William Holden and Barbara Stanwyck

[quote] (Stanwyck) received her Honorary Oscar at the 1982 Academy Award ceremony, Holden had died in an accident just a few months prior. At the end of her acceptance speech, she paid him a personal tribute: "I loved him very much, and I miss him. He always wished that I would get an Oscar. And so tonight, my golden boy, you got your wish".

around 2:22, Stanwyck was fighting back tears!

Barbara really aged beautifully.

She was smart to keep the premature white, r2. It softened her.

She aged better than her contemporaries, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The only other actress from her era who aged beautifully was Katharine Hepburn.

Who cares about William Holden and Barbara Stanwick? I would bet most of my friends don't remember who these people are. Let's talk more about today's stars.

Barbara was known to be a very kind and generous actress. I read a story how she make the director John Farrow apologise to an actor she thought he had been rude to, in front of the whole crew.

Fuck you, r4...

R5, these threads all have headings, you know? I skip lots of them but I am old and don’t read things of no interest to me anymore.

Read the room, r5...or at least the title of the thread.

Linda Evans always spoke highly of Stanwyck. She was clearly a very kind and generous woman. When she won her well deserved Emmy for Thorn Birds she praised fellow nominee Ann-Margaret in her acceptance speech. And it came from the heart. What a dame.

Stanwyck was simply great in everything. She was in my opinion the most versatile of the Hollywood Golden Age actresses and worked with the very best directors because they knew what she could bring to a film.

Think of the films she shot consecutively in about two years (not sure of the order, but), Golden Boy, Meet John Doe, The Lady Eve, Ball of Fire and the sublime Remember the Night. Wow. Rouben Mamoulian, Capra, Sturgis, Howard Hawks and Mitchell Leisen. Top that!

R7, she was probably the most beautiful woman in Hollywood history. She was tough as hell, too, and took pride in her derisive nickname "the iron butterfly."

Jeanette McDonald was also referred to as the Iron Butterfly.

I thought Jeanette was "the steel butterfly."

R11 Stanwyck should have won her first Oscar for "Stella Dallas", and I think she deserved a second one for "The Lady Eve", she was nominated for "Ball of Fire" which came out the same year, but looking back, her performance in "The Lady Eve" was truly a masterpiece, so ahead of its time! And of course she should have won her 3rd Oscar for "Double Indemnity".

Unlike many other top billing stars of her time, Stanwyck never signed long term contracts with studios, she was always relatively free to choose different studios/directors/films to work on, I think that "freedom" helped her a lot to try different roles, and she was so good and always delivered!

PS. "Stella Dallas" is free to watch on youtube this month.

i think she had multiple studio contracts so she could move from one to another for projects easily.

R16 she had non-exclusive contracts with multiple studios, which allowed her to move around easily. Most stars at her time were locked into studio-exclusive contracts, they had to be released or lent to other studios first. Stanwick had no such issues, once she finished a film, she could pick another one from a different studio.

Stanwyck was the most versatile actress of her era, and possibly the best overall. Never a beauty but very striking, and aged gorgeously.

So many iconic films to her name too! Baby Face, Stella Dallas, The Lady Eve (also the sexiest Henry Fonda has EVER been), Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity, Christmas in Connecticut, Sorry Wrong Number, Clash By Night....

Even her lurid campy stuff is SO enjoyable, like Walk on te Wild Side.

R1 that clip always brings a tear to my eye. She really loved Holden.

[quote] According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's autopsy report, Holden bled to death in his apartment in Santa Monica, California, on November 12, 1981 after lacerating his forehead from slipping on a rug while intoxicated and hitting a bedside table. Forensic evidence recovered at the scene suggested that he was conscious for at least half an hour after the fall.

A terrible way to die! Bob Saget's death is eerily similar, except Saget was under the influence of drugs not alcohol.

Can't stand Bill Holden. I like Barb but I blame her for forcing him on us. It's karmic payback that she never won an Oscar but he did.

Oh brother, r21.

R21 what's wrong with Holden? And Stanwyck only worked with Holden twice in her career, it's not like she was actively promoting Holden after "Golden Boy". The second film they starred together was in 1954, by then Holden had already become the highest paid actor in Hollywood.

R23 He was a womanizing drunkard and distant father. He looked old even when he was so-called young and was completely miscast in Sunset Boulevard as the "younger" man to Norma Desmond. He took the Oscar away from Montgomery Clift in 1953 (I think even he acknowledged that he shouldn't have won). He was a terrible husband, taking his floozies including Audrey Hepburn home to dinner with his wife just to watch her squirm. He was disrespectful to co-star Jennifer Jones as well. Only surprised he didn't keel over long before he did considering how much he abused his liver.

