Irene Dunne | |
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 Studio headshot of Dunne,c. 1938 | |
| Born | Irene Marie Dunn (1898-12-20)December 20, 1898[1][2] Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | September 4, 1990(1990-09-04) (aged 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1920–1987 |
| Known for | |
| Title |
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| Political party | Republican |
| Board member of |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | See list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
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| Instrument |
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| Labels | Decca Records |
Musical artist | |
| Website | irenedunneguild |
Irene DunneDHS (bornIrene Marie Dunn;[Note 1] December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films duringthe Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other genres.
After her father died when she was 14, Dunne's family relocated fromKentucky toIndiana. She was determined to become anopera singer, but when she was rejected byThe Met, she performed in musicals onBroadway until she was scouted byRKO and made her Hollywood film debut in the musicalLeathernecking (1930). She later starred in the successful musicalShow Boat (1936).
Dunne starred in 42 movies and was nominated five times for theAcademy Award for Best Actress—for her performances in the western dramaCimarron (1931), the screwball comediesTheodora Goes Wild (1936) andThe Awful Truth (1937), the romanceLove Affair (1939), and the dramaI Remember Mama (1948). Dunne is considered one of the finest actresses never to have won anAcademy Award. Some critics[who?] feel that her performances have been underappreciated and largely forgotten, often overshadowed by later remakes and better-known co-stars.
After the success ofThe Awful Truth, she was paired withCary Grant, her co-star in that movie, two further times; in another screwball comedy,My Favorite Wife (1940), and in the melodramaPenny Serenade (1941). She has been praised by many during her career, and after her death, as one of the best comedic actresses in thescrewball genre. The popularity ofLove Affair also led to two additional movies with her co-star of that film,Charles Boyer; those wereWhen Tomorrow Comes (1939) andTogether Again (1944). Her last film role was in 1952 but she starred in and hosted numerous television anthology episodes until 1962 after having done numerous radio performances from the late 1930s until the early 1950s. She was nicknamed "The First Lady of Hollywood" for her regal manner despite being proud of her Irish-American, country-girl roots.
Dunne devoted her retirement tophilanthropy and was chosen by PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower as adelegate for the United States to theUnited Nations, in which she advocatedworld peace and highlighted refugee-relief programs. She also used the time to be with her family—her husband, dentist Dr. Francis Griffin, and their daughter Mary Frances, whom they adopted in 1938. She received numerous awards for her philanthropy, including honorary doctorates, aLaetare Medal from theUniversity of Notre Dame, and apapal knighthood—Dame of theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre. In 1985, she was awarded aKennedy Center Honor for her services to the arts.
Irene Marie Dunn was born on December 20, 1898,[1][2] at 507 East Gray Street inLouisville, Kentucky,[9] to Joseph John Dunn, an Irish-Americansteamboat engineer/inspector for the United States government,[10] and Adelaide Antoinette Dunn (née Henry), a concert pianist/music teacher of German descent fromNewport, Kentucky.[11] She was their second child and second daughter,[12] and had a younger brother named Charles;[13][14] Dunne's elder sister died soon after her birth.[12] The family alternated between living in Kentucky andSt. Louis[12] due to her father's job offers. He died in April 1913[15][16] from a kidney infection[17] when she was fourteen.[Note 2] She saved all of his letters and remembered, indeed lived by, what he told her the night before he died: "Happiness is never an accident. It is the prize we get when we choose wisely from life's great stores."[Note 3][20]
Following her father's death, Dunne's family moved to her mother's hometown ofMadison, Indiana,[22] living on W. Second St.,[23] in the same neighborhood as Dunne's grandparents.[24] Dunne's mother taught her to play the piano as a very small girl — according to Dunne, "Music was as natural as breathing in our house,"[20] — but unfortunately for her, music lessons frequently prevented her from playing with the neighborhood kids.[12] Her first school production ofA Midsummer Night's Dream began her interest in drama,[25] so she took singing lessons as well, and sang in local churches and high school plays before her graduation in 1916.[26] Wanting to become a music teacher,[27] she studied at theIndianapolis Conservatory of Music,[28][23] earning a diploma in 1918. Later, she auditioned for theChicago Musical College when she visited friends during a journey toGary, Indiana, and won a college scholarship, officially graduating in 1926.[29] Hoping to become asoprano opera singer, she moved to New York after finishing her second year in 1920, but failed two auditions with theMetropolitan Opera Company due to her inexperience and her "slight" voice.[30][31]
