Stella Dallas (1925)

In 1925, the silent film Stella Dallas was released. This black-and-white film was based on the 1923 novel of the same name, written by Olive Higgins Prouty.

Summary

Stella Dallas, a woman who comes from a humble home, marries the wealthy Stephen Dallas. After the birth of their daughter, Stephen is transferred to New York but Stella refuses to leave the only place she feels she has friends and a reputation. Stella tries her hardest to play the role of an upper class woman, but never gains the approval of the other ladies. Her attempts at fashion and high class only end up being a burden and embarrassment to her daughter Laurel. On the other hand, Stephen's new partner Helen Morrison is a proper example of a respectable upper class woman. Stella realizes that Laurel's friends think poorly of her and she decides that Helen would be a better mother for Laurel because Laurel would actually be able to advance in society and find a good marriage partner. For Laurel's sake, Stella sends her daughter to live with Stephen and Helen in New York. In the end, Stella peers in on Laurel's wedding, but doesn't intrude on it.

Connections to Melodrama

An Understanding Between Women

The relationship between Stella Dallas and Helen Morrison exhibits a special understanding between women that is common in melodrama. Even though Stella loves her daughter so dearly, she goes to Helen's house to ask her to marry Stephen and thus become Laurel's daughter. Stella's explanation for this sudden change of heart is that she wants Laurel to have a mother she can be proud of; she acknowledges that she can never be that kind of mother to Laurel, but Helen can. Helen admits that she would willingly get married to Stephen once him and Stella officially divorce, but she also shows compassion and empathy towards Stella's situation. We see Helen place a comforting arm over Stella's as the latter takes a rose in memory of Laurel's new room. In that scene, we have what Kaplan calls, "the linking of women as a homogeneous group across class lines by the Cult of True Womanhood" which "had the ideological effect of making essential class differences" (Kaplan 131-132). True Womanhood, and perhaps even True Motherhood, is what united Stella and Helen. However, the need for understanding between them was itself born from their class differences.

Ultimate Sacrifice for Someone Else's Sake

In reference to 'woman's film,' Williams says, "in these films it is quite remarkable how frequently the self-sacrificing mother must make her sacrifice that of the connection to her children--either for her or their own good" (Williams 300). In Stella Dallas, the ultimate sacrifice made is Stella's relinquishment of her daughter's upbringing to Helen. In spite of Stella's extreme love and devotion to her daughter, it's not enough to afford Laurel the kind of high class education necessary for her to be socially accepted. Stella's lack of proper taste and etiquette is what causes her to feel like she's holding Laurel back from living her best life. Stella would do anything to see Laurel live the best life possible, so she sacrifices her marriage and her connection to her daughter. Even after Stella is invited to Laurel's wedding, she refuses to enter the premises and instead looks in through the window (that Helen has kept open) as Laurel seals the marriage, and validates Stella's sacrifice, with a kiss.