Stanwyck - The Ziegfeld Years.

Ruby Stevens during her Ziegfeld time 1923-24.

I've seen the above photo many times and loved it each time.  It seems to me that the pose/persona she's affecting is one of her greatest acting feats.  When you consider the rough-knocks childhood she had to endure, that later hard-boiled Stanwyck was really more of a natural for her.

The photo was taken by Alfred Chaney Johnston, an interesting chap in his own rite.  Charles Dana Gibson, originator of the illustrations know as The Gibson Girl, set the standard for American female ideal at the fin de siecle.  It's then only fitting that he took on the mentorship of Alfred Chaney Johnston guiding him and his photography to capture perfection in the female form for the next generation.  Johnston's career was made in 1917 when the great Flo Ziegfeld brought him in to 'glorify the American girl' in photographs.  He enjoyed tremendous commercial popularity throughout the 20s and into the mid-30s.  Then by the end of that decade, styles had changed but Johnston's had not.  In 1940 he and his wife left the center of it all and moved to a 15 acre parcel in Oxford, CT.  His era had past and the next three decades saw a much smaller life for Alfred.  In the 60s Chaney unsuccessfully tried to donate his entire studio and picture inventory to several organizations in both New York and Washington DC but there was no interest in storing such a vast amount of material.  The Library Of Congress did accept 245 prints as well as several product advertisement pictures.  The childless widower passed away  in 1971.

That top photo is just a teaser.  Chaney took other pictures of Stevens/Stanwyck.  Below are what I have found and they're lovely:

**posted with love for eva.

She Looks Damn Good For 100.

Miss Barbara Stanwyck!

Actors And Other Animals - Part 2

Joan Blondell and puppies

Dorothy Lamour loses the argument.

Gene Tierney with coordinating leopard

Hitchcock directing, always directing

Missy Stanwyck with her poodle named (are you ready?) Little Missy!

Two Beauties - Rudy Valentino and leopard cub.

The kooky Simone Simon becoming a cat, people.

For Eva....

My dear and luscious friend L'il  Eva has cautioned me (and rightly so) for my lack of Barbara Stanwyck coverage.  Like I need an excuse to gaze upon the wonders of Missy!

So here is a beginning to my amends darling:

Close Up

The Full Stanwyck.

Funny, I always thought the first shot was merely a crop of the second.  But what's this!  Slightly different angle of the head - and completely different background.

Anyway you slice it, she's a dish.

To Missy From Joan

Barbara thinks Joan is a "Gorgeous Hussy"

Bet when Joan got to LA in January of '63 she and Barbara had lunch at the Y.

Letter found here