Dunne took more singing lessons and then dancing lessons to prepare for a possible career in musical theater.[12] On a New York vacation to visit family friends, she was recommended to audition for a stage musical,[20] eventually starring as the leading role in the popular playIrene,[12] which toured major cities as a roadshow throughout 1921.[3][32] "Back in New York," Dunne reflected, "I thought that with my experience on the road and musical education it would be easy to win a role. It wasn't."[20] HerBroadway debut was December 25 the following year as Tessie inZelda Sears'sThe Clinging Vine.[33] She understudiedPeggy Wood, playing the role several times in February 1923.[34] She then obtained the leading role when the original actress took a leave of absence in 1924.[20] She replaced Leeta Corder in the lead role of Virginia Warewell inGinger (1923) for the final few weeks on the production.[35][36] She was also a replacement inLollipop (1924) on Broadway.[37] Supporting roles inmusical theater productions followed in the showsThe City Chap (1925),[38][39]Yours Truly (1927)[40] andShe's My Baby (1928).[41][42] Her first top-billing, leading roleLuckee Girl (1928)[43] was not as successful as her previous projects.[12] She would later call her career beginnings "not great furor."[20] At this time, Dunne added the extra "e" to her surname,[Note 4][5] which had ironically been misspelled as "Dunne" at times throughout her life until this point;[45][46] until her death, "Dunne" would then occasionally be misspelled as "Dunn".[47][48] Starring as Magnolia Hawks in a road company adaptation ofShow Boat was the result of a chance meeting with its directorFlorenz Ziegfeld Jr.[Note 5] in an elevator the day she returned from herhoneymoon,[50] when he mistook her for his next potential client, eventually sending his secretary to chase after her.[20][Note 6] A talent scout forRKO Pictures attended a performance,[12] and Dunne signed the studio's contract, appearing in her first movie,Leathernecking (1930),[53] an adaptation of the musicalPresent Arms.[54] Already in her 30s when she made her first film, she would be in competition with younger actresses for roles, and found it advantageous to evade questions that would reveal her age, so publicists encouraged the belief that she was born in 1901 or 1904;[5][55] the former is the date engraved on her tombstone.[56][12]
The "Hollywood musical" era had fizzled out, so Dunne moved to dramatic roles duringthe Pre-Code era, leading a successful campaign for the role of Sabra inCimarron (1931) with her soon-to-be co-starRichard Dix,[57] earning her firstBest Actress nomination.[58] APhotoplay review declared, "[This movie] starts Irene Dunne off as one of our greatest screen artists."[59] Other dramas includedBack Street (1932)[60] andNo Other Woman (1933);[61] forMagnificent Obsession (1935),[62] she reportedly studiedBraille and focused on her posture with blind consultant Ruby Fruth.[63] This was after she and Dix reunited forStingaree (1934),[64] where overall consensus from critics was that Dunne had usurped Dix's star power.[65][66][67] Under a new contract withWarner Bros.,[68] the remake ofSweet Adeline (1934)[68][69] andRoberta (1935)[70] were Dunne's first two musicals sinceLeathernecking.Roberta also starred dancing partnersFred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Dunne sang four songs including "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes".[Note 7] In 1936, she starred as Magnolia Hawks inShow Boat (1936), directed byJames Whale.[72] Dunne had concerns about Whale's directing decisions,[73] but she later admitted that her favorite scene to film was "Make Believe" withAllan Jones because theblocking reminded her ofRomeo and Juliet.[74] It was during this year that Dunne's Warner Bros. contract had expired and she had decided to become afreelance actor,[5] with the power to choose studios and directors.[75] She was apprehensive about attempting her first comedy role as the title character inTheodora Goes Wild (1936),[76] but discovered that she enjoyed the production process,[77] and received her secondBest Actress Oscar nomination for the performance.[76]
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Dunne followedTheodora Goes Wild with other romantic and comedic roles.The Awful Truth (1937)[78] was the first of three films also starringCary Grant and was later voted the68th best comedy in American cinema history by theAmerican Film Institute.[79] Their screwball comedyMy Favorite Wife (1940)[80] was praised as an excellentspiritual successor,[81][82] whereasPenny Serenade (1941)[83] was a "romantic comedy that frequently embracedmelodrama."[84] Dunne also starred in three films withCharles Boyer:Love Affair (1939),[85]When Tomorrow Comes (1939),[86] andTogether Again (1944).[87]Love Affair was such an unexpected critical and financial success that the rest of Dunne and Boyer's films were judged against it;[88][89]When Tomorrow Comes was considered the most disappointing of the "trilogy,"[90][89] and the advertising forTogether Again promoted the actors' reunion more than the movie.[91] Dunne and Grant were praised as one of the best romantic comedy couples,[92] while the Dunne and Boyer pairing was praised as the most romantic in Hollywood.[93]
On her own, Dunne showed versatility through many film genres. Critics praised her comedic skills inUnfinished Business (1941)[94] andLady in a Jam (1942),[95] despite both movies' negative reception.[96][97] When the United States entered theSecond World War, Dunne participated in celebritywar bond tours around the country,[98] announcing at a rally in 1942, "This is no time for comedy. I'm now a saleswoman, I sellbonds."[99] She followed the tour with her only twowar films:A Guy Named Joe (1943)[Note 8] andThe White Cliffs of Dover (1944).[102] DespiteA Guy Named Joe's troubled production and mixed reviews, it was one of the most successful films of the year.[103]Over 21 (1945)[104] was Dunne's return to comedy but the themes of war (such as her character's husband enlisting in the army) immediately dated the story,[105][106] which may have contributed to its lack of success.[107] Strong but ladylike motherly roles in the vein ofCimarron's Sabra would follow throughout her next films,[108] such asAnna Leonowens in the fictionalizedbiopicAnna and the King of Siam (1946),[109] and mothers Vinnie Day inLife with Father (1947),[110] and Marta Hanson inI Remember Mama (1948).[111] Dunne openly disliked Vinnie'sditziness and had rejectedLife with Father numerous times,[112] eventually taking the role because "it seemed to be rewarding enough to be in a good picture that everyone will see."[113] ForI Remember Mama, Dunne worked on her Norwegian accent with dialect coach Judith Sater,[114] and wore body padding to appear heavier;[30][115] Marta Hanson was her fifth and final Best Actress nomination.
