Stella Dallas (1937 film)
| Stella Dallas | |
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Original theatrical poster
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| Directed by | King Vidor |
| Produced by | Samuel Goldwyn |
| Written by | Harry Wagstaff Gribble Gertrude Purcell Sarah Y. Mason Victor Heerman Joe Bigelow (uncredited) |
| Based on |
Stella Dallas 1923 novel by Olive Higgins Prouty |
| Starring |
Barbara Stanwyck John Boles Anne Shirley |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Cinematography | Rudolph Maté |
| Edited by | Sherman Todd |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Stella Dallas is a 1937 American film based on the Olive Higgins Prouty novel of the same name. It was directed by King Vidor, and stars Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, and Anne Shirley. Stanwyck was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Shirley for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
A 1925 silent film version is Stella Dallas, starring Ronald Colman and Belle Bennett. A 1990 version is Stella, with Bette Midler and Stephen Collins.
Stella Martin (Barbara Stanwyck), the daughter of a mill worker in a post-World War I Massachusetts factory town, is determined to better herself. She sets her sights on mill executive Stephen Dallas (John Boles) and catches him at an emotionally vulnerable time. Stephen's father killed himself after losing his fortune. Penniless, Stephen disappeared from high society, intending to marry his fiancée Helen (Barbara O'Neil) once he was financially able to support her. However, just as he reaches his goal, he reads in the newspaper the announcement of her wedding. So he marries Stella.
A year later, their daughter Laurel (played by Anne Shirley as a young woman) is born. To Stella's great surprise, she discovers she has a strong maternal instinct. Even when she is out dancing and partying, she cannot help but think about her child. As Laurel grows up, Stella's ambition and scheming to rise socially is redirected to her daughter.
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