---
name: "Donna Reed"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/donna-reed"
fi1m_id: "donna-reed"
imdb_id: "nm0001656"
tmdb_id: 17752
wikidata_id: "Q224021"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "27 January 1921"
died: "14 January 1986"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-20T02:23:52.944965+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Donna Reed

## Identity

Donna Reed

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/donna-reed
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** donna-reed
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001656
- **TMDB ID:** 17752
- **Wikidata ID:** Q224021
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Reed, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q224021, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001656/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17752

Actor. Born 27 January 1921 in Denison, Iowa, USA. Died 14 January 1986.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 27 January 1921, Denison, Iowa, USA
- **Died:** 14 January 1986
- **Active:** 1943–1953
- **Also known as:** Donna Belle Mullenger, دونا رید
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 78 (2), 1950s 83 (1)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Family 2, Fantasy 1, Romance 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $44m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Reed, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q224021, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001656/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17752

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*It's a Wonderful Life*](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md) (91), [*From Here to Eternity*](https://film.one/film/from-here-to-eternity.md) (83)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Donna Reed

> Donna Reed makes the steady, supportive wife worth watching in her own right. Her warmth is essential to *It's a Wonderful Life*, though her frequent casting as the reassuring woman too often left her with less to do.

In *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), Donna Reed gives Mary Hatch a warmth that makes George's domestic life worth our attention, even when he wants something else. She has the less showy task in a film whose exhaustion James Stewart makes so palpable. It is a fine performance, with little fuss made about Mary's decency. We were moved by her warmth, because it makes the responsibilities George resents feel worth the trouble. Without Reed, his complaints would be considerably harder to sit through.

Early supporting parts often cast her as the girl-next-door, and that expectation proved hard to escape. In *They Were Expendable* (1945), she played Lt Sandy Davyss opposite John Wayne, a substantial role before Capra's film. The clearer change came with *From Here to Eternity* (1953), which cast her as Lorene, a vulnerable prostitute. It was a departure from the wholesome image, but the parts that followed did not consistently give her the same chance to depart from it.

Calling Reed wholesome can make it sound as though being suitably cast was enough. Her work for Frank Capra in *It's a Wonderful Life* shows how much acting that leaves out: she has to make a home matter in a story about a man wishing for a different life. The screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett and Capra can be blunt about decency and grasping wealth, and the film's whimsy sometimes insists too much. Reed's contribution helps the sentiment feel earned even when the writing makes goodness look a little too straightforward.

*The Donna Reed Show* (1958–1966) brought the domestic role to the centre, with Reed as Donna Stone, an assertive, loving mother and housewife. She also helped shape the programme, and the character's assertiveness complicates the notion that Reed's usefulness began and ended with reassurance. That is still a restricted set of roles for an actor, however well she could play them. Start with Mary Hatch, and watch how much a film about one man's disappointment needs the woman beside him.

## Biography

Donna Reed, born Donna Belle Mullenger, was an American actress whose career spanned more than 40 years and included appearances in over 40 films.

She played Mary Hatch in Frank Capra's *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946). In 1953 she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Lorene in *From Here to Eternity*. She is also known for starring as Donna Stone in the television sitcom *The Donna Reed Show* (1958–66), for which she won a Golden Globe Award in 1963.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *From Here to Eternity* (1953), Fi1m 83, as Alma 'Lorene' Burke — [page](https://film.one/film/from-here-to-eternity.md)
- *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), Fi1m 91, as Mary Hatch — [page](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md)
- *The Human Comedy* (1943), Fi1m 66, as Bess Macauley — [page](https://film.one/film/the-human-comedy.md)