Dunne's last three films were box-office failures.[116] The comedyNever a Dull Moment (1950) was accused of trying too hard.[117][118] Dunne was excited to portrayQueen Victoria inThe Mudlark (1950)[119] for a chance to "hide" behind a role with heavy makeup and latex prosthetics.[30][120] It was a success in the UK, despite initial critical concern over the only foreigner in a British film starring as a well-known British monarch,[121] but her American fans disapproved of the prosthetic decisions.[30] The comedyIt Grows on Trees (1952) became Dunne's last movie performance,[122] although she remained on the lookout for suitable film scripts for years afterwards.[123] She filmed atelevision pilot based onCheaper by the Dozen that was not picked up.[30] On the radio, she andFred MacMurray respectively played a feudingeditor and reporter of a struggling newspaper in the 52-episode comedy-dramaBright Star, which airedin syndication between 1952 and 1953 by the Ziv Company.[124][125] She also starred in and hosted episodes oftelevision anthologies, such asFord Theatre,General Electric Theater, and theSchlitz Playhouse of Stars.Faye Emerson wrote in 1954, "I hope we see much more of Miss Dunne on TV,"[126] and Nick Adams called Dunne's performance inSaints and Sinners worthy of anEmmy nomination.[127] Dunne's last acting credit was in 1962, but she was once rumored to star in unmaterialized movies namedHeaven Train[128] andThe Wisdom of the Serpent,[129] and rejected an offer to cameo inAirport '77.[130] In 1954,Hedda Hopper reported a rumor that Dunne would star alongsideRobert Mitchum inCharles Laughton's stage adaptation ofThe Web and the Rock.[131] "I never formally retired," Dunne later explained, "but an awful lot of the girls my age soldiered on in bad vehicles. [I] couldn't run around with an ax in my hand likeBette [Davis] andJoan [Crawford] did to keep things going."[30]
Dunne was a presenter at the1950 BAFTAs when she was in London filmingThe Mudlark,[132] and then represented Hollywood for the12th Venice International Film Festival in 1951.[133] She later appeared at 1953'sMarch of Dimes showcase in New York City to introduce two little girls nicknamed the Poster Children, who performed a dramatization aboutpolio research.[134]
She acceptedWalt Disney's offer to present atDisneyland's "Dedication Day" in 1955, and christened theMark Twain Riverboat with a bottle containing water from several major rivers across the United States.[9][135][136] Years before, Dunne had also christened theSS Carole Lombard.[137][138]
Dunne was the only actress to be appointed a member of theCalifornia Arts Commission between 1967 and 1970.[139][140][141] The three years were spent developing a museum exhibit called "Dimension" forvisually impaired visitors[142] which officially opened on January 12, 1970,[140] in theM.H. de Young Memorial Museum,[143][140] and toured California for eleven months.[144] Dunne recorded a talking booklet,[145] explaining the history of the 30 sculptures on display and inviting guests to touch.[144]
During the Second World War, Dunne joined the Beverly Hills United Service Organization,[146] and co-founded theClark Gable's Hollywood Victory Committee.[98] It organized servicemen entertainment and war-bond sales tours on behalf of willing Hollywood participants.[Note 9] The National War Savings Program awarded her a certificate for her work from their Treasury Department.[146]
In her retirement, she devoted herself primarily to humanitarianism.[147] Some of the organizations she worked with include the Sister Kenny Foundation,[148] theAmerican Cancer Society[9] (becoming Chairwoman of its Field Army in 1948),[149][150] the Los Angeles Orphanage,[151] the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women,[139] and was Co-Chairman of theAmerican Red Cross.[150][9][152] She was elected president ofSanta Monica's St. John's Hospital and Health Clinic[151] in 1950[153] (she resigned in 1966 to work in the developing council)[154] and became a board member ofTechnicolor in 1965, the first woman ever elected to the board of directors.[155][156] She established anAfrican American school for Los Angeles,[157] negotiated donations to St. John's through box office results,[158][159] and Hebrew University Rebuilding Fun's sponsors committee.[139][160]Harold Stassen appointed her chairwoman for theAmerican Heart Association's[161][9] women's committee on February 7, 1949,[139][157][162] and she held the position until February 28.[163] She appeared in a celebrity-rostered television specialBenefit Show for Retarded Children (1955)[47] withJack Benny as host.[164] Dunne also donated to refurbishments in Madison, Indiana, funding the manufacture of Camp Louis Ernst Boy Scout's gate in 1939[165] and the Broadway Fountain's 1976 restoration.[9][166] In 1987, she founded the Irene Dunne Guild, a foundation which remains "instrumental in raising funds to support programs and services at St. John's."[167] It was reported that the Guild had raised $20 million by the time of her death.[168]
Dunne reflected in 1951: "If I began living in Hollywood today, I would certainly do one thing that I did when I arrived, and that is to be active in charity. If one is going to take something out of a community—any community—one must put something in, too."[169] She also hoped that charity would encourage submissive women to find independence: "I wish women would be more direct. [...] I was amazed when some quiet little mouse of a woman was given a job which seemed to be out of all proportion to her capabilities. Then I saw the drive with which she undertook that job and put it through to a great finish. It was both inspiring and surprising. I want women to be individuals. They should not lean on their husbands' opinions and be merely echoes of the men of the family[.]"[170]
