Barbara Stanwyck Appreciation & DVD Requests (1 Viewer)

[serenapowell]

Ahem, a bit nervous about starting a new thread...but I thought it might be a good idea to have a central location for fans to show the studios how much interest there is in Barbara Stanwyck films on DVD. Otherwise the requests might be overlooked in larger all-purpose threads.

As others have said elsewhere, she definitely deserves multiple boxsets (Of course I'd buy individual releases too, at full price. Although boxsets are a better value, I value this lady's work so highly, saving money isn't that important to me.)

Barbara Stanwyck's one of my favorite actresses. I've never seen her give anything less than a great performance, and I think she should've won oodles of Oscars. I do believe she was a more natural and versatile actress than other acclaimed stars like Katharine Hepburn or Bette Davis - although I enjoy their work, they could be mannered and tended to play a certain "type". Or maybe their real life, larger-than-life personas dominated (and defined) the roles they played. Barbara might be less known today because, instead of being an instantly recognizable "type", she played an amazing variety of roles, excelled at both comedy and drama, could be tough or vulnerable, heroine or villain. There's a lack of pretense and an emotional realism in her work that I greatly admire.

I'm not sure why it's taking so long to get so many of her wonderful performances preserved on DVD. Perhaps the fact that she was a freelance actress has something to do with it - a lack of proprietary pride because none of the studios she worked for, really consider her "their" star?

It's understandable that Warner Bros. would concentrate on paying tribute to (and showcasing even the lesser known films of) their most famous stars who are identified with Warner: Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Bette Davis, etc. It's natural for 20th Century Fox to proudly display the work of Betty Grable, Alice Faye, etc. And so on for the other studios.

But I hope that eventually they'll all "get around to" Barbara Stanwyck. Please don't forget about one of the very best actresses the world has ever known. (Gushing hyperbole? But it's true! ) As Frank M pointed out here, her 100th birthday is approaching, and it would be a perfect time to celebrate her life and work, with a flood of DVDs!

 

[Robert Crawford]

It is my understanding that a boxset of Barbara Stanwyck is coming out later this year from Warner. It's too bad that none of us asked Warner during the chat when that boxset to celebrate her 100th birthday will be coming out, but I suspect sometime during the summer.

Stanwyck is one of my all-time favorite actresses and though she has some of her films on dvd, there is definitely a need to release some more of her films onto dvd.

Currently, I have the following films on dvd:

• Double Indemnity
• Union Pacific
• The Lady Eve
• Meet John Doe
• Christmas in Connecticut
• The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
• Sorry Wrong Number
• Clash By Night
• The Violent Men
• Forty Guns
• Walk on the Wild Side
• Stella Dallas
• Ball of Fire
• Lady of Burlesque
• Titanic
• Crime of Passion

The following are being released on dvd in the coming months:

• Ball of Fire
• California

Stanwyck films that need to be released or revisited on dvd:

• Meet John Doe
• Golden Boy
• Thelma Jordan
• Sorry Wrong Number
• The Furies
• Executive Suite
• Night Nurse
• Ladies They Talk About
• The Bitter Tea of General Yen
• Annie Oakley
• The Mad Miss Manton
• Gambling Lady
• The Great Man's Lady
• The Two Mrs. Carrolls
• B.F.'s Daughter
• To Please a Lady
• Cry Wolf
• The Man with a Cloak
• Jeopardy
• Witness to Murder
• These Wilder Years
• Trooper Hook
• The Purchase Price
• No Man of her Own

I'm sure I've missed some titles that others will mention later, but off the top of my head those are the films that I've seen and want on dvd some day. Several of them belong to Warner and some of them have played on TCM within the last year, so I do have them on DVD-R. However, SD DVD would be much better.




Crawdaddy

 

[Junior_V]

"Night Nurse" & " Ladies They Talk About" would be very nice if they got released.

 

[serenapowell]

Great to hear Warner's definitely planning a Stanwyck box! I can't wait to find out more details. You're right, it's too bad none of her fans managed to get into the recent chat with Warner... but hopefully this thread will help let them know that despite that, she does have a lot of fans out there!

I own all of Barbara's films that have been released on DVD so far. I want... all the ones that haven't. But I'll try to list just a few favorites:

I'd be ecstatic if Sony/Columbia would release a set of Frank Capra's early films, including those made with one of his favorite actresses, Barbara Stanwyck.

- Ladies Of Leisure (1930)
- The Miracle Woman (1931)
- Forbidden (1932)
- The Bitter Tea Of General Yen (1933)

And of course many would like an official release for that public domain favorite, Meet John Doe.

Some of my favorite Warner pre-codes:

- Illicit (with Ricardo Cortez, Joan Blondell)
- Night Nurse (Joan Blondell, Clark Gable)
- The Purchase Price (George Brent, Lyle Talbot)
- Ladies They Talk About (Preston Foster, Lillian Roth)

...and this one wasn't part of the Forbidden Hollywood series, but I hope it makes it into a Signature Collection or something, 'cause it's a wonderful drama based on Edna Ferber's novel... So Big! Spanning her character's lifetime, the movie could've been longer, (it's So Short! ...ha ha) but Barbara couldn't have been better. It's one of her many performances I've seen that moved me to tears and made me think, "I can't believe she didn't get an Oscar for this..."

