I Found Stella Parish
Encyclopedia
I Found Stella Parish is a 1935
melodrama
starring Kay Francis
as a beloved actress whose dark secret is revealed to the world.
, Stella Parish (Kay Francis
) has her greatest stage triumph in a play produced and directed by Stephen Norman (Paul Lukas
). However, her happiness is short-lived. She finds a man from her past in her dressing room. Determined not to submit to blackmail, she books passage back to America on an ocean liner, traveling in disguise with her young daughter Gloria (Sybil Jason
) and her best friend and confidante Nana (Jessie Ralph
).
Hotshot newspaper reporter Keith Lockridge (Ian Hunter
) tracks them down and befriends the trio on the sea voyage. Stella hopes to lose herself among the teeming millions of New York
, but Keith "accidentally" runs into them and renews their acquaintance. As weeks pass, Stella falls in love with him. Meanwhile, Keith investigates and finds out that Stella had been an actress. When her alcoholic, jealous husband found her innocently meeting her co-star in his apartment, he shot and killed the man. Then, he maliciously implicated her in the crime. Their daughter was born in prison. When Stella was released, she set about to bury her past for Gloria's sake. Finally, Stella tells Keith that she loves him and recounts her entire history. However, Keith had already wired the story to his editor a few hours before. His frantic efforts to suppress the article are too late; his newspaper has already published it.
When Stella is besieged by reporters, she decides to milk the situation for money she needs to take care of her child. She sends Gloria and Nana away, out of the public eye. Then, she works with a promoter to make well-paid appearances to take advantage of the scandal. Eventually, the public tires of her and she is reduced to working in vaudeville
.
At Keith's secret insistence, Stephen Norman offers her the starring role in his play, which he had shut down after its one performance. She is reluctant to return to London, but cannot refuse the money. Public reaction is at first hostile, but Keith works hard writing articles to sway public opinion. On opening night, Stella refuses to go on, dreading her reception, but Keith shows up backstage and points out at least two in the audience who believe in her, Gloria and Nana.
1935 in film
-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
starring Kay Francis
Kay Francis
Kay Francis was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 and 1936, when she was the number one female star at the Warner Brothers studio, and the highest paid American film actress...
as a beloved actress whose dark secret is revealed to the world.
Plot
In LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Stella Parish (Kay Francis
Kay Francis
Kay Francis was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 and 1936, when she was the number one female star at the Warner Brothers studio, and the highest paid American film actress...
) has her greatest stage triumph in a play produced and directed by Stephen Norman (Paul Lukas
Paul Lukas
Paul Lukas was an Austrian-Hungarian-born actor.-Biography:Born Pál Lukács in Budapest, he arrived in Hollywood in 1927 after a successful stage and film career in Hungary, Germany and Austria where he worked with Max Reinhardt. He made his stage debut in Budapest in 1916 and his film debut in 1917...
). However, her happiness is short-lived. She finds a man from her past in her dressing room. Determined not to submit to blackmail, she books passage back to America on an ocean liner, traveling in disguise with her young daughter Gloria (Sybil Jason
Sybil Jason
Sybil Jason was a motion-picture child actress who, in the late 1930s, was presented as a rival to Shirley Temple.-Career:...
) and her best friend and confidante Nana (Jessie Ralph
Jessie Ralph
Jessie Ralph was an American stage and screen actress, best known for her matronly roles in many classic motion pictures....
).
Hotshot newspaper reporter Keith Lockridge (Ian Hunter
Ian Hunter (actor)
Ian Hunter was a British character actor.Among dozens of film roles, his best-remembered appearances include That Certain Woman with Bette Davis, The Adventures of Robin Hood , The Little Princess and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
) tracks them down and befriends the trio on the sea voyage. Stella hopes to lose herself among the teeming millions of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, but Keith "accidentally" runs into them and renews their acquaintance. As weeks pass, Stella falls in love with him. Meanwhile, Keith investigates and finds out that Stella had been an actress. When her alcoholic, jealous husband found her innocently meeting her co-star in his apartment, he shot and killed the man. Then, he maliciously implicated her in the crime. Their daughter was born in prison. When Stella was released, she set about to bury her past for Gloria's sake. Finally, Stella tells Keith that she loves him and recounts her entire history. However, Keith had already wired the story to his editor a few hours before. His frantic efforts to suppress the article are too late; his newspaper has already published it.
When Stella is besieged by reporters, she decides to milk the situation for money she needs to take care of her child. She sends Gloria and Nana away, out of the public eye. Then, she works with a promoter to make well-paid appearances to take advantage of the scandal. Eventually, the public tires of her and she is reduced to working in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
.
At Keith's secret insistence, Stephen Norman offers her the starring role in his play, which he had shut down after its one performance. She is reluctant to return to London, but cannot refuse the money. Public reaction is at first hostile, but Keith works hard writing articles to sway public opinion. On opening night, Stella refuses to go on, dreading her reception, but Keith shows up backstage and points out at least two in the audience who believe in her, Gloria and Nana.
Cast
- Kay FrancisKay FrancisKay Francis was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 and 1936, when she was the number one female star at the Warner Brothers studio, and the highest paid American film actress...
as Stella Parish - Ian HunterIan Hunter (actor)Ian Hunter was a British character actor.Among dozens of film roles, his best-remembered appearances include That Certain Woman with Bette Davis, The Adventures of Robin Hood , The Little Princess and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
as Keith Lockridge - Paul LukasPaul LukasPaul Lukas was an Austrian-Hungarian-born actor.-Biography:Born Pál Lukács in Budapest, he arrived in Hollywood in 1927 after a successful stage and film career in Hungary, Germany and Austria where he worked with Max Reinhardt. He made his stage debut in Budapest in 1916 and his film debut in 1917...
as Steven Norman - Sybil JasonSybil JasonSybil Jason was a motion-picture child actress who, in the late 1930s, was presented as a rival to Shirley Temple.-Career:...
as Gloria Parish - Jessie RalphJessie RalphJessie Ralph was an American stage and screen actress, best known for her matronly roles in many classic motion pictures....
as Nana - Barton MacLaneBarton MacLaneBarton MacLane was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Although he has appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, he was known for his role as Gen...
as Clifton Jeffords, Stella's husband - Eddie AcuffEddie AcuffEddie Acuff was an American actor. His best-known recurring role is that of Mr. Beasley, the postman, in the Blondie movie series that starred Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake....
as Dimmy - Joe SawyerJoe SawyerJoe Sawyer was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1930 and 1962.He was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and died in Ashland, Oregon from liver cancer....
as Chuck - Walter KingsfordWalter KingsfordWalter Kingsford was a British stage, film and television actor born in Redhill, Surrey, England. He was born Walter Pearce and had several sisters...
as Reeves, Keith's editor - Harry BeresfordHarry BeresfordHarry Beresford was a stage actor in London and New York before going on the screen. He was also a screen writer and novelist.He was married to actress Kitty Gordon and their child was actress Vera Beresford....
as James - Robert Strange as Jed Duffy