Stella Dallas

"Sure - I like a good time!"

Aug 6 1937 Approved 1h 46m
Drama, Romance

After divorcing a society man, a small-town woman tries to build a better life for their daughter.

Plot

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.

Written by

Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman, Olive Higgins Prouty

Directed by

King Vidor

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Samuel Goldwyn Productions, United Artists

Languages

English

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 2 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
6,619
Average Rating
7.4 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA