107. Stella Dallas (1937)

Directed By King Vidor

Synopsis

Stella marries Mr. Dallas and begets a child, Dallas finds his old sweetheart and wants to remarry her. The child would be much better off financially and in terms of environment with the father's new family, Stella therefore shoves her away from her life.

Review

This is a great film about a mother's sacrifice. Barbara Stanwyck is particularly good here, with a character going thorugh a spectrum of not only feelings but also physical appearence as she gets older and frumpier. A well deserved best actress oscar for 1937. It is hard to rate this film however after seeing Grand Illusion, even though they are completely disparate films, Illusion's acting is just so much more fluid than this.

The story is, however beautiful and heart-rending, and a relationship that starts off reminding us of mother-daughter TV shows like Gilmore Girls, suddenly develops into something much darker. Although at times the film seems slightly drawn out there is also the feeling that some of the events are too sudden and that Laurel isn't really that bright.

All of the merit in this film goes to Stanwyck's masterful performance, Vidor has made better films in the silent era such as The Big Parade and The Crowd, but this was a story that he told beautifully. So you should get it from Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

Stella Dallas is a 1920 novel by Olive Higgins Prouty, written in response to the death of her three-year-old daughter from encephalitis. It tells the story of a woman who sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of her daughter. The novel was subsequently adapted into a stage play in 1924 and a movie in 1925 and in 1937 (when it was nominated for two Academy Awards) and again in 1990 as Stella with Bette Midler.

As well, it was the basis for the radio serial Stella Dallas, which aired daily for 18 years, and which is often credited as being the first soap opera. Prouty was reportedly displeased with her characters' portrayals therein.

The 1937 version stars Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, Anne Shirley, Barbara O'Neil, Alan Hale, Sr., Marjorie Main and Tim Holt. It was adapted by Joe Bigelow, Harry Wagstaff Gribble, Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason and Gertrude Purcell from the original novel, and was directed by King Vidor.

It was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Barbara Stanwyck) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Anne Shirley).

The 1925 version was adapted by Frances Marion and directed by Henry King. It stars Ronald Colman, Belle Bennett, Alice Joyce, Jean Hersholt and Douglas Fairbanks Jr..

Stella understands she has to let Laurel go: