Watched Mr. Deeds Goes to Town last night and it was such a wonderful film. Jean Arthur really shines in that film.

Do you have Meet John Doe on DVD Walter? It's another film that is in the public domain (like His Girl Friday) and there are several versions of it on Amazon.

Yes, I have the Special Edition DVD which also has Barbara's biography on it.

I like her early 30's Capra films, but must confess that Meet John Doe is not a favourite of mine, and although she is good in it I hate her last hysterical scene which is way over the top, and always makes me cringe.

I can understand why some of Capra's films were referred to by the critics as "Capra Corn."

Is the special edition on Amazon? There's several versions of it available and most of them, supposedly, are from poor quality prints/transfers.

Yes, if you go to the film at Amazon.co.uk it is the third DVD on the right. It is on the Laureate label, the title is in red, and the stars names are blue. It has been digitally remastered, and there are several Extra's including a commentary by Ken Barnes, also the original Lux Radio broadcast of Sorry, Wrong Number, with Barbara and Burt Lancaster. These broadcasts were great because the stars often got a chance to appear in the radio version of films that they hadn't appeared in. I have Barbara in Wuthering Heights, Dark Victory, These Three, This Above All, and Smiling Through, as well as many versions of her own films.

The price of this disc ranges from £4.58 for used up to £14 for new, I have often bought used discs, and they are usually in mint condition.

Arr that is sad 😔 about Ken Howard. I did see that he had passed away on an Internet news site but I didn't make the link with Barbara Stanwyck.

Who would you say are the main links with Barbara who are still alive? Even a small link will be a main link if there one of the few left if I'm making my point correctly.

There are still quite a few people who worked with Barbara who are still alive.

Linda Evans who played her daughter for four years in The Big Valley, and said that Barbara was not only like a second mother to her, but taught her all about professionalism, and how to treat fellow workers. Lee Majors played her son, but they were not so close, and they sometimes clashed over his lack of punctuality.

Robert Wagner is still making money on his book in which he insists that they had a four year affair while working on Titanic in 1953. I don't doubt that they had a brief fling, it must have been a boost to her ego at 46 to be chased by a 23 year old man after being dumped by her husband four years her junior. I just can't believe that their affair went on after the film was completed, the powerful gossip columnists if the day, Hedda and Louella would certainly have found out about it, and been suitably outraged.

Audrey Dalton who played her daughter in Titanic is also still around, and they both speak fondly of her in the commentary on the DVD of the film.

Lori Nelson who played her daughter in All I Desire, and Pat Crowley from There's Always Tomorrow both turned up at the Centenial Tribute to Barbara in 2007, as did Earl Holliman who worked with her in Trooper Hook.

John Ericson spoke fondly of her in a recent interview, he played her murderous brother in the 1957 Cult Western, Forty Guns.

Jane Fonda is still very much around, and hosted the AFI Tribute to Barbara in 1987. She spoke of sitting on Barbara's knee during filming of The Lady Eve, and how her father spoke of the friend who was like no one else he had ever known.

Her best friend Nancy Sinatra is still with us at nearly 100, as are her two daughters who Barbara was also very close too.

Those are just some of the names that come to mind, there are probably a few more, and many of them are now older than Barbara was when she died at 82.

And most of the cast of The Colbys, of course.

Yes, I meant to mention Stephanie Beacham especially, I loved her as Sable, and I believe that they got on well.

I know that Barbara gave her a bottle of her favourite Jungle Gardenia perfume.

Arr I hadn't realised that the list would be so extensive.
Has Linda Evans written a biography yet because if she hasn't it would be interesting and welcome if in future she did and gave us Hollywood golden age fans some wonderful anecdotes about Barbara.

Yes Robert Wagner is a little tinkerbell with his stories! I think I mentioned before he said that Bette Davis was always at her bitchiest when she was sexually frustrated and it was all pent up! He claimed she had quick sex in her dressing room with another male on set, whoever took her fancy and was then angelic and as nice as pie afterwards! 😁

I must confess Walter after being through Google images a bit recently I've developed massive smitten crushes on Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson I hadn't appreciated how masculine and strong looking Rock really was.

