To My Lady Of Courage

Barbara Stanwyck maintained a correspondence with Vivian Cosby while the latter was recovering from a horrible accident that happened on New Year's Day 1939. Cosby, a Broadway playwright, had just started working in Hollywood when in her new home her dress caught fire from a heater, leaving her burned so badly that doctors thought she would not survive. Luckily Cosby lived, but it took several operations and several years to recuperate.

Barbara was one of the Hollywood celebrities who stood by Cosby during her fight for survival and recovery. Apart from visiting Cosby whenever she could, Barbara also wrote to her regularly, keeping Cosby up to date about the films she was making, her daily life etcetera. Barbara's letters were published in the November 1941 issue of the fan magazine Photoplay, of which several are shown below. 

June 5th, 1940 

Dear Vivian:

What a soldier you are.  

I've been playing a lot of golf — all of it bad. I went to practice places and hit bucketfulls of balls by the hour. My enthusiasm failed to grow so I thought I should get out on a course. Bob was divinely patient— golf being his great enthusiasm at the moment (and he's not bad, not bad at all), but I'm not going to be a golfer and we both know it now. I never could get to care how seldom I hit the ball. I've convinced Mr. T. he should golf alone or with someone who can be as intent as he is on cutting down the score. My scores read like the national debt and, also like the debt, kept getting higher and higher. Maybe I should take up bowling. A high score is something to work for there. 

Do tell me about yourself. 

I'll be in to see you one of these days when you feel like seeing me. 

As always, 

Barbara 

Barbara Stanwyck on the golf course with her second husband Robert Taylor (l), to whom she was married from 1939 until 1952, and Clark Gable who, like Taylor, was a golf enthusiast.

__________

August 5th, 1940

Vivian, dear: 

So you got out! But that's marvelous. How, why, when and where? I am so happy that you did have a change.

The picture [Meet John Doe] is going along just fine. Everybody is so nice and so terribly interested in his work, it's a pleasure to be there each day. And, of course, Capra is in a class by himself. There's no one really quite like him and when people ask, "What's so different about him?"— you just answer, "He's Capra, that's all". You make other pictures to live, but you live to make a Capra picture.

Do tell me about yourself, Vivian — how you're getting along. 

Bob's picture "Escape" was sneaked at Long Beach Friday night. I did not see it, of course, but the reports are glowing. Let's hope so. He did work so hard on it.

My best to you, Vivian, and when you have time write me.

As always, 

Barbara

Barbara Stanwyck and Frank Capra made a total of five films together, i.e. Ladies of Leisure (1930), Miracle Woman (1931), Forbidden (1932), The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) and Meet John Doe (1941). 

__________

October 14, 1940

Vivian, dear:

Well, here I am on another picture [The Lady Eve]. This time at Paramount with Preston Sturges writing and directing. It's fun and very pleasant.

Bob is taking his flying lessons seriously — books and much studying and all that. He will be a very good flyer some day and I shall be very proud and casual about it, but truthfully, right now it does scare me a little.

I'm an utter coward about flying myself. So, of course I keep on flying. Once I'm in the air I expect to relax, but I don't and I grin all the time to prove I'm not afraid at all. Flying to me is a pounding heart, an ice-encased body, and a petrified grin. Someday I'll laugh in the air as comfortably as I do at the end of every trip. I hope the next flight will be the one I fly out of my fear on.

Bob, of course, is completely at home in the air. And I've never bothered to tell him how I feel. I can't abide scared women, and I'm sure no one has any right to keep others from doing what they want to do. Particularly wives shouldn't try to have their own way all the time.

Course I've always thought it might be fun to "queen" it over the household for a day, but my family'd probably stop such goings-on by noon.

How I do run on. All I really started out to say was I hope you liked the candy. If there's any special kind you like please tell me.

As ever,

Barbara

Left photo: Robert Taylor in front of his private plane named "Missy", Barbara's nickname. During WWII Taylor became a flight instructor for the US Navy. Right: While Barbara didn't share her husband's passion for golf and flying, she did share his love for horses and horse riding.

__________

November 13, 1940

Dear Vivian:

So you've read "John Doe". Now you know why I was so excited about the whole deal. You know we never did shoot an ending on it as yet. The picture ended as Cooper carries me off the roof, and I'm just as curious as you are as to how they are going to end the whole thing.

This one, the Preston Sturges picture "Lady Eve", is going along just fine. 

We call Sturges "The Mad Genius" . 

You never know what he'll do next. Wore his hat all day the other day "so we'd recognize him". Came on the set the day we were working in my bedroom wearing a horrible looking bathrobe! Hope people will like the picture as much as we've liked making it. 

Do you want any books, Vivian? I thought maybe you would. Let me know. 

Fondly,

Barbara

Above: Meet John Doe indeed ends where Gary Cooper carries Barbara Stanwyck off the roof. Initially, there were five different endings, including one that had John Doe leap to his death which was rejected by preview audiences. Capra was never happy about how the film eventually ended. Below: Barbara and director Preston Sturges on the set of The Lady Eve (1941).

February 22, 1941

Vivian, dear:

How about our little flood? Cute? I dare them to say it's a "California mist".

Well, I am working very hard with "The Great Man's Lady". But it's fun. Wild Bill, one of my "best beloved" people is a joy. He keeps us all on our toes and he just bubbles all day long. Joel is in my "BB" group, too. He belongs right near the top. We are all enjoying every second of it.

You know I get up to a hundred years old in this film, and Bill and I visited the Eastern Star Home and talked to several old ladies from seventy to ninety-seven years old. And the house mother told me this particular one was ninety-seven — she was spry as a colt and had a great sense of humor. We had a long talk and finally at the end she told me the house mother was wrong about her age — she was eighty-six. So you see — it's never too late to cut years! They were all pretty cute and said what a wonderful home that was and how happy they all were. They told me I'd better be a good snappy old lady and not a "picture old lady" who looked like she had one foot in the grave. They don't like that. And by golly none of them out there looks it. So I have my directions from the old gals!

And how are you, my lady of courage? I expect to give you tango lessons one of these days, so don't let me down. Not that you would.

My love, Vivian, and let me know if you want anything.

As always,

Barbara

Above: On the set of The Great Man's Lady (1942) Barbara is having fun with two of her "best beloved" people, Joel McCrea and director William Wellman (r). Barbara also made five pictures with Wellman, the other four being Night Nurse (1931), So Big! (1932), The Purchase Price (1932) and Lady of Burlesque (1943). Below: Barbara young and old in The Great Man's Lady.

Source of the letters: Photoplay, November 1941.

To read more letters from Barbara to Vivian, click here and here.