My views
- In some ways, remindes me of Ladies They Talk About (1933)
- Notable actots:
Plot
In 1919 in a Massachusetts factory town, Stella Martin, the daughter of a mill worker, is determined to better her station in life. She sets her sights on Stephen Dallas, the advertising manager at the mill, whom she catches at an emotionally vulnerable time. Stephen's father killed himself after losing his fortune, leaving Stephen penniless. He disappeared from high society, intending to return for his fiancée, Helen Morrison, once he was able to support her financially, but, just as he feels he has made something of himself, he sees the announcement of Helen's wedding in the newspaper. Stephen and Stella have a brief courtship before impulsively getting married.
A year later, Stella and Stephen's daughter, Laurel, is born. To Stella's great surprise, she discovers she has a strong maternal instinct. Even when she is out dancing and partying, she cannot help but think about her child. As Laurel grows up, Stella's social ambitions are redirected toward her daughter.
Stephen dotes on Laurel as well, but she is the only bond between husband and wife. Without success, he tries to help Stella become more refined, and he strongly disapproves of her continuing friendship with the vulgar Ed Munn. Finally, when Stephen is offered a promotion that requires him to move to New York, Stella tells him to take it, though she and Laurel will stay behind. They separate, but remain married, and Laurel only sees Stephen when he comes to visit, or when they take father-daughter vacations together.
Years later, Stephen runs into Helen, who is now a wealthy widow with three sons. They renew their acquaintance, and for one vacation Stephen brings Laurel to stay at Helen's mansion. Laurel gets along very well with Helen and her sons. Stephen asks Stella for a divorce through his lawyer, but she turns him down.
Stella takes Laurel to a fancy resort, where Laurel meets Richard Grosvenor III, and the youths fall in love. However, when Stella makes her first appearance after recovering from a mild illness, she becomes the target of derision behind her back for her vulgar fashion sense. Embarrassed for her mother, Laurel insists they leave at once, without explanation. On the train ride home, Stella overhears some passengers from the resort discussing her and learns the truth.
After talking with Helen and seeing how elegant she is, Stella agrees to divorce Stephen and asks if Laurel can live with Helen and Stephen once they are married. Helen realizes the reason for the request and agrees. When Laurel learns of this arrangement on her next visit to Helen's mansion, she immediately figures out Stella's thinking and returns home to her mother. However, Stella pretends she wants Laurel off her hands so she can marry Ed and travel to South America, so, dejected, Laurel runs crying back to her father and Helen.
Sometime later, Laurel and Richard get married. Laurel is upset that her mother did not even send her a letter of congratulations, and Helen comforts her by saying that word of her engagement must not have reached Stella. From outside in the rain, Stella watches Laurel and Richard exchange wedding vows through the window. Just another face in a small crowd of curious bystanders, she goes unnoticed. After being shooed away by a police officer, Stella walks away with her head held high and a smile on her tear-stained face.
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