“I
want you to realize that this whole thing called Life is just a grand
adventure. The trick is to act in it and look out at the same time. And remember:
no matter what happens - good or bad - it's just so much velvet.”
In
the early 1930s the studios put out what they called “women’s pictures.” These
pictures were geared towards women because they were the ones who were going to
the movies while they were home alone during the day. Think of today’s women’s
pictures being Romantic Comedies (is it just me or have Rom Coms gone downhill
in a major way the past few years?) like 27
Dresses or dramas like The Help.
So many of Hollywood’s great leading ladies started out in women’s pictures in
the early 1930s including Barbara Stanwyck. Stanwyck stuck out among her
counterparts during this time because there was nothing phony about her acting.
She gives one of her best performances in a women’s picture called So Big!.
The
story starts off in the late 1800s in Chicago. Selina (Stanwyck) is a young
girl living with her wealthy father. They travel all over the country and
enjoys the best that money has to offer. Selina loves her father very much and
is beyond devastated when he is shot and killed over a gambling debt. When the
news if why her father dies, her friend Julia’s mother will not allow her
daughter to be seen with Selina. Julia’s father still likes Selina and helps
set her up with a teaching position. The position is out in the prairies
teaching farm children.
Selina
is staying with a farm family. They are a little too rough for her liking. The
son Roelf (later played by George Brent) is a little more sophisticated than
the rest of his family. Every night he sits at the table and reads his
dictionary. He is not as rough as the rest of the family and does not speak as
much when she first arrives. In church Selina sees a man named Purvis DeYoung.
An old widow likes him and the whole town knows it. At a church auction Purvis
talks to her. The auction is bids on a lunch basket made by the ladies of the
parish. Roelf tries to bid for Selina’s basket but Purvis outbids him. Poor
Roelf is forced to eat with a girl that annoys him. Purvis begins to come to
the house for lessons. Roelf gets jealous and does all he can to interrupt them.
He comes down the stairs and opens the door to see Selina and Purvis kissing. Selina
and Purvis get married and live on a farm. After some time Selina begins to
look ten years older than she is from all the hard farm work. Their life
becomes happier when they have a son they name Dirk.
Roelf’s
mother dies from all the years of hard work. Roelf is terribly upset and
decides to leave home. He stops to see Selina before he leaves so he can give
her back two books. Selina tells him to keep the books she does not want them.
As Selina is in the house getting money for him Roelf puts the books down on
the ground and walks away. Selina is upset that Roelf has gone away. She turns
to her small son and asks how big he is. He spreads his small arms to show her
how big he is. Years later Purvis dies from a bad cold. Now Selina works the
farm and goes to the market herself to sell the food. From this time on Selina
works hard to provide and care for Dirk.
Dirk has graduated from college with a degree
in architecture. He wants to make a lot of money and become successful. Selina
shows him Roelf’s drawing of a field of cabbage he made for her when they first
met. Now Roelf is a famous artist in Europe he has become successful but had to
work for it. Dirk leaves his mother saying he has to get back to the office. He
goes out to dinner with a married woman. On the menu is De Young asparagus.
Selina has become a success through her hard work. The woman Dirk meets tells
him to forget about architecture and become a bond salesman so he can make
money. He becomes a successful and wealthy bonds salesman. He was so focused on
becoming a success that he hates it when his mother mentions working on a farm.
Selina
is worried about her son’s obsessed focus with being a bondsman and not having
a woman he wants to marry. One day in his office Dirk meets Dallas O’Mera
(Bette Davis). Dallas is an artist for an advertising firm that has been sent
to work for the company. Dirk takes Dallas out to dinner. He tells her he
wanted to be an architect. She tells him that she would rather create a
backdoor than work behind a desk.
Dallas
goes to Paris. While there she meets Roelf. When they both return to New York
City Dallas introduces Dirk to Roelf. Selina now lives in a big house
surrounded by large fields. Dirk, Dallas, and Roelf go out to see Selina. When
they arrive at the house she is working out in the fields. Selina is beyond
happy to see her old friend after so many years. Dallas admires Selina for her
ruggedness and strength.
Barbara
Stanwyck is absolutely amazing. You were not watching Barbara Stanwyck you were
watching this woman who was once privileged go through the rest of her life
struggling and working hard and always coming out alright. I could not get over
the fact that Stanwyck was twenty-four years old when she played this part. She
had the acting ability of someone much older and had over thirty films under
their belt (she had only made eleven before this film). I give Stanwyck a ton
of credit for putting on the old makeup. Not many actresses back then would
make themselves really age, they aged gracefully and unconvincingly. Stanwyck went
all the way and knocked it out. She was amazing from beginning to end. She fit
the role perfectly because she was a tough broad herself. Bette Davis was
fourth billed! This was one of her early films so no leading role yet. I
thought it was funny how she was fourth billed with George Brent being billed
before her because a few years later she would be the leading lady billed above
him and bossing him around like there was no tomorrow in those films. Davis was
good in her small scenes. She did not have a diva attitude yet. George Brent is
just fabulous not matter how long he is in a film.
So Big! was definitely a women’s
picture. It is based off a story written by Edna Farber. The studios ate Edna
Farber’s novels for breakfast. I have seen so many films that were based off
her stories or Edith Wharton’s, both of them had the perfect stories for those
old weepy pictures. The reason So Big!
stands out among the other films is because of Barbara Stanwyck and her amazing
acting. She gave the character just enough sympathy and never let you feel bad
for her for very long and I think that comes down to her being such a woman in
real life. So Big! is not available
on DVD or on Youtube. I recorded it from TCM some time ago. If the channel airs
it again definitely watch it
