Born in Brooklyn in 1907 as Ruby Catherine Stevens, screen legend Barbara Stanwyck appeared in nearly 90 films between 1927 and 1973. Her acting range was phenomenal, playing everything from spunky nightclub singers to scheming matriarchs. In this class, we will examine five films that exhibit the full range of her acting abilities. We’ll start with Stella Dallas, a drama from 1941 that launched Stanwyck’s career, directed by King Vidor and co-starring John Boles and Ann Shirley. We’ll next look at The Lady Eve, a witty comedy from 1941, directed by Preston Sturges and co-starring Henry Fonda and Charles Coburn. We’ll then turn to Ball of Fire, a screwball comedy from 1941, written by Billy Wilder and directed by Howard Hawks, co-starring Gary Cooper and with a marvelous supporting cast that includes Dana Andrews, Henry Travers (Clarence of It’s a Wonderful Life) and Gene Krupa as himself on drums. Next will be Double Indemnity, a classic film noir from 1944, directed by Billy Wilder and co-starring Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson. We’ll end with The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, a suspenseful melodrama from 1946, directed by Lewis Milestone and co-starring Van Heflin, Kirk Douglas and Lizabeth Scott.

Participants will need to watch the films on their own before class. These movies are available on a variety of streaming services and most can be obtained from the Minuteman Library System. Details on how to watch each film will be provided a few weeks before classes begin. During class, we’ll cover some background material and look at selected clips from the film and other related movies. However, the emphasis will be on a group discussion of the film, focusing on script, acting, cinematography and other production elements, as well as how the film relates to today’s world.