In 1957,President Eisenhower appointed Dunne one of five alternative U.S. delegates to the United Nations in recognition of her interest ininternational affairs and Roman Catholic andRepublican causes.[171] Dunne admired the U.N.'s dedication to creatingworld peace,[172][173] and was inspired by colleagues' beliefs that Hollywood influenced the world.[174] On September 12, she was sworn in withHerman B. Wells,Walter H. Judd,A. S. J. Carnahan,Philip M. Klutznick andGeorge Meany.[175] She held delegacy for two years and addressed theGeneral Assembly twice.[176] She gave her delegacy its own anthem: "Getting to Know You" because "it's so simple, and yet so fundamental in international relations today."[177] Dunne later described her Assembly request for $21 million to helpPalestinian refugees as her "biggest thrill,"[178] and called her delegacy career the "highlight of my life."[179] She also concluded, "I came away greatly impressed with the work the U.N. does in its limited field—and it does have certain limits. I think we averted a serious situation in Syria, which might have been much worse without a forum to hear it... And I'm much impressed with the work the U.N. agencies do. I'm especially interested inUNICEF's work with children[,] and thehealth organization [.]"[180]
Dunne was a lifelongRepublican and served as a member of the Californian delegation in 1948's Republican National Convention and campaigned forThomas Dewey in the1944 United States presidential election[181] andRonald Reagan in the1966 California gubernatorial election.[182][183] She accepted the U.N. delegacy offer because she viewed the U.N. asapolitical.[184][185] She later explained: "I'm aNixon Republican, not aGoldwater one.[Note 10] I don't like extremism in any case. The extreme rights do as much harm as the extreme lefts."[187] Her large input in politics created an assumption that she was a member of the "Hollywood right-wing fringe," which Dunne denied, calling herself "foolish" for being involved years before other celebrities did.[184]
Dunne's father frequently told Dunne about his memories of traveling onbayous and lazy rivers.[188] Dunne's favorite family vacations were riverboat rides and parades, later recalling a voyage fromSt. Louis toNew Orleans,[189] and watching boats on theOhio River from the hillside.[190][188] She admitted, "No triumph of either my stage or screen career has ever rivaled the excitement of trips down theMississippi on theriverboats with my father."[20]
Dunne was an avid golfer, playing the sport since high-school graduation;[12] her husband and she often played against each other and she made ahole in one in two different games.[157] They often socialized with Californian business people,[191][130] but she was good friends withLoretta Young,[192]Jimmy Stewart,[192]Bob Hope,[192]Rosalind Russell,[193][191]Van Johnson,[193]Ronald Reagan,[130]Carole Lombard,[194][195] andGeorge Stevens Jr.,[130] and becamegodmother to Young's son,Peter.[196] She andCharles Boyer's blossoming friendship inLove Affair seeped through the movie so strongly,[197] they wrote essays about each other in the October issue ofPhotoplay.[198][199] Dunne also bonded withLeo McCarey over numerous similar interests, such as their Irish ancestry, music, religious backgrounds,[Note 11] and humor.[201] School friends nicknamed her "Dunnie"[25] and she was referred to as this in Madison High School's 1916 yearbook, along with the description "divinely tall and most divinely fair."[12]John Cromwell, however, reportedly described her as "always [having] the look of acat who had swallowed the canary."[202]
Dunne was popular with co-workers off-camera, earning a reputation as warm and approachable, and having a "poised, gracious manner"[203] like royalty,[136] which spilled into her persona in movies. On observing life behind the scenes of a typical day of filming in Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler noted, "There is something about Irene Dunne that makes every man in the room unconsciously straighten his tie."[204] Dunne earned the nickname "The First Lady of Hollywood"[136] because "she was the first real lady Hollywood has ever seen," saidLeo McCarey,[205] withGregory La Cava adding, "If Irene Dunne isn't the first lady of Hollywood, then she's the last one."[206] Ironically, this title had been bestowed on her when she was a little girl when an aunt cooed "What a little lady!"[203] When approached about the nickname in 1936, Dunne admitted it had grown tiresome but approved if it was meant as "the feminine counterpart of 'gentleman'";[207] a later interview she did have with theLos Angeles Times would ironically be titled "Irene Dunne, Gentlewoman."[173]
Her fashion tastes were often the talk of newspapers,[208][209] and Best Dressed lists featured her as one of the most stylish celebrities in the world.[210][211] Dunne explained in a 1939 fashion-advice interview that her husband was partially responsible because he was equally stylish, but also chooses outfits based on personality, color scheme and the context of where the outfits will be worn.[209]McCall's magazine later revealed Dunne chose outfits specifically designed for her byMainbocher andJean Louis because she did not like buying clothes in stores.[191]
One of Dunne's later public appearances was in April 1985, when she attended the unveiling of a bronze bust in her honor at St. John's Hospital and Health Clinic. The artwork, commissioned by the hospital from artistArtis Lane, has a plaque reading "IRENE DUNNE First Lady Of Saint John's Hospital and Health Center Foundation."[212][213]
