Donna Reed facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donna Reed
Donna Reed in From Here to Eternity (1953)
Born	Donna Belle Mullenger (1921-01-27)January 27, 1921 Denison, Iowa, U.S.
Died	January 14, 1986(1986-01-14) (aged 64) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1941–1986
Spouse(s)	William J. Tuttle ​ ​ (m. 1943; div. 1945)​ Tony Owen ​ ​ (m. 1945; div. 1971)​ Grover Asmus ​ ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	4

Donna Reed, born Donna Belle Mullenger (January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986), was a famous American actress. Her acting career lasted over 40 years. She starred in more than 40 movies.

She is best known for playing Mary Hatch Bailey in the classic holiday movie It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Donna Reed also won an Academy Award for her role in the war drama From Here to Eternity (1953).

On television, she was famous as Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show (1958–1966). Her character was a strong and smart mother. She won a Golden Globe Award for this role in 1963. Later, she played Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow in the TV show Dallas from 1984 to 1985.

Early Life and Education

Donna Belle Mullenger was born on January 27, 1921. She grew up on a farm near Denison, Iowa. She was the oldest of five children. Her family raised her as a Methodist.

In high school, her chemistry teacher gave her a book called How to Win Friends and Influence People. This book really helped her. After reading it, she got the main role in her school play. She was also voted Campus Queen. She was one of the top students in her graduating class of 1938.

After high school, Donna wanted to become a teacher. But she could not afford college. Her aunt told her to move to California. There, she went to Los Angeles City College. She acted in school plays, but she did not plan to become a professional actress.

She got offers to try out for movie studios. She finally signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). But she made sure to finish her college degree first. After getting her degree, she found an agent to help her with her acting career.

Becoming a Movie Star

Starting at MGM

In 1941, Donna Reed started her movie career with MGM. Her first movie was The Get-Away. At first, she was called Donna Adams.

MGM soon changed her name to Donna Reed. This was because of anti-German feelings during World War II. Donna Reed once said she never liked the name. She felt it sounded "cold" and "forbidding."

She played supporting roles in movies like Shadow of the Thin Man (1941). She also appeared in an Andy Hardy film, The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942). She acted in thrillers and dramas.

Donna Reed was in The Human Comedy (1943). She also made a cameo in Thousands Cheer (1943). Her friendly "girl-next-door" look made her popular. Many soldiers during World War II had her picture. She even wrote back to many soldiers serving overseas.

She played a nurse in They Were Expendable (1945) with John Wayne. MGM thought she had a very bright future.

Reed with James Stewart in the classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Donna Reed helped with the story for the 1947 MGM film The Beginning or the End. This movie was about the history of the atom bomb. Her old chemistry teacher, Edward R. Tompkins, who worked on the Manhattan Project, also helped.

MGM loaned her to RKO Pictures for the role of Mary Bailey. This was for Frank Capra's movie It's a Wonderful Life. This film is now considered one of the best American movies ever made. It is shown every Christmas. Donna Reed said it was "the most difficult film I ever did."

After that, she made Green Dolphin Street (1947). She also made two films with Alan Ladd, Beyond Glory (1948) and Chicago Deadline (1949). By 1949, she wanted to play more challenging roles.

Moving to Columbia Pictures

In 1950, Donna Reed signed a contract with Columbia Studios. She made movies like Saturday's Hero (1951) and Scandal Sheet (1952).

She played Alma "Lorene" Burke in the World War II drama From Here to Eternity (1953). Her role in this movie won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Even after winning an Oscar, her roles did not always get better. She played love interests in movies like The Caddy (1953) and Gun Fury (1953). She also appeared in The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954).

Donna Reed started appearing on TV shows. These included The Ford Television Theatre and General Electric Theater.

She continued to act in films, often as the main character's love interest. She played Sacagawea in The Far Horizons (1955). She was also in The Benny Goodman Story (1956) and Ransom! (1956). While filming Beyond Mombasa (1957) in Kenya, she was injured.

For her performance in From Here to Eternity, Reed (at left, beside co-star Frank Sinatra) received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

The Donna Reed Show

From 1958 to 1966, Donna Reed starred in her own TV show, The Donna Reed Show. Her husband, Tony Owen, produced it. She played Donna Stone, a wife and mother. Her husband was a pediatrician, and they had two children, Jeff and Mary.

Donna Reed liked the idea of being in a comedy. She also enjoyed playing a wife. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC. She won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for four Emmy Awards for her work.

She described her show as a "realistic picture of small-town life." She said it focused on "a loving family." Donna Stone was a caring mother and wife. But she was also strong, smart, and had a good sense of humor.

Some people thought the show made housewives seem too obedient. But Donna Reed, who raised four children, disagreed. In a 1979 interview, she said, "I played a strong woman who could manage her family. That was offensive to a lot of people." She believed her character was "bright" and "forward-thinking."

Later Career and Activism

After The Donna Reed Show ended in 1966, Donna Reed took a break from acting. She wanted to focus on her children. She also became involved in political activism.

She returned to acting in the late 1970s. She appeared in TV movies like The Best Place to Be (1979). She also had a guest role on The Love Boat.

In 1984, she took over the role of Miss Ellie Ewing in the TV series Dallas. The original actress, Barbara Bel Geddes, wanted to return. So, Donna Reed was suddenly fired. She sued the production company for breaking her contract. She later settled the case for over $1 million.

Personal Life

Reed, Tony Owen, and their four children in 1959. Standing is Penny Jane; seated from left are Tony, Jr., Mary and Tim.

Donna Reed was married three times. From 1943 to 1945, she was married to William Tuttle. In 1945, she married producer Tony Owen. They raised four children together: Penny Jane, Anthony, Timothy, and Mary Anne. Two of their children were adopted. They divorced in 1971 after 26 years of marriage.

In 1974, she married Grover W. Asmus, a retired United States Army colonel. They were married until her death in 1986.

Political Views

Donna Reed was a registered Republican. However, she also supported the Democratic Party at times. She became very interested in politics during the Vietnam War. She worried that her oldest son, Tony, might have to join the army.

In 1967, she became a peace activist. She helped lead a group called Another Mother for Peace. Their slogan was: "War is not healthy for children and other living things."

She also did not like nuclear power plants. She supported Democratic Senator Eugene McCarthy in the 1968 presidential election. He was strongly against the war.

Death

Donna Reed's grave

Donna Reed died on January 14, 1986, in Beverly Hills, California. She was 64 years old, just 13 days before her 65th birthday. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three months earlier. She was buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Legacy

In 1987, Donna Reed's husband, Grover Asmus, and her friends and family created the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts. This group is based in her hometown of Denison, Iowa. It gives scholarships to students who want to study performing arts. It also holds an annual festival with workshops.

Denison, Iowa, hosts an annual Donna Reed Festival. Her childhood home was on Donna Reed Drive, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1983. Her Academy Award is on display at the W. A. McHenry Museum in Denison.

In 2010, Turner Classic Movies honored Donna Reed as their "star of the month." Her daughter, Mary Owen, gave a special tribute to her mother.

Her co-star, Shelley Fabares, said Donna Reed was "a real Iowa girl." She said Donna never lost her "bedrock decency" from the Midwest.

Awards and Honors

See Also

In Spanish: Donna Reed para niños