If Barb hadn't fought to keep him on Golden Boy, Bill wouldn't have a career and Monty would have won an Oscar. Monty was far more deserving than this tired old man.

There was a critic who said this about him. "William Holden again confirms my belief that he was terrible as a romantic lead."

You seem to take it so...so...personally, r24.

R26 He and Grace Kelly should have been run out of Hollywood for stealing Oscars that rightfully belonged to Montgomery Clift and our very own Judy Garland. They were both massive sluts as well and highly overrated in looks although certainly not in talent since neither had any.

From my dressing room in heaven, I can hear Grace writhing in hell for stealing my Oscar!

R28 I wouldn't know "Frances." I didn't get into Heaven because I stopped believing in God when I lost my first Oscar to Mammy. And all because I was the rightful leading lady of Gone with the Wind and all of America knew it.

R26 Perhaps you ought to be taking it more seriously!! Have you forgotten that Monty was one of us? You would rather stan the lined wrinkles of an old and ugly drunk???

[quote] There was a critic who said this about him. "William Holden again confirms my belief that he was terrible as a romantic lead."

It might have something to do with the fact that most women were not interested in seeking a geriatric for a romantic partner.

Funny, because Golden Boy is one of my least favorite Stanwyck movies. It should have been better than it was. But I love her screen persona and most of her other projects. She was a Republican, but not a bigoted one like Ginger Rogers or Walter Brennan. They all belonged to The Motion Pictures Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals. It was an anti communist movement designed to “weed out the Reds” in Tinseltown. Any Rand was the founder IIRC. I may be wrong about that. Barbara was a big fan of Rand and even convinced Jack Warner to purchase the screen rights for The Fountainhead. She felt that she was born to play Dominique. But Warner had different ideas. He found Barbara Stanwyck at forty, a tad too old for the role. So he hired Patricia Neal, who would go on to have an affair with her leading man, Gary Cooper. Stanwyck was so miffed that she asked to be let go of her short term contract with Warner Brothers. And she resented Neal for years. But the movie was so awful, save for the beauty of a film score. Barbara dodged a bullet IMO.

Thanks for making me tear up twice on a beautiful sunny afternoon! What lovely sentiments from two celebrities who obviously cared a great deal for each other.

I can imagine these scenes happening again with the current crop of crap actors we have today.

R32 I would only have watched The Fountainhead if Missy had starred in it.

[quote] It might have something to do with the fact that most women were not interested in seeking a geriatric for a romantic partner.

I have never understood how William Holden and Spencer Tracy had careers. Both men were fugly.

Barb never had good taste in men. William Holden as a friend was bad enough but Robert Taylor as a gay husband was even worse. Barb should have stuck to women. Her best taste was having Joan as a BFF/lover on the side.

That reminds me, why the fuck did they not have Joan Crawford "The Queen of Hollywood" present the award to Barbara? Were they afraid she would accept the award on Barbara's behalf?

I agree with bitches, Joan should have been up there with Barbara instead of a haggard man who could only mumble out his slurred words.

R35 Spencer Tracy, yes! But Holden was very attractive, at least to me.

Here is a photo of Holden and Grace Kelly working on the set of "The Bridges at Toko-Ri", R27 must be livid now, lol

Judy should have walked up the Oscar stage in her hospital gown and bitch slapped that whore Grace in front of everyone. Then throw a scarlet letter at her.

I am surprised that so many gays support two has-beens like Grace and Bill who could not have been any less gay than if they tried.

Who cares about Holden's personal life? Most actors are drunken womanizers. He was hot when young and turned in some good performances.

R24 I'm sorry but who on earth thought William fucking Holden looked younger than Gloria fucking Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. Total miscasting there.

Fuck off, R5.

Was Tab Hunter acting in 1950? I'd like to have seen him in Sunset Boulevard instead even if I would be afraid Gloria Swanson would eat him.

I have no love for Barbara. Didn't she say she hates sissy men or something? Was very homophobic towards men which is ironic considering her 2nd husband...or maybe that's why.

The real slut was Lana Turner who slept with Robert Taylor. At least there is some justice in this world that she never got an Oscar but Barbara did, albeit an honorary one.

