Stanwyck

by Jane Ellen Wayne

Barbara Stanwyck swore like a sailor, chain smoked and was an alcoholic. And yet, she was one of Hollywood's biggest stars, indeed, number eleven on the American Film Institute's 100 Years of Greatest Screen Legends, and appeared in classic films such as Double Indemnity and Meet John Doe. In this fascinating biography, we follow the orphan who, by sheer determination, became a dancer in Hollywood and began her rise to the top. She auditioned for Frank Capra who called her a 'porcupine' and had an affair with her but after, made her a star. Barbara's first marriage was to comic Frank Fay, they adopted a son whom she later abandoned in the most extraordinary way. Her second husband was Robert Taylor, to whom she vowed revenge after their break-up for his affairs with Lana Turner and Ava Gardner. Until the day she died, she collected 15 per cent of his substantial earnings. Yet on her own deathbed, she swore he was by her bedside waiting for her. Full of tragedy, ambition, success and jealousy, Hollywood stars and stories that include new revelations of affairs with both leading actors and actresses, as well as details of her films, this is a must for Barbara fans and film fans alike.

Genres: Biography

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

The life of Barbara Stanwyck, according to Jane Ellen Wayne,
-Frank Fay's career on Broadway failed because he insisted on staying in Hollywood to save his marriage (going to go out on a limb and say it was because he consistently failed to show up for performances and was an egotistical, anti-Semitic alcoholic)
-Frank Fay was an alcoholic and an abusive husband because Barbara Stanwyck refused to stop drinking around him, like going out to clubs, and had a more successful career (love it when misogyny demands we blame the wife for the abuse of the husband)
-Stanwyck starred in "Union Pacific" with Preston Foster (it was Robert Preston, give Harold Hill the respect he deserves)
-Anne Shirley did not win an Oscar for "Stella Dallas" because it was her first picture (she had made more than 40, including "Anne of Green Gables," which was so successful, she legally changed her name to Anne Shirley)
-The Stanwyck/Taylor marriage was unhappy because Stanwyck did not like hunting or flying in airplanes (but not because he had many affairs!)
-Stanwyck was a monster because she took alimony from Robert Taylor after their divorce
-All of the movies Stanwyck made in the 1950s were terrible trash (she made a lot of great movies during that time, including "The Furies"!)

After reading this book I have not greater insight into the life of Barbara Stanwyck, but do have a lot of questions about the author and why she chose to write a book about an actress whom she seemed to have little regard for professionally or personally.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)

At about age 15 or 16 I fell in love with classic Hollywood. I loved the movies - plots, costumes, sets and actors. I started to become more fascinated with the different actors and learning more about them. I started to go to the library and started picking up various biographies/memoirs. Jane Ellen Wayne writes a few biographies with the focus being on the love lives (affairs, marriages, etc). I found them entertaining, and led me to more credible biographies.

**This is a series review**

[Mick Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much an a to z biography with a lot of speculation about her sexuality.never a big star like Davies and Crawford held her own admirably against her Co-stars.this book is a similar vain to Jayne Allen Wayne's other books,not too in depth but a quick overview.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not in the majority here because I really enjoyed this book. I actually cheered at the end. I believe it showed who she was as a person. yes, it was a bit tabloid and bagged many of her later performances. also, it definitely favoured Robert Taylor. However, the book conveyed that Stanwyck rose to great heights and was resilient.