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Stanwyck
In this fascinating portrait, Madsen reveals the complex, lonely woman behind Barbara Stanwyck's iron facade. He examines her Dickensian childhood, her violent first marriage, her painful estrangement from her son, and the troubled sexual dynamics of her marriage to Robert Taylor.
434 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 4, 2013
Well, where to start? There about as many good things about this book as there are bad things. I have always enjoyed Barbara Stanwyck's acting and lately have been watching more and more of her films. I am a film bio fanatic so of course I wanted to add one about Ms. Stanwyck to my list. I received a ton of giftcards for my nook for Xmas so I purchased this book at a bargain price from Barnes and Noble. It's recent enough to be accurate and well researched and old enough to be cheap. I had a hard time deciding what to rate this book. There were things that were very well researched and interesting and things that were offensive and downright slanderous. I was so appalled by some of the incorrect statements made by the author, that I resolved to spend a good deal of time reading both the footnotes and research notes on the book after I finished. Mr. Madsen made comments about subjects that I happen to be something of an expert on that I knew were completely false and that set my alarm bells ringing. These comments included stories about Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford and Carole Lombard that were to be frank, complete and utter untruths and scurrilous gossip. I found when I read the footnotes and research that it was no wonder--this author actually had the gall to cite Hollywood Babylon II (one of the worst pieces of trash ever written about Hollywood by a very angry and bitter Kenneth Anger and filled with grotesque photos and out and out lies that have been disproved over and over again), Mommie Dearest which has also been discredited over and over by both friends and family of Joan Crawford as well as her other children, also (hold onto your seats, kittens) Globe magazine--yes, that Globe magazine--the one that had alien babies and an Elvis siting a week--a magazine so trashy the National Enquirer looks like the Wall Street Journal next to it. On top of that he also sites The National Enquirer as well as himself(!)in conversations between himself and conveniently dead "Hollywood insiders" to back up some of his most outrageous claims. It's a shame, because he's not a bad writer.
The areas of the book dealing with Ms. Stanwyck's politics and filmography as well as her relationship with her adopted son were well researched and intelligent. Unfortunately he wanted to sling mud as well. As is well known by any classic film fan, Ms. Stanwyck and her second husband Robert Taylor were suspected of being gay. The reasons behind the suspicions are ironic and honestly pretty offensive (not that if either of them was gay, that is a bad thing--if anything it would just be another terribly sad story of humans forced to hide themselves due to ignorance and prejudice) but the reasons behind it are generally because Stanwyck was tough and not traditionally "feminine" for her time and Mr. Taylor was beautifully handsome--almost doll-like in his beauty. There was also the fact that they seemed opposite types. That's a pretty obnoxious reason to play guessing games with someone's private life. It is true that Ms. Stanwyck is something of a gay icon, again for her toughness and ability to survive on her own as well as her campy later roles. This does not in and of itself mean she was gay. Throughout the book , Mr. Madsen only mentions one person as a possible lover for Ms. Stanwyck and he gives no proof of any sort, just a lot of speculation and innuendo, which was quite easy as the possible lover was her long time publicist Helen Ferguson who was also her close friend. In Mr. Madsen's mind this makes her Ms. Stanwyck's lover. Ohhkay. Both women were married twice and Ms. Stanwyck (he contradicts himself often and never more than when he is discussing her sexual life as he is forced to make suppositions due to her private nature) was clearly madly in love with both her first husband and Robert Taylor. All of her close friends and confidantes attest to this fact and he quotes them on this but then hints throughout the book that Ms. Stanwyck was gay. Same with Robert Taylor.