I think Holden's casting in Sunset Boulevard works because there is a parallel between the character as a failed screenwriter and he as a flailing actor. Sunset made him a star.

The Golden Boy Holden!

[quote] I think Holden's casting in Sunset Boulevard works because there is a parallel between the character as a failed screenwriter and he as a flailing actor. Sunset made him a star.

Forget Holden or Swanson. Norma Shearer should have accepted and made her triumphant comeback.

R37 If this award took place in 1978, then Joan would already have been dead by then :(

R51 They should have had Barbara accept the award on Joan's behalf then.

Was Barbara the one who adopted a child she disowned later on? Or was that Joan Fontaine?

R53 I never had to disown any of my children. I also had two oscars to your oscar and a damehood.

Barbara had to return the drinking helmet she'd bought Holden for Christmas.

R24 as a disciple of Judy Garland, I never go to bed without a prayer that Grace Kelly gets fucked over by her Oscar

This is always my favorite part of any award show. I love seeing an old war horse brought out on stage to get one great night of recognition.

R57 Are you calling Missy a horse?

R27 Don't forget that cunt Rita Moreno who stole Judy's last chance at an Oscar. So glad that racist bitch didn't get nominated this year.

This thread should be retitled to "Who was on Judy Garland's hit list?"

R26 You do realize Grace Kelly should be considered a murderer. Judy knew it was the end of her when they didn't give her that Oscar.

R53 Stanwyck adopted a son during her first marriage , they were estranged after the boy grew up, but they still kept in touch via a proxy. Stanwyck's sister and her boyfriend "Uncle Buck" took care of his son, we have a Stanwyck loon here on DL, who kept saying Stabwych abandoned the boy and his son died homeless etc, none of these were true!

Grace Kelly may be dead but that's no reason she can't be put on Trial for the Murder of Judy Garland.

R61 By this logic, we should blame Montgomery Clift's death on William Holden as well. Brand that ugly-ass man as a murderer.

R62 LIES! YOU LIE!

R65 I know you would show up!

I bet you Judy and Monty get together in Heaven over their drug of choice and trash talk those failed 50s icons who stole their chances at getting an Oscar. Meanwhile Judy is just waiting for the day Rita expires so she can get her revenge on her as well.

Anyone here who has a kind word to say about Grace Kelly gets thrown out of the Church of Judy.

I love Holden in Stalag 17. Yes, he deserved the Oscar. Sorry, Monty!!!

R69 Then why the fuck did the man say himself he didn't deserve the Oscar?

MARY!!!!!

😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭

R42 You would sell yourself out for some dick. And not even a large one at that.

Everyone there is too much talk in this thread that is not about Judy. Let's go back on topic to her.

Holden was an ugly fuck. Grace at least was pretty which is the only talent she had. Both deserve to have their Oscars revoked along with 2/4 of Katharine Hepburn's.

R74 I would like to take one Oscar for All About Eve and the other Oscar for Baby Jane. Both of them were due to me but wrongfully stolen.

Anthony Dion Fay, Stanwyck's adopted son sold this story to the tabloid. He was arrested and had a court date coming, he desperately needed money, that's why he sold the story for a few dollars.

Read the entire feature yourself, they were estranged but Stanwyck was no Crawford, and Anthony himself expressed the regret, Stanwyck told him he could go to any college he wanted, but he was not interested in education, it came as no surprise that the hard working Stanwyck was disappointed in him.

I loved Barbara's shoutout to Ann Margaret, who deserved the Emmy for Children, as well as one for Two Mrs. Grenvilles. She is a superb actress who never got the acclaim she deserved.

That being said, I wonder how Rosanna or Mariette felt sitting there watching Barbara praise one nominee to the hilt. It reminds me of when Ingrid Bergman praised Valentina Cortese at the oscars and pissed off fellow nominee Diane Ladd.

R75 Besides that bitch Grace's oscar, I'd also like to take that hairy bitch Ginger's oscar as well. She can sleep with a shaving mug instead.

R76 You had me believing you until you said Stanwyck was no Crawford. I'm officially on the side of the Stanwyck troll now.

One thing I can promise right now is that this thread will not devolve into a hate on Joan Crawford thread. Joan as an icon and should be treated as such. The same cannot be said for that drunkard Holden or that butch Stanwyck.

Stan Judy and Joan instead. Throw in Bette Davis if she's willing to play nice.

R33 fuck you and fuck your child

Lovely, OP and new to me. Holden was a “hunk” in his day for sure, didn’t know we had Barbara to thank for his career.

