Barbara Stanwyck was a Hollywood superstar known for playing strong female characters
She was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on July 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York. Barbara was the youngest of five children. When she was a toddler her mother was killed and her father abandoned the family. Sadly she would spend her childhood in a series of foster homes. At the age of fourteen she dropped out of school and worked at a series of odd jobs. She became a chorus girl and joined the Ziegfeld Follies in 1923. To earn extra money she gave dance lessons at a speakeasy and posed nude. During this time she had a botched abortion which left her unable to have children. In 1927 she made her film debut in the silent Broadway Nights. That same year she landed a starring role in the Broadway show Burlesque. The show was a hit and her performance got rave reviews. On August 26, 1928 she married her Burlesque costar Frank Fay. He helped her land a movie contract at Warner Brothers. Barbara was given leading roles in the pre-code films Night Nurse, Baby Face, and Ladies They Talk About. She quickly became a star and was known for portraying strong, sexy women.
She was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on July 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York. Barbara was the youngest of five children. When she was a toddler her mother was killed and her father abandoned the family. Sadly she would spend her childhood in a series of foster homes. At the age of fourteen she dropped out of school and worked at a series of odd jobs. She became a chorus girl and joined the Ziegfeld Follies in 1923. To earn extra money she gave dance lessons at a speakeasy and posed nude. During this time she had a botched abortion which left her unable to have children. In 1927 she made her film debut in the silent Broadway Nights. That same year she landed a starring role in the Broadway show Burlesque. The show was a hit and her performance got rave reviews. On August 26, 1928 she married her Burlesque costar Frank Fay. He helped her land a movie contract at Warner Brothers. Barbara was given leading roles in the pre-code films Night Nurse, Baby Face, and Ladies They Talk About. She quickly became a star and was known for portraying strong, sexy women.
Her marriage to Frank was unhappy because he was an alcoholic and a closeted gay man. The couple adopted a son, Dion, but their marriage ended in 1935. It's rumored that the 1937 drama A Star Is Born was based on their marriage. Although she won full custody of Dion in the divorce they eventually became estranged. Barbara was nominated for an Academy Award in 1937 for her performance in the drama Stella Dallas. While making His Brother's Wife she fell in love with her co-star Robert Taylor. They were married in May of 1939 but their marriage was rocky. Robert was bi-sexual and he had numerous affairs. She slashed her wrists when he cheated on her with Lana Turner. Her success continued into the 1940s with starring roles in The Lady Eve and Meet John Doe. In 1942 she got her second Oscar nomination for the screwball comedy Ball Of Fire. Barbara would get two more Oscar nominations, for Double Indemnity and Sorry Wrong Number, but she never won.
Barbara posed nude for Alfred Cheney Johnston
By 1944 she had become Hollywood's highest paid actress earning $400,00 a year. Her marriage to Robert ended in 1951 and she would always claim he was the great love of her life. She was bisexual and her female lovers included Tallulah Bankhead and Joan Crawford. Barbara enjoyed a twenty year romance with her longtime publicist Helen Ferguson. During the 1960s she starred in the television western The Big Valley and won an Emmy for the anthology drama series The Barbara Stanwyck Show. She also co-starred with Elvis Presley in the film Roustabout. Barbara was a lifelong Republican and devoted much of free her time to charity work. Unfortunately in 1981 she was badly beaten when an intruder broke into her house. A few years later her home burned down in a fire. Her final acting role was in a 1986 episode of The Colby's. On January 20, 1990 she died from heart failure and emphysema at the age of eighty-two. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered in California.
Recommended Reading
