She is fearless and has more guts than most men

Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck made a total of six films together and became friends during the making of their first film Gambling Lady (1934). Their other five films are Banjo On My Knee (1936), Internes Can't Take Money (1937), Union Pacific (1939), The Great Man's Lady (1942) and Trooper Hook (1957). Right from the start McCrea was impressed by Barbara's work ethic. During production of their first film, Barbara had given McCrea a lesson in professionalism after he didn't show up for the stills shoot of the cast. When she asked him where he was and he indifferently said they didn't need him, she reportedly told him off: "I was in burlesque. We used to have to change our clothes on the train, and our makeup, and we couldn’t take a bath and we lived out of a suitcase. You’ve grown up in California where you go to the beach on your days off and ride the waves, and you’re a happy Southern Californian kid. Just get off your big fat ass and get to work."

Regarding the films in which he had starred with Stanwyck, McCrea was once asked to fill in a questionnaire, which is seen below. The questionnaire is undated and I don't know who composed it or for what purpose. At any rate, it told me a few things I didn't know, like the crucial role McCrea had played in Barbara's casting in Stella Dallas (1937). McCrea's opinion of working with Barbara, however, came as no surprise. Like many of his co-workers, he thought she was simply the greatest, the best he had ever worked with. By contrast, McCrea was quite modest about his own achievements: "All I had to do was try and stay aboard".

Source: icollector.com

Transcript of Joel McCrea's answers:

From Joel McCrea, Rt #1, Camarillo, Calif.—93010-1

GAMBLING LADY

1. She was unhappy & they were not treating her like the important star she was.

2. Mayo was great fun to work with. He kidded a lot and you were relaxed & happy working with him. I was inexperienced in 1934. He helped me a lot. Stanwyck was always great- as a person & actress.

3.—

BANJO ON MY KNEE

1. Zanuck wrote a disparaging letter to Barbara showing his ego & stupidity —Walter Brennan stole the picture.

[As is apparent from his answer, McCrea didn't like producer Darryl Zanuck. He thought Zanuck was "an egotistical little bastard; a gutty little guy and a chaser, but smart."]

INTERNES CAN'T TAKE MONEY

1. All I can remember is that Stanwyck & Lloyd Nolan were good & I was trying.

2. Barbara might know. I don't.

STELLA DALLAS

1. King Vidor, the director, wanted Stanwyck from the start but [Samuel] Goldwyn wanted to test 3 or 4 other good actresses to be sure. Barbara didn't want to test and I got Vidor to promise to hold out for her if she made the test. He agreed. Then I talked her into taking the test. She was far and away the best but she shouldn't have had to test, anymore than you would test [Clark] Gable for a part. There is no better actress than Stanwyck if she is cast correctly. Goldwyn was a peculiar man but he made fine pictures. Stanwyck should have gotten an award for Stella Dallas.

2. No, "Banjo on my knee"

UNION PACIFIC

1. No. Four months- in all of it.

2. Good conditions.

3. Yes, De Mille was great with process. Witness Ten Comandments [sic].

4. No, he did it all with us. 2nd Unit director was Mr. Rosson.

5. In everything - she is fearless & has more guts than most men.

6. Stanwyck was there with De Mille. I was working in a picture with Jascha Heifetz [They Shall Have Music (1939)] and had to talk via telephone.

THE GREAT MAN'S LADY

1. She can tell you.

2. Don't know

3. Wild as ever, but good.

a. [play it for him as] we [thought it should be done]

Stanwyck should have gotten an award for this film, if ever any one deserved it.

b. —

c. yes

d. no

e. all three

f. yes

4. She would know.

5. She did.

6. She was great. All I had to do was try and stay aboard. 

7. Paramount 2 months

8. Wellman can tell you

9. She was touched- cried- delightful, delightful

TROOPER HOOK

1. As always, she was a pro. I could ride the horse well & we talked constantly of Bob Taylor whom we both admired a great deal.

[Barbara and Robert Taylor were married from 1939 to 1951.]

Only the greatest.

No reservations- best I ever met.

Every crew we ever worked with loved and admired her and so did I. She taught me a lot & I shall be ever grateful to her.

Joel McCrea

Clockwise from top row left: Gambling Lady, Banjo on my Knee, Internes Can't Take Money, Trooper Hook, The Great Man's Lady and Union Pacific.

Barbara Stanwyck in the heartwrenching finale of Stella Dallas, her performance earning her an Oscar nomination. The film became a huge hit.