It is odd how differently we look at people, because even when I was 16 years old I never found Rock even vaguely attractive, or particularly masculine. You probably may not even have heard of John Derek, but he was a big heart throb in the late 40's and early 50's. Anyway, that is who I thought was very handsome, Google him and you will see what I mean. Linda Evans also thought so too, because he was her first husband. He also married Ursula Andress, and of course Bo Derek, who he dumped Linda for.

Thanks for asking about Linda's autobiography, because I never thought of checking that before. "Recipes For Life - My Memories" is an appropriate title, as she includes many of her favourite recipes, including Barbara's favourite steak. I have just ordered a second hand copy from Amazon or £2.86 + £2.80 postage from the USA.

There are a couple of chapters devoted to Barbara, who always called her Audra, her character in The Big Valley. When she mentions her in one chapter, she says, "God, I loved that woman!" so I just had to buy it.

On a sad note, I see that former child actress Patty Duke today aged 69. She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar when she was just 16 for her performance as the young Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. She went on to play a character based on the young Judy Garland in Valley of the Doll's, which is one of the Campest films of all time.

The scene in the Miracle Worker in which Bancroft and Duke wrestle as the former tries to feed the latter is strangely similar to the possession scenes with Linda Blair in the Exorcist.

http://www.masslive.com/entertainmen...hamner_jr.html

Walter the creative force behind Falcon Crest and The Waltons Earl Hamner Jnr has died aged 92-not necessarily a link to Barbara Stanwyck but certainly one to Jane Wyman and other Hollywood stars who appeared on the show Falcon Crest.

I'm glad my question about A Linda Evans autobiography had some serendipity effect and you've now ordered the book! Hope you find out lots of nuggets about your icon Barbara and others.

Yes it's interesting how perception and tastes differ -to me Rock Hudson is quite strong and appealing.

Quite smitten too with Tab Hunter who of course is still with us in his 80S-do you like him or find him attractive?

There actually is a link between Barbara and Falcon Crest, because she was offered the role of Angela Channing before Jane Wyman. For some crazy reason she turned it down, but then she often was a lousy judge of scripts. She turned down roles in the two biggest Box Office films of 1954, Three Coins in The Fountain and The High and the Mighty.

I like Tab very much, and have his autobiography, "Tab Hunter Confidential - The Making of a Movie Star" - I have just discovered that it was made into a documentary and was released last year. It was produced by his partner Allan Glaser, who he has been with since 1983.

He had an affair with Tony Perkins at the height of his screen fame in the 1950's. I must say that he looks marvellous at 83.

Arr of course I think you'd told me that before about Falcon Crest but I had a senior moment! I'm sure Falcon Crest would have worked out much better for her than The Colbys!! 😁 Even if it'd been a different role or a guest role I think Falcon Crest would have been a great pick career wise especially if she ended up sharing dramatic or catfight scenes with Jane Wyman!

I hadn't heard about Tabs affair with Anthony Perkins :O Am I right in thinking that Perkins widow died in the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York?
Yes Tab does look very well preserved! When was it that Tab came out publicly and was he friends with Rock Hudson? ☺
Many thanks -oh just a quarter of the way into the year and we are not far of 90,000 views!! I can't see 100,000 being a problem this year at all as a target to reach!

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/31....google.co.uk/

Shannon Bolin who starred in 1958 film Damn Yankees has sadly died aged 99

RIP

Yes, you are right about Perkins widow, she was in one of the planes that hit the World Trade Centre.

Tab came out officially when he wrote his autobiography, he said that the studio publicity men manufactured romances between him and Debbie Reynolds and Natalie Wood. In fact insiders had their own headlines for these unlikely twosomes, "Natalie Wood, but Tab Wouldn't!"

Tab and Rock knew each other, but weren't friends, they were at different studios too, Rock at Universal and Tab at Warner's. Shame that he didn't get the role of Tony in West Side Story, he would have been so much better than the bland Richard Beymer. He would also have had better chemistry with Natalie, they had worked together before, in The Burning Hills, and at least they were friends, if only platonic.

I must confess that I have never heard of the lady from Damn Yankee's. I have the film but can't recall her. Not that I can remember much about it anyway, a musical about baseball players just didn't do it for me.