Now, I am the last person to say who might and might not be gay in Hollywood--even now, actors and actresses often remain in the closet for their career and the world is a harsh place to be yourself--so I do not put forth the idea that a lesbian might not marry a man or gay man might not marry a woman--certainly that is possible and has happened--look at poor Rock Hudson. But what you have in those cases is a certain amount of proof--Rock Hudson was known to be gay by the majority of his close friends and has numerous lovers who have come forward as well as his wife, who was paid to marry him. Liberace is another example--lovers left behind to tell their stories and friends who knew his personal truth. Montgomery Clift is yet another. There is none of that here--he does not name a single "lover" who spoke of a relationship, for either Ms. Stanwyck or Mr. Taylor. Just gossip--"oh he was friends with this person who was known to be gay" or "people assumed due to their close friendship that there was something more"....that's not proof fella. That actually bothered me a great deal about this book because I had hoped to learn one way or another information that could be backed up. It does not affect my affection for the work of Ms. Stanwyck or Robert Taylor whether they were gay, straight or bisexual--but like any fan, I like to know as much truth about people I find talented and interesting. If it can't be proved one way or another, then don't go on and on about it. I find it very difficult to believe that both of these beautiful people were gay their entire lives (and yes, I believe you are born with a leaning one way or another though I think sexuality can be fluid) and yet never had a relationship with a person of the same sex that could be proven or even made obvious by a preponderance of facts. I just don't. I don't consider it a slur on either of their names, but it's a mischaracterization. I saw one review of this book that praised it for not "whitewashing" these rumors---I would agree if there was an iota of fact behind these ideas.
I have to say though, that the thing that bothered me the most was a story the author put forward as fact with the only reference to the story being tabloids, that claimed Ms. Stanwyck, in her later years would "talk" to the late Robert Taylor through her honorary Oscar--that she claimed he spoke to her and told her he would be coming to take her soon and that was her great solace in her later years. I think of all the claims the author makes, this is one of the most offensive. If there is anything Ms. Stanwyck was not, it was fanciful. I believe that story would anger her more than any other told in this book and seeing as the story came from "The Globe" which never made any attempts at hiding it's tabloid and fact-ignoring nature, it's so obviously untrue. The fact that Ms. Stanwyck was bedridden and somewhat helpless at the time (a state she abhorred) makes it all the uglier. It paints her as some nutso Norma Desmond-like person speaking to the dead and his own research makes it clear that this was the opposite of who she was.
Interestingly the things that both Ms. Stanwyck and Mr. Taylor should have been ashamed of was their creepy right wing politics. Ms. Stanwyck was a scab on more than one occasion and also part of a very Nazi-like organization that promised to "hunt" down communists (many of whom she was happy to take advantage of in terms of their talent--mostly writers who wrote amazing films for her)and Mr. Taylor was even worse, actually being the only truly big star to "name names" during the scary McCarthy era. Ms. Stanwyck was also clearly a terrible mother. She adopted a son during her first marriage, kept him from his father (which may actually not have been a bad thing had it been for the boy's own good but it was pretty obvious it was due to the eneminities between herself and her ex husband that this occurred.) In doing this, she robbed the child of any hope of a parent. She lost interest in the child after her marriage faltered and literally did not see the child after a certain age when he was shipped off to boarding schools. As a result he became an unhappy and unsuccessful person. He said he could literally never remember her hugging him or kissing him except for in front of cameras. I found this and her right wing extremity to be the most unpleasant aspect of her personality and life. It made it very difficult to like her.
However--I have to say overall in fairness that she was a complicated and interesting person--she may not have had any bond with her own child but she did have relationships with her nieces and nephews as well as godchildren and seemed to be a loyal friend to both Nancy Sinatra Sr. and Joan Crawford as well as a friend, confidante and lover to William Holden, whom she protected and encouraged during the making of Golden Boy. She continued her loyalty and friendship with him her whole life and it was a moving relationship. She also used to send her "Uncle Buck" (a longtime family friend ) who lived with her most of her life, out to the scenes of fires and other disasters to hand out money anonymously to victims. Clearly she was a conflicted and complicated person. She had a very unpleasant childhood which probably has much to do with her trouble bonding with her son and her often wary nature. This is certainly understandable. I ended up feeling she was a very strong but wary woman who carved out a niche for herself in a hostile world and did her best to take care of herself (with great success) after a poverty stricken childhood and at the cost of her personal life. No matter her flaws, she has many admirable traits and her talent can never be dismissed.
As for the book, I would NEVER read another of Mr. Madsen's biographies despite his obvious ability because I would never trust the sourcing. I would however read another biography of Ms. Stanwyck to see if I could find more truths instead of speculation.
