Barbara Stanwyck | Hollywood Yesterday

The Mad Miss Manton: Quirky Comedy Starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda

May 17, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda Star in The Mad Miss Manton

The Mad Miss Manton (1938) is an especially fun film. When one sees that it stars two of the greatest talents of all time (Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda), they’d be inclined to think it might be a dramatic film – perhaps even bordering on film-noir.

One would be mistaken and it wouldn’t take them long to realize it!

Don’t get me wrong – I love it. I can’t think of anything either of these stars could be involved in that I wouldn’t love, though, so be warned – I may be biased. Having said that, films that allow you to escape into their madcap world of laughs and adventure are the heroes we need right now, aren’t they? Movies that don’t CAUSE extra stress or anxiety but help to ERASE any that may already exist – from… oh, I dunno… a global pandemic?!

Directed by Leigh Jason, The Mad Miss Manton delivers exactly what it sets out to – FUN.

Plot: Barbara Stanwyck plays the beautiful, lively socialite Melsa Manton who discovers a body. When said body disappears, police (as well as the press) think she’s nuts (“mad”) until she proves them wrong.

The chemistry between Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck is palpable – studios would capitalize on this chemistry again in 1941, when the pair made The Lady Eve together.

Every now and then, with my movie reivews or book reviews, I like to remind my readers why mine are so short when others create Literature 101-worthy productions.

This Old Hollywood and Classic TV Blog is only one of my blogs – the others require just as much attention… especially my cat blog. Very clingy blog, that one.
I don’t EVER like to give anything away. I want you to enjoy the adventure of the book, movie, or tv series just as I did.
I don’t play the “long content for Google advantages” game. It’s painfully obvious, kind of pathetic, and an insult to readers.
Mostly… what I think isn’t what’s important. What you think is. And the longer you spend reading what I think of books and movies, the less time you have to enjoy them yourself!

You can find The Mad Miss Manton (Amazon dvd link) on Amazon. I highly recommend it! ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Barbara Stanwyck: Annie Oakley (1935) -Fast Facts and a Priceless Picture

December 9, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Barbara Stanwyck as Annie Oakley

Fast Facts About Annie Oakley (1935):

Jean Arthur turned down the lead role in this film. While I would have been interested in seeing her take on this colorful character, I’m very happy we have Barbara Stanwyck in the role to enjoy forevermore.
The first Western for both director George Stevens and Barbara Stanwyck.
Released less than 10 years after the death of the real Annie Oakley. If you’ve never read about Annie, I hope you’ll do so. She was a fascinating woman, far ahead of her time. And gutsy? Forget about it, the lady had guts to spare!
The working title was Shooting Star. I actually love that – I kind of wish they’d gone with Shooting Star: The Story of Annie Oakley.

Annie Oakley also stars Melvyn Douglas, Preston Foster, Moroni Olsen, Andy Clyde and Pert Kelton.

Christmas in Connecticut (1945): Time for this Movie to Be More Famous!

December 2, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan, Christmas in Connecticut

Old Hollywood enthusiasts certainly know (and LOVE) Christmas in Connecticut (Amazon Link). We joyfully list it with our other favorite Christmas films – It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and White Christmas. However, for some reason (that’s beyond me), “mainstream” movie viewers aren’t familiar with it.

Maybe it’s time we start making more noise about this film!

(Continued Below….)

Creative Plot

Barbara Stanwyck stars as journalist Elizabeth Lane. She is a food writer with a popular column runs is one of the country’s most-read magazines. In these columns, she describes herself as a great cook, a hard-working mother… as a woman who runs her home, kitchen, AND farm!

Sounds impressive, right? Unfortunately it’s all lies! She lives (alone) in an apartment in New York and gets all of her recipes from her adorable best friend Felix (played by S.Z. Sakall, in the only way he knows how to play any role… to perfection and deliciously). Truth be told, Elizabeth would probably struggle with boiling water.

The owner of the magazine she works for has decided on a special holiday “angle” for the column: A heroic serviceman will spend his Christmas on Elizabeth’s farm. Obviously… first they’re going to need a farm!

