Donna Reed was born in the midwestern town of Denison, Iowa, on January 27, 1921, as Donna Belle Mullenger. A small town - a population of less than 3,000 people - Denison was located by the Boyer River, and was the county seat of Crawford County. Donna grew up as a farm girl, much like many young girls in western Iowa, except for one thing - Donna was very beautiful. That wasn't to say that others weren't as pretty, it's just that Donna's beauty stood out from all the other local girls, so much so that she won a beauty contest in Denison. Upon graduation from high school Donna left for college in Los Angeles, in the hopes of eventually entering movies. While at Los Angeles City College, she pursued her dream by participating in several college stage productions. In addition to the plays, she also won the title of Campus Queen. At one of those stage plays Donna was spotted by an MGM talent scout and was signed to a contract. Her first film was a minor role in MGM's _The Get-Away during the 1984-85 season. It was to be her final public performance. On January 14, 1986, less than two weeks before her 65th birthday, she died of pancreatic cancer in Beverly Hills, California. Grover Asmus, her husband, created the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts in her hometown of Denison. The foundation helps others who desire a career in the arts. Donna never forgot her roots. She was still a farm girl at heart.
Despite her association with the squeaky-clean and conservative 1950s, Reed became an anti-nuclear activist and anti-Vietnam protester. She also founded the group Another Mother for Peace.
Her last husband Grover Asmus started a program called the Donna Reed Foundation that led to the Donna Reed festival held yearly in Denison, IA. Its a celebration of Donna, and includes classes, performances. Many stars attend such as Shelley Fabares , Debbie Reynolds , and Loren Janes.
In the scene from Its a Wonderful Life where she and James Stewart throw rocks at the old Granville house, director Frank Capra had originally planned to use a double in Donnas place to throw the rock. Miss Reed, however, was an accomplished baseball player in high school and threw very well, as evidenced by her toss in the movie.
Four children by husband/producer Tony Owen : Penny Owen, Tony Owen Jr. , Timothy Owen and Mary Owen. Two were adopted. Mary, their last child, was born to them in 1957, a year before the start of Donnas classic TV show, which Tony executive produced.
Learned of her firing from "Dallas" from a reporter while on a vacation to Paris. She was in the process of suing the shows producers before her death in January, 1986.
The woman on the cover of Rushs Permanent Waves album is modeled after her.
In Italy, a great deal of her films were dubbed by Renata Marini and Dhia Cristiani (most notably From Here to Eternity ). Occasionally she was also dubbed by Miranda Bonansea (in Green Dolphin Street ), Rosetta Calavetta and Micaela Giustiniani. The great Lydia Simoneschi also lent her voice to Reed in Frank Capras much celebrated Its a Wonderful Life .
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 725-727. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1999.
Although her image was generally associated that of the the squeaky-clean, conservative 1950s housewife and mother, she won her Oscar for From Here to Eternity for playing a prostitute.
Had a close relationship with her TV daughter, Shelley Fabares. Was considered by Fabares as her second mother until Reeds death in 1986.
Ex-sister-in-law of Thomas Tuttle.
She was a lifelong Republican.
Was the 39th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for From Here to Eternity at The 26th Annual Academy Awards on March 25, 1954.
She was of English, as well as some German and Irish, ancestry. Some of her forebears were Canadian-born.
Maternal granddaughter of Charles (1860-1936) and Mary Etta Petty (1866-1947). Both were born and raised in Illinois.
Daughter of William Richard Mullenger (1893-1981) and Hazel Jane Shives (1899-1975). Both were born and raised in Iowa.
Paternal granddaughter of William G. Mullenger (1857-1934), born in Wisconsin, and Mary Ann Johnston (1864-1955), born in Illinois.
Paternal great granddaughter of Richard Bartley Johnston (1833-1913), born in Illinois, and Elizabeth Herner (1841-1917), born in Canada.
Is one of 13 actresses who won their Best Supporting Actress Oscars in a movie that also won the Best Picture Oscar (she won for From Here to Eternity ). The others are Hattie McDaniel for Gone with the Wind , Teresa Wright for Mrs. Miniver , Celeste Holm for Gentlemans Agreement , Mercedes McCambridge for All the Kings Men , Eva Marie Saint for On the Waterfront , Rita Moreno for West Side Story , Meryl Streep for Kramer vs. Kramer , Juliette Binoche for The English Patient , Judi Dench for Shakespeare in Love , Jennifer Connelly for A Beautiful Mind , Catherine Zeta-Jones for Chicago and Lupita Nyongo for 12 Years a Slave .
Attended the LACC Theater Academy. Other alumni include Clint Eastwood , Morgan Freeman , Mark Hamill , Cindy Williams , and Rene Michelle Aranda.
Mentioned in the song, "Living Dead Girl", by Rob Zombie.
Gave birth to her 4th child [2nd biological] at age 36, a daughter Mary Anne Owen - aka Mary Owen - on May 7, 1957. Childs father was her ex-husband, Tony Owen.
Gave birth to her 3rd child [1st biological] at age 28, a son Timothy Grant Owen on July 19, 1949. Childs father was her ex-husband, Tony Owen.
What we look for in the school is unrealized potential.
I hope more people decide to become organ donors.
When you handle yourself, use your head; when you handle others, use,your heart. .
