)
A nurse discovers that the children she’s caring for are murder targets. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Clark Gable. Dir: William A. Wellman. BW-72 mins, TV-G
7:15 AM Lost Lady, A (1934)
A bitter woman who thinks she’ll never love again marries, only to fall for a brash young man. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Frank Morgan, Ricardo Cortez. Dir: Alfred E. Green, Phil Rosen. BW-61 mins, TV-G
8:30 AM Ladies They Talk About (1933)
A lady bank robber becomes the cell block boss after she’s sent to prison. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Lyle Talbot, Preston Foster. Dir: Howard Bretherton, William Keighley. BW-69 mins, TV-G
9:45 AM Breakfast For Two (1937)
A Texas heiress competes with a gold digger for the love of a playboy. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall, Glenda Farrell. Dir: Alfred Santell. BW-68 mins, TV-G
11:00 AM Meet John Doe (1941)
A reporter’s fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business. Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold. Dir: Frank Capra. BW-122 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
1:15 PM Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
A homemaking specialist who can’t boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet. Dir: Peter Godfrey. BW-102 mins, TV-G, CC
3:15 PM Two Mrs. Carrolls, The (1947)
A woman slowly discovers that her artist husband is a deranged killer. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith. Dir: Peter Godfrey. BW-94 mins, TV-G, CC
5:00 PM Jeopardy (1953)
A woman desperately seeks help to prevent her trapped husband from drowning. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Ralph Meeker. Dir: John Sturges. BW-69 mins, TV-G, CC
6:15 PM These Wilder Years (1956)
A wealthy businessman sets out to find his long-lost illegitimate son. Cast: James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Pidgeon. Dir: Roy Rowland. BW-91 mins, TV-PG, CC
8:00 PM Baby Face (1933)
A beautiful schemer sleeps her way to the top of a banking empire. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, John Wayne. Dir: Alfred E. Green. BW-76 mins, TV-PG, CC
9:30 PM Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire (1991)
Barbara Stanwyck’s multi-faceted career reveals uncanny reflections of her off-screen life. Cast: Sally Field, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper. Dir: Richard Schickel. C-46 mins, TV-G
10:30 PM Annie Oakley (1935)
The famed female sharpshooter learns that you can’t get a man with a gun when she falls for a rival marksman. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, Melvyn Douglas. Dir: George Stevens. BW-90 mins, TV-G, CC
12:15 AM Clash By Night (1952)
An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband’s best friend. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe. Dir: Fritz Lang. BW-105 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS
2:15 AM Executive Suite (1954)
When a business magnate dies, his board of directors fights over who should run the company. Cast: William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck. Dir: Robert Wise. BW-105 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS
4:15 AM Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
A neurotic invalid accidentally overhears a phone conversation plotting her own murder. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Wendell Corey. Dir: Anatole Litvak. BW-89 mins, TV-PG, CC
Also, if you’re in LA you should check out the Academy’s display of her posters and lobby cards just because you can.
As you know, I am currently keen on Barbara Stanwyck movies. Ever since I saw The Lady Eve, I have been going through her films weekly. I must have watched The Lady Eve several times already, and almost daily do I put the DVD in the player to watch a few minutes. But, there are so many classic scenes in the movie that I lose myself in it and end up watching it fully. I just dig her in it.
My favorite scene happens half way through the movie as Jean starts her ploy to ensnare Hopsie in her revenge. She poses as the Lady Eve Sidwich at a party given by Hopsie’s father in her honor. There she meets Hopsie face-to-face.
She casually and non-chalantly greets him as if they had never met.
Hopsie was incredulous and caught tongue tied. He couldn’t believe this English Lady was the same grifter he had met on the boat.
He asks, “Have we met?”
“Of course we have, your father just introduced us.”
And it goes downhill quick for Hopsie from there.
Stanwyck plays it marvelously. Her face as she lies to him does not betray one hint of recognition. She is daring him to call her bluff. He doesn’t, and she subtly mocks him for it.
It’s enough to make Hopsie fall over himself.
The scene ends with a Hopsie’s father’s toast to the Lady Eve over her wily ways.
“Well, I don’t know what she looked like, but if she looked anything like you, here’s to her.”
She looked just like her, because it was her. She and her being the same person. It’s a brilliant line that gets to the theme of the movie.
If you haven’t seen it, I recommend that you do. It’s on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 comedies. Put it in your Netflix queue.
As you know, I’m on a Barbara Stanwyck jag. It’s been her movies which I just want to see. My Netflix queue has several. My DVD collection has expanded because of her. My Amazon shopping cart is crammed with her films. Anyway here’s the post which got me started on this cinematic journey.
