Starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck [Illustrated with 310 Photographs] [Hardcover]

Ella Smith (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 370 pages
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing; 1st updated ed edition (March 6, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517556952
• ISBN-13: 978-0517556955
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #443,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST CAREER BOOK EVER WRITTEN, August 6, 1999

By 

E. S. Frasuer (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck, 1st Edition (Hardcover)

Ella Smith's coffee-table book on the career of Barbara Stanwyck is, bar none, the finest of its kind that this writer has ever read. Instead of being content to merely list Stanwyck's films and reprint old reviews (in the tradition of most "Films of" books), Ella Smith has gone the extra mile, and then some. This is because the idea originated with Smith (as opposed to a writer being "assigned" the project by a publisher), and it's entirely her baby. Smith designed the layout, selected the photographs and determined which of them would get the full page treatment (and her choices are absolutely breathtaking!)

In addition to including original reviews of Stanwyck's stage, film, and television work (as well as highlights from Stanwyck's interviews from that period) Smith personally viewed all of Stanwyck's work, and her observations are marvelously perceptive (drawing as they do on her own experience as actress, director and teacher). I was particularly pleased that she notes the powerful impact of Stanwyck's SILENT moments (whereas too many critics remember only the explosive ones). But most of all, I value the interviews Smith conducted with Stanwyck's co-stars and directors. These anecdotes are, in turn, touching and funny --- and reveal aspects of Stanwyck's personality that add greatly to the readers' regard for the woman, as well as the actress.

Of all the books written about Barbara Stanwyck, THIS is the only one worthy of her.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary book - PLEASE SOMEBODY BRING IT BACK, April 28, 2000

By 

T. R. (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck [Illustrated with 310 Photographs] (Hardcover)

This is the most outstanding career retrospective ever published on a movie star, a flagrant labor of love done with intregity and intelligence. The end result is an example of quality ever film star biographer ought to follow. Each of Stanwyck's 80+ films are profiled in depth with exclusive commentary from scores of her coworkers - leading men, directors, screenwriters, etc. This landmark book was extremely important in reestablishing Stanwyck's reputation as one of the truly great women of the cinema. I fell in love with this book twenty years ago as a teenager in a local library - I had grown up watching reruns of Barbara in THE BIG VALLEY and had no idea of her incredible film career. I was thrilled when the author published a revised edition in the late 80's enabling me to actually own a copy of this gem and now with Miss Stanwyck's death (10 years ago - how time flies! It seems like yesterday) it is truly time for a second revised edition. If you own one book on one movie star LET THIS BE IT.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTELY THE FINEST BOOK ABOUT STANWYCK, October 8, 2005

By 

a viewer "a viewer" (antioch, tn United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck [Illustrated with 310 Photographs] (Hardcover)

The photographs alone in this fine volume are worth a mint!! I've worn out the spine on my copy which I grabbed in 1989 shortly before Stanwyck's death. This is the finest career analysis movie book that was ever written. The definitive Stanwyck biography ...that is...about her private life is yet to be written and probably never will be. Stanwyck was an enigma and remained so until the end. But this book, by Ella Smith, covers everything about her career that you would want to know...from her start in the theatre to the movies to the television work. It was a labor of love and I have never found another movie book comparable to it. A must for all Stanwyck fans!!