Another favorite: Annie Oakley (1935) ... Although I like Annie Get Your Gun, I honestly think this version is better. Didn't even miss Irving Berlin's (excellent) songs. It helps that the Stanwyck version is a more feminist role model, although that doesn't mean her love interest/rival sharpshooter is demonized - actually he's more sympathetic than the character Howard Keel played in the MGM musical version. The writing in Annie Oakley really impressed me - I was conditioned (by the MGM musical) to expect certain characterizations and trite plot resolutions, and ended up very pleasantly surprised. Don't wanna say more and spoil it for anyone.

I guess it might be a long shot, but I really enjoyed:
His Brother's Wife (1936) ...don't think I've ever seen such amazing chemistry as that between Barbara and soon-to-be-husband Robert Taylor here. I mean, sometimes he's accused of being a wooden actor, and sometimes he is (for instance, Knights Of The Round Table, and Ivanhoe, where he was clearly bored stiff and thus...stiff as a board ) - but Robert's lively and charming in this one. Must've been having fun with Barbara.

Naturally I'd like Universal to release the many Stanwyck films they put out on VHS once upon a time... too many to list, so i'll just mention one of the best, the Preston Sturges-penned Remember The Night.

 

[RafaelPires]

Remember the Night (1941) co-starring Fred MacMurray is my favorite Stanwyck film. Universal needs to release it on dvd. My second in the list is Golden Boy.

I would also vote for 20th Century Fox's This is my affair (with Robert Taylor) and Message to Garcia.

Also, You belong to me, from Columbia, with Henry Fonda playing his jealous husband.

 

[Corey]

Like how they're having Norma Shearer the subject of Forbidden Hollywood Vol 2, they should have Barbara the subject of Volume 3. They both have 4 pre-codes remaining.

 

[Danny Burk]

Count me in for any Barbara releases too...an all-time favorite. It seems like a sure thing that NIGHT NURSE and one or two of the others will come along in a WB/TCM Pre Code set, and there are so many others worthy of release that it's hard to choose between them.

Personally I'm hoping for BITTER TEA OF GENERAL YEN; I've held off buying the R2 version, assuming that a R1 will come along one of these days. It's a fascinating film, and the best "imitation von Sternberg" I've seen

 

[Corey]

It would've been nice if Sony had put General Yen in the Frank Capra Collection.

 

[PattyFraser]

I would LOVE to see a release of The Two Mrs. Carrolls, and have been surprised that it didn't get released in a Bogart set. Awesome movie.

 

[Dave B Ferris]

I've always hoped for the release of the 'soaper'/melodrama, "East Side, West Side", also starring James Mason, directed by Mervyn Leroy.

 

[Corey]

Maybe it'll be in Bogie Vol. 3

 

[serenapowell]

I'd like that as well! Van Heflin and Ava Gardner are great in it too. Even Cyd Charisse in a small serious part. Romances/melodramas/"women's pictures" are sadly neglected on DVD...

I wonder if Warner's been saving Executive Suite for their Stanwyck boxset?

 

[ted:r]

Crawdaddy, I believe you missed "Baby Face" on the "Forbidden Hollywood" set.

 

[Corey]

How did I totally miss your post?? That's excellent news!!!!!!!! She's one of my mom's fave actress along with Crawford, Davis, Susan Hayward, and de Havilland. If it's coming from you Robert, then it must be happening. This just made my day.

By the way, which films does Warner own?

 

[Matt Hough]

One Stanwyck film that hasn't been mentioned that is a big favorite of mine is ALL I DESIRE. Would love to see that on DVD.

 

[CineKarine]

I would buy just about every film mentioned in this thread in a wink, but would like to add the truly wonderful soaper My Reputation (46) owned by Warners and a R1 release of Flesh and Fantasy (43) owned by Universal.

More than anything I add my votes to a PD-rescued version of Meet John Doe and the beloved and heartwarming Christmas classic Remember the Night. I hope the WB boxset includes East Side West Side and Cry Wolf - that would be tremendous.

 

[Corey]

I saw My Reputation a long time ago and I've been wanting to catch it again. It's a nice little picture. Hopefully they gives us 3 films from her early career (30s) and 3 from her later (40s & 50s).

-Cry Wolf
-My Reputation
-East Side West Side
-The Mad Miss Manton
-So Big!
-Annie Oakley
-The Purchase Price

 

[CineKarine]

SOLD!!!!!!!!!

 

[Charles H]

I wish that the Jane Wyman-Robert Wise SO BIG (1953) were available on dvd. The story is more "fleshed out" and it is hard to do a decade-spanning epic in only in a mere 80 minutes. After MIRACLE IN THE RAIN, us Jane Wyman completists need another helping.

 

[serenapowell]

I'd like to see the remake of "So Big!" too, Charles, out of curiosity. But I can't imagine anyone beating Barbara Stanwyck in the role, even if the other version's longer and more fleshed out. It's all the more amazing that Barbara's performance was so powerful and had such depth, despite the condensed story moving so fast. Personally I like Jane Wyman best in her early wisecrackin' comedies, more than as a dramatic actress...but Barbara...well, she could do it all! (No offense, I realize Jane won a competitive Oscar for her dramatic work, which Barbara didn't do...grrrr. )

Corey - your boxset suggestion is ideal, as always! And it's nice to see you 'round here again CinéKarine ...missed your enthusiasm, support of musicals/romances on DVD, etc. Girl power in a guy-dominated forum, and all that.

I'd also be happy to buy "My Reputation", although George Brent kinda brings it down...it didn't look like he was trying, or wanted to be there at all.