Devoting each chapter to a significant quality of Barbara Stanwyck's performances, Andrew Klevan foregrounds crucial scenes from her films, including Stella Dallas (1937), The Lady Eve (1941), and Double Indemnity (1944). Through the lens of her achievement, Klevan examines the wider concerns of these films while revisiting classic topics from Film Studies – psychoanalysis, medium reflexivity, and the representation of female roles such as the 'sacrificial mother' and the 'femme fatale'. In paying close attention to the various aspects of her skilfully executed performances, this book offers fresh insights into Stanwyck's career and star persona.