I have worked out that we will have had 100.000 viewers by June, which will be our second anniversary, who would have believed it!

Have you ever seen The Big Valley, walter? The western drama that Babs did in the 60's.

I certainly have, it premiered here in October 1966, the same time as in the USA, and I used to record the dialogue on my Grundig reel to reel tape recorder.

I knew about it shortly before then because I had written one of my regular fan letters to Barbara and she replied with a personally signed photo, as well and some photo's from the show. She also sent a letter apologising for not replying sooner, but she had been busy filming her new TV Western series. I didn't realise that the show was in colour, as colour TV didn't start in the UK until 1967.

We only got the first series over here, but I did get all the film magazines with Barbara on the covers, it was like the 1940's all over again, and she had a whole new career for the next four years. She also won her second Emmy, and the Photoplay medal for TV's Best Actress.

I never thought that I would get to see them all, but the series was shown on SKY TV many times in the 1990's, and I have all 112 episodes, and in colour of course. I also have two DVD boxed sets of the series, plus an hour long documentary called "Portrait - Barbara Stanwyck" - in which she was interviewed on the set between scenes, with contributions from Anne Baxter, Ray Milland, Raymond Burr, and the two actors who played her sons in the show, Peter Breck, and Richard Long.

From the other end of her career here's a compilation of clips of the early Barbara Stanwyck:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo8cNoUNcCo

Her first film (Broadway Nights, 1927) seems to be a lost movie, though 15 people have rated it on IMDb. Wonder if any of them are old enough to have seen it on its first run in cinemas? She appeared uncredited as a fan dancer, as did Ann Southern:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway_Nights

I can't believe that they got the name of her first talkie wrong, it was The Locked Door, not Room.

I am pretty old, and have all of her films apart from Broadway Nights, and I doubt if anyone else has either. Sylvia Sidney also made her screen debut in that.

If you get to the end of that video you can see the full version of Lady of Burlesque which is hilarious. Barbara sings, dances, does the splits, and turns cartwheels, she obviously hadn't forgot her training as a chorus girl.

How lovely of her to send a signed autograph photo to you. I bet you hold that dear to your heart.

Yes Tab Hunter apparently still does events in the USA were fans can meet him etc
I hadn't realised that he used to be romantically "linked to both Debbie Reynolds and Natalie Wood. Makes you realise just how widespread bearding used to be in Hollywood -still likely does occur even today (but less a lot less) if certain rumours are to be believed!
Did Natalie or Debbie ever beard for anybody else do you know?
As for Richard Beymer -Ive seen him in Twin Peaks (he was good) a cult American TV show when he was in his 50s, he played an outlandish character who was quite unconventional in his wicked ways but I do get the impression that his range is quite narrow and he isn't very good outside that narrow range. IE not very versatile or convincing outside a tiny comfort zone which he is good in IE Twin Peaks. He starred with Piper Laurie in that and she really outclassed everyone in the cast in my opinion!

Yes I suspected the actress who died was a long shot and a bit obscure but felt it was worth mentioning.

Oh I'm delighted were close to hitting our second thread anniversary and still very much going strong! Indeed I'd never of predicted it in 2014! 👍

I have five letters, one of them hand written, and six personally signed photo's, which I received from Barbara between 1958 and 1981, and the last photo is in colour.

I was very lucky that Barbara always took the trouble to reply to fan letters, and often sent extra items such as photo's from her TV shows.

This is what Debbie had to say in an interview a few years ago.

"Every actor that I dated was gay, everyone apart from Robert Wagner. Rock Hudson was a close friend, he was gay, but he didn't dare come out, so he married his agent's secretary just to cover up. He never lived with her, and they paid him off."

Natalie bearded for Raymond Burr of all people, and she was also very close to James Dean and Sal Mineo.

I have been asked not to say anything, because ITV don't like to disclose too much about their future programmes, but just to let you know that I am on "Bradley Walsh at the London Palladium" on April 20th, and that is all I can say, so make a note in your diary.

Fans wishing Doris Day a happy 92nd birthday:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b0daf53af0c651