Stella Maris

1918

1h 24m

Drama

List

90%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

78%

Audience Score

50+ Ratings

Stella Maris (Mary Pickford), paralyzed since birth, lives in an opulent mansion and has virtually no knowledge of the outside world. She adores her frequent visitor John Risca (Conway Tearle), a journalist stuck in a loveless marriage to Louise (Marcia Manon). After Louise viciously beats her maid Unity Blake (also Pickford), she is jailed, and Unity too falls in love with John. The two young women are hopelessly enamored of the same man, and after Louise's release something has to give.

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Variety Staff

Variety

It is a production for which the director, Marshall Neilan, must receive unstinted credit. It is a revelation in exterior locations and interior settings and the titling is exceedingly clever.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Fred Camper

Chicago Reader

Neilan's imagery is largely theatrical -- he seldom cuts meaningfully within scenes, he treats his locations almost as stage sets, and his idea of subtle lighting is using a narrow bar of light to illuminate the eyes of a murderess.

Jan 1, 2000

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Kathy Fennessy

Video Librarian Magazine

For all its humor, romance, and state-of-the-art special effects, though, Stella Maris never sugarcoats the title character's advantages as a woman with looks, education, and wealth, even as she's no better or kinder than the unlucky Unity.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 26, 2024

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Leon J. Bourstein

Motography

For the first time in her career Mary Pickford essays to portray dual roles, and her most recent picture, Stella Maris, is truly a remarkable revelation of the star's versatility.

Jul 31, 2020

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Kitty Kelly

Chicago Examiner

Another milestone In the long lane of Pickford triumphs.

Jul 29, 2020

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Harriette Underhill

New York Tribune

If any there be who think that Mary Pickford is not. a great actress let him go to see Stella Maris and be convinced.

Nov 12, 2019

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Audience Member

Stella Maris tells the story of a handicapped woman named Stella Maris (Mary Pickford) who is completely sheltered from all things evil about life by her rich guardians. Mary Pickford also portrays Unity, an uneducated orphan who was mistreated by society all of her life. While it was impressive that Mary Pickford plays a dual role, it should also be noted that the film did have some flaws. For example, the screenplay by Frances Marion was pretty questionable at times. Overall, Stella Maris is a decent film with a decent performance by Mary Pickford with some decent symbolism but the writing was just not there. A middle of the road kind of motion picture.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Audience Member

pickford plays 2 roles skillfully makine each character believeable

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Confronting silent film...

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Audience Member

One of Pickford's best.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Although my second exposure to Mary Pickford... the first being Romance of the Redwoods (1917) directed by the great Cecille b. De Mille but the print was awful and her acting was hard to see, especially her facial expressions cause the negative was so damaged. However this film was absolutely fantastic, Mary Pickford played both Leads both utterly convincing. To be content with her choice of playing the 'ugly duckling' Unity Blake, a week before production of this film she used to walk around the studio in character and no one recognised her... this gave her the faith the she can pull it off and she did!!! The film is quite dark indeed, touched on many tough issues of the day, orphans, torture, society, parental neglect, but a powerful melodrama nontheless. An extraordinary achievement for the dubbed American Sweetheart this was incredible stretch of her talent....

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

Totally brilliant! We saw this at the Vintage film festival last night. You could have heard a pin drop in the theatre!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Marshall Neilan

Director

Mary Pickford

Miss Stella Maris

Conway Tearle

John Risca

Ida Waterman

Lady Eleanor Blount

Herbert Standing

Sir Oliver Blount

Marcia Manon

Louisa Risca

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Synopsis

Stella Maris (Mary Pickford), paralyzed since birth, lives in an opulent mansion and has virtually no knowledge of the outside world. She adores her frequent visitor John Risca (Conway Tearle), a journalist stuck in a loveless marriage to Louise (Marcia Manon). After Louise viciously beats her maid Unity Blake (also Pickford), she is jailed, and Unity too falls in love with John. The two young women are hopelessly enamored of the same man, and after Louise's release something has to give.

Director: Marshall Neilan
Screenwriter: Frances Marion
Production Co: Famous Players
Genre: Drama
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2016
Runtime: 1h 24m

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