Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic screen presence and versatility. She was a favorite of directors, including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang, and Frank Capra, and made 85 films in 38 years before turning to television. She transitioned to television by the 1960s, where she won three Emmy Awards, for The Barbara Stanwyck Show, the western series The Big Valley, and the miniseries The Thorn Birds. In 1982, she received an Honorary Oscar the Golden Globe Cecil B. Barbara was ranked as the 11th greatest female star of classic American cinema by the American Film Institute.
Birth Name
Ruby Catherine Stevens
Nickname
Barbara Stanwyck
Profession
Actress, Model, Dancer
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard was born on the 16th of July 1907, in Brooklyn, New York City, United States.
Died
She was died on the 20th of January 1990 (at the age of 82), at Saint John’s Health Center situated in Santa Monica, California, United States. Her death was caused by congestive heart failure and chronic pulmonary disease (COPD). Stanwyck wanted no funeral service and requested for her remains to be cremated and ashes scattered from a helicopter over Lone Pine, California, a place where she had made some of her western films.
Sun Sign
Cancer
Ethnicity
White
She was of English and Scottish descent.
Religion
In June 1916, she was first baptized as a Protestant and her baptism was done by the Reverend J. Frederic Berg of the Protestant Dutch Reformed Church. However, she later converted to Roman Catholic when she married her first husband, Frank Fay.
Education
Her educational qualifications are unknown.
Family Details
- Father – Byron E. Stevens (Working-Class Parent)
- Mother – Catherine Ann (née McPhee) (Working-Class Parent)
- Siblings – Malcolm Byron (Older Brother), Laura Mildred (Older Sister), Viola (Older Sister), Mabel (Older Sister)
Marital Status
Divorced
Boyfriend / Spouse
Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard has dated –
- Rex Cherryman (1928) – In 1928, Stanwyck was romantically linked to her married co-star, Rex Cherryman. It wasn’t sure how the two ended the relationship but Cherryman became ill during the early 1928 and his doctor advised him to take a sea voyage to Paris where they had arranged to meet. At that time, he died of septic poisoning at the age of 31.
- Frank Fay (1928-1935) – On August 26, 1928, Gilyard married her Burlesque co-star Frank Fay. With him, she had one adopted son named Dion. Stanwyck had an abortion at the age of 15 which resulted in complications, making her unable to have children. On December 30, 1935, The couple got divorced. After the divorce, she won the custody of her son whom she had raised with a strict authoritarian hand and demanding expectations. Her son died in 2006.
- Robert Taylor (1936-1950) – In 1936, Barbara became romantically involved with her co-star, Robert Taylor. They started living together and their marriage was arranged in 1939 with the help of Taylor’s studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1950, Taylor and Stanwyck mutually decided to end their marriage. In 1969, following Taylor’s death, Stanwyck was greatly affected and took a long hiatus from film and television work.
- Farley Granger – In 1950, Stanwyck reportedly had a one-night stand with Farley Granger.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 5 inches
- In centimeters – 165 cm
- In meters – 1.65 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 58 kg
- In Pounds – 128 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 34-24-35
- Bust – 34 inches
- Waist – 24 inches
- Hip – 35 inches
- Bra Size – 33B
Body Build
Slim
Eye Color
Green
Hair Color
Blonde
Shoe Size
She wears a size 7.5 (US) shoe.
Dress Size
Her dress size is 5 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Barbara became known as the Barkleys on the TV western The Big Valley (1965), wherein she played Victoria, and from the hit drama The Colbys (1985). But she was known to millions of other fans for her movie career, which spanned the period from 1927 until 1964, after which she appeared on television until 1986. It was a career that lasted for 59 years.
Film Debut
In 1929, Stanwyck had her first film onscreen role in the movie The Locked Door.
Television Debut
In 1958, Gilyard landed her first role in television by appearing as guest-starred in the series, Trail to Nowhere.
Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard Net worth
Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard has an estimated net worth of $10 million dollars as of 2023.
Some Lesser Known Facts About Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard
- Stanwyck was born Ruby Catherine Stevens in Brooklyn, New York. She was the fifth – and youngest – child of Kathryn Ann (née McPhee) and Byron E. Stevens, both working-class parents.
- When Ruby was four, her mother died of complications from a miscarriage after she was knocked off a moving streetcar in 1911 by a drunkard. Two weeks after the funeral, her father joined a work crew digging the Panama Canal and was never seen again by his family.
- She started working as a telephone operator and a chorus girl at the age of 17.
- In 1923, she made her debut on stage as a Ziegfeld girl and soon became a Broadway star in plays such as Burlesque (1927).
- In 1928, she moved to Hollywood and began acting in talking pictures. She quickly rose to fame as one of the most popular and versatile actresses of her time.
- She starred in many genres of films, such as melodramas, comedies, thrillers, and westerns. Some of her most acclaimed films are Stella Dallas (1937), The Lady Eve (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), and Sorry, Wrong Number (1948).
- Stanwyck appeared in 85 films in 38 years before she turned to the small screens.
- She also appeared in many other TV shows and movies, such as The Barbara Stanwyck Special, The House That Would Not Die, A Taste of Evil, The Letters, The Night Walker, Charlie’s Angels, The Big Sleep and Dynasty.
- In 1982, Barbara was awarded an honorary Academy Award for her superlative creativity and unique contribution to the art of screen acting.
