STELLA DALLAS (1937)

 

This is one classic 1930's movie that I've somehow managed to miss all these years. So, I was happy to finally get a chance to see it during the second week of my Barbara Stanwyck film class. All I knew about the film was that it was Miss Stanwyck's first of several Oscar nominations for Best Actress, although she never actually won the award. 

Our instructor informed us that the hard-working Stanwyck had completed fourteen films between BABY FACE and STELLA DALLAS, her stature and popularity increasing as time went on. In watching her performance in this film, one gets the impression that it was a labor of love for the actress. It's hard to believe that the producer, Samuel Goldwyn, initially didn't want her for the role. His first choice was Miriam Hopkins. As talented as Hopkins was, I can't see her bringing Stella to life as well as Stanwyck. The story, based on the novel by Olive Prouty, had been filmed previously in 1925, with Belle Bennett playing the title role. It was filmed again in 1990 as STELLA, with Bette Midler. The 1937 version was directed by King Vidor.

The story has Stella Martin living with her working-class family and dreaming of improving her circumstances. She sets her sights on businessman Stephen Dallas (John Boles), the owner of the mill where Stella's father and brother both work. The two have a brief courtship and get married. A year later, their daughter, Laurel (Anne Shirley), is born. Stella loves being a mother, but her marriage begins to suffer because she is unable to overcome her working-class status. As the story goes on, Stella is faced with a heartbreaking decision to sacrifice her own happiness for her daughter's future.

I don't want to give away any spoilers to anyone who hasn't yet seen the film. This is a perfect example of what used to be called a "woman's picture", as well as the more derogative term, a "weepie". Indeed, you might want to keep a box of Kleenexes nearby when you get to the very emotional ending. 

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and Stanwyck's performance, I sometimes found her acting a little overstated. It also seemed slightly implausible that Stella, having found a high-class husband and an opportunity to escape her origins, appeared to make little attempt to actually improve herself. What did ring true was the cruelty of many of the people she encountered in her husband's circle, people who mocked her for her imperfect manners and style of dress. As Stella's grown daughter, Anne Shirley hits the right mark as a girl who adores her mother and hates to see her being ridiculed. Miss Shirley was nominated for Best Supporting Actress of 1937 but didn't win. 

It was good to finally see this old classic, and I plan to get a Blu-ray copy, which also features the 1925 silent version.

Barbara Stanwyck and John Boles