30 Glamorous Photos of a Young and Beautiful Barbara Stanwyck in the 1930s

Barbara Stanwyck (July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress 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 86 films in 38 years before turning to television. She received numerous accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and was nominated for four Academy Awards.

Orphaned at the age of four and partially raised in foster homes, she always worked. One of her directors, Jacques Tourneur, said of her, “She only lives for two things, and both of them are work.” She 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 transitioned from the stage to the film industry, and began acting in talking pictures.

Stanwyck’s career truly took off with Frank Capra’s romantic drama Ladies of Leisure (1930). This marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with Capra, with whom she made several other notable films, including The Miracle Woman (1931), Forbidden (1932), the controversial The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933), and Gambling Lady (1934).

Stanwyck became a significant figure in the “Pre-Code” era (roughly 1930-1934), where films had more freedom from censorship. She excelled in roles that were often provocative and showcased women with agency, such as in Night Nurse (1931) and especially Baby Face (1933). In Baby Face, she famously played Lily Powers, a woman who ruthlessly uses her sexuality to climb the corporate ladder, a role that was highly controversial at the time.

Throughout the 1930s, Stanwyck demonstrated her ability to seamlessly transition between genres. While she was masterful in dramas and melodramas, she also began to showcase her talent for comedy, paving the way for her later success in screwball comedies. Her star rose steadily, and by the late 1930s, she was considered among the elite of Hollywood actresses. She often played “good girls from the wrong side of the tracks” who overcame adversity.

A significant milestone in her 1930s career was her performance in Stella Dallas (1937), for which she received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In this powerful melodrama, she played a self-sacrificing mother who gives up her own happiness for her daughter's well-being.

Beyond those already mentioned, other notable films from this period include Ten Cents a Dance (1931), So Big! (1932), Annie Oakley (1935), and Golden Boy (1939), where she helped launch the career of William Holden.