The areas of the book dealing with Ms. Stanwyck's politics and filmography as well as her relationship with her adopted son were well researched and intelligent. Unfortunately he wanted to sling mud as well. As is well known by any classic film fan, Ms. Stanwyck and her second husband Robert Taylor were suspected of being gay. The reasons behind the suspicions are ironic and honestly pretty offensive (not that if either of them was gay, that is a bad thing--if anything it would just be another terribly sad story of humans forced to hide themselves due to ignorance and prejudice) but the reasons behind it are generally because Stanwyck was tough and not traditionally "feminine" for her time and Mr. Taylor was beautifully handsome--almost doll-like in his beauty. There was also the fact that they seemed opposite types. That's a pretty obnoxious reason to play guessing games with someone's private life. It is true that Ms. Stanwyck is something of a gay icon, again for her toughness and ability to survive on her own as well as her campy later roles. This does not in and of itself mean she was gay. Throughout the book , Mr. Madsen only mentions one person as a possible lover for Ms. Stanwyck and he gives no proof of any sort, just a lot of speculation and innuendo, which was quite easy as the possible lover was her long time publicist Helen Ferguson who was also her close friend. In Mr. Madsen's mind this makes her Ms. Stanwyck's lover. Ohhkay. Both women were married twice and Ms. Stanwyck (he contradicts himself often and never more than when he is discussing her sexual life as he is forced to make suppositions due to her private nature) was clearly madly in love with both her first husband and Robert Taylor. All of her close friends and confidantes attest to this fact and he quotes them on this but then hints throughout the book that Ms. Stanwyck was gay. Same with Robert Taylor.
Now, I am the last person to say who might and might not be gay in Hollywood--even now, actors and actresses often remain in the closet for their career and the world is a harsh place to be yourself--so I do not put forth the idea that a lesbian might not marry a man or gay man might not marry a woman--certainly that is possible and has happened--look at poor Rock Hudson. But what you have in those cases is a certain amount of proof--Rock Hudson was known to be gay by the majority of his close friends and has numerous lovers who have come forward as well as his wife, who was paid to marry him. Liberace is another example--lovers left behind to tell their stories and friends who knew his personal truth. Montgomery Clift is yet another. There is none of that here--he does not name a single "lover" who spoke of a relationship, for either Ms. Stanwyck or Mr. Taylor. Just gossip--"oh he was friends with this person who was known to be gay" or "people assumed due to their close friendship that there was something more"....that's not proof fella. That actually bothered me a great deal about this book because I had hoped to learn one way or another information that could be backed up. It does not affect my affection for the work of Ms. Stanwyck or Robert Taylor whether they were gay, straight or bisexual--but like any fan, I like to know as much truth about people I find talented and interesting. If it can't be proved one way or another, then don't go on and on about it. I find it very difficult to believe that both of these beautiful people were gay their entire lives (and yes, I believe you are born with a leaning one way or another though I think sexuality can be fluid) and yet never had a relationship with a person of the same sex that could be proven or even made obvious by a preponderance of facts. I just don't. I don't consider it a slur on either of their names, but it's a mischaracterization. I saw one review of this book that praised it for not "whitewashing" these rumors---I would agree if there was an iota of fact behind these ideas.
I have to say though, that the thing that bothered me the most was a story the author put forward as fact with the only reference to the story being tabloids, that claimed Ms. Stanwyck, in her later years would "talk" to the late Robert Taylor through her honorary Oscar--that she claimed he spoke to her and told her he would be coming to take her soon and that was her great solace in her later years. I think of all the claims the author makes, this is one of the most offensive. If there is anything Ms. Stanwyck was not, it was fanciful. I believe that story would anger her more than any other told in this book and seeing as the story came from "The Globe" which never made any attempts at hiding it's tabloid and fact-ignoring nature, it's so obviously untrue. The fact that Ms. Stanwyck was bedridden and somewhat helpless at the time (a state she abhorred) makes it all the uglier. It paints her as some nutso Norma Desmond-like person speaking to the dead and his own research makes it clear that this was the opposite of who she was.
Interestingly the things that both Ms. Stanwyck and Mr. Taylor should have been ashamed of was their creepy right wing politics. Ms. Stanwyck was a scab on more than one occasion and also part of a very Nazi-like organization that promised to "hunt" down communists (many of whom she was happy to take advantage of in terms of their talent--mostly writers who wrote amazing films for her)and Mr. Taylor was even worse, actually being the only truly big star to "name names" during the scary McCarthy era. Ms. Stanwyck was also clearly a terrible mother. She adopted a son during her first marriage, kept him from his father (which may actually not have been a bad thing had it been for the boy's own good but it was pretty obvious it was due to the eneminities between herself and her ex husband that this occurred.) In doing this, she robbed the child of any hope of a parent. She lost interest in the child after her marriage faltered and literally did not see the child after a certain age when he was shipped off to boarding schools. As a result he became an unhappy and unsuccessful person. He said he could literally never remember her hugging him or kissing him except for in front of cameras. I found this and her right wing extremity to be the most unpleasant aspect of her personality and life. It made it very difficult to like her.
