Donna Reed | |
|---|---|
 Reed in 1961 | |
| Born | Donna Belle Mullenger (1921-01-27)January 27, 1921 Denison, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | January 14, 1986(1986-01-14) (aged 64) |
| Resting place | Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1941–1986 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
Donna Reed (bornDonna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American actress. Her career spanned more than 40 years and included appearances in over 40 films. She is best known for playingMary Hatch Bailey inFrank Capra's holiday classicIt's a Wonderful Life (1946), and for herAcademy Award–winning performance as Lorene inFred Zinnemann's war dramaFrom Here to Eternity (1953).
Reed is also known for her work in television, notably as Donna Stone, a middle-class American mother and housewife in the sitcomThe Donna Reed Show (1958–1966) whose character was more assertive and complex than most other television mothers of the era. She received numerousEmmy Award nominations for this role and theGolden Globe Award for Best TV Star in 1963. Later in her career, Reed replacedBarbara Bel Geddes asMiss Ellie Ewing Farlow in the1984–1985 season of the television melodramaDallas; she successfully sued the production company for breach of contract when she was abruptly fired upon Bel Geddes' decision to return to the show.
Reed was born Donna Belle Mullenger on January 27, 1921,[1] inDenison, Iowa, the daughter of Hazel Jane (née Shives) and William Richard Mullenger. The eldest of five children, she was raised as aMethodist.[2] She had two brothers, William Lee (1927–1993) and Keith Mullenger, and two sisters, Lavone "Heidi" Flynn (1924–2019) and Karen Moreland (born 1942).[3][4] In 1936, while she was a sophomore atDenison High School, her chemistry teacher gave her the bookHow to Win Friends and Influence People. The book is said to have greatly influenced her life. Upon reading it she won the lead in the school play, was voted Campus Queen and was in the top 10 of the 1938 graduating class.
After graduating from Denison High School, Reed planned to become a teacher but was unable to pay for college. She moved to California to attendLos Angeles City College on her aunt's advice. While attending college, she performed in various stage productions, although she had no plans to become an actress. After receiving several offers to takescreen test for studios, Reed eventually signed withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer; however, she insisted on finishing her education first.[5][6] She completed herassociate degree, then signed with an agent.[7]
In 1941, after signing withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Reed made her film debut inThe Get-Away oppositeRobert Sterling; she was then billed as Donna Adams.
MGM soon changed her name to Donna Reed because of anti-German sentiment during World War II.[8] "A studio publicist hung the name on me, and I never did like it", Reed once said. "I hear 'Donna Reed' and I think of a tall, chic, austere blonde that isn't me. 'Donna Reed' – it has a cold, forbidding sound."[9]
Reed had a supporting role inShadow of the Thin Man (1941) and inWallace Beery'sThe Bugle Sounds (1942). Like many starlets at MGM, she played oppositeMickey Rooney in anAndy Hardy film, in her case the hugely popularThe Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942). She was second-billed in the children's film,Mokey (1942). Reed starred inCalling Dr. Gillespie (1942) andApache Trail (1942), then did a thriller withEdward Arnold,Eyes in the Night (1942), directed byFred Zinnemann.
Reed appeared inThe Human Comedy (1943) with Mickey Rooney,Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case (1943) andThe Man from Down Under (1943). She was one of many MGM stars to make cameos inThousands Cheer (1943). Her "girl-next-door" good looks and warm onstage personality made her a popular World War II pin-up, and she personally answered letters from American servicemen overseas.[10] She retained some 350 of the letters she was sent during the war.[11] Reed starred inSee Here, Private Hargrove (1944) andGentle Annie (1945), a Western. She was inThe Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) and played a nurse inJohn Ford'sThey Were Expendable (1945), oppositeJohn Wayne. MGM was very enthusiastic about Reed's prospects at this time.[12]
Reed collaborated with her Denison High School chemistry teacher Edward R. Tompkins (who worked on theManhattan Project) on the 1947 MGM filmThe Beginning or the End, which dealt with the history and concerns of the atom bomb. Reed contributed to the story but does not appear in the final film.[13] Reed was top-billed in a romantic comedyFaithful in My Fashion (1946) with Tom Drake.
