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An orphan who would grow up to garner four Academy Award nominations before she was 30, Barbara Stanwyck gained the respect of her peers and was a box office favorite for decades. As friends recall in this biographical documentary, other actors may have become more famous, but Stanwyck was the consummate professional, immersing herself in her roles. She became a Broadway dancer and a Ziegfeld girl while still in her teens, and after making the move to Hollywood she suffered through troubled marriages, first to vaudevillian Frank Fay and later to actor Robert Taylor. But with her dedicated approach to her work, she gained distinction with her roles in more than 80 films, including such classics as
Double Indemnity and
Sorry, Wrong Number. This documentary follows her career up to her appearance in later life in
The Thorn Birds, and her receiving an honorary Oscar. Friends such as actors Roddy McDowell, Robert Stack, Robert Wagner, and producer Aaron Spelling recall what it was like to work with the great actor, and biographers Ella Smith and Bob Thomas provide insights into Stanwyck's life. This is an insightful look at a woman whose brilliant acting was but a part of her intriguing life.
--Robert J. McNamara
