In a Massachusetts factory town, pretty young Barbara Stanwyck (as Stella Martin) has a crush on handsome businessman John Boles (as Stephen Dallas). After a tragedy, Mr. Boles breaks his engagement to socialite Barbara O'Neil (as Helen Dane) and notices how "grown-up" Ms. Stanwyck, a working class girl, has become. They go out to the movies and take a walk. The long walk leads Stanwyck and Boles kissing to the marriage alter and a baby arrives. Stanwyck is a good mother, but a bad wife. She wears strange clothing to parties and begins to act foolish. This embarrasses her husband, but Stanwyck doesn't care. She prefers keeping company with uncouth Alan Hale (as Ed Munn). Losing all interest in Boles, Stanwyck lets him move to New York and leave her alone...
Many years pass. Stanwyck and Boles remain married, but live separately. Their baby daughter grows up to be perky teenager Anne Shirley (as Laurel "Lollie" Dallas). Boles rekindles his love for Ms. O'Neil and allows Stanwyck to bring up Ms. Shirley. Mother and daughter live in a lovely home with slavish servants like Etta and Hattie McDaniel. Stanwyck's most dutiful maid is Lillian Yarbo (as Gladys), but she is "let go" so Stanwyck can buy a fur coat for Shirley. Stanwyck's clothing gets more and more outrageous. Her mother's relentless style mishaps causes Shirley to become embarrassed among her young upper-class friends, especially boyfriend Tim Holt (as Richard Grosvenor). Eventually, Stanwyck must make a decision regarding her daughter's future...
This absurd soap opera was a re-make of the superior "Stella Dallas" (1925), with Belle Bennett in the title role. Both versions were produced by Samuel Goldwyn and they cover the same ground – most of the time. The small differences point to how the earlier version was more successful. First of all, the earlier version opens with a dramatic suicide (blink and you'll miss the small reference in this version). We also have Ms. Bennett's "Stella" introduced in her definitively low-class setting, with title cards helping describe motivations. That opening sets the stage perfectly, but is left out as we see Stanwyck looking rather classy compared to her brother. Moreover, the character defining moments and backgrounds contributed by director Henry King and his crew are absent...
In the earlier production, Bennett's "Stella" is believable. In this update, we wonder what is wrong with Stanwyck's "Stella" – she doesn't seem overly fond of alcohol and there is no evidence of mental illness. She is a smart woman, but appears to helplessly descend into absurd dress and manners. We know she loves her daughter and assume she had some feelings for her husband (there may be no real evidence she "loves" any man). Witness one of Stanwyck's best scenes – for a Christmas family reunion, Stanwyck's "Stella" purposefully alters a dress and her personality to appear lovely and presentable. Her performance is marvelous, but it would have been better if updaters added a strong whiff of alcoholism and/or mental illness for Stanwyck's smarter "Stella".
******* Stella Dallas (8/5/37) King Vidor ~ Barbara Stanwyck, Anne Shirley, John Boles, Alan Hale
Many years pass. Stanwyck and Boles remain married, but live separately. Their baby daughter grows up to be perky teenager Anne Shirley (as Laurel "Lollie" Dallas). Boles rekindles his love for Ms. O'Neil and allows Stanwyck to bring up Ms. Shirley. Mother and daughter live in a lovely home with slavish servants like Etta and Hattie McDaniel. Stanwyck's most dutiful maid is Lillian Yarbo (as Gladys), but she is "let go" so Stanwyck can buy a fur coat for Shirley. Stanwyck's clothing gets more and more outrageous. Her mother's relentless style mishaps causes Shirley to become embarrassed among her young upper-class friends, especially boyfriend Tim Holt (as Richard Grosvenor). Eventually, Stanwyck must make a decision regarding her daughter's future...
This absurd soap opera was a re-make of the superior "Stella Dallas" (1925), with Belle Bennett in the title role. Both versions were produced by Samuel Goldwyn and they cover the same ground – most of the time. The small differences point to how the earlier version was more successful. First of all, the earlier version opens with a dramatic suicide (blink and you'll miss the small reference in this version). We also have Ms. Bennett's "Stella" introduced in her definitively low-class setting, with title cards helping describe motivations. That opening sets the stage perfectly, but is left out as we see Stanwyck looking rather classy compared to her brother. Moreover, the character defining moments and backgrounds contributed by director Henry King and his crew are absent...
In the earlier production, Bennett's "Stella" is believable. In this update, we wonder what is wrong with Stanwyck's "Stella" – she doesn't seem overly fond of alcohol and there is no evidence of mental illness. She is a smart woman, but appears to helplessly descend into absurd dress and manners. We know she loves her daughter and assume she had some feelings for her husband (there may be no real evidence she "loves" any man). Witness one of Stanwyck's best scenes – for a Christmas family reunion, Stanwyck's "Stella" purposefully alters a dress and her personality to appear lovely and presentable. Her performance is marvelous, but it would have been better if updaters added a strong whiff of alcoholism and/or mental illness for Stanwyck's smarter "Stella".
******* Stella Dallas (8/5/37) King Vidor ~ Barbara Stanwyck, Anne Shirley, John Boles, Alan Hale