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Monthly Screenings

Barbara Stanwyck: A Tribute

"Seems like every time Miss Stanwyck makes a picture she makes a false step—fictionally speaking, that is," wittily wrote New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther when another drama starring Stanwyck came out in the late 1940s. There may not be a more accurate sentence than this to summarize Stanwyck's place within Hollywood, though she was certainly one of its biggest stars in the 1930s and 1940s.

There is a degree of overlap between her biography and how her cinematic persona formed. Born in 1907, Stanwyck became orphaned at a young age, forcing her to move between foster homes and orphanages, and after watching her older sister perform in nightclubs, she decided that the stage was where she aspired to be. At 16, she performed as a dancer, she then reached Broadway and from there to Hollywood, just as film advanced from silent form to talkies. Her first roles presented the character of a young and unrestrained woman who would do anything to establish her place in the world. Her work makes it possible to discover pre-code Hollywood and the cinema created at the time. These are films that deal surprisingly directly with dubious heroes, dominating women and men who lose their minds, extramarital affairs, and other issues that challenge the correct social order.

In the late 1930s, Stanwyck still starred in comedies such as Remember the Night, Lady Eve, and others; in the 1940s, she was the heroine of film noir (from Double Indemnity to The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Sorry, Wrong Number) and in the 1950s, after she turned 40, she appears in melodramas (All I Desire, There's Always Tomorrow). Almost all of these roles find her as an outsider - an independent and strong woman who fails to maintain a family unit, whose ambitions disrupt her life, and whose presence is a threatening temptation.

Indeed, in all her performances, it is difficult to take your eyes off her - beyond the blonde facade, there is always something mysterious and unexpected that makes her presence on the screen extraordinary. It is an oddity that expresses danger and equally evokes compassion and melancholy. Hidden within this filmography is a sort of duet with the actor Fred MacMurray, who played alongside her in three films (Remember the Night, Double Indemnity, and There's Always Tomorrow). Their collaboration adds up to a portrait of a relationship that does not reach an outlet and is full of sorrow and loss.

Stanwyck's career did not end in missed opportunities. Although she left cinema in the early 1960s and found her place in television, she always knew how to navigate her way within the industry. This month's program is an opportunity to watch some of her career highlights.

The Miracle Woman

Dir.: Frank Capra
| 90 minutes

When her father, a minister, passes away, Florence decides to take his place. With the help of a skilled con man, she markets herself as a miracle worker. Stanwyck portrays a powerful woman struggling between the forces in her life: love and truth or success and lies.

Forbidden

Dir.: Frank Capra
| 85 minutes

On board a cruise, Lulu and Bob meet and fall in love. But when it turns out that Bob is married, the relationship crumbles. With elaborate camerawork and editing, this Forbidden explores volatile issues: single parenthood, social mobility, and adultery. The result is compelling and heartfelt.  

Baby Face

Dir.: Alfred E. Green
| 71 minutes

Lily leaves her small town for New York to make her way to the top of society. Her tactic: relationships with the men in her way. With a tremendous performance by Barbara Stanwyck, Baby Face is an intense and ironic drama that offers a singular and unforgettable viewing experience.

Remember the Night

Dir.: Mitchell Leisen
| 94 minutes

When a petty thief is caught and sent to jail on Christmas Eve in New York, the prosecutor takes pity. The two will spend Christmas traveling to his family in Indiana, and fall in love along the way. Barbara Stanwyck and Fred McMurray paint a portrait of a love that never finds its place.

The Lady Eve

Dir.: Preston Sturges
| 94 minutes

A delightful comedy about a conniving woman who tries to snare a rather simple minded millionaire. This spicy adaptation of the story of Adam, Eve and the Serpent, undercut the moral codes that were taking over 1940s Hollywood. 

Double Indemnity

Dir.: Billy Wilder
| 107 minutes

A young scheming wife convinces an insurance agent to murder her wealthy husband and split the profits. Unfortunately, all does not go as planned.... In a mix of romance and cynicism, Billy Wilder adapts Chandler's brilliant script to present a highly enjoyable film.

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

Dir.: Lewis Milestone
| 116 minutes

After inheriting her aunt's estate and marrying the district attorney, Martha Ivers is the dominant figure of her small town. The return of a childhood friend threatens to reveal her secrets. This wild film noir relies on a frosty performance by Barbara Stanwyck.

Sorry, Wrong Number

Dir.: Anatole Litvak
| 89 minutes

Leona Stevenson is confined to her bed. When she asks the phone operator to connect her to her husband, she overhears a conversation between two men discussing a future murder. The anxiety leads her to uncover a crime with tragic consequences. Sorry, Wrong Number is a film noir on speed.

All I Desire

Dir.: Douglas Sirk
| 80 minutes

A decade after leaving her hometown and family, Naomi Murdoch returns for one evening. But one cannot just return without awakening all the loves, pains, longings, and resentments. All I Desire is an exceptional melodrama, written with vast candor, having all emotions plastered on the screen.

There's Always Tomorrow

Dir.: Douglas Sirk
| 84 minutes

A successful toy manufacturer feels lonely in his family. When he meets an employee from the past, all emotions stir. Douglas Sirk's brilliant melodrama deals with grief for what is lost and reconciliation for what remains.