The dad was a heel!
I can't believe no one started a thread about it.
shareHe was a heel because.....?
"But ya are, Blanche! YA ARE!!"
I missed the 1st 20 min. of the movie so I am not exactly sure what the arrangement was between the mom and dad, but the dad just waltzed in when it was convenient for him and showed the daughter a good time. He wasn't there day to day (I know he moved out of town and agreed to let the mom raise her); he just seemed like a good time Charlie. He didn't know about the tough times the mother and daughter went through--no one showing up for the birthday party, the people laughing at the mom on the train, anything about her life growing up. He just left the mom and daughter and took up with that ex-fiancee.
shareHe relocated for work and she refused to go with him because she was getting to know "the right people" in her opinion, like Ed Munn. The dad wasn't a heel. Stella was deluded and foolish.
shareWow. You really got it all wrong.
shareYou can miss a lot in 20 minutes, especially in the older movies, which moved right along.
Stella sees a picture of the man who would become her husband in the newspaper. It was a story about how an heir to a rich family had disappeared after a tragedy. She recognizes him as a guy new to town and proceeds to make herself very visible to him. She wins him, they marry, she has a kid, then she basically lets him know by her actions that she doesn't have much need for him anymore (just his money). He gets a great job opportunity in New York, but she refuses to go because she figures she can continue her social climbing better in her own town, rather than starting over again in New York. He reluctantly agrees, moving to New York, and sending her money for herself and their daughter. Stella spends most of the money on partying and having a good time. One time the father shows up, sees how horrible a mother she is, and threatens to take their daughter with him for her own safety. This finally wakes up Stella and she starts trying to live a better life. That's probably about where you came in.
The father was the epitomy of both patience and class.
"My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider."
Stephen went off because his fiancé married another man. He was writing a letter to her wishing her good luck before Stella came in to his office. To me it seems he married Stella on the rebound. He never truly got over his fiancé. I did not remember what happened to Helen's, the fiancé, husband - I guess he died. So when he and Stella were living apart, he found her again.
The fault was with both of them - Stella and Stephen. She would not move to New York and I don't really think he really loved Stella. He felt sorry for her.
The nicest character in the bunch is Helen who became Laurel's stepmom. She could see what Stella did for Laurel and never said a bad word against Stella.
Helen's great! (see my "Helen" post here on this board for more)
I do have to criticize Stephen, he couldn't accept Stella for her real self, even after he told her not to change, it almost seems like all he wanted was to get into her panties. Stephen had many good qualities, but just as many flaws such as jumping to conclusions, like when he came home while Stella had a little get together, she wasn't drunk, fooling around or anything, then he threatens to take Lollie away, Stella did what any mother would do, she went ballistic.
Stephen was a bit of a control freak, he picked the wrong woman to pull that move on. Someone said Stella was a horrible mother, and he's absolutely wrong about that, Stella was an excellent mom, and actually very selfless. and that's the crux of this picture, I think Stella should have made much more of an effort to keep her husband, but this all really makes Stella Dallas a very complicated character, and for me, Stanwyck made her fascinating, it's no wonder Stella Dallas continued on as a radio soap opera for decades.
I've read the book, it's good, but Stanwyck really brought this to life with her knock out portrayal, the credit goes to her.
I do have to criticize Stephen, he couldn't accept Stella for her real self, even after he told her not to change, it almost seems like all he wanted was to get into her panties.
The "real" Stella he saw wasn't the vulgar, ambitious, overdressed social climber she became immediately after they married. share
You can miss a lot in 20 minutes, especially in the older movies, which moved right along.
Stella sees a picture of the man who would become her husband in the newspaper. It was a story about how an heir to a rich family had disappeared after a tragedy. She recognizes him as a guy new to town and proceeds to make herself very visible to him. She wins him, they marry, she has a kid, then she basically lets him know by her actions that she doesn't have much need for him anymore (just his money). He gets a great job opportunity in New York, but she refuses to go because she figures she can continue her social climbing better in her own town, rather than starting over again in New York. He reluctantly agrees, moving to New York, and sending her money for herself and their daughter. Stella spends most of the money on partying and having a good time. One time the father shows up, sees how horrible a mother she is, and threatens to take their daughter with him for her own safety. This finally wakes up Stella and she starts trying to live a better life. That's probably about where you came in.
The father was the epitomy of both patience and class.
I completely disagree with your intrepretation of Stella. Yes, she sees Stephen's picture in the paper and yes his being wealthy is part the appeal in her fantasy but she is definitely attracted to him and has a crush on him, it's no different than any other woman (or man) who sees someone they like and set their cap for them. That's basically how nearly every relationship starts, people rarely fall in love at first sight at the same time. She's not trying to use him in a predatory manner. Totally disagree with your comment "she doesn't have much need for him anymore (just his money)". Stella's tragedy is once she caught the man of her dreams, she relaxed and let the old Stella reemerge and took her position as his wife for granted. She felt once he was hers she really didn't need to watch her p's and q's anymore and just be herself but she realized too late she herself had destroyed the marriage by going back to her natural earthy impulses rather than raise herself permanently to the ladylike demeanor that had attracted Stephen. Her self-esteem is so low she cannot expect Stephen to forgive her and take her back so she deliberately sets up a scene where Stephen will think she is cheating on him so that he will permanently severe their ties and take Laurel. Everybody talks about Stella's sacrifice for Laurel but she sacrificed for Stephen too so he could find a "good wife". share
He really didn't have any money when they married, his father left him broke (rich guys don't take white collar jobs in mills). He'd undoubtedly had an excellent education and was able to make a success of himself starting from scratch. Stella had to have realized that he didn't have any money when she married him; I think she fell in love with his background. Unfortunately, she's blind to the fact that "less" is usually the operative word among the well-bred, regardless of their bank balances.
share