stanwyck's 'stella'

a young woman hands her brother a paper bag of sandwiches to take to his job at the mill. they are standing in a cramped and shabby kitchen with their mother who looks old enough to be their grandmother. the brother is bellyaching, the daughter is wisecracking, and the mom just wants a little peace.

classic set up for a pretty and clever young woman, from the wrong side of the tracks, to dream big. by scene two the big dream begins to materialize, and before you know it you're watching the fantasy life start to crumble. happiness goes down the drain but in this knockout drama, the baby does not get thrown out with the bath water.

'stella' goes from radiant to dowdy as the devoted mother of all time, showing us the meaning of the word sacrifice. barbara stanwyck is only ever excellent and this is one of her best roles. 'stella dallas' is selflessness to the nth degree..