Elizabeth fears that, if the truth comes out, she’ll lose the job she loves, so she gets desperate. Desperate to the tune of “creating” a family, cooking skills, and even the beautiful farm and home.

(Wrapped Up Below….)

Perfect Cast

Joining Barbara Stanwyck and S.Z. Sakall (who’d be plenty in and of themselves) is Sydney Greenstreet (another of my favorites), Dennis Morgan, Reginald Gardiner, and the always wonderful Una O’Connor.

Though he isn’t as well-known as most of the stars around him, Dennis Morgan is absolutely perfect in this role. He plays it to a tee and has noticeable chemistry with beautiful Barbara Stanwyck.

The film is filled with laughs, loves, and plenty of Christmas spirit and charm. If you’ve never seen Christmas in Connecticut (Amazon Link), check it out right away. If you have seen it…. you know what I’m fixing to say… see it again!

Lobby card with Barbara Stanwyck, Sk Sakall & Reginald Gardiner

Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent: Baby Face Promotional Photo

November 30, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent, Baby Face

Barbara Stanwyck is one of my absolute favorite stars of all time – she wasn’t just wonderful, she was electric. Baby Face (1933) is one of my favorite films and one of my favorite Barbara Stanwyck performances. It’s also the film that made me a George Brent fan. I had seen him in a few Bette Davis movies (he was her favorite leading man), and had always liked him well enough, but this film made me a really big fan of his and caused me to see what Bette Davis saw in him!

Baby Face is a MUST HAVE for collectors but can be hard to find, individually on dvd. Most of the time you have to buy a Barbara Stanwyck collection… something I never mind doing!

Barbara Stanwyck Posters

June 11, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

As I’ve often said on Hollywood Yesterday – I have no idea why some Old Hollywood actresses and actors are so much easier to find when shopping. If you’re looking for a Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn handbag, for example – your only problem will be deciding which one to buy! However, if you’re in the market for a Barbara Stanwyck, Rita Hayworth, Ginger Rogers, or Joan Crawford handbag… well… good luck.

Now don’t get me wrong… I love Marilyn and Audrey as much as anyone… but I want to see more collectibles and merchandise for my other favorites as well.

James Dean or John Wayne? No problem, Pilgrim. But Jimmy Stewart, Glenn Ford, or Clark Gable (outside of GWTW)? Not so easy.

I mean – who decides these things?!

Okay, I’ll climb down off of my soapbox and calm the heck down.

I’m going to start highlighting and posting more posters, collectibles, and “gifts” that feature some of these harder to find stars. Maybe if we buy up enough of them, people will get the idea and give us more.

I’m willing to try!

The gorgeous poster above and the one below are of a personal favorite, Barbara Stanwyck. They’re both available on Amazon – click through the links for a closer look.

How gorgeous was she??!

Amazon

Movie Review: To Please a Lady with Barbara Stanwyck and Clark Gable

May 17, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

To Please A Lady (Official Trailer)

Some movies are tougher to write movie reviews for than others. Naturally, I could rave on and on about favorite movies such as Christmas in Connecticut, Top Hat, Lone Star, Autumn Leaves, etc… I also find movies that I really, really dislike easy to review. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret – it’s kind of fun to write reviews for the “stinkers.” Maybe it’s my way of exacting revenge for my misery.

Movies that I’m lukewarm on are a little tougher. If something doesn’t really inspire you one way or another, it’s hard to find the inspiration to even talk about it, you know?

For me, the absolute WORST movie to review is the one that stars one (or two or more) of your absolute favorites…. and yet, as a movie, leaves you wanting. You’re left lukewarm and can’t for the life of you wonder where the heat is. When you watch old movies as faithfully and for as long as I have, this is inevitably something you run into fairly often.

The following are some movies that starred some of my favorites (in parentheses) but scarcely scored a 3 on a scale of 1-10 for me:

A Farewell to Arms (Helen Hayes)
Mogambo (Ava Gardner and Clark Gable) – HATE this movie with a cruel, unbridled passion!
The Naked Spur (James Stewart)

Those are a few that come to mind that failed to rock my world, in spite of starring actors and actresses that did. The one I’m reviewing today is extra hard because it stars my main girl Barbara Stanwyck AND one of my absolute favorite actors, Clark Gable. How can a movie possibly miss with these two?!?!