However--I have to say overall in fairness that she was a complicated and interesting person--she may not have had any bond with her own child but she did have relationships with her nieces and nephews as well as godchildren and seemed to be a loyal friend to both Nancy Sinatra Sr. and Joan Crawford as well as a friend, confidante and lover to William Holden, whom she protected and encouraged during the making of Golden Boy. She continued her loyalty and friendship with him her whole life and it was a moving relationship. She also used to send her "Uncle Buck" (a longtime family friend ) who lived with her most of her life, out to the scenes of fires and other disasters to hand out money anonymously to victims. Clearly she was a conflicted and complicated person. She had a very unpleasant childhood which probably has much to do with her trouble bonding with her son and her often wary nature. This is certainly understandable. I ended up feeling she was a very strong but wary woman who carved out a niche for herself in a hostile world and did her best to take care of herself (with great success) after a poverty stricken childhood and at the cost of her personal life. No matter her flaws, she has many admirable traits and her talent can never be dismissed.
As for the book, I would NEVER read another of Mr. Madsen's biographies despite his obvious ability because I would never trust the sourcing. I would however read another biography of Ms. Stanwyck to see if I could find more truths instead of speculation.
March 30, 2011
This is by far the most rigorously researched and unsalacious biography on Barbara Stanwyck. The few pulpy ones published during her lifetime avoid the dish about her lesbian leanings, and the ones that focus on her films have been poorly produced and/or written. Very sad, for one of the greatest actresses Hollywood has ever known. As Madsen remarks in his introduction (possibly the best chapter in the book, along with the first chapter about her childhood), Stanwyck was a trooper and a dogged worker--not a grandstanding diva--and as a result, she may have lost some of the plum roles (like Mildred Pierce), and has not received the posthumous star worship she deserves more than most.
This book was recommended in a New Yorker piece on Stanwyck a few years back. I agree that it's commendable, but I long for a future biography that blends Madsen's thoroughness with just a tad more lusty, shameless idolatry.
This book was recommended in a New Yorker piece on Stanwyck a few years back. I agree that it's commendable, but I long for a future biography that blends Madsen's thoroughness with just a tad more lusty, shameless idolatry.
June 19, 2014
I was hoping for a little more about her Big Valley days but despite that it was a very good insight into one of my favorite actresses.
September 12, 2019
Ruby Stevens of Brooklyn born on Classon Avenue in 1907 gave it all for her art. We know her better
as Barbara Stanwyck, 4 time Oscar nominee and eventual winner of a lifetime achievement Oscar. She
did better with the Emmys winning three of those. Stanwyck gave us a great range of characters during her career, some noble heroines and some of the blackest female villains ever to grace the
screen. She could be soft and tender and one hardboiled dame if the situation called for it. Early on
Stanwyck took a big chance and cut loose from studio control and went freelance, no one was controlling her.
Would her private life have been as rewarding. She married twice and had innumerable affairs with
men and women. Her lesbian side was never talked about in her lifetime, her marriages were to two
different types of men, Frank Fay and Robert Taylor.
She may have lost the real love of her life with stage actor Rex Cheeryman who died on shipboard
on a voyage to Europe in 1925. That part of the story is handled with taste and discretion by author
Axel Madsen.
The first marriage was to comedian Frank Fay who was a boozer and a womanizer who wasn't shy
about laying hands for other than love on Barbara. They adopted a son Dion Fay. She later grew
estranged from him and they never met after the mid 50s.
Divorcing him she met and married Robert Taylor who while she freelanced, he was bound to MGM
with what turned out to be the longest studio contract in history. Their love life is discreetly handled also, but Taylor strayed and so did she. Both were conservative in their politics and supported the HUAC activities into Communism in Hollywood.
4 Oscar nominations. The first was for the sound remake of Stella Dallas where she played a low
class woman who married a high class upper crust sort, but after having a daughter they proved
quite incompatible. Her sacrifice of her kid put this woman on the side of the angels.