Barbara has never held much love with the gays. She was a Republican and not a camp icon.

Bette Davis thought Stanwyck was low-class and had little talent.

After that tabloid story, Stanwyck was mad! She asked "uncle buck" to send his son money and bailed him out, under the condition he will never ever talk to press again, and it looked like his son kept his word, that's the last time we ever heard of him. There was also another reason, after Frank Fay's death in 1961, her son went to the court and was rewarded a sizeable estate of Frank, with that money, his son later became a successful businessman til his death in 2006.

She was one of the greatest stars and best actresses.

[quote]Bette Davis thought Stanwyck was low-class and had little talent.

And, R85?

Love them both but Bette never was the best judge of character.

Handsome Bill was in the 1980 film The Earthling with deplorable Ricky Schroder. 🤮🤮🤮

R85 Celeste Holm thought that about Bette.

Another reason to hate Grace Kelly: she pretended she was Hollywood's original princess. Bitch forgot that Rita Hayworth married a prince way before her.

R90 Anne Baxter thought that about Celeste Holm

Thankfully, I watched Stalag 17 just two nights ago on youtube, or I would hunt R69 down and skin him!

Lovely. Two absolute giants of the golden age of Hollywood. Thank you OP.

Helen Twelvetrees hit me in the head with a fondue pot.

Not hard enough.

[quote] There was a critic who said this about him. "William Holden again confirms my belief that he was terrible as a romantic lead."

As posted on the internet by one Michael W Phillips Jr, self-appointed "critic", in 2004.

[quote] Michael W. Phillips Jr. started reviewing films at the age of 15, when he walked into the local newspaper office and asked if they wanted a film critic. The paper closed down soon thereafter. He took a break to attend college and start graduate school in History, then he restarted his career as a film critic with a geocities site in 2000. Somewhere in there he had a short-lived professional relationship with a major movie site that he'd rather not discuss. He moved to his own URL in 2004. In 2005, he was hired as a film critic for yet another small, local paper, which ceased publication shortly thereafter. He's reasonably sure he had nothing to do with this, but after closing down two newspapers, he's not positive anymore. He pays the bills by editing print ads for fast food retailers.

R97 Still sounds more qualified than most of the queens on here.

So he fucked her. Touching.

Went to a screening at AMPAS of one of my favorites The Strange Loves Of Martha Ivers. Kirk Douglas was the guest. He said this film was his first big break opposite star Stanwyck but for some reason she did not like him and he thought he was going to be replaced in the role. He asked advice from fellow cast member Van Heflin who told him "Ask her out for dinner." Douglas smiled telling us. "So we had dinner together (that's what we called it back then) and everything was fine after that." Laughter.

^ I didn't even get a breadstick.

R24 is clearly unhinged and mentally ill. There are people like this in every thread who always claim that this and that actor is evil because he's a lousy father or he never smiles at strangers or never helps an elderly or he drinks too much. People like R24 are pathologically sick, and they suck the air and the life out of every gathering they attend.

R34 Dominique was a spoiled flake of a woman. Can’t see Barbara in the role.

Holden was handsome enough to have arguably the most beautiful actress in Hollywood history fall in love with him

You're too kind, r104!

Missy wasn't afraid to 'go there', even as she aged.

R79 oh please, she didn't mistreat or abuse her son!

I thought Missy was a dyke?

Well, darling, I really wouldn't know. Missy never sucked my cock.

Bill Holden and Audrey Hepburn were crazy about each other, but their attempt to revitalize their affair in the early 1960s failed because he was just such a drunk by then. Audrey at least had some modicum of self worth to not get serious with him.

God Loved him in Sabrina!! Would have to loved to have had Cary as Linus rather than Bogie, as what was supposedly the original plan. But still great. Holden was so good in it. That smile, Oh God, that smile

Billy knew where to find the booze and the broads and it showed at 63.

R100 Kirk Douglas is a rapist and the same pig who bitched about Joan's lovemaking which is arguably the greater sin. Fuck him. That's another louse Stanwyck enabled.

[quote] "So we had dinner together (that's what we called it back then) and everything was fine after that." Laughter.

Sorry, Douglas has a little too much dick for Missy's taste for me to believe this.

R104 I know for a fact that Joan Crawford, Hedy Lamarr, Vivien Leigh, Gene Tierney, Rita Hayworth, or Elizabeth Taylor never had any relations with him so I don't know what you're talking about.