That’s what I thought when I first sat down to watch To Please a Lady. While I have a lot of favorite actors and actresses (Hollywood Yesterday’s About Page will attest to that) – there is no one I’d put above Barbara Stanwyck and Clark Gable on any list.

TCM – To Please a Lady Intro by Robert OsborneI can actually remember the afternoon I sat down to watch To Please a Lady on TCM. I had my popcorn by my side, a cold glass of sweet tea, and a cat (Alexa) in my lap. She fully expected a lot from this movie, too (huge, huge, huge Clark Gable fan).

Now don’t get me wrong – To Please a Lady is not at all a bad movie and it’s far from being what I call a “stinker” (here’s mud in your eye, Mogambo), but it wasn’t anywhere near the earth-moving movie that this Stanwyck and Gable fanatic… or even her cat… expected. Is it possible we over-expected? Very possibly.. which is why I re-watched it a few years later. When I watched it the second time… going in without any “my world is about to be rocked off its axis” expectations, I enjoyed it a lot more. Like a lot of oldies, you simply have to hang on and enjoy the fun of the ride.

One of the things that caught me off guard was that neither of the stars’ characters were exactly lovable for the first half of the film. I had a pretty hard time figuring out who to pull for. Least favorite part of the movie? Gable’s character (Mike) smacks Stanwyck’s (Regina). I realize it was a different time then and that some things were perfectly acceptable THEN that make us cringe NOW, but I’ll be honest with you, a man smacking a woman will never NOT make me cringe so hard I can hear my mom saying, “Do you want your face to freeze like that?!” all the way from Heaven.

Had Regina returned the smack, I’d have accepted it – especially if she’d given worse than she got… but not only does she not belt him, she seems to find it irresistible. That seems to be the moment she falls for him. In spite of my pleas, “Smack him! Kick him! Run!,” she just stands there smitten.

Again, I realize the time the movie was made (1950), but still.

On to the positives!

While I’m not a huge racing fan, I have to admit that the cars and the racing were really cool. As I often say in my old Hollywood movie reviews, one of the funnest things about watching old movies is seeing the clothes, furnishings, buildings, and cars. They were all spectacular and were a lot of fun to see.

The chemistry between the two stars was pretty special. While I’d like to have seen a stronger movie and story-line for them, their chemistry was very strong and the two of them, somehow, actually make a pretty average script take flight.

I’ll also give To Please a Lady this – the ending was very nice (I love a good ending). It ironically had one of my favorite Barbara Stanwyck scenes (and one of my favorite movie scenes, period), as well – when she’s trying on shoes in her office. The expressions, movements… vintage Barbara Stanwyck. There really isn’t another actress quite like her, you know.

They broke the mold with this lady.

If you’ve never seen To Please a Lady, I hope you’ll catch it – especially if you’re a fan of its stars. Seeing two legends starring in a movie is a wonderful thing – even if the movie doesn’t shine quite as brightly as they do.

Barbara Stanwyck and Theresa Harris, Baby Face

March 11, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

Barbara Stanwyck and Theresa Harris

Today’s Picture of the Day features two of my favorites, Barbara Stanwyck and Theresa Harris. These ladies were superb in Baby Face (1933) – I only wish they were onscreen more together. Theresa’s role isn’t nearly big enough!

Watch Baby Face on Amazon Prime.

Review: The Violent Men with Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, and Dianne Foster

September 14, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Violent Men may not receive the attention many other Westerns do, but it’s an excellent movie. In fact, I think it’s far better than some Westerns that are practically household names.

The strength of Violent Men doesn’t lie so much in the plot or scenery as it does the cast. Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Dianne Foster, and Brian Keith are each outstanding. Although, if (like me) you’re most familiar with Brian Keith as loving and kind Uncle Bill on Family Affair, it’s odd seeing him play such a smarmy character. Seriously, it took some getting used to.

When I first saw this movie a few years back, my first reaction to seeing him sleaze across the screen was, “Uncle Bill.. what the heck?!”

While Ford and Keith are wonderful in their roles, make no mistake about it, this is Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, and Dianne Foster’s movie. More about them in a minute.

