Monday, August 02, 2021
Stella Dallas
- Commentary: I just watched this movie this evening (8/20/21). I'd forgotten how absurd it is and, yet, despite it's absurdity, how compelling it is emotionally. Its ability to compel rests solely on the shoulders of two of the actors: Barbara Stanwyck as Stella Dallas and Barabara O'Neil as Helen Morrison Dallas. Yes, I know, there are actors in this movie who have more screen time than Barbara O'Neil, particularly the actors who play Laurel Dallas, Steven Dallas and Ed Munn. But none holds a candle to the ardent performances of these two actors.
I'd love to be able to give you a good reason for my love of this film, for the fact that I can't seem to get enough of it. I'll tell you, though, each time I watch this film it's personally embarrassing for me to be overcome, yet again, by the gush of pure feeling I experience when watching it. Even as I'm sitting right in front of the screen absorbing it, I'm embarrassed by how I'm reacting. I'm not sure whether this means its good or bad, I just know that, every once in a while, when I feel the need to take a bath in sentiment, crazy and disjointed as Stella Dallas is, this movie does the trick.
I did, some years ago, watch the Bette Midler remake, called simply, Stella. Even though I was looking forward to seeing it when I heard about it, I remember nothing about the story, the film or my reaction to it, which was probably insignificant. I haven't had the urge to re-view it since, even though, in the meantime, I've watched this Stella Dallas multiple times. I don't know why Bette's wasn't effective for me. And, "frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
Glenn Erickson of DVD Savant, whose reviews I often use, he's especially good with old and obscure movies, has written about the film twice. His earlier review is linked to the title of this post, above, and is dated 3/26/2005. Here is his later review, dated 1/1/2014. He has slightly different things to say about the movie in each review, although much of both reviews are the same.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Barbara Stanwyck Stella Martin Dallas John Boles Stephen Dallas Ann Shirley Laurel Dallas Barbara O'Neil Helen Morrison Dallas Alan Hale Ed Munn Marjorie Main Mrs. Martin Tim Holt Richard Grosvenor III George Walcott Charlie Martin
Here is the Wikipedia write-up for the film.
Release Date: 1937
Directed by King Vidor.
Labels: barbara-stanwyck, marjorie-main, melodramaA, mother-daughter-dynamics1, popcorn-and-soda7, women's-movie2
