TUDOR THEATRE

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3664, 6 February 1940, Page 5

TUDOR THEATRE

"STELLA DALLAS" FEATURED . TONIGHT AND TOMORROW Olive Higgins Prouty's famous novel "Stella Dallas," will be brought to the screen, of the Tudor Theatre tonight and tomorrow, and it slioud attract large audiences. For sheer dramatic intensity "Stella Dallas" has rarely been approached. And the artistry of Barbara Stanwyck's performance in the title role definitely places her in the top brackets of the screen's greatest actresses. From the opening sequence the audience sits enthralled as the poignant drama of the mother who sacrificed her own right to happiness for the sake of her daughter unfold on, the screen. Cheeks are alternately wreathed with smiles and streaked with tears as Barbara Stanwyck brings to vivid reality the heart story of the vulgar, tawdry woman who rises to glorious,, magnificent heights through her sublime love for her daughter. John Boles is splendid as Stephen Wallas, the husband whose sensitive and cultured personality is out of key with the gaudy flamboyance of his wife. Anne Shirley is perfectly cast as the daughter and Alan Hale contributes a leavening of lusty humour as the roistering Ed Munn, for whose friendship Stella Dallas wrecks her Home and life.