Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year career as a consummate professional she was known for her strong, realistic screen presence and versatility. A favorite of directors, including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang, and Frank Capra, she made 85 films in 38 years before turning to television.
Stanwyck made her debut on stage in the chorus as a Ziegfeld girl in 1923, at age 16, and within a few years was acting in plays. Her first lead role, which was in the hit Burlesque (1927), established her as a Broadway star. In 1929, she began acting in talking pictures and Frank Capra chose her for his romantic drama Ladies of Leisure (1930). This led to additional leading roles which increased her profile such as Night Nurse (1931), Baby Face (1933), and the controversial The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933). In 1937, she played the title role in Stella Dallas for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination for best actress. In 1939, she starred as the lead in Union Pacific, which won the first Palme d'Or awarded at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 1941, she starred in two successful screwball comedies: Ball of Fire with Gary Cooper, and The Lady Eve with Henry Fonda. She received her second Academy Award nomination for Ball of Fire, and in the decades since its release The Lady Eve has come to be regarded as a comedic classic with Stanwyck's performance called one of the best in American comedy.[1] Other successful films during this era of her career are Meet John Doe (1940) and You Belong to Me (1941), teaming again with Cooper and Fonda, respectively.