Barbara Stanwyck - The Top Five List

July 15th, 2007 in Actors, Celebs, Movies, Top 5 List, classic

Tomorrow marks the 100th birthday of one of the greatest film stars, Barbara Stanwyck. Several actresses have named Stanwyck a role model for the independent spirit she has shown in her best performances. While several of her films are being aired on Turner Classic Movies, I am going to list five of her best films available on DVD. I could easily list at least ten. The films are listed in chronological order.

1. Baby Face (1933). This film is one of the reasons why the Production Code was established. Stanwyck plays a young Depression era woman who sleeps her way to the top. Included in the cast was a young actor, baby faced John Wayne.

2. The Lady Eve (1941). Henry Fonda literally falls in love with Stanwyck after she sticks out one of her beautiful legs to trip him. A classic comedy from Preston Sturges about romance, beer and snakes.

3. Ball of Fire (1941). Howard Hawk’s version of Snow White and the seven dwarves, with Stanwyck as a stripper who befuddles professor Gary Cooper. The screenplay was co-written by Billy Wilder.

4. Double Indemnity (1944). Femme fatale Stanwyck talks insurance salesman Fred MacMurray into murdering her husband. If you haven’t seen Billy Wilder’s classic film noir, stop what you’re doing and get this film pronto. Anyone who hasn’t seen this does not really love movies.

5. Forty Guns (1957). According to writer-director Samuel Fuller, Marilyn Monroe really wanted the part of the whip wielding ranch owner played by Stanwyck. This is a film that is meant to be seen on a wide screen. Among the film’s fans were Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.

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