Stella Dallas

BBB.5

(out of 5)

Perennial twelve-hankie weeper stars Barbara Stanwyck as a low-class factory worker’s daughter who gets in the family way thanks to a rich gentleman and marries him to avoid scandal. Raising her daughter (Anne Shirley) as best as she can, she eventually decides that her vulgar, nouveau riche ways are in the way of her daughter’s ever truly achieving something in life and so makes the ultimate sacrifice for her happiness. This film doesn’t earn points for playing right into the hands of a snobby, classist mentality, but the acting is so great that you just can’t resist it.

The Samuel Goldwyn Company

USA, 1937

Directed by King Vidor

Screenplay by Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman, dramatization by Harry Wagstaff Gribble, Gertrude Purcell, based on the novel by Olive Higgins Prouty

Cinematography by Rudolph Mate

Produced by Samuel Goldwyn

Music by Alfred Newman

Production Design by Richard Day

Costume Design by Omar Kiam

Film Editing by Sherman Todd

Academy Awards 1937

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