The Violent Men Trailer:

Plot Synopsis: Glenn Ford plays an ex-officer in the Union, John Parrish. Because his fiance is desperate to move out of town (and I do mean desperate), he agrees to sell his land to the ruthless Wilkisons of Anchor Ranch. Because his fiance is so eager to move east, he even considers the ridiculously low offer Anchor’s owner (played to perfection by the great Edward G. Robinson).

However, when he sees what bullies the Wilkisons can be – especially after they murder one of his men – he decides to stay and fight, calling upon his Civil War experience.

The wonderful, strong, and sultry to a fault Barbara Stanwyck plays Martha Wilkison who is married to Edward G. Robinson’s character (Lew) but carrying on a long-term affair with Lew’s brother Cole Wilkison (played by Brian Keith). The fact that Lew has lost use of his legs and is confined to crutches makes it easier for the dastardly duo to cavort behind his back.

Hence the, “Uncle Bill… what the heck?!”

In a relatively small role, Dianne Foster chews up the screen as Lew and Martha’s daughter Judith. Her chemistry with Glenn Ford is the stuff you hope for anytime you sit down to watch a movie.

She has an obvious beauty and tons of talent but she has that certain something “special” that, I don’t know, maybe only those of us who obsessively watch movies could recognize. You can’t take your eyes off of her when she’s on the screen – which, ironically, is the exact same thing I’ve always said about Barbara Stanwyck who plays her mother in this movie.

Foster (particularly with her hair light, as it was in this movie) actually reminds me A LOT of Barbara Stanwyck. The casting, makeup, and hair departments hit it out of the park with this one.

As for the one and only Barbara Stanwyck, she was at her best in The Violent Men. Here’s the thing about Stanwyck, whether she’s playing a good character or a bad one (which Martha certainly is), one thing is for certain…. you want her on your side!

Barbara Stanwyck, in any role, is an absolute force to be reckoned with. That’a one of the reasons she’s one of my top all-time favorite actresses. She’s like a female tornado gliding across the screen. And like a tornado, you do not want to cross her. Admire and respect from a distance? Absolutely. But cross? Not on your life.

What can you say about the great Edward G. Robinson? The man was simply one of the best actors of his time or any other time. Period. Like Stanwyck, he was a force to be reckoned with, so (as you’d imagine) their scenes together left you wanting more and more.

Edward G. Robinson was one of those stars who made everything look so easy and effortless than you often don’t realize just what a remarkable actor he was.While this may not be one of his most famous roles, it is (in my opinion, for what that’s worth) one of his best.

One of the things I liked most about Glenn Ford’s performance in The Violent Men is the fact that he played it with a “quiet strength.” It would have been easy, as the lead in a Western, to dial into a larger-than-life persona. In scenes with Stanwyck and Robinson, it would have, of course, been a disastrous ploy. I mean, how can you possibly be larger than two tornadoes circling one another?!

Ford’s John Parrish was exactly and precisely the sort of hero this movie called for. His understated performance was sheer perfection and, as I said, his chemistry with Dianne Foster was especially nice.

Whether you’re a fan of one of the stars of this excellent cast (how could you not be??!) or simply love Westerns (again… how could you not??), The Violent Men is one you’ll want to both watch as well as add to your collection. It seems that each time I watch it, I notice something else phenomenally brilliant Ford, Stanwyck, Robinson, Keith, or Foster do.

Such a STRONG cast.

Buy The Violent Men DVD on Amazon.

Barbara Stanwyck Quotes

August 30, 2017 By Joi 1 Comment

Barbara Stanwyck

“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.”

(About the fact that her fiance, Robert Taylor, at 28, was four years younger than she was)”The boy’s got a lot to learn and I’ve got a lot to teach.”

“I couldn’t remember my name for weeks. I’d be at the theater and hear them calling, ‘Miss Stanwyck, Miss Stanwyck,’ and I’d think, ‘Where is that dame? Why doesn’t she answer? By crickie, it’s me!'”

“Egotism – usually just a case of mistaken nonentity.”

“The more you kick something that’s dead, the worse it smells.”