The second nomination was a comic part in Ball Of Fire. A stripper on the run from some gangsters takes refuge in a house filled with eccentric professors, one of them Gary Cooper who is
smitten with her and her use of current slang. The film is a laugh riot.
You can't get more different than Double Indemnity as Stanwyck plays a wife who talks weak willed
insurance salesman Fred MacMurray into committing murder on her husband so they can collect a
big insurance policy. She will frighten you right down to the bone marrow.
Lastly in Sorry, Wrong Number, she's a bedridden woman who overhears a plot to kill her. From
frightening, Stanwyck is the ultimate in frightened victims. And there are so many more.
Unlike many of her colleagues when the big screen roles weren't forthcoming she had no hesitation
in turning to television. She starred in an epic western in the latter 60s called The Big Valley. She
kept working into the 80s and received Emmys for The Big Valley and for the Thornbirds mini-series.
Her life is like an epic Greek tragedy. She was alone in the end. No family, her one son estranged
but filled with acclaim and accolades by her peers. This woman really gave it all up for her work.
Axel Madsen has written an epic book for an epic story that is Barbara Stanwyck.
as Barbara Stanwyck, 4 time Oscar nominee and eventual winner of a lifetime achievement Oscar. She
did better with the Emmys winning three of those. Stanwyck gave us a great range of characters during her career, some noble heroines and some of the blackest female villains ever to grace the
screen. She could be soft and tender and one hardboiled dame if the situation called for it. Early on
Stanwyck took a big chance and cut loose from studio control and went freelance, no one was controlling her.
Would her private life have been as rewarding. She married twice and had innumerable affairs with
men and women. Her lesbian side was never talked about in her lifetime, her marriages were to two
different types of men, Frank Fay and Robert Taylor.
She may have lost the real love of her life with stage actor Rex Cheeryman who died on shipboard
on a voyage to Europe in 1925. That part of the story is handled with taste and discretion by author
Axel Madsen.
The first marriage was to comedian Frank Fay who was a boozer and a womanizer who wasn't shy
about laying hands for other than love on Barbara. They adopted a son Dion Fay. She later grew
estranged from him and they never met after the mid 50s.
Divorcing him she met and married Robert Taylor who while she freelanced, he was bound to MGM
with what turned out to be the longest studio contract in history. Their love life is discreetly handled also, but Taylor strayed and so did she. Both were conservative in their politics and supported the HUAC activities into Communism in Hollywood.
4 Oscar nominations. The first was for the sound remake of Stella Dallas where she played a low
class woman who married a high class upper crust sort, but after having a daughter they proved
quite incompatible. Her sacrifice of her kid put this woman on the side of the angels.
The second nomination was a comic part in Ball Of Fire. A stripper on the run from some gangsters takes refuge in a house filled with eccentric professors, one of them Gary Cooper who is
smitten with her and her use of current slang. The film is a laugh riot.
You can't get more different than Double Indemnity as Stanwyck plays a wife who talks weak willed
insurance salesman Fred MacMurray into committing murder on her husband so they can collect a
big insurance policy. She will frighten you right down to the bone marrow.
Lastly in Sorry, Wrong Number, she's a bedridden woman who overhears a plot to kill her. From
frightening, Stanwyck is the ultimate in frightened victims. And there are so many more.
Unlike many of her colleagues when the big screen roles weren't forthcoming she had no hesitation
in turning to television. She starred in an epic western in the latter 60s called The Big Valley. She
kept working into the 80s and received Emmys for The Big Valley and for the Thornbirds mini-series.
Her life is like an epic Greek tragedy. She was alone in the end. No family, her one son estranged
but filled with acclaim and accolades by her peers. This woman really gave it all up for her work.
Axel Madsen has written an epic book for an epic story that is Barbara Stanwyck.
March 1, 2023
This is a fascinating book that covers life in the cinema from Vaudeville to Silent Films, through the Golden Age of Hollywood then transitions to Television, viewed from the life of a remarkably talented actress who experienced it all (Miss Barbara Stanwyck).
To me the book drags a little through the early years, which may come from a lack of appreciation for Vaudeville and the Silent Era. But then it shows us her development, seeing an orphan struggling to survive as a teenager. Eventually earning a living as a dancer, then insisting that she doesn't have the talent to act, which is amazing, knowing what a star she eventually became.
