Date of Birth 16 July 1907, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Date of Death 20 January 1990, Santa Monica, California, USA. (congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, emphysema)

Birth Name Ruby Catherine Stevens

Nickname Missy, The Queen

Height 5' 5"

Spouse

Robert Taylor (13 May 1939 - 21 February 1951) (divorced)

Frank Fay (26 August 1928 - 30 December 1935) (divorced) 1 child

Most of America's audiences see Barbara Stanwyck as the matriarch of the family known as the Barkleys on the TV western "The Big Valley" (1965), wherein she played Victoria. Later she starred on the hit drama "The Colbys" (1985). But for millions of other fans, she had a movie career that spanned from 1927 until 1964 and then was on television until 1986. It was a film career that lasted for 59 years. She was born Ruby Stevens on July 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York. She went to work at the local telephone company for $14 a week, but she had the urge to somehow enter show business. A dream--that was all it was. When not working, she pounded the pavement in search of dancing jobs. The persistence paid off. Barbara was hired as a chorus girl for the princely sum of $40 a week, much better than the wages she was getting from the phone company. She was 17, and she was going to make the most of the opportunity that had been given her.

In 1928 Barbara moved to Hollywood, where she was to start one of the most lucrative careers filmdom had ever seen. She was an extremely versatile actress who could adapt to any role. Barbara was equally at home in all genres, from melodramas, such as Forbidden (1932) and Stella Dallas (1937), to thrillers, such as Double Indemnity (1944), one of her best films, also starring Fred MacMurray as you have never seen him before. She also excelled in comedies such as Remember the Night (1940) and The Lady Eve (1941). Another genre she excelled in was westerns, Union Pacific (1939) being one of her first and TV's "The Big Valley" (1965) (her most memorable role) being her last. In 1983, she played in the ABC hit mini-series "The Thorn Birds" (1983) (mini), which did much to keep her in the eye of the public. She turned out an outstanding performance as Mary Carson.

Barbara was considered a gem to work with, for her serious but easygoing attitude on the set. She worked hard at being an actress, and she never allowed her star quality to go to her head. She was nominated for four Academy Awards, though she never won. The roles she was nominated for were all roles in which Barbara turned in magnificent performances, but the "powers that be" always awarded the Oscar to someone else. However, in 1982 she was awarded an honorary Academy Award for "superlative creativity and unique contribution to the art of screen acting." Sadly, Barbara died on January 20, 1990, leaving 93 movies and a host of TV appearances as her legacy to us.