In "Picnic", Holden was creepy as hell. It would have been more believable if he had fallen in love with Verna Felton than Kim Novak.

R104 Interestingly enough, Hedy, Gene, and Rita shared a lot of the same lovers. Hedy's fifth husband was a rich Texan who married Gene and they were together till the end. Rita's third husband was Prince Aly Khan and he was briefly engaged with Gene as well afterwards.

R107 Precisely, neither did Joan.

I preferred this thread when it was the Judy Garland thead, not who Kirk Douglas raped.

William Holden is my favorite actor. It doesn't even bother me that he started my nose on fire.

He was so amiable in that episode.

[quote]That reminds me, why the fuck did they not have Joan Crawford "The Queen of Hollywood" present the award to Barbara? Were they afraid she would accept the award on Barbara's behalf?

Joan had been pushing up daisies for five years when Stanwyck got her honorary Oscar.

You'd think that wouldn't have stopped Joan, r122.

Monty Clift inadvertently saved Bill Holden's career when he bowed out of 1950's SUNSET BOULEVARD at the last minute.

Until that film Holden was mostly just a B picture actor starring in the occasional Western throughout the 1940s, in spite of his early ingenue days in GOLDEN BOY and OUR TOWN. There was so little time to recast SUNSET BOULEVARD, Holden was the only available actor on Billy Wilder's list. He was loaned out from Columbia and Holden came through and showed a seedier side to his usual sunny persona and the film totally revitalized his career.

As a Columbia contract player, in 1950 Holden also starred opposite Judy Holliday in BORN YESTERDAY the same year but, in spite of his billing, he was really there just to support Holliday and Broderick Crawford and that bland role was more typical of what he had been doing until SUNSET BOULEVARD.

R122 All that means is that they should have awarded Stanwyck earlier so that Joan could have been given the chance to award her BFF

[quote] Monty Clift inadvertently saved Bill Holden's career when he bowed out of 1950's SUNSET BOULEVARD at the last minute.

And this fucker thanked Monty by taking his Oscar.

[quote]Bitch forgot that Rita Hayworth married a prince way before her.

Eventually, so did Hayworth.

[quote]Somewhere in there he had a short-lived professional relationship with a major movie site that he'd rather not discuss.

I fired that little homosexual when he couldn't find Video West.

[quote]Douglas smiled telling us. "So we had dinner together (that's what we called it back then) and everything was fine after that."

I guess mine was a forced feeding.

Swanson at 4'11" could have kicked lil Monty's ass.

They should have cast Norma and her boytoy Mickey Rooney in Sunset Boulevard

The movie works perfectly as cast...

R121 probably my favorite star appearance on ILL. Most of the others were obviously just self promoting and were pretty stiff (looking at you Rock Hudson) but Bill seemed into it and genuinely enjoying playing the part. He was so cute in it too

R124 Sunset Boulevard was a Paramount picture, not Columbia.

Miss Stanwyck: Class, dignity, presence, determination, balls, and an actor who could walk away from as well as towards the camera in a scene with indescribable attitude like no other. ❤️

Peter Breck often reminded me of Bill Holden.

And like Bette Davis, Stanwyck had the appellation of "Miss" in her television credits.

I do like imagining Judy and Monty, the old boozy queens, are bitching together in heaven. I read somewhere she wanted him opposite her for ASIB, but he thought the role would be too close to home (depressed alcoholic playing depressed alcoholic).

r134, yes, as I said in my post, Holden was loaned out from Columbia to do SUNSET BOULEVARD. I should have mentioned loaned out to Paramount.

Holden had done MISS GRANT TAKES RICHMOND in 1949 with Lucille Ball at Columbia where he was toiling as a long-time contract player and she was installed briefly between her MGM days and her radio gigs just before ILL. And Lucy got top billing, but it cemented a friendship that paid out a few years later after Holden's stardom took a major upward turn when he agreed to guest star on ILL in one of that series most famous episodes.

It's hilarious how personally some of you take the lives of dead drunks you never met.

You act like Holden was your abusive father and Garland was your saintly mother.

It's some type of mental illness.

I can't believe that Stanwyck was ever into men. She was so dykey!

Another underrated Stanwyck film is MY REPUTATION…she’s cast against type, but is quite effective.

I love Bill in The Bridge on the River Kwai. I even went to the filming location in Sri Lanka. I also went to O'Fallon, IL (suburb of St. Louis) to see Bill's childhood home. Very cool!