Between 1919 and 1922, Dunne was close to Fritz Ernst, a businessman based in Chicago who was 20 years older than she, and a member of one of the richest families in Madison, Indiana.[214] They frequently corresponded while Dunne was training for musical theater but when Fritz proposed, Dunne declined, due to pressure from her mother and wanting to focus on acting.[214] They remained friends and continued writing letters until Ernst died in 1959.[215]
At a New York,Biltmore Hotel supper party in 1924, Dunne metNorthampton, Massachusetts-born dentist[216] Francis Griffin.[20][217] According to Dunne, he preferred being a bachelor, yet tried everything he could to meet her.[20] To her frustration, he did not telephone her until over a month later, but the relationship strengthened and they married in Manhattan on July 13, 1927.[218] They had constantly argued about the state of their careers if they ever got married,[20] with Dunne agreeing to consider theater retirement sometime in the future and Griffin agreeing to support Dunne's acting.[219] Griffin later explained: "I didn't like the moral tone of show business. [...] Then Ziegfeld signed her forShow Boat and it looked like she was due for big things. Next came Hollywood and [she] was catapulted to the top. Then I didn't feel I could ask her to drop her career. [I] really didn't think marriage and the stage were compatible but we loved each other and we were both determined to make our marriage work."[220]
When Dunne decided to star inLeathernecking, it was meant to be her only Hollywood project, but when it was abox-office bomb, she took an interest inCimarron.[20] Soon after, she and her mother moved to Hollywood and maintained a long-distance relationship with her husband and brother in New York until they joined her in California in 1936.[221] A family friend described their dynamic as "like two pixies together,"[191] and they remained married until Griffin's death on October 14, 1965,[222][223] living in theHolmby Hills in a "kind of FrenchChateau"[224] they designed.[225][Note 12] A hobby they both shared wasastronomy.[226][227] Griffin explained the marriage had lasted so long because: "When she had to go on location for a film I arranged my schedule so I could go with her. When I had to go out of town she arranged her schedule so she could be with me. We co-operate in everything. [...] I think a man married to a career woman in show business has to be convinced that his wife's talent is too strong to be dimmed or put out. Then, he can be just as proud of her success as she is and, inside he can take a bow himself for whatever help he's been."[220] Due to Dunne's privacy,[Note 13] Hollywood columnists struggled to find scandals to write about her—an eventual interview withPhotoplay included the disclaimer, "I can guarantee no juicy bits of intimate gossip. Unless, perhaps she lies awake nights heartsick about the kitchen sink in her new home. She's afraid it's too near to the door. Or would you call that juicy? No? No, I thought not."[228] When the magazines alleged that Dunne and Griffin would divorce, Griffin released a statement denying any marital issues.[229]
After retiring from dentistry, Griffin became Dunne's business manager[130] and helped negotiate her first contract.[230] The couple became interested in real estate, later investing in the Beverly Wilshire[130] and throughoutLas Vegas[231] (including co-founding and chairing the board ofHuntridge Corporation),[232][233][234][235] and partnering with Griffin's family's businesses (Griffin Equipment Company and The Griffin Wellpoint Company.)[220] Griffin sat as a board member of numerous banks,[220] but his offices were relocated fromCentury City to their home after his death, when Dunne took over as president.[187] They had one daughter, Mary Frances (née Anna Mary Bush; 1935[Note 14] – 2020),[237] who was adopted by the couple in 1936 (finalized in 1938) from the New York Foundling Hospital, run by theSisters of Charity of New York.[238][236]
Dunne was a devoutCatholic laywoman,[239][240] who became a dailycommunicant.[241] She was a member of theChurch of the Good Shepherd and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild inBeverly Hills, California.[242] In 1953,Pope Pius XII[243] awarded Dunne and her husband papal knighthoods asDame[Note 15] andKnightof the Holy Sepulchre, respectively.[245][56] Griffin also became aKnight of Malta in 1949.[246]
Dunne died at the age of 91 in her Holmby Hills home on September 4, 1990,[168] and was entombed four days later[247] next to her husband in theCalvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles.[56] She had been unwell for a year with an irregular heartbeat, and became bedridden about a month before.[5] The funeral was private with family friendLoretta Young being the only celebrity allowed to attend.[248][247] Her personal papers are housed at theUniversity of Southern California.[249]
Dunne is considered one of the best actresses ofThe Golden Age of Hollywood never to win an Academy Award.[251][252][253][254] AfterI Remember Mama was released,Liberty magazine hoped she would "do a Truman" at the1949 Oscars[255] whereasErskine Johnson called her and Best Actor nomineeMontgomery Clift thedark horses of that ceremony.[256] In 1985, Roger Fristoe said "a generation of filmgoers is mostly unfamiliar with her work" because eleven[257][252] of her movies had been remade, includingLove Affair (remade asAn Affair to Remember),Show Boat (remade in1951),My Favorite Wife (remade asMove Over, Darling),[258][259] andCimarron (remade in1960).[136][252] Dunne explained she had lacked the "terrifying ambition" of some other actresses, commenting in 1977, "I drifted into acting and drifted out. Acting is not everything. Living is."[260][261]
