Cast notes: After Cimarron became the top grossing film of 1931 and won multiple Academy Awards, a newfound interest was spurred in American historical cinema- particularly that of Ferber's.

[5] Despite Hollywood still recovering from its worst year in the Depression, the film underwent production in 1932 with an estimated budget of $228,000[6] and a solid cast, including well-known actress Barbara Stanwyck.

"[7] Variety noted, "Wellman's endeavor at kaleidoscopic flashes in the life of Selina Dejong ... make for a choppy continuity ... As it is, the 83 minutes are overly long, but in toto, it's a disjointed affair.

"[1] The New Yorker considered Barbara Stanwyck's performance "the best work she has yet shown us",[1] while the New York Daily Mirror called her "exquisite" and added, "Her great talent as an actress never has been demonstrated more brilliantly.

"[1] Critics of the Motion Picture Herald commented, "Warner has remade Edna Ferber's So Big for the talking screen with Barbara Stanwyck in the virile part of a typical American mother whose simple life epic is the backbone of America's greatness...

The Ferber classic should not disappoint those who enjoyed the silent version..."[4] The film was regarded not only for its great cast and detailed adaptation of the novel, but its unusual plot line for Hollywood movies typical of that time.