Stella Dallas

Shortly after the novel was published, Stella Dallas became one of the most influential figures in American culture. The story of a working-class woman who is allowed to breathe the air of prosperity for a short time and pays a high price for it is the subject of several stage adaptations and film adaptations (including one in 1937 with Barbara Stanwyck). The first was directed by Hollywood veteran Henry King as a visually and emotionally powerful indictment of rigid class thinking in 1920s America, while Frances Marion, one of the most outstanding and influential screenwriters of her time, shows a particularly sensitive feel for the offences suffered by her main character. A major work of US silent cinema - now beautifully restored for rediscovery.