Stella Dallas (1937 film)

In 1919, in a Massachusetts factory town,, Stella Martin, the daughter of a mill worker, is determined to improve her social standing. She sets her sights on Stephen Dallas, the advertising manager at the mill, encountering him at a moment of emotional vulnerability. Stephen’s father has committed suicide after losing the family fortune, leaving Stephen penniless. He withdraws from high society, intending to return to his fiancée, Helen Morrison, once he is financially secure, but just as he feels he has reestablished himself, he sees a newspaper announcement of Helen’s marriage. In the aftermath, Stephen and Stella enter a brief courtship and impulsively marry.

A year later, their daughter Laurel is born. To Stella’s surprise, motherhood awakens a strong maternal instinct. Even while dancing and socializing, she constantly thinks about her child. As Laurel grows, Stella’s ambitions shift from herself to her daughter’s future.

Stephen is devoted to Laurel, but she remains the only bond between husband and wife. He unsuccessfully tries to refine Stella’s manners and disapproves of her continued association with the coarse Ed Munn. When Stephen is offered a promotion requiring a move to New York, Stella urges him to accept, though she and Laurel remain behind. The couple separate but do not divorce, and Laurel sees Stephen only during visits or on vacations.

Years later, Stephen encounters Helen again, now a wealthy widow with three sons. They renew their acquaintance, and Stephen brings Laurel to stay at Helen’s mansion for a vacation. Laurel quickly grows close to Helen and her sons. Stephen then asks Stella, through his lawyer, for a divorce, but she refuses.

Stella later takes Laurel to an upscale resort, where Laurel meets Richard Grosvenor III, and the two fall in love. After recovering from a mild illness, Stella appears in public and becomes the subject of ridicule for her vulgar fashion. Embarrassed for her mother, Laurel insists they leave immediately without explanation. On the train home, Stella overhears other guests discussing her and learns the truth.

After meeting with Helen and observing her elegance, Stella agrees to divorce Stephen and asks whether Laurel can live with Helen and Stephen once they marry. Helen understands Stella’s sacrifice and agrees. When Laurel learns of the plan, she realizes her mother’s intentions and returns home. Stella, however, pretends she wants to be rid of Laurel so she can marry Ed and travel to South America, prompting the devastated Laurel to return to her father and Helen.

Some time later, Laurel and Richard prepare to marry. On her wedding day, Laurel is distressed that her mother has not sent even a letter of congratulations. Helen reassures her by suggesting Stella may not have received the news. Meanwhile, Stella stands outside in the rain, watching the ceremony through a window. Unnoticed among the onlookers, she observes her daughter’s wedding. After being turned away by a police officer, Stella leaves with her head held high and a faint smile on her tear-streaked face.

Tim Holt, the son of Jack Holt, had his first proper role in a film with Stella Dallas. He played the same part that was performed by Douglas Fairbanks Jr., also the son of a film star, in the 1925 version of the film.^[8]

The movie premiered at the Radio City Music Hall, and in a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Frank S. Nugent wrote that the character of Stella Dallas, first portrayed on the screen 12 years earlier, was outdated, but that the film's theme of motherly love endured: "[W]e cannot accept Stella Dallas in 1937. She is a caricature all the way. ... Stella, through the years, was changeless, but, where her daughter was concerned, she was eternal: the selfless mother." Nugent praised Stanwyck's performance, saying: "Miss Stanwyck's portrayal is as courageous as it is fine. Ignoring the flattery of make-up man and camera, she plays Stella as Mrs. Prouty drew her—coarse, cheap, common ... And yet magnificent as a mother."^[9]

Variety praised the film, while mentioning some inconsistencies, such as the fact that Stella and her daughter both wear clothes made by Stella, but the daughter is always dressed in good taste, while the mother is not.^[10]

Maclean's criticized the outlandish costumes worn by the title character, but praised the story as relevant for any decade, concluding that "the picture is handled with honesty, restraint and feeling."^[11]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 10 critics' reviews of the film are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10.^[12]

The character Stella Dallas was nominated for inclusion on the American Film Institute's 2003 list AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains,^[14] and is considered by many as among Stanwyck's signature roles.^[15] Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa cited Stella Dallas as one of his favorite films.^[16]