(about acting) “Just be truthful – and if you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” (apparently advice she gave to Fred MacMurray)

“Attention embarrasses me. I don’t like to be on display.”

“Career is too pompous a word. It was a job and I have always felt privileged to be paid for doing what I love doing.”

(about a boring party) “It was a fete worse than death.”

(on filming Titanic, 1953) “The night we were making the scene of the dying ship in the outdoor tank at Twentieth, it was bitter cold. I was 47 feet up in the air in a lifeboat swinging on the davits. The water below was agitated into a heavy rolling mass and it was thick with other lifeboats full of woman and children. I looked down and thought: If one of these ropes snaps now, it’s good-by for you. Then I looked up at the faces lined along the rail -those left behind to die with the ship. I thought of the men and women who had been through this thing in our time. We were re-creating an actual tragedy and I burst into tears. I shook with great racking sobs and couldn’t stop.”

Barbara Stanwyck: One of the Greatest Actresses of All Time

February 11, 2015 By Joi 1 Comment

Barbara Stanwyck and Ralph Meeker

Few actresses better represented 1940’s Hollywood as well as Barbara Stanwyck. Everything about her seems to have summed up the glamour, sex appeal, and strength of the 40s. For those of us who weren’t yet born, we can get a great idea of what this time must have “felt” like. You get the impression that people were excited about the future – especially in Hollywood. There seemed to have been a feeling of excitement and anticipation of changing times. So much so, you can almost see it on certain stars’ faces.

I’ve always been fascinated with Barbara Stanwyck. There’s something different about her that makes her stand apart from other actresses of her time – a kind of strength and non-conformity, a lot like Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, and Olivia de Havilland. Beautiful, without a doubt, but with a strength behind the beauty that seems to say, “You will only get as close to me as I allow and if you try to step over the line I draw, you’ll be very sorry.”

How could you not love that kind of attitude and strength?! I have three daughters who I always raised to exude the same type of aura and I’m proud to say they do.

Barbara Stanwyck was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on July 16, 1907 in Brooklyn, New York. While working at a local telephone company, Barbara held fast to her dream of making it to Hollywood. She (literally) pounded the pavement, looking for work as a dancer and, at 17, was hired as a chorus girl. This led her to Hollywood and the rest was movie (and television) history.

While Barbara is best remembered as Victoria, the matriarch of the Barkleys, on the TV western “The Big Valley” (1965), she is also fondly remembered as a grand dame from the hit drama “The Colbys” (1985).

However, she is best known to millions of fans for her movie career, which spanned from 1927 to 1964.

As a fan extraordinaire of Old Movies and the Golden Age of Hollywood, I always kind of hate it when a movie star moves on to do television. They become so associated with their television character (after all, he or she is in your living room at least once a week!) that their movie characters fall behind.

It happened with Barbara Stanwyck, Angela Lansbury, Jane Wyman, and many others.

With Barbara Stanwyck, it’s almost frustrating that her name is synonymous with Victoria and The Big Valley. Not that there was anything remotely wrong with this wonderful series or her strong and beautiful character – I was a huge fan of each. How-ev-er… as a movie actress, Barbara Stanwyck knew few equals. She was mesmerizing in each of her roles. The more often you watch her movies, the more you realize how effortlessly she made acting seem. It was never as though she were playing a role, she simply became the character.

No playing involved.

Even her mannerisms were off the chart! Each character had her own individual quirks and specific mannerisms. Honestly, everything this woman did in character was worth watching, rewinding, and watching again.

Is it any wonder it takes me twice as much time to watch her movies as it takes most people?

Barbara Stanwyck’s co-stars considered her to be an ideal co-star, thanks to her serious but easygoing attitude on the set. She worked hard at being an actress, but she never allowed her star quality to go to her head. She was nominated for four Academy Awards, though somehow she never won. However, in 1982 she was awarded an honorary Academy Award for “superlative creativity and unique contribution to the art of screen acting.”

Barbara Stanwyck died on January 20, 1990 in Santa Monica, California from congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, and emphysema. She left behind 93 movies and a beautiful, memorable spot in television history. Barbara may be gone, but her wonderful characters will live on forever, along with her beautiful legacy.