Monday, July 16, 2007, would have been Barbara Stanwyck's 100th birthday, and there probably is no better way to celebrate that milestone than by staying home from work and watching (or at least TiVo-ing while you work) the day-long line-up of Stanwyck delights that Turner Classic Movies has programmed in tribute to the great star. Here's what TCM has planned for this centennial party (all times PST; all descriptions courtesy of TCM):
3:00 AM Night Nurse (1931)
A nurse discovers that the children she's caring for are murder targets. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Clark Gable. Dir: William A. Wellman.
4:15 AM A Lost Lady (1934)
A bitter woman who thinks she'll never love again marries, only to fall for a brash young man. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Frank Morgan, Ricardo Cortez. Dir: Alfred E. Green, Phil Rosen.
5:30 AM Ladies They Talk About (1933)
A lady bank robber becomes the cell block boss after she's sent to prison. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Lyle Talbot, Preston Foster. Dir: Howard Bretherton, William Keighley.
6:45 AM Breakfast For Two (1937)
A Texas heiress competes with a gold digger for the love of a playboy. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall, Glenda Farrell. Dir: Alfred Santell.
8:00 AM Meet John Doe (1941)
A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business. Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold. Dir: Frank Capra.
10:15 AM Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
A homemaking specialist who can't boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet. Dir: Peter Godfrey.
12:15 PM The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947)
A woman slowly discovers that her artist husband is a deranged killer. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith. Dir: Peter Godfrey.
2:00 PM Jeopardy (1953)
A woman desperately seeks help to prevent her trapped husband from drowning. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Ralph Meeker. Dir: John Sturges.
3:15 PM These Wilder Years (1956)
A wealthy businessman sets out to find his long-lost illegitimate son. Cast: James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Pidgeon. Dir: Roy Rowland.
5:00 PM Baby Face (1933)
A beautiful schemer sleeps her way to the top of a banking empire. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, John Wayne. Dir: Alfred E. Green.
6:30 PM Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire (1991)
Barbara Stanwyck's multi-faceted career reveals uncanny reflections of her off-screen life. Cast: Sally Field, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper. Dir: Richard Schickel.
7:30 PM Annie Oakley (1935)
The famed female sharpshooter learns that you can't get a man with a gun when she falls for a rival marksman. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, Melvyn Douglas. Dir: George Stevens.
9:15 AM Clash By Night (1952)
An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband's best friend. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe. Dir: Fritz Lang.
11:15 PM Executive Suite (1954)
When a business magnate dies, his board of directors fights over who should run the company. Cast: William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck. Dir: Robert Wise.
1:15 AM Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
A neurotic invalid accidentally overhears a phone conversation plotting her own murder. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Wendell Corey. Dir: Anatole Litvak.
I'll be updating this post over the next couple of days and into Monday as the Stanwyck tributes and articles start coming in, so keep your eyes peeled, and have a wonderful weekend.
UPDATE July 16, 9:33 a.m.: Time is tight. I'm working at home so I can change out the DVD recorder every 90 minutes or so on TCM's Salute to Barbara's 100th birthday. (I haven't got a DVR.) So I'm going to link you to the mighty David Hudson and Green Cine Daily, where you'll find many excellent Stanwyck tributes from the likes of Anne Thompson, Edward Copeland, Peter Nellhaus, Odienator and a host of others. More coming, I'm sure!
UPDATE July 16 5:22 p.m.: Told ya! Here's the incomparable Campaspe on what Miss Stanwyck's peers had to say about her. (The article is cross-referenced at NewCritics.com.)
She was really great! She looked like enlighted by the mighty power of SGUFALA.
ReplyDeleteSguffalo Bill
Wish I could watch all the films today myself but have too many other things to do. I put up my post today, covering one of her lesser known films, So Big, as part of my Unseen Images feature at Cinema Styles.
ReplyDeleteShe was a remarkable actress. It so pleasing to see so many people with an appreciation for an actress like Barbara Stanwyck who never gave showy performances or affected unnatural looks or accents to make a character believable. She relied on a subtle glance, restrained mannerisms and emotion that welled up with a slight waver in the voice. She was more modern in her style than many of her contemporaries, probably one of the many reasons she never walked away with a competitive Oscar.
J. Lapper
Cinema Styles