## Complete filmography (55)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *It’s a Wonderful Night of the Living Dead* (2026), as Mary Bailey
- *Television: The First Fifty Years* (1999), as Donna Stone (archive footage)
- *Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas* (1997), as Mary Bailey (archive footage)
- *Deadly Lessons* (1983), as Miss Wade
- *The Best Place to Be* (1979), as Sheila Callahan
- *Dallas* (1978), series, as Miss Ellie Southworth Ewing Farlow
- *The Love Boat* (1977), series, as Polly Sullivan
- *Pepe* (1960), as Donna Reed
- *The Donna Reed Show* (1958), series, as Donna Stone
- *The Whole Truth* (1958), as Carol Poulton
- *Suspicion* (1957), series, as Letty Jason
- *Beyond Mombasa* (1956), as Ann Wilson
- *Backlash* (1956), as Karyl Orton
- *The Benny Goodman Story* (1956), as Alice Hammond
- *Ransom!* (1956), as Edith Stannard
- *The Far Horizons* (1955), as Sacajawea
- *They Rode West* (1954), as Laurie MacKaye
- *The Last Time I Saw Paris* (1954), as Marion Ellswirth
- *Three Hours to Kill* (1954), as Laurie Mastin
- *The Big Moment* (1954), as Debbie
- *Gun Fury* (1953), as Jennifer Ballard
- *From Here to Eternity* (1953), as Alma 'Lorene' Burke — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/from-here-to-eternity.md)
- *The Caddy* (1953), as Kathy Taylor
- *Raiders of the Seven Seas* (1953), as Alida
- *Trouble Along the Way* (1953), as Alice Singleton
- *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Rayna
- *Hangman's Knot* (1952), as Molly Hull
- *Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder* (1952), as Donna Reed
- *Scandal Sheet* (1952), as Julie Allison
- *Saturday's Hero* (1951), as Melissa McCabe
- *Chicago Deadline* (1949), as Rosita Jean D'Ur
- *Beyond Glory* (1948), as Ann Daniels
- *Green Dolphin Street* (1947), as Marguerite Patourel
- *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), as Mary Hatch — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md)
- *Faithful in My Fashion* (1946), as Jean "Chunky" Kendrick
- *They Were Expendable* (1945), as Lt. Sandy Davyss
- *The Picture of Dorian Gray* (1945), as Gladys Hallward
- *Gentle Annie* (1944), as Mary Lingen
- *See Here, Private Hargrove* (1944), as Carol Holiday
- *Twenty Years After* (1944), as (archive footage)
- *Thousands Cheer* (1943), as Drug Store Customer
- *The Man from Down Under* (1943), as Mary Wilson
- *Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case* (1943), as Marcia Bradburn
- *The Human Comedy* (1943), as Bess Macauley — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/the-human-comedy.md)
- *Sucker Bait* (1943), as Geraldine - Waitress
- *Eyes in the Night* (1942), as Barbara Lawry
- *Apache Trail* (1942), as Rosalia Martinez
- *Calling Dr. Gillespie* (1942), as Marcia Bradburn
- *Mokey* (1942), as Anthea Delano
- *The Courtship of Andy Hardy* (1942), as Melodie Nesbit
- *The Bugle Sounds* (1942), as Sally Hanson
- *Personalities* (1942), as (uncredited)
- *Babes on Broadway* (1941), as Secretary (uncredited)
- *Shadow of the Thin Man* (1941), as Molly Ford
- *The Get-Away* (1941), as Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly

## Gallery

- ![Donna Reed](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-f42fcb89dd9a.jpg) Donna Reed — ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Donna_Reed_Donna_Reed_Show_1958.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Rialto Theater advertisement for the American drama film It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - 11 Mar. 1947 Morning Call, Allentown PA](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-2652054642f4.jpg) Rialto Theater advertisement for the American drama film It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - 11 Mar. 1947 Morning Call, Allentown PA — RKO Radio Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/1947_-_Rialto_Theater_Ad_-_11_Mar_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg/1280px-1947_-_Rialto_Theater_Ad_-_11_Mar_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Publicity photo of Donna Reed](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-6aa2c665db9b.jpg) Publicity photo of Donna Reed — Studio Publicity, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/DOnnaREed.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Donna Reed in 1961](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-cf1a9e4c2818.jpg) Donna Reed in 1961 — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Donna_Reed.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Donna Reed](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-60ef1d8a1868.jpg) Donna Reed — Image via TMDB
- ![Donna Reed](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-fec387c09575.jpg) Donna Reed — Image via TMDB
- ![Donna Reed](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-d57a6e6985fb.jpg) Donna Reed — Image via TMDB
- ![Publicity photo of Donna Reed and Alma Beltran in the 1953 Colombia Pictures Western Gun Fury.](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-729211e6a7e4.jpg) Publicity photo of Donna Reed and Alma Beltran in the 1953 Colombia Pictures Western Gun Fury. — Studio Publicity, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Donna_Reed_%26_Alma_Beltran_in_%27Gun_Fury%27.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Donna Reed](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-22229c772227.jpg) Donna Reed — Image via TMDB
- ![Donna Reed](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-3137d0139ff1.jpg) Donna Reed — Image via TMDB
- ![Donna Reed](https://film.one/media/person/102330/gallery-47b2c4d045b2.jpg) Donna Reed — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 1954: Best Supporting Actress (won), for *From Here to Eternity*

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 1962: Best Actress – Television Series Drama (won), for *The Donna Reed Show*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Iowa Women's Hall of Fame 2021: Iowa Women's Hall of Fame (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/donna-reed