TMS Muse of the Week: Donna Reed
(RKO Radio Pictures / Paramount Pictures)
If you asked movie viewers half a century ago who they consider the hypothetical ‘perfect wife,’ one half of them would instantly say Myrna Loy, the other half most likely Donna Reed. Nowadays, the term ‘perfect wife’ is a double-edged sword that people are probably hesitant to use in a feminist relevant world; though the male equivalent has existed occasionally too [see millennial women’s fascination with Colin Firth]. But back in the era when every male lead had a token wife or love interest, no actress was considered the personification of this type than Myrna and Donna. In Donna’s case, it’s primarily because of starring in her own family sitcom, ABC’s “The Donna Reed Show” (1958-1966), and co-starring as Jimmy Stewart’s on-screen wife in Frank Capra’s holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). This trajectory might have made sense if you were around and paying attention to Donna’s career at the time. She started out as an MGM starlet with supporting roles in lighthearted vehicles like WS van Dyke’s Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) and George B. Seitz’s The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942); to love interests and female leads in dramas like Clarence Brown’s The Human Comedy (1943), Albert Lewin’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) and John Ford’s They Were Expendable (1945). The pretty brunette had a wholesomeness that worked perfectly for romance and family subplots, which made her a natural to replace Capra favorite Jean Arthur when she had to drop out of filming It’s a Wonderful Life.
A lot of people assume her sitcom is the reason Donna has such a traditional image, but it’s also because of the fantasy staple we revisit every December. It’s a testament to Donna’s range and charisma as the matriarch of the Bailey household, because she revealed later in life the film was actually a difficult shooting experience; possibly from both Jimmy and Frank being disappointed they couldn’t reunite with Jean. Nevertheless, Donna made an appearance at the AFI’s Life Achievement Award ceremony for Frank in 1982. In between It’s a Wonderful Life and “The Donna Reed Show,” the actress chose to play against type in Fred Zinnemann’s WWII set romance From Here to Eternity (1953). In James Jones’ original 1951 novel, Donna’s character is an escort at a high-end brothel, but in the movie her occupation is a more socially acceptable nightclub hostess. Because of the melodrama’s taboo and progressive themes, audiences were still surprised when Donna—as well as Deborah Kerr and Frank Sinatra who were also playing against type—showed up in the film. The risk paid off as Donna and Frank won Best Supporting Actress and Actor at the Academy Awards and Deborah was also nominated for Best Actress.
(ABC Television / MPI Home Video)
For someone regarded for playing it safe, Donna didn’t seem to worry about where her career or public image might go. After her Oscar win, she appeared in movies like Norman Taurog’s slapstick comedy The Caddy (1953) and Richard Brooks’ romantic drama The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954), before taking her biggest risk yet: moving to television. In 1958, TV was considered the lower end of entertainment and the medium where performers went if they couldn’t land any gigs in film. Signing onto a weekly ‘situation comedy’ centered on a typical family the American suburbs lifted her wholesome reputation to an all-time high as well. The difference between “Donna Reed” and other similar sitcoms from the 1950s and 1960s is that the lead wasn’t the father figure or any of the kids, but the mother. Donna’s ‘Donna Stone’ was the head of the house and regularly active in the community, with creative story arcs and character relationships. One might retroactively assume Donna got this privilege from the showrunner being her husband at the time, Tony Owen. But to viewers and critics the movie star helped prove the cultural potential of TV.
What Donna wasn’t expecting from her success on the small screen [including four Emmy nominations for Best Lead Actress in a Series and a Golden Globe for Best Female TV Star] was a lot of liberal women accusing her of endorsing backwards gender roles, even with a well written character. The criticism lasted into future generations alongside some of Donna’s movie roles. In more recent years, the most common complaint I’ve seen about It’s a Wonderful Life is that the unhappy alternate universe George envisions has Mary living as a ‘spinster.’ Though feminism would become more prominent throughout the years, Donna defended her acting choices into her later years. “I played a strong woman who could manage her family. That was offensive to a lot of people,” she once quipped in a 1979 interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Having four children of her own [whom she focused on more after “TDRS” ended in 1966], it’s not a shock Donna related to her TV alter ego. She had one more noteworthy return to the screen in 1984-85 when she replaced Barbara Bel Geddes on the eighth season of CBS’ smash ensemble hit “Dallas”—only to be abruptly let go when Barbara decided she wanted to come back. The Hollywood legend successfully sued the network for breach of contract before sadly passing from pancreatic cancer in 1986.
Like Judy Garland, Donna appears in a classic film that continues to be passed on from generation to generation. Like Lucille Ball, she’s forever a part of television history. Whether on the big screen or the small screen, Donna has two very comfortable spots in pop culture.