MGM lent Reed toRKO for the role of Mary Bailey inFrank Capra'sIt's a Wonderful Life. The film has since been named as one of the100 best American films ever made by theAmerican Film Institute and is regularly aired on television during the Christmas season.[14] Reed later said it was "the most difficult film I ever did. No director ever demanded as much of me."[9]
Back at MGM, she appeared inGreen Dolphin Street (1947) withLana Turner andVan Heflin, a financial hit.
Paramount borrowed Reed for two films withAlan Ladd,Beyond Glory (1948), where she replacedJoan Caulfield at the last minute,[15] andChicago Deadline (1949).[16] In 1949, Reed expressed a desire for better roles.[17]
In June 1950 Reed signed a contract with Columbia Studios.[18] She appeared in two films which teamed her withJohn Derek,Saturday's Hero (1951) andScandal Sheet (1952). She had a cameo inRainbow 'Round My Shoulder (1952).
Reed was the love interest ofRandolph Scott inHangman's Knot (1952), then was borrowed by Warner Bros forTrouble Along the Way (1953) with Wayne. She was loaned out to playJohn Payne's love interest inEdward Small'sRaiders of the Seven Seas (1953).
Reed played the role of Alma "Lorene" Burke, girlfriend ofMontgomery Clift's character, in the World War II dramaFrom Here to Eternity (1953). The role earned Reed anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1953.[19]
The qualities of her parts did not seem to improve: she was the love interest inThe Caddy (1953) withMartin and Lewis at Paramount;Gun Fury (1953) withRock Hudson;Three Hours to Kill (1954) withDana Andrews; andThey Rode West (1954) withRobert Francis. Reed returned to MGM to act inThe Last Time I Saw Paris (1954).
Reed began guest starring on television shows such asThe Ford Television Theatre,Tales of Hans Anderson,General Electric Theater andSuspicion.[20]
She continued to appear in features, usually as the love interest, inThe Far Horizons (1955) atPine-Thomas Productions withFred MacMurray andCharlton Heston asLewis and Clark, playing Native AmericanSacagawea;The Benny Goodman Story (1956) withSteve Allen at Universal, playing Goodman's wife;Ransom! (1956) at MGM asGlenn Ford's wife;Backlash (1956), a Western at Universal withRichard Widmark;Beyond Mombasa (1957), shot in Kenya withCornel Wilde, during which she was injured while making the film; andThe Whole Truth (1958), shot in England withStewart Granger for Romulus Pictures.[21]
From 1958 to 1966, Reed starred inThe Donna Reed Show on ABC, a television series produced by her then-husband,Tony Owen. The show featured her as Donna Stone, the wife ofpediatrician Alex Stone (Carl Betz) and mother of Jeff (Paul Petersen) and Mary Stone (Shelley Fabares). Reed was attracted to the idea of being in a comedy, something with which she did not have much experience. She also enjoyed playing the role of a wife.[22]
The show ran for eight seasons on ABC.[23] Reed won aGolden Globe Award and earned fourEmmy Award nominations for her work on the series.
Reed described her show as "[...] a realistic picture of small-town life with an often humorous twist. Our plots revolve around the most important thing in America—a loving family." In the show, Reed's character, Donna Stone, is a loving mother and wife, but also a strong, smart woman with feelings and a sense of humor.[24]
Some feminists criticized the show, asserting that it promoted submissiveness among housewives. In a 1979 interview, Reed, who had raised four children, responded, "I played a strong woman who could manage her family. That was offensive to a lot of people."[25]
In a 1984 television interview, Reed said of her show, "I felt that I was making, for women, a statement. This mother was not stupid. She wasn't domineering, but she was bright and I thought rather forward-thinking,happily married."[26]
In a 2008 interview,Paul Petersen, who portrayed her son Jeff Stone in the series, also shared his opinions about the production's significance,
That's what the show was really about, the importance of family. That's where life's lessons are transmitted, generation to generation. There's a certain way in which these are transmitted, with love and affection...[The Donna Reed Show] depicts a better time and place. It has a sort of level of intelligence and professionalism that is sadly lacking in current entertainment products. The messages it sent out were positive and uplifting. The folks you saw were likable, the family was fun, the situations were familiar to people. It provided 22-and-a-half-minutes of moral instruction and advice on how to deal with the little dilemmas of life.[27]
WhenThe Donna Reed Show ended its run in 1966, Reed took time off from acting to concentrate on raising her children and engaging in political activism.[28] She returned to acting in the late '70s, appearing in the TV moviesThe Best Place to Be (1979) andDeadly Lessons (1983), as well as in a guest stint onThe Love Boat.[29]
In the 1984–85 season of the TV seriesDallas, Reed replacedBarbara Bel Geddes, who left the show due to illness, asMiss Ellie Ewing. Of the show, Reed explained in a 1984 interview,
One of themain reasonsDallas is successful is the family. They all stick together. They may squabble, but they pull for one another and live under one roof, which is really tribal, and it's not true anymore! And I think deep down, everyone misses that.[26]
After Bel Geddes recovered and unexpectedly expressed a desire to return to the role for the 1985–86 season, Reed was abruptly fired.[30] She sued in an attempt to stop the production ofDallas while she negotiated to be reinstated as Miss Ellie.[30] Reed then sued for breach of contract, later settling out of court for over $1 million.[31]
From 1943 to 1945, Reed was married to make-up artistWilliam Tuttle. After they divorced in 1945 she married producerTony Owen. They raised four children together: Penny Jane (born 1945) and Anthony (born 1946) — both adopted — and Timothy (born 1949) and Mary Anne (born 1957).[32] After 26 years of marriage, Reed and Owen divorced in 1971.
