STELLA DALLAS (1925)
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Randwick Ritz, Sydney:
10:00 AM
Sunday May 04
Lido Cinemas, Melbourne:
10:30 AM
Sunday May 11
Rating: PG
Duration: 110 minutes
Country: USA
Language: English. Silent with recorded score
Cast: Ronald Colman, Belle Bennett, Lois Moran
Director: Henry King
SYDNEY TICKETS ⟶
MELBOURNE TICKETS ⟶
10:00 AM
Sunday May 04
Lido Cinemas, Melbourne:
10:30 AM
Sunday May 11
Rating: PG
Duration: 110 minutes
Country: USA
Language: English. Silent with recorded score
Cast: Ronald Colman, Belle Bennett, Lois Moran
Director: Henry King
SYDNEY TICKETS ⟶
MELBOURNE TICKETS ⟶
4K RESTORATION – AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
“WHAT A PICTURE! "Stella Dallas," Samuel Goldwyn's first release through United Artists, is truly a masterpiece. We unqualifiedly believe it to be one of the finest pictures ever produced. Frankly we doubt if it has ever been equalled and are sure that it has never been surpassed in the tremendous sweep of its emotional appeal or the poignancy of its soul-stirring drama of mother-love and sacrifice.” C S Sewell, The Moving Picture World, November 28, 1925
“Stella Dallas is not only one of the first films to examine the conflict between a woman’s public role and her personal desires, it is also an early movie depiction of class barriers in the supposedly classless American society.” Monica Nolan, essay for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, 2012
The story is simple. The daughter of a factory worker, Stella marries above her station, attempts to fit in with the upper crust, but is betrayed by her preference for beer, feathered hats, and practical jokes. At this point, her marriage to Stephen Dallas exists only in name, as the mismatched couple have separated. The only evidence of their brief union is daughter Laurel, who inherits her father’s refinement but lives with her vulgar mother. And therein lies the tragedy—Stella adores her daughter but is unwittingly damaging her, exhaling a cloud of bad taste that poisons her daughter’s future like secondhand smoke. In the twisted logic of the movie’s day, Stella is the problem, not the snobbery of the upper class. Stella must give up her only child to save her.
Introduced by Barrie Pattison at Ritz Cinemas and by Jake Wilson at Lido Cinemas
The film will be presented accompanied by a soundtrack featuring a new orchestral score composed by Stephen Horne and recorded at the film’s 2021 restoration premiere at the Venice Biennale.
“WHAT A PICTURE! "Stella Dallas," Samuel Goldwyn's first release through United Artists, is truly a masterpiece. We unqualifiedly believe it to be one of the finest pictures ever produced. Frankly we doubt if it has ever been equalled and are sure that it has never been surpassed in the tremendous sweep of its emotional appeal or the poignancy of its soul-stirring drama of mother-love and sacrifice.” C S Sewell, The Moving Picture World, November 28, 1925
“Stella Dallas is not only one of the first films to examine the conflict between a woman’s public role and her personal desires, it is also an early movie depiction of class barriers in the supposedly classless American society.” Monica Nolan, essay for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, 2012
The story is simple. The daughter of a factory worker, Stella marries above her station, attempts to fit in with the upper crust, but is betrayed by her preference for beer, feathered hats, and practical jokes. At this point, her marriage to Stephen Dallas exists only in name, as the mismatched couple have separated. The only evidence of their brief union is daughter Laurel, who inherits her father’s refinement but lives with her vulgar mother. And therein lies the tragedy—Stella adores her daughter but is unwittingly damaging her, exhaling a cloud of bad taste that poisons her daughter’s future like secondhand smoke. In the twisted logic of the movie’s day, Stella is the problem, not the snobbery of the upper class. Stella must give up her only child to save her.
Introduced by Barrie Pattison at Ritz Cinemas and by Jake Wilson at Lido Cinemas
The film will be presented accompanied by a soundtrack featuring a new orchestral score composed by Stephen Horne and recorded at the film’s 2021 restoration premiere at the Venice Biennale.
THE RESTORATION
Source: DCP Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art New York
Digital restoration by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Foundation, from a 35mm print held by MoMA, with support from The George Lucas Family Foundation. Accompanied by a new orchestral score composed by Stephen Horne and recorded at the film’s 2021 restoration premiere at the Venice Biennale.
Director: Henry King; Production Company: Samuel Goldwyn Productions; Producer: Samuel Goldwyn; Script: Frances Marion based on the novel by Olive Higgins Prouty; Photography: Arthur Edeson; Editor: Stuart Heisler; Wardrobe: Sophie Wachner; Original music: Herman Rosen; Restoration music: Stephen Horne.
Cast: Belle Bennett (Stella Martin/Dallas); Ronald Colman (Stephen Dallas); Jean Hersholt, (Ed Munn); Lois Moran (Laurel Dallas); Alice Joyce Helen Dane/Morrison/Dallas); Douglas Fairbanks Jr (Richard Grosvenor); Vera Lewis (Miss Philiburn); Beatrix Prior (Mrs Grosvenor).
USA | 1925 | 110 mins | B&W tinted | Silent with English intertitles and recorded score | PG
Digital restoration by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Foundation, from a 35mm print held by MoMA, with support from The George Lucas Family Foundation. Accompanied by a new orchestral score composed by Stephen Horne and recorded at the film’s 2021 restoration premiere at the Venice Biennale.
Director: Henry King; Production Company: Samuel Goldwyn Productions; Producer: Samuel Goldwyn; Script: Frances Marion based on the novel by Olive Higgins Prouty; Photography: Arthur Edeson; Editor: Stuart Heisler; Wardrobe: Sophie Wachner; Original music: Herman Rosen; Restoration music: Stephen Horne.
Cast: Belle Bennett (Stella Martin/Dallas); Ronald Colman (Stephen Dallas); Jean Hersholt, (Ed Munn); Lois Moran (Laurel Dallas); Alice Joyce Helen Dane/Morrison/Dallas); Douglas Fairbanks Jr (Richard Grosvenor); Vera Lewis (Miss Philiburn); Beatrix Prior (Mrs Grosvenor).
USA | 1925 | 110 mins | B&W tinted | Silent with English intertitles and recorded score | PG