she had some great roles. I really liked her in Stella Dallas as the devoted mom who was willing to sacrifice for her daughter, She was good in Meet John Doe. to name a couple, she could play all kinds of roles, from the strong and brassy type to the lady in peril.  I remember the first time I saw her as in The Big Valley when I was a kid. I did not know then that she was a big movie star. thanks to cable tv and dvds and video I have had the chance to see this talented actress.a 4.5

True, there was Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford- all remarkable actresses, and there was Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth- all screen sirens. But if we're looking for someone human, someone like us, that would be Barbara Stanwyck. She was real in everything she did. She didn't overact like some actresses, nor did she just 'act well', she WAS the characters she played. She knew exactly how to carry a movie all on her own, no help needed from her male co-stars. Heck, she diminished her male leads into eye-candy! We hear a lot that she was "The Best Actress to Never Win an Oscar" or "The Most Underrated Actress", all these praises are true. She never got the credit she deserved during her lifetime, yet she was the most versatile actress of The Golden Age and probably ever. She explored every genre: comedy, noir, drama, suspense/thriller and she made all her roles seem effortless. She could deliver funny lines--her timing was perfect--but she could also break your heart silly. I cried buckets during Stella Dallas and I've gotten abs from laughing at The Lady Eve and Ball of Fire. Although not the most beautiful actress, she made well sure all eyes were on her. She played tough broads on screen, always getting the last word, never letting anyone walk over her; on the other hand, she could also play your best friend, someone who you could sympathize or empathize with. She was a natural, sincere and dedicated actress, a professional and treated everyone with respect. Barbara Stanwyck, my favourite actress.

She was the greatest of them all.The best actress and most enjoyable to watch.

There's no present day match for Ms. Stanwyck. She had a wide range of characters and could play a fragile woman or a headstrong, independent character with equal ease. Film history misses her.

The best actress EVAH!!!!!

Ah yes a lesbian- but one hell of an actress! Loved her in Double endemdity- a total vamp -but with class and a veneer that is incredible.

She was just amazing in everything!!

A much better actress and sexier than Marilyn Monroe. She still looked great even when she had grey hair in The Big Valley and was also still an engaging actress.

From her work I get the impression that she worked hard. I pretty much like everything she did. I still watch Big Valley. She was a great 'old hollywood' actress and not the standard beautiful blond. She wasn't perfect. Lots of variety in her work.

Class act even right til the end.. She stole the show in The Thorn Birds

My favorite actor. Can do drama and comedy equally well. A brilliant and charming artist.

Thankfully the majority of fans on this page have better taste than the moderator who could not be more wrong in her insulting assessment of Stanwyck. Yes, there are many of us who have said WOW, what an incredible performance, The Lady Eve being a perfect example in which she gave just about one of the greatest performances given by any actress ever. In this classic she proved that she was not only a marvellous comedienne but incredibly sexy, something that Bette Davis could never have been accused of. She was without doubt the GREATEST actress NEVER to have won an Oscar. Moss Hart once told her that she would never win the award because, You make it look too easy. Some actress were considered great because they chewed the scenery, but Stanwyck, to quote her, I just did my job. Any of you detractors may notice that Stanwyck has just moved up to 4th place in the popularity poll. I suggest some of you take a look at The Lady Eve to see why many of us consider her The First Lady of the Screen Any fans are welcome to join my group, you will be more than welcome. www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MissBarbaraStanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck was an amazing woman who left behind an amazing body of work. She was beautiful, gorgeous even, and far more talented than she herself realized, but more importantly, she was a Respectable Lady who never comprimised her standards for anyone. She was a good citizen, a good human and a wonderful friend to whoever needed friendship. She was universally adored by any director, fellow actor and crew member that crossed her path. The extent of her massive charitable work will never be known, because, true to her style, she did good things to help others, not to bring herself publicity. Consider her work in Stella Dallas (1937), then compare it to The Lady Eve (1941), then compare both of those to Double Indemnity, and finally, take a look at The Thorn Birds (1982). You will be amazed at the 4 completely different Stanwycks you find in those performances- and they span 45 years of glorious stardom. I'm proud to say that I adore 'Missy' Stanwyck.

Double Indemnity; The Lady Eve; Ball of Fire; Sorry Wrong Number; Stella Dallas: Barbara Stanwyck's brilliant work runs us through the entire emotional gamut. Some of her vehicles were duds,yes, but she was always solid platinum. Missy, the brightest star, the best!

Fantastic, she could do anything

like her because she was one of my people gay

Never liked her...

Barbara Stanwyck was another one of those actresses in the mold of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. A "tough broad" actress, she really knew how act. She did have some terrible roles, but her acting was always the redeeming element. Her best role was by far "Double Indemnity" with a young Fred MacMurray. She did really well later in television in "Death Valley".

I'm very cynical when it comes to Barbara Stanwyck but it would be interesting to find out just exactly how she ended up in leading parts. As far as I could ever tell, she had zippty do dah in the looks department but more importantly was really only a fair actress to boot. I'm sure she had fans but I've never heard anyone say - wow, wasn't Barbara Stanwyck the greatest - the way they would about say Bette Davis or Katherine Hepburn (both examples of talent outweighing looks BTW). Nope, I think she must have impressed someone behind the scenes much more than she did anyone watching her on the big or small screens (i.e., "The Big Valley", "The Thorn Birds"). Either that or she cashed in a lot of outstanding favors she was owed.