Three years later, Reed married Grover W. Asmus, a retiredUnited States Armycolonel. They remained married until her death in 1986.[33]
Reed, who was a registeredRepublican, became interested in politics in particular during theVietnam War when she became concerned that her adopted son, Tony, might be drafted. In 1967, Reed became a peace activist and co-chaired the anti-waradvocacy group,Another Mother for Peace. The group's slogan was "War is not healthy for children and other living things."[34][35] In a 1971 interview with theLos Angeles Times, Reed said,
In the beginning, we felt [Tony] should serve his country in a noncombatant role. But he wouldn't even accept that, feeling the whole thing was immoral. He didn't trust the government or the military. I've learned a lot from Tony.[36]
Reed supportedBarry Goldwater in the1964 United States presidential election.[37]
In addition to opposing theVietnam War, Reed also supportedDemocratic SenatorEugene McCarthy from Minnesota, a strong anti-war advocate, in the1968 presidential election.[38]
Reed died on January 14, 1986, at age 64, ofpancreatic cancer in Beverly Hills, California.[39][40][41] She had been diagnosed with the illness three months earlier and was told it was at a terminal stage. Her remains are interred in thePierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles.[31][42]
In 1987, Reed's widower, Grover Asmus, together with actressesShelley Fabares andNorma Connolly and other friends and family members, created the Donna Reed Foundationfor the Performing Arts. Based in Reed's hometown of Denison, the non-profit organization grants scholarships for performing arts students, runs an annual festival of performing arts workshops, and operates the Donna Reed Center for the Performing Arts.[43]
Denison hosts an annual Donna Reed Festival.[44] Reed's childhood home was located on Donna Reed Drive in Denison but was destroyed by a fire in 1983.[45] Reed bequeathed herAcademy Award to her hometown, and it is on display at theWilliam A. McHenry House inDenison.[46]
In May 2010,Turner Classic Movies honored Reed as their star of the month[47] which sawPenny Jane Owen pay a special tribute to her mother.[48]
In a 2011 article, actressShelley Fabares (who played Mary Stone onThe Donna Reed Show) wrote,
[Donna Reed] definitely became my second mother. She was a role model and remains so to this day. I still periodically hear her voice in my head when I am making a decision about doing something, I hear her urging me on to make the stronger decision of the two. I just adored her.[49]
Fabares also described Reed as "a real Iowa girl. There is a bedrock decency to people in the Midwest. They are thoughtful and ready to help you if something needs to be done. She never lost that Midwest girl."[49]
The state of Iowa announced Donna Reed Day on January 27, 2021, marking the 100th anniversary of her birth.[50]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Lux Radio Theatre | Episode:It's A Wonderful Life | |
| 1948 | Lux Radio Theatre | Episode:You Were Meant For Me | |
| 1949 | Lux Radio Theatre | Episode:High Barbaree | |
| 1949 | Lux Radio Theatre | Episode:Deep Waters | |
| 1951 | Lux Radio Theatre | Episode:To Please A Lady | |
| 1952 | Screen Guild Theater | Episode:The Mating of Millie[51] | |
| 1954 | Lux Radio Theatre | Episode:The Naked Jungle | |
| 1955 | Lux Radio Theatre | Episode:Rawhide |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Convicted Woman | Inmate | Uncredited |
| 1941 | The Get-Away | Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly | |
| Shadow of the Thin Man | Molly | ||