| Notable remakes of Dunne's films[257] | |
|---|---|
| Cimarron | 1960 remake |
| Back Street | 1961 remake |
| Roberta | Lovely to Look At (1952) |
| Magnificent Obsession | 1954 remake |
| Show Boat | 1951 remake |
| The Awful Truth | Let's Do It Again (1953) |
| Love Affair | An Affair to Remember (1957) |
| When Tomorrow Comes | Interlude (1957) |
| My Favorite Wife | Move Over, Darling (1963) |
| A Guy Named Joe | Always (1989) |
| Anna and the King of Siam | The King and I (1956) |
Although known for her comedic roles, Dunne admitted that she never saw comedy as a worthy genre, even leaving the country to attend theLondon premiere ofShow Boat[262] with her husband andJames Whale to get away from being confronted with a script forTheodora Goes Wild.[49] "I never admired a comedienne," she said retrospectively, "yet it was very easy for me, very natural. It was no effort for me to do comedy at all. Maybe that's why I wasn't so appreciative of it."[77] She ascribed her sense of humor to her late father,[203] as well as her "Irish stubbornness."[17] Her screwball comedy characters have been praised for their subversions to the traditional characterisation of female leads in the genre, particularly Susan (Katharine Hepburn) inBringing Up Baby and Irene (Carole Lombard) inMy Man Godfrey. "Unlike the genre's stereotypical leading lady, who exhibits bonkers behaviour continuously, Dunne's screwball heroine [inTheodora Goes Wild] chooses when shegoes wild," writes Wes D. Gehring,[263] who also described Dunne's screwball assituational because her characters often obfuscate wackiness to attract the male lead, and could turn it off when needed.[264]
Biographers and critics argue that Dunne's groundedness made her screwball characters more attractive than those of her contemporaries. In his review forMy Favorite Wife,Bosley Crowther wrote that a "mere man is powerless" to "her luxurious and mocking laughter, her roving eyes and come-hither glances."[265] Maria DiBattista points out that Dunne is the "only comic actress working under the strictures ofthe Production Code" who ends both of her screwball movies alongside Cary Grant with a heavy implication of sharing a bed with him, "under the guise of keeping him at bay."[266] Frankie Teller claimed Dunne's sexiness had been overshadowed by her melodramatic movies untilThe Awful Truth was released.[267] Meanwhile, outside of comedy,Andrew Sarris theorized that Dunne'ssex appeal is due to the common narrative in her movies about a good girl "going bad."[268] Dunne's backstage "First Lady" reputation furthered Sarris' sex appeal claims, admitting the scene when she shares atrain carriage withPreston Foster inUnfinished Business was practically his "rite of passage" to a sex scene in a film,[268] theorizing that the sex appeal of Dunne came from "a good girl deciding thoughtfully to be bad."[268] On the blatant eroticism of the same train scene, Megan McGurk wrote, "The only thing that allowed this film to pass the censors was that good-girl Irene Dunne can have aone-night stand with a random because she loves him, rather than just a once-off fling. For most other women of her star magnitude, you could not imagine a heroine without a moral compass trained on true north. Irene Dunne elevates a tawdry encounter to something justifiably pure or blameless. She's just not the casual sex type, so she gets away with it."[269]
TheLos Angeles Times referred to Dunne's publicity in their obituary as trailblazing, noting her as one of the first actors to become afreelancer in Hollywood during its rigidstudio system through her "non-exclusive contract that gave her the right to make films at other studios and to decide who should direct them,"[75] and her involvement with the United Nations as a decision that allowed entertainers from movies and television to branch out into philanthropy and politics, such as Ronald Reagan andGeorge Murphy.[75][270]
Dunne later said, "Cary Grant always said that I had the best timing of anybody he ever worked with."[77]Lucille Ball admitted at anAmerican Film Institute seminar that she based her comedic skills on Dunne's performance inJoy of Living,[271]Joan Leslie called her an "outstanding example as a woman and a star."[272]Charles Boyer described her having "an irrepressible youthfulness"[198] andRalph Bellamy described working in three films with her as "like a three-layered cake with candles[. She was] truly professional, extremely talented, and socially attractive and beautiful."[272] When asked about life after retiring from baseball,Lou Gehrig stated he would want Dunne as a screen partner if he ever became a movie actor.[273]Charles Mendl once called her one of the most attractive and fascinating women in the world "who has beauty as an accomplished actress and sophisticated conversationalist."[274] Dunne told James Bawden in 1977: "Now don't you dare call me normal. I was never a Pollyanna. There was always a lot of Theodora in me."[30]
In 2006, a historical marker was erected on 105 E. Main Street inMadison, Indiana, to honor her contributions to the state.[275]
Dunne received fiveBest Actress nominations during her career: forCimarron (1931),Theodora Goes Wild (1936),The Awful Truth (1937),Love Affair (1939) andI Remember Mama (1948); she was the first actor to lose against the same actor in the same category twice, losing to Best Actress winnerLuise Rainer in 1936 and 1937.[276] When asked if she ever resented never winning, Dunne pointed out that the nominees she was up against had strong support, believing that she would never have had a chance, especially whenLove Affair was againstGone with the Wind.[30] "I don't mind at all," she told Joyce Haber, "Greta Garbo never got an Oscar either [and] she's a living legend."[4]
