Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American actress from Denison, Iowa whose career began during The Golden Age of Hollywood and spanned more than 40 years.
She is best known for her roles as Mary Hatch Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life, Lorene Burke in From Here to Eternity (for which she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress), and Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show. Later in her career, Reed replaced Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie Ewing in the 1984–85 season of Dallas, but was abruptly fired upon Bel Geddes' decision to return to the show.
She was married three times; to makeup artist William J. Tuttle, agent/producer Tony Owen (with whom she had four children), and retired U.S. Army colonel Grover W. Asmus.
Reed died in 1986 at the age of 64 of pancreatic cancer.
Film Roles
- Convicted Woman as Inmate (Uncredited Role)
- The Get Away as Maria Theresa "Terry" O'Reilly
- Shadow of the Thin Man as Molly
- Babes Of Broadway as Jonesy's secretary (uncredited)
- The Bugle Sounds as Sally Hanson
- The Courtship Of Andy Hardy as Melodie Eunice Nesbit
- Mokey as Anthea Delano
- Calling Dr Gillespie as Marcia Bradburn
- Dr Gillespies Criminal Case as Marcia Bradburn
- Apache Trail as Rosalia Martinez
- Eyes In The Night as Barbara Lawry
- Personalities (uncredited)
- The Human Comedy as Bess Macauley
- The Man From Down Under as Mary Wilson
- Thousands Cheer as Customer in Red Skelton Skit
- See Here Private Hargrove as Carol Holliday
- Gentle Annie as Mary Lingen
- The Picture Of Dorian Gray as Gladys Hallward
- They Were Expendable as Lt. Sandy Davyss
- Faithful In My Fashion as Jean Kendrick
- It's a Wonderful Life as Mary Hatch Bailey
- Green Dolphin Street as Marguerite Patrouel
- Chicago Deadline as Rosita Jean D'Ur
- Saturdays Hero as Melissa
- Scandal Street as Julie Allison
- Hangman's Knot as Molly Hull
- Trouble Along The Way as Alice Singleton
- Raiders Of The Seven Seas as Alida
- From Here to Eternity as Alma 'Lorene' Burke
- The Caddy as Kathy Taylor
- Gun Fury as Jennifer Ballard
- They Rode West as Laurie MacKaye
- Three Hours To Kill as Laurie Mastin
- The Last Time I Saw Paris as Marlon Ellswirth/Matine
- The Far Horizons as Sacajawea
- The Benny Goodman Story as Alice Hammond
- Ransom as Edith Stannard
- Backlash as Karyl Orton
- Beyond Mombasa as Ann Wilson
- The Whole Truth 1958 as Carol Poulton
- Pepe As Herself (cameo)
- The Best Place To Be as Sheila Callahan (TV Movie)
- Deadly Lessons as Miss Wade (TV Movie)
Television Roles
- General Electric Theatre as Lydia Campbell (1 episode)
- Suspicion as Letty Jason (1 episode)
- The Donna Reed Show as Donna Reed
- The Love Boat as Polly/Gwen (2 episodes)
- Dallas as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow (24 episodes)
