Donna Reed
From Iowa to Hollywood: The Oscar-winning star of It's a Wonderful Life and The Donna Reed Show.
Donna Reed (born Donna 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 playing Mary Hatch Bailey in Frank Capra's Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946), and for her Academy Award–winning performance as Lorene in Fred Zinnemann's war drama From Here to Eternity (1953).
- born
- January 27, 1921
- died
- January 14, 1986
- field
- Actress
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- It's a Wonderful Life, From Here to Eternity, The Donna Reed Show
Lore & Background
Reed is also known for her work in television, notably as Donna Stone, a middle-class American mother and housewife in the sitcom The Donna Reed Show (1958–1966) whose character was more assertive and complex than most other television mothers of the era. She received numerous Emmy Award nominations for this role and the Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star in 1963. Later in her career, Reed replaced Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow in the 1984–1985 season of the television melodrama Dallas; she successfully sued the production company for breach of contract when she was abruptly fired upon Bel Geddes' decision to return to the show.
Reader's Guide
In 1941, after signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Reed made her film debut in The Get-Away opposite Robert Sterling; she was then billed as Donna Adams. MGM didn't care for her name and soon changed it to Donna Reed.
Did You Know?
- Reed was born Donna Belle Mullenger in Denison, Iowa.
- She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for From Here to Eternity (1953).
- Reed personally answered letters from American servicemen during World War II and retained some 350 of them.
- She described her role in It's a Wonderful Life as 'the most difficult film I ever did.'
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