However, Dunne was honored numerous times for her philanthropy from Catholic organizations and schools, receiving theUniversity of Notre Dame'sLaetare Medal,[9] and the Bellarmine Medal fromBellarmine College.[3] She received numeroushonorary doctorates,[277] including from Chicago Musical College (for music),[278]Loyola University andMount St. Mary's College (both forLaw).[9][75] For her film career, she was honored by the Kennedy Center,[279][280] a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6440 Hollywood Blvd,[281] and displays in theWarner Bros. Museum and Center for Motion Picture Study.[282] A two-sided marker was erected in Dunne's childhood hometown of Madison in 2006.[283][166]
| Award | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|
| American Society for the Hard of Hearing's Best Diction Award | 1936 | [146] |
| Chicago Musical College honoraryDoctor of Music | 1945 | [284][9][27] |
| Grauman's Chinese Theatre Handprints | 1946 | [285][286] |
| NCCJ's American Brotherhood Award | 1948 | [287][160][152] |
| Laetare Medal | 1949 | [9][288] |
| American Heart Association Gold Medal | [289][290] | |
| Protestant Motion Picture Council Award[Note 16] | [157] | |
| American Motherhood Pictures Award | [157] | |
| Woman's Voice of the Year | [150][292] | |
| Lateran Cross | 1951 | [184] |
| Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year | [184] | |
| New York Dress Institute's International Best Dressed Women | [210] | |
| Dame of the Holy Sepulchre | 1953 | [56][244][293] |
| Honorary member of theMadison Chamber of Commerce | 1954 | [294] |
| International Best Dressed List | 1958 | [211] |
| Indiana's Woman of the Year | [295] | |
| Loyola University honorary Law degree | [296] | |
| Seattle University honorary Law degree | 1959 | [297][298][299] |
| St. Mary's College honorary Law degree | 1964 | [244][300] |
| Bellarmine Medal | 1965 | [3][301] |
| Mannequins of the Assistance League of Southern California's Golden Eve Award | 1967 | [302] |
| Colorado Women of Achievement | 1968 | [277] |
| St. John's Hospital and Health Center's Lifetime Trustee | 1982 | [213] |
| Irene Dunne Guild bust | 1985 | [212] |
| Kennedy Center Honoree | [279] |
Irene Dunne credits details her film, television and radio credits.
"Lovely to Look At" was the only song Dunne performed in a non-musical movie that entered the Billboard charts, peaking at number 20 in early June 1935.[303][304]
| Year | Single | Credits | Format | Labels (serial number) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | "When I Grow Too Old to Dream"/"Lovely to Look At" |
| 78 rpm |
| [303] |
Decca Records released Dunne's only album, titledIrene Dunne inSongs from the Pen of Jerome Kern,[Note 17] which contained recordings of sixshow tunes composed byJerome Kern. It was recorded between July 16 and August 24, 1941, withVictor Young's orchestra,[309] making Dunne another singing movie star to create a Jerome Kern album.[310]
December [20], 1898
Dunn, Irene M.
Irene Dunne, who once wanted to teach music but who bypassed that vocation to become a starring actress in motion pictures, will be awarded an honorary degree ofdoctor of music by the Chicago Musical College.
Musical numbers on the program will be given by the following Indiana girls: Miss Wynota Cleaveland ofCrawfordsville, Miss Anah Webb ofBedford, Miss Irene Dunne ofMadison, Miss Lillian Prass ofLafayette...
The following Hoosier girls took part: Miss Irene Dunne, Madison, represented France...
At 3:30 WITV (Ch. 17) is telecasting the National Association for Retarded Children benefit show. Jack Benny isemceeing and everybody from Irene Dunn [sic] toArt Linkletter is in it.
Depending on which film source you read, Irene Dunne will be 81, 84 or 87 on Dec. 20. The official birth year is 1904, which makes her almost 81 and which she says sternly is correct, although in all events, "We do not think about Dec. 20. It is a day I choose to disregard."
It was nominated for Best Direction, Best Actor (Richard Dix), Best Actress (Irene Dunne) and Best Cinematography.
[Stingaree] is a preposterous tale, with Mr. Dix doing his best to prevent it from being even faintly credible.
The role [of Stingaree] gives [Richard] Dix an opportunity to return to the adventurous, twinkly-eyed roles he enacted in the early days of his success. Miss Dunne, opposite, has her first opportunity to exploit thoroughly her beautiful voice.
Sweet Adeline was announced as Irene Dunne's first starring vehicle under her new Warner Bros. contract.
[Irene Dunne said:] James Whale wasn't the right director. He was more interested in atmosphere and lighting and he knew so little about [riverboat] life.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)[The plot ofMy Favorite Wife] has anything to do with its very obvious resemblance to another [Leo] McCarey comedy,The Awful Truth.
[My Favorite Wife is a] no-nonsense-sequel toThe Awful Truth.
[When Tomorrow Comes] does not have as much comedy in it as when Miss Dunne and Mr. Boyer presented last season when they co-starred inLove Affair.
There is something missing inWhen Tomorrow Comes [...] Indeed, [directorJohn M. Stahl] has woven together the elements for a romance that is as near to actuality and as far from affection as that of theLove Affair starring effort [...] There isn't the sparkling wit ofLove Affair...
Billed as an exciting and hilarious love affair, [Together Again] bought forth from the publicity department with this paragraph: 'Their eyes meet again! Their lips meet again! Their hearts meet again in this year's most glorious...enchanting...daring romantic comedy. What love! What laughter!'
Miss Dunne and Mr. Grant make the perfect team for romantic comedy [and] they are both charming people.
