The Denison-area farm girl who won an Oscar and became TV's model mom on The Donna Reed Show.
Donna Belle Mullenger was born on January 27, 1921, on a farm near Denison, in western Iowa. In Hollywood she took the name Donna Reed and built a durable career in film and television.
She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “From Here to Eternity” (1953), played Mary Bailey in the classic “It's a Wonderful Life,” and starred in the long-running The Donna Reed Show.
Donna Reed embodied a certain mid-century American image, and her Iowa hometown honors her with the Donna Reed Festival and a performing-arts center in the restored Denison theater.
She remains one of Iowa's most beloved screen stars.
The Denison-area farm girl who won an Oscar and became TV's model mom on The Donna Reed Show.
Donna Reed was from Denison, Iowa.
1921–1986.
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Portrait: Wikimedia Commons (public domain or freely licensed).