Stella Dallas (1937)

A working-class woman is willing to do whatever it takes to give her daughter a socially promising future.

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

Sarah Y. Mason (screenplay), Victor Heerman (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, Anne Shirley

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Stella Dallas
John Boles	...	Stephen Dallas
Anne Shirley	...	Laurel Dallas
Barbara O'Neil	...	Helen Morrison
Alan Hale	...	Ed Munn
Marjorie Main	...	Mrs. Martin
George Walcott	...	Charlie Martin
Ann Shoemaker	...	Miss Margaret Phillibrown
Tim Holt	...	Richard Grosvenor
Nella Walker	...	Mrs. Grosvenor
Bruce Satterlee	...	Con Morrison
Jimmy Butler	...	Con Morrison - Grown Up
Jack Egger	...	John Morrison
Dickie Jones	...	Lee Morrison

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

class differences | self sacrifice | mother daughter relationship | mill | wealth | 

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Taglines:

Sure - I like a good time!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Als het moederhart spreekt

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Laraine Day's first movie performance.

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Goofs

When Stephen Dallas is first seen in his office, he's typing a letter. You can see that his fingers type several different keys, spaced out on the keyboard (probably in the middle of the middle rows), before he lowers his hands and stops typing to read. Then when he reads, you see that his letter ends with - -. It's not possible for him to have typed - - using the keys he was striking before he lowered his hands.

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Quotes

Arthur W. Morley: Mrs. Dallas, I wrote you a letter, and in it I stated...
Stella Martin 'Stell' Dallas: You don't have to tell me what you stated, just tell me what you meant.

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Connections

Referenced in Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life (1997)

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Soundtracks

Jingle Bells
(1857) (uncredited)
Written by James Pierpont
Sung a cappella by Alan Hale

User Reviews

Some things were just never meant to be!

In the '30s, musicals glorifying rich people dominated Hollywood; "Stella Dallas" turned that genre on its head. Stella Martin (Barbara Stanwyck) comes from the working class and is as unrefined as can be. She decides to get out of that life by marrying very wealthy Stephen Dallas (John Boles). They have a daughter, Laurel (Anne Shirley), but then Stella and Stephen begin to drift apart from each other. As Stella refuses to adapt to the rich lifestyle, she decides to sacrifice everything so that Laurel may live a better life.

Watching the movie, I can see why producer Samuel Goldwyn cried when he saw it. The top-notch acting from all the cast members, and the excellent use of cinematography, make this a movie meriting all forms of accolades. It is a perfect movie in every way, shape and form. Above all, it shows what a great actress Barbara Stanwyck was. Few movies have ever been as great as "Stella Dallas".