I don't know any more romantic pair on the screen than Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.
On the whole, [Lady In a Jam] shouldn't happen to Irene Dunne.
Under the circumstances, the actors do exceedingly well. Miss Dunne, even though she must combine the naivete ofCinderella with the devastating wit of aDorothy Parker, is charming.
[Over 21] must now get along as a film at theMusic Hall without [the] benefit of timeliness.
With people everywhere thinking, planning, talking and breathing peace, [it] is a bit startling to [suddenly transport] back to the early days of the war.
There are some engagingly-homely touches in the comedy, but for the most part, it is given over to slapstick antics and strains too hard for its comic effects.
...its sole achievement as entertainment is the presentation of Irene Dunne in a series of rustic encounters that are about as funny as stepping on a nail.
What makes me feel so bad is that Miss Dunne is so wonderful as the movie actress with an incurable disease she is sure to be in the running for an Emmy award.
Basil O'Connor, president of the Foundatioin, opened the show. Irene Dunne introduced the 1953 March of Dimes Poster Children...
Irene Dunne, a personal friend of [Walt] Disney, will christen theMark Twain, a 105-foot sternwheeler which plies its way around a three-quarter mile canal in Frontierland.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Actress Irene Dunne will break the wine bottle on the S.S. Carole Lombard's steel prow...
Best of Luck – Capt. Gable,Louis B. Mayer, head of M.G.M., and Irene Dunne, waving farewells as the S.S. Carole Lombard slides down ways of Calship yards.
The purpose of the show was to make art more accessible to the blind and give the sighted a new perspective.
More recently, I've worked with heart and cancer foundations, Red Cross and especially the St. John's Hospital for which our premiere of "The Mudlark" raised $137.000 for a new building wing.
The premiere [ofHow the West Was Won] is sponsored by the St. John's Hospital Foundation. [...] Irene Dunne, who became president of the St. John's Hospital Foundation in 1951, was instrumental in arranging the benefit premiere.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Dr. Francis D. Griffin, 79, husband of actress Irene Dunne, has died of a heart ailment. He died Thursday night in the couple's home after a long illness.
Fed up with speculations about a pending divorce, Frank finally issued a statement [...] At last Hollywood had to accept a working, happy marriage.
Huntridge Theater — It was opened on October 10, 1944, by film star Irene Dunne, and, for a brief time, Loretta Young was a partner.
Francis W. [sic] Griffin, Miss Dunne inherited the board chairmanship of the Huntridge Corp., a real estate development firm, after her husband's death two years ago.
She's also on the board of Technicolor, Inc., chairman of the Huntridge Corporation, a member of the Fine Arts Council of Notre Dame University.
Irene Dunne, screen actress, and her husband, Dr. Francis Griffin, have adopted a 4-year-old girl whom they have named Mary Frances Dunne, it was learned yesterday at the County Clerk's office, where the adoption order is on file.
Irene Dunne, a devout Catholic,...
Father Chase says that Miss Dunne attends Mass and receives Communion daily. "When I was stationed in Los Angeles," he declares, "she missed only two days out of an entire year."
The Guild and Good Shepherd Parish itself were soon populated by such film notables asJackie Coogan,Neil Hamilton andBen Turpin and in later years would include the likes ofRay Bolger,Jane Wyman,Jimmy Durante,Danny Thomas, Loretta Young,Gene Kelly,Rosalind Russell, Irene Dunne,Ricardo Montalbano [sic],Bob Newhart,Jack Haley andMacDonald Carey.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Two active Catholics in the entertainment world, Irene Dunne andDennis Day, were given the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem by Pius XII in 1953.
Honored with Miss Dunne was her husband, Dr. Francis S. [sic] Griffin...
Loretta Young was the only celebrity in attendance at Irene Dunne's funeral. Irene's business manager, John Larkin, said she did not want the event turned into a circus, therefore only thirty people were invited. Even President Ronald Reagan was refused when he called to request an invitation.
{{cite magazine}}:Cite uses generic title (help)Move Over, Darling is a remake of a hit filmed years ago. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne played it originally, I believe.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Few Hollywood stars have been awarded honorary degrees. Even fewer can add M.D. to their names. Were Irene Dunne the boastful kind, she could brag about both of these distinctions, for Chicago Musical College made her an M.D. ...
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)The National Conference of Christians and Jews has named Irene Dunne as the person "who has done most in 1948 to promote better understanding among peoples of all faiths."
IRENE BOWS - The film actress, Irene Dunne kneels to kiss the ring of Most Rev.Thomas A. Connolly, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Seattle, at Seattle University commencement exercises. Archbishop Connolly conferred an honorary doctor-of-laws degree on Miss Dunne.
The Los Angeles school conferred the degree on the actress yesterday "in recognition of her courageous fidelity to Catholic principles in public and private life" and for her work in cancer research organizations.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)INTERSTATE stands ready with the musical highlights on record, offering both albums and records. The albums include the following :BING CROSBY'S JEROME KERN SONGS,JEROME KERN SONGS [by] (FRED WARING),JEROME KERN SONGS (IRENE DUNNE),JEROME KERN (AL GOODMAN),JEROME KERN'S SHOW TUNES (AL GOODMAN),JEROME KERN'S MUSIC (CAPITOL ARTISTS)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite magazine}}:Cite magazine requires|magazine= (help)