I appreciate the picture the author paints to help the reader understand a complex woman who took charge of her own career (at a time when studio contracts were the norm), called her own shots, chose her own scripts, but struggled in the family setting.
As a teenager I enjoyed how she played the role of Victoria Barkley, the Matriarch on the television show “The Big Valley”. It was towards the end of her career, but I believe she saved the best for last. She led a family comparable to the Cartwrights of Bonanza, running a ranching, timber and farming empire. She did it in a grand manor, as a woman of ���Steel and Velvet”, even performing her own stunts in her 60s. After watching that show I became interested in her earlier movies from the 1930s-1950s, then I came to appreciate how convincingly she brought so many different characters to life, throughout her career.
Interestingly the book points out how roles for strong leading ladies became the exception, when things shifted from the Golden Age of Hollywood to Television, centering more on male themed programs.
To me the book drags a little through the early years, which may come from a lack of appreciation for Vaudeville and the Silent Era. But then it shows us her development, seeing an orphan struggling to survive as a teenager. Eventually earning a living as a dancer, then insisting that she doesn't have the talent to act, which is amazing, knowing what a star she eventually became.
I appreciate the picture the author paints to help the reader understand a complex woman who took charge of her own career (at a time when studio contracts were the norm), called her own shots, chose her own scripts, but struggled in the family setting.
As a teenager I enjoyed how she played the role of Victoria Barkley, the Matriarch on the television show “The Big Valley”. It was towards the end of her career, but I believe she saved the best for last. She led a family comparable to the Cartwrights of Bonanza, running a ranching, timber and farming empire. She did it in a grand manor, as a woman of ���Steel and Velvet”, even performing her own stunts in her 60s. After watching that show I became interested in her earlier movies from the 1930s-1950s, then I came to appreciate how convincingly she brought so many different characters to life, throughout her career.
Interestingly the book points out how roles for strong leading ladies became the exception, when things shifted from the Golden Age of Hollywood to Television, centering more on male themed programs.
December 14, 2023
I've discovered Barbara Stanwyck in the last few years, and she really is wonderful. There's something special about what she does on the screen, and she's hard to look away from. When I first saw her, I expected a beauty more in line with Ava Gardner, or Rita Hayworth. And I was confused as to her popularity. But I totally get it--she can do ANYTHING. She's funny, cunning, slapstick (a little), vulnerable, romantic, icy, whatever. She runs the gamut and her characters are a lot more interesting than the normal boilerplate female lead.
Having said all that, she put ALL of herself into her work, so this biography was mostly a telling of her movie roles. It was exhaustive (maybe a little too?), but well written. Nothing shocking or crass. I'm still confused as to her relationship with (and marriage to) Robert Taylor--she seemed to be devoted to him AFTER their divorce, but their marriage was pretty dysfunctional. She didn't really have hobbies. And whew! You don't want her or Joan Crawford (they were close friends) as moms. YIKES.
A pretty good read, and I learned a lot about La Stanwyck. She was a force of nature.
Having said all that, she put ALL of herself into her work, so this biography was mostly a telling of her movie roles. It was exhaustive (maybe a little too?), but well written. Nothing shocking or crass. I'm still confused as to her relationship with (and marriage to) Robert Taylor--she seemed to be devoted to him AFTER their divorce, but their marriage was pretty dysfunctional. She didn't really have hobbies. And whew! You don't want her or Joan Crawford (they were close friends) as moms. YIKES.
A pretty good read, and I learned a lot about La Stanwyck. She was a force of nature.
March 2, 2020
Madsen dwells too much on the doomed marriage Stanwyck had with the abusive Frank Fey and speculates too much on the reasons her later marriage with Robert Taylor didn't work. She repeatedly wonders, Were they both gay? She also harps at length on what an unfit mother Stanwyck was to her adopted son, Dion. The book contains rumors of which Hollywood star was having an affair with another, which frankly doesn't matter 80 years later. Madsen also gives short shrift (under 4 pages) to the 4 years Stanwyck spent starring in TV's "The Big Valley." Thankfully, there is an extended analysis to Stanwyck's two biggest films, "The Lady Eve" and "Double Indemnity."
