A Stanwyck Series: Working Girl

The following is an excerpt from my video about Barbara Stanwyck. Unfortunately, the video is about as long as The Odyssey so I have to post my writing in parts. This section covers her work through Stella Dallas. This piece was edited for Substack by Spencer Glesby.

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One thing you’ll often read about Barbara Stanwyck is that she’s “hard to pin down”. Anthony Lane, writing in the New Yorker, called her “the Swiss Army Knife of motion pictures”, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better description. It boggles the mind that the same woman who was labeled “the queen of noir” by Eddie Mueller, President of the Film Noir Foundation, was also described as “a definitive embodiment” of the comedic heroines of classic Hollywood by the Criterion Collection, and was named an honorary member of the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures. Just when you think you understand Barbara Stanwyck’s “type,” she appears with something totally different to shake up your perception. In other words, she is hard to pin down, not only difficult to categorize as an actress, but also a mess of contradictions as a person: A major star who hated attention; A rule-breaker beloved by the rule-makers; Always herself, but thoroughly embodied in character. That elusiveness makes her appealing, both as a screen presence and as a historical figure. How did she manage to achieve such a diverse filmography in the famously rigid context of Hollywood?

There’s a strong argument to be made that Barbara Stanwyck was not just the best actress, but possibly the most significant actress developed within the studio system. As Kenneth Turan wrote in the LA Times, “To view big chunks of her work in a brief period of time is to both gain new respect for what might otherwise be taken for granted and to appreciate Stanwyck as easily the equal—and sometimes the superior—of any of the golden age big names.” This is not to say that Stanwyck was the most technically gifted of actors, or even the most consistent. She was definitely not without her quirks. However, Stanwyck was an actor who, you could argue, provided a blueprint and best predicted the qualities we currently value in our greatest actors. Her performances are believable, and center on an authenticity of expression combined with a distinct lack of artifice. She had a lack of ego, with no fear of appearing vulgar or de-glamming. Most of all, her performances showcase a deep versatility, an ability to easily jump between genres. She easily transforms, disappearing into a role. Anthony Lane ends his article on Stanwyck asking the question, “Was there any other actress who encompassed so many chapters of what we take to be the history of Hollywood?” After a deep examination of her body of work, I’d argue the answer is no.