Last night’s Emmy win for the lovely as ever Ann-Margaret was long overdue!

Who can forget back in 1984 when Barbara Stanwyck won the Emmy for The Thorn Birds over a heavily-favored Ann-Margaret for a career performance in Who Will Love My Children?

Stanwyck herself was so stunned that she gave an amazing tribute to her fellow nominee in her speech: “I think she gave one of the finest, most beautiful performances I have ever seen. Ann-Margaret, you were superb.”

Ann-Margaret burst into tears of gratitude as the audience applauded. The next year, it seemed she would get her Emmy for her performance as Blanche in the television production of A Streetcar Named Desire. But that happened to be the same year Jane Fonda made her only TV movie, the superb The Dollmaker, and walked off with an Emmy for it.

She was nominated again – and lost – in 1987 (The Two Mrs. Grenvilles), 1993 (Queen) and 1999 (Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story).

But Ann-Margaret, star of such classic films as Carnal Knowledge, Tommy, Viva Las Vegas and Bye Bye Birdie, finally won her Emmy on Saturday night in the guest actress in a drama series category for her performance in an episode of Law & Order: SVU.

She won for the Bedtime episode that aired in February (pictured above). She played a woman who starred in commercials in the 1970s who gets involved in the murder case that Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Benson (Mariska Hargitay) are working on. She was the jealous ex-lover of the prime suspect.

It must have been all the more sweet and at the age of 69, she looked as lovely as ever in accepting the well-deserved Emmy. She received the only standing ovation of what was a very long night at Saturday’s Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.

She will present at next Sunday’s Prime Time Emmys telecast with John Lithgow, winner in the guest actor in a drama series category for his brilliant work as a serial killer on Showtime’s Dexter.