December 11, 2022
I LOVE Barbara Stanwyck - she and my grandmother could have been twins - and so I've been wanting to read more about her. This book however, is not the one to read if you want to know the real Barbara. I was disappointed in many of the unsubstantiated claims in this book not just about her, but about several other Hollywood stars. It's a shame.
July 12, 2024
A complete review of the actor and the person known as Barbara Stanwyck. By all accounts, she seemed a very insecure person who rarely could show affection to anyone, not even herself. How sad to be child of hers!
June 2, 2020
Abandoned. Too much extraneous info that I really didn't care about.
October 23, 2020
Loved the book....one of my favorite actresses.
November 16, 2020
This was good though I found parts of it a little slow.
February 2, 2021
Best book I've read on Stanwyck thus far!
July 25, 2014
Recommended for fans of this versatile actress or for those like me who can't get enough of the stories about the old studio system and Hollywood's golden era. This is a wide-ranging book that showcases the many producers, directors, co-stars, and Hollywood married friends (the Bennys the Macmurrays) that came to influence Stanwyck, usually at just the right time in her career. She was in just a ton of films in the thirties, mostly because she always wanted to work (regardless the quality of the script) and directors liked the fact she was always well prepared and knew her lines.
There were hardships in her life: Madsen reports on her early years as a chorine, the marriage to Frank Fay that ended in divorce, her incompatibility with the second husband, star Robert Taylor, and the strange and callous non-relationship she had with her adopted son Dion. The author notes that at the beginning of the fifties, all of the great female stars of the forties -- Crawford, Davis, Tierney and others -- had fallen on financial hard times. Stanwyck, however, was a multi-millionaire and still being chosen for good projects. Madsen offers a number of reasons for her success, but I'd like to think it all came down to the fact that she was a very quick study and, as an actress, simply smarter than her peers.
(I don't know about Madsen's many conjectures on sexual proclivity. Was Stanwyck really a lesbian? Was Taylor gay or Joan Crawford, a late close friend of Stanwyck? Madsen cites the lesbian friends in Crawford's circle, then casually drops the fact she also had four abortions. They lead complicated lives in Tinsel Town).
July 21, 2014
Stanwyck was not my favorite actress but she sure made a lot of really good movies. From Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve and Sorry Wrong Number, to things like Stella Dallas and A Night to Remember, she was a very very good actress. She played the villainess in a number of films but she did it well. I found her marriage to Robert Taylor to be a sad, frustrating affair but it in no way diminishes her life.
August 19, 2019
One of my favorite actresses from the Classic Hollywood era and yet one of the most boring books I have ever read! It took me three months to read and I usually could read this type of book in a couple of days.
Lots of sidebars on other famous people - just to put their names in, but not important to the story.
Portrayed Ms. Stanwyck as a miserable woman, wife and mother. But, no explanations or motivations into her choices.
Lots of sidebars on other famous people - just to put their names in, but not important to the story.
Portrayed Ms. Stanwyck as a miserable woman, wife and mother. But, no explanations or motivations into her choices.
September 2, 2007
I was pretty bored with this one, which can't possibly be because Barbara Stanwyck herself was boring. Dull and thorough (and "objective" -- nothing worse than "objective") biographers are a dime a dozen.
I was fascinated to learn, though, that Barbara's sexual orientation was successfully kept under wraps for so many years because her lover was also her publicist!
I was fascinated to learn, though, that Barbara's sexual orientation was successfully kept under wraps for so many years because her lover was also her publicist!
July 22, 2010
Biography ok, not great. Hard to follow because it jumped around and repeated a lot. I liked that author was looking for facts to move her life forward, not dwelling on gossip and speculation, just showing them as a part of subject's total makeup while trying to report the facts.
April 30, 2014
Very interesting. Reads like a history of Hollywood.
January 3, 2015
it was good for the most part... very long and had mini bios on everyone she ever knew. very little insight on who she was. it was informative of her movies
May 2, 2017
Eye opener
One of the most informative bios on Barbara Stanwyck I've ever read. Very refreshing in that there is nothing bitchy or catty, no outlandish soap opera-inspiring content. Just a very interesting and intelligent story of one of the greatest ladies of 20th century films.
One of the most informative bios on Barbara Stanwyck I've ever read. Very refreshing in that there is nothing bitchy or catty, no outlandish soap opera-inspiring content. Just a very interesting and intelligent story of one of the greatest ladies of 20th century films.
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