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Stella Dallas

  • 19371937
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Barbara Stanwyck and John Boles in Stella Dallas (1937)
  • Drama
  • Romance
A working-class woman is willing to do whatever it takes to give her daughter a socially promising future.A working-class woman is willing to do whatever it takes to give her daughter a socially promising future.A working-class woman is willing to do whatever it takes to give her daughter a socially promising future.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • King Vidor
  • Writers
    • Sarah Y. Mason(screenplay)
    • Victor Heerman(screenplay)
    • Olive Higgins Prouty(novel)
  • Stars
    • Barbara Stanwyck
    • John Boles
    • Anne Shirley
Top credits
  • Director
    • King Vidor
  • Writers
    • Sarah Y. Mason(screenplay)
    • Victor Heerman(screenplay)
    • Olive Higgins Prouty(novel)
  • Stars
    • Barbara Stanwyck
    • John Boles
    • Anne Shirley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 74User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 2 nominations total

    Photos47

    "Stella Dallas" Barbara Stanwyck 1937 U/A  /MPTV
    "Steela Dallas" Barabara Stanwyck 1937 U/A / MPTV
    Barbara Stanwyck, Alan Hale, and King Vidor in Stella Dallas (1937)
    "Stella Dallas" Barbara Stanwyck 1937 Samuel Goldwyn
    Barbara Stanwyck and Alan Hale in Stella Dallas (1937)
    Barbara Stanwyck and Alan Hale in Stella Dallas (1937)
    Barbara Stanwyck in Stella Dallas (1937)
    Barbara Stanwyck in Stella Dallas (1937)
    Barbara Stanwyck and Anne Shirley in Stella Dallas (1937)
    Barbara Stanwyck and Anne Shirley in Stella Dallas (1937)
    Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, and Anne Shirley in Stella Dallas (1937)
    Anne Shirley in Stella Dallas (1937)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Barbara Stanwyck
    Barbara Stanwyck
    • Stella Dallasas Stella Dallas
    John Boles
    John Boles
    • Stephen Dallasas Stephen Dallas
    Anne Shirley
    Anne Shirley
    • Laurel Dallasas Laurel Dallas
    Barbara O'Neil
    Barbara O'Neil
    • Helen Morrisonas Helen Morrison
    Alan Hale
    Alan Hale
    • Ed Munnas Ed Munn
    Marjorie Main
    Marjorie Main
    • Mrs. Martinas Mrs. Martin
    George Walcott
    George Walcott
    • Charlie Martinas Charlie Martin
    Ann Shoemaker
    Ann Shoemaker
    • Miss Margaret Phillibrownas Miss Margaret Phillibrown
    Tim Holt
    Tim Holt
    • Richard Grosvenoras Richard Grosvenor
    Nella Walker
    Nella Walker
    • Mrs. Grosvenoras Mrs. Grosvenor
    Bruce Satterlee
    • Con Morrisonas Con Morrison
    Jimmy Butler
    Jimmy Butler
    • Con Morrison - Grown Upas Con Morrison - Grown Up
    Jack Egger
    • John Morrisonas John Morrison
    Dickie Jones
    Dickie Jones
    • Lee Morrisonas Lee Morrison
    Jessie Arnold
    Jessie Arnold
    • Ed's Landladyas Ed's Landlady
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Bowen
    Harry Bowen
    • Man Watching Wedding Behind Stellaas Man Watching Wedding Behind Stella
    • (unconfirmed)
    • (uncredited)
    Harlan Briggs
    Harlan Briggs
    • Mr. Beameras Mr. Beamer
    • (uncredited)
    Heinie Conklin
    Heinie Conklin
    • Train Passengeras Train Passenger
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • King Vidor
    • Writers
      • Sarah Y. Mason(screenplay)
      • Victor Heerman(screenplay)
      • Olive Higgins Prouty(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Working-class Stella Martin marries high-end Stephen Dallas and soon they have a daughter named Laurel. But Stephen's incessant demands of Stella to become what she isn't leads to their eventual separation. Stephen later marries Helen Morrison (his prior fiancée), and Laurel becomes the focus of Stella's life and love. Nothing is too good for Laurel as far as Stella is concerned. Determined to give her all the advantages, she takes Laurel on a trip to an expensive resort where Laurel makes friends with rich kids. After an embarrassing incident, Stella realizes that her daughter would go farther in life without Stella as her mother. Her subsequent sacrifice is shattering. —Anonymous
    • class differences
    • self sacrifice
    • mother daughter relationship
    • sacrificing for one's child
    • character name as title
    • 40 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The woman you will never forget...COMMON, TAWDRY, MAGNIFICIENT (Print Ad- Toledo News-Bee, ((Toledo, Ohio)) 9 September 1937)
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie was so popular it became a radio serial on 25 October 1937, dramatizing the later lives of characters in the movie. The serial lasted for 18 years.
    • Goofs
      When Stella is working on the sofa in her light robe, you can see the padding on her rear. This is later in the movie.
    • Quotes

      Stella Martin 'Stell' Dallas: I've always been known to have a stack of style!

    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Seul le cinéma (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Smiles
      (1917) (uncredited)

      Music by Lee S. Roberts

      Whistled by George Walcott twice

      Played by the pianist during the silent movi

    User reviews74

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    King Vidor and Social Differences
    Barbara Stanwyck is very good in this melodrama, but I believe little praise has been given to King Vidor, whom I have grown to appreciate in recent years as one of the best classic American filmmakers of all times. Precisely for this reason I finally acquired this film and enjoyed it very much, especially as he shows great perception to depict the cruel and too frequent irreconcilable differences that end relationships. In movies like «The Crowd», «Our Daily Bread», «Street Scene», «Hallelujah!» and even «Bird of Paradise» or "Solomon and Sheba» Vidor intelligently dealt with social, cultural, ethnic, economic or ideological differences, that still affect people and quite often impede any one of us to find happiness. Perhaps the ornamented Stella is a bit overdone, especially in the hotel sequence after she has previously demonstrated how to control her tendency to be excessive and vulgar in dress, make-up, hair style or social manners, when Mr. Dallas picks up their daughter to spend Christmas with him. But most of the time Vidor keeps everything tight, including Sherman Todd's film editing, and even Alfred Newman's melodramatic string overflows are well measured. I must add that the rest of the cast is all good, making «Stella Dallas» a rewarding film experience.
    helpful•5
    0
    • EdgarST
    • Sep 2, 2015

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 6, 1937 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Majka ili bludnica
    • Filming locations
      • Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA
    • Production company
      • The Samuel Goldwyn Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,000,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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