| Babes on Broadway | Jonesy's Secretary | Uncredited | |
| 1942 | The Bugle Sounds | Sally Hanson | |
| The Courtship of Andy Hardy | Melodie Eunice Nesbit | ||
| Mokey | Anthea Delano | ||
| Calling Dr. Gillespie | Marcia Bradburn | ||
| Apache Trail | Rosalia Martinez | ||
| Eyes in the Night | Barbara Lawry | ||
| Personalities | Uncredited | ||
| 1943 | The Human Comedy | Bess Macauley | |
| Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case | Marcia Bradburn | Alternative title:Crazy to Kill | |
| The Man from Down Under | Mary Wilson | ||
| Thousands Cheer | Customer inRed Skelton Skit | ||
| 1944 | See Here, Private Hargrove | Carol Holliday | |
| Gentle Annie | Mary Lingen | ||
| 1945 | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Gladys Hallward | |
| They Were Expendable | Lt. Sandy Davyss | ||
| 1946 | Faithful in My Fashion | Jean Kendrick | |
| It's a Wonderful Life | Mary Hatch Bailey | ||
| 1947 | Green Dolphin Street | Marguerite Patourel | |
| 1948 | Beyond Glory | Ann Daniels | |
| 1949 | Chicago Deadline | Rosita Jean D'Ur | |
| 1951 | Saturday's Hero | Melissa | Alternative title:Idols in the Dust |
| 1952 | Scandal Sheet | Julie Allison | Alternative title:The Dark Page |
| Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder | Herself | Uncredited | |
| Hangman's Knot | Molly Hull | ||
| 1953 | Trouble Along the Way | Alice Singleton | Alternative title:Alma Mater |
| Raiders of the Seven Seas | Alida | ||
| From Here to Eternity | Alma "Lorene" Burke | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| The Caddy | Kathy Taylor | ||
| Gun Fury | Jennifer Ballard | ||
| 1954 | They Rode West | Laurie MacKaye | |
| Three Hours to Kill | Laurie Mastin | ||
| The Last Time I Saw Paris | Marion Ellswirth / Matine | ||
| 1955 | The Far Horizons | Sacagawea | Alternative title:The Untamed West |
| 1956 | The Benny Goodman Story | Alice Hammond | |
| Ransom! | Edith Stannard | Alternative title:Fearful Decision | |
| Backlash | Karyl Orton | ||
| Beyond Mombasa | Ann Wilson | ||
| 1958 | The Whole Truth | Carol Poulton | |
| 1960 | Pepe | Herself (cameo) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Ford Television Theatre | Lydia Campbell | Episode: "Portrait of Lydia" |
| 1955 | Tales of Hans Anderson | Episode: "Wee Willie Winkie" | |
| 1957 | General Electric Theater | Rayna | Episode: "Light from Tormendero" |
| 1957 | Suspicion | Letty Jason | Episode: "The Other Side of the Curtain" |
| 1958–1966 | The Donna Reed Show | Donna Stone | 275 episodes |
| 1979 | The Best Place to Be | Sheila Callahan | TV movie |
| 1983 | Deadly Lessons | Miss Wade | |
| 1984 | The Love Boat | Polly / Gwen | Episodes: "Polly's Poker Palace" (Parts 1 & 2) |
| 1984–1985 | Dallas | Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow | 24 episodes (final appearance) |
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | From Here to Eternity | Won |
| 1964 | Bravo Otto | Best Female TV Star | The Donna Reed Show | Nominated |
| 1965 | Nominated | |||
| 1964 | Golden Apple Awards | Most Cooperative Actress | Won | |
| 1963 | Golden Globe Awards | Best TV Star – Female | The Donna Reed Show | Won |
| 2006 | Online Film & Television Association | Television Hall of Fame: Acting | Won | |
| 1959 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 1960 | Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead or Support) | Nominated | ||
| 1961 | Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) | Nominated | ||
| 1962 | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | TV Land Awards | The Most Irreplaceable Replacement | Dallas | Nominated |
| 2006 | Nominated | |||
