• Today’s Topics:
  • THE STORE
  • Helen Twelvetrees Bio
    • Or Head to Amazon to buy my Helen Twelvetrees book
  • Head to WarrenWilliam.com
  • Cliff’s Fiction
  • Blog

Immortal Ephemera

Classic Movies & Movie Collectibles

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy
  • Reviews
    • Pre-Code
    • Horror
    • Gangsters
    • Warner Archive
  • Biographies
  • Card & Collectible Galleries
    • About Movie Collectibles
    • My eBay Store
    • My Books
    • Glossary
    • eBay Shopping Tips
  • Info / Misc
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • My Bookshelf
    • Movie Books
    • WAMPAS
  • Social
    • Contact
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
You are here: Home / News - Notes / Today in 1921 – Birth of Donna Reed

Today in 1921 – Birth of Donna Reed

January 28, 2009 By Cliff Aliperti Leave a Comment

Helen Twelvetrees, Pefect Ingenue by Cliff Aliperti
Support the site? Skip buying me a coffee and grab yourself some movie cards & collectibles instead! Shop my eBay store here.


1947 Kwatta Premium

1947 Kwatta Premium

Quite possibly most familiar to my generation from the heavy Nick-at-Nite run given to the eight seasons of The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966) several years back, even if that’s been yanked, Donna Reed will always show up on TV once or twice per year as Mary Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). Myrna Loy has always been characterized as the perfect wife, but Donna Reed had to be the most wholesome.

Born Donna Belle Mullenger on this date in 1921 in Denison, Iowa, she would win a beauty prize, move to LA, get some stage work, and eventually make her film debut in 1941’s The Get-Away after being found by an MGM talent scout. Speaking of Myrna Loy, Donna Reed would show up next in a supporting role in Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), the fourth film of that series. Besides It’s a Wonderful Life, Donna Reed has the luxury of yet another role assuring film immortality, that of the prostitute in 1953’s From Here to Eternity based on the hugely selling James Jones novel of the same name.

1955 Kane Trading Card

1955 Kane Trading Card

David Thompson, in his The New Biographical Dictionary of Film uses Donna Reed for one of his more amusing write-ups:

I have a soft spot for this lovely lady, since she it was who first impressed upon me the trade of whoring (740).

Thompson discusses how Hollywood of the 1950’s necessitated the polite whore and mentions how much better this could have been if filmed in the 1930’s. Referring to the 50’s Thompson writes, “…sexy ladies in movies were often overdressed, tight-lipped, and genteel,” to which he adds, “A proof of this was the fact that Donna Reed should ever have been playing a whore. She was so plainly decent, wholesome, and romantic that Harry Cohn’s personal casting of her … bespeaks the system’s inhibition. So perhaps Donna Reed was only a twelve-year-old’s whore…”

Donna Reed died of pancreatic cancer in Beverly Hills on January 14, 1986.

Beyond Glory with Alan Ladd

Beyond Glory with Alan Ladd

So who’s your Donna Reed? Young supportive Mary Bailey of It’s a Wonderful Life, the polite prostitute of From Here to Eternity, or perhaps Mary Bailey all grown up on TV as Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show? Maybe another role even, whatever the case, feel free to discuss the life and career of Donna Reed below.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: News - Notes Tagged With: Birthdays, christmas movies, prostitutes, tv shows

← Today in 1907 – Variety Publishes First Movie Reviews Coverage of The Stratton Story inside The Sporting News →

About Cliff

I write about old movies and movie stars from the 1920s to the 1950s. I also sell movie cards, still photos and other ephemera. Immortal Ephemera connects the stories with the collectibles. Read More…



Ways to Help Support the Site:

Every little bit helps pay the bills. My thanks in advance if you'd consider helping out through one of the following methods:
 

Preferred: Shop the Immortal Ephemera Store and get yourself some vintage movie items for your trouble!

Donate direct through my PayPal.me link.

Or begin your regularly scheduled Amazon shopping through my Amazon affiliate link.

Thanks again!
—Cliff Aliperti

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Copyright © 2002-2025 Immortal Ephemera - (privacy policy) - Article by Cliff Aliperti unless otherwise noted.

%d