Melodrama has rarely been so potent as it is in the final film of our Barbara Stanwyck series, King Vidor’s Stella Dallas. In the title role, Stanwyck delivers an emotionally nuanced performance as Stella, a woman struggling to find the balance between her working-class upbringing and her new high society life after she marries into the upper echelon. The first of four Oscar-nominated roles, Stanwyck provides the film with complexity and pathos, tapping into the character’s psychology with a sensitivity that would have eluded her peers. As Stella attempts to please both her husband and her daughter, Stanwyck succeeds in cracking open the most vulnerable parts of Stella’s psyche, culminating in one of the most unforgettable finales of the Classic Hollywood era. Featuring a stellar supporting cast (including John Boles and Anne Shirley) and a beautiful score by Alfred Newman, we are pleased to present Stella Dallas in a rare 35mm print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive

Print Courtesy of the Academy Film Archive