20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: An Unconventional Classic

1954 was a remarkable year for the movies. It was the year Columbia Pictures released On the Waterfront, which won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and Paramount Pictures released Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and the Christmas classic White Christmas and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) released Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. ’54 was also the year that Walt Disney Pictures released a film that was unlike anything they had ever done before. It was a live-action film based on a hit novel by Jules Verne, and even though it had a budget of nine million dollars when it was in production, it grossed $28,200,000 at the USA box office. The film is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and in this blog, I’d like to tell you about why this film is so special.

“20,000 Leagues,” was the Walt Disney Studio’s fifth live-action feature film, but was the very first produced in America. The studio’s first four films (Treasure Island (1950), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), The Sword and the Rose (1953), and Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954)) had all been produced in the United Kingdom. But laws changed in the mid-50’s, requiring that revenue from films produced in country had to stay in the U.K.

When Walt Disney was considering what his next film ought to be, he saw the potential for an animated film adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel, but Harper Goff who was an artist working at Disney, believed that it could be a wonderful live-action film. Goff convinced Disney when he drew heavily detailed production sketches.

After a green-light from walt, attention turned to casting. They considered Ralph Richardson for the role of Captain Nemo, and auditioned Gregory Peck, but ultimately cast James Mason, who simultaneously was starring in Warner Bros.’ adaptation of A Star is Born, opposite Judy Garland. Kirk Douglas had reservations about taking on the role of Ned Land because he felt being in a family-oriented adventure film would damage his reputation as a “ladies man.” His reservations were put at ease when screenwriter Earl Felton wrote Ned’s intro scene into the film: Ned strolls up with two beautiful women in each arm and rather humorously gets into a fight with a man from the crowd. Mason, Douglas, and Peter Lorre, who was cast as Conseil, all got along well with each other, but Paul Lukas (Professor Pierre Arronax) isolated himself from associating with the other actors. It is believed that that was because due to his age he couldn’t remember all of his lines and was embarrassed as a result.

Walt also knew that hiring someone to direct the film would be a crucial decision, and decided that Richard Fleischer, who had directed some minor Hollywood movies, would be the perfect person to do it. Fleischer was surprised that Disney considered him to do it, because his father, Max Fleischer, was the creator of the cartoon characters Betty Boop and Popeye (one of Walt Disney’s biggest competitors). Richard didn’t want to be disloyal to his father, but when he told his father of the opportunity, Max Fleischer not only encouraged his son to do it, but he even told Richard to tell Disney that he had great taste in directors! Walt later invited Max on a tour of the studio, and he and Walt went from competitors to friends.

When it came time to shoot the climatic “Squid” sequence, originally set to take place during a beautiful sunset with calm sea, but Richard Fleischer felt the scene wasn’t working at all because the squid itself could be viewed easily on camera, making it look fake rather than real. When Richard told Walt about the problem, Walt came up with the idea that the scene ought to take place during a wild storm. The scene was reshot like that, and to this day it remains one of the most legendary action scenes ever captured on film.

When “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” was released it won two Academy Awards: Best Special Effects and Best Art Direction. It also received a third nomination for Best Editing. Harper Goff was uncredited as the Production Designer and Production Developer of the film. He designed every inch of the exterior of the Nautilus and the sets for all of the compartments within the Nautilus. The reason why Goff wasn’t given the award was because the Art Directors Union had created the bylaw within the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences which stated that “Only Union Art Directors can win the Oscar,” and because Goff didn’t have a Union card, John Meehan and Emilie Kuri who were his assistants, took the award home. Goff also taught Kirk Douglas how to play the guitar for the “Whale of a Tale,” number in the film.  

The success of “20,000 Leagues” also led to the creation of special film-themed attractions at the Disney Parks. On August 5th, 1955, a walkthrough exhibit where guests could explore sets and props from the film opened at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. The attraction closed on August 28th, 1966. On October 14th, 1971, nearly two weeks after Walt Disney World opened, the attraction 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage opened at the Magic Kingdom Park. This attraction gave guests a chance to ride a boat like the Nautilus and feel as though they were in the movie while being guided by Captain Nemo himself. This attraction closed in 1994. There are still, however, currently “20,000 Leagues,”-themed attractions at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. Another fun fact about the Disney parks that pertains to “20,000 Leagues,” is that the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland currently houses Captain Nemo’s pipe organ from the film.

“20,000 Leagues,” premiered in New York City on December 23rd, 1954, which means that on December 23rd, 2019, the film will be 65 years old. There are all kinds of reasons why it is a special film: first live-action Disney film produced in America, award-winning art direction and special effects, and the legendary “squid” scene. While most Disney films that stand the test of time today are animated, few live-action Disney films are fortunate enough to do the same thing. “20,000 Leagues,” is one of those exceptions.

Penny Marshall: “Made All Her Dreams Come True”…her way!

On December 17th, 2018, Penny Marshall passed away due to complications from diabetes. Marshall was a gifted comedic actress, as well as a talented—and groundbreaking director. She was the first female director ever to make movies that grossed over 100 million dollars. Throughout her career, she made audiences laugh in front of the camera and helped actors achieve their best from behind the camera. Initially, she gained fame as Laverne DeFazio on Happy Days (1974-1984) and later Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983), but soon achieved industry-wide respect for directing the films Big (1988) and A League of Their Own (1992) (the $100 million movies). In this blog, I’d like to tell you a little more about her life.

Carole Penny Marshall was born in the Bronx, New York on October 15th, 1943 to Anthony “Tony” and Marjorie Irene Masciarelli. Tony, who was a director of industrial films and later a producer, changed his and his entire family’s last name to Marshall before Penny was born. Marjorie, who was a tap dance teacher with her own school, named her daughter after her favorite actress: Carole Lombard, (“Penny” came from her other daughter, Ronny, who at the time was desperately saving pennies to buy a horse in the Bronx.) Little Carole took up tap dancing at age three in her mother’s school, discovering then wanted to be a performer. 

After graduating Walton High School, Marshall attended the University of New Mexico where she studied Math and Psychology. While there, she met and married Michael Henry, a football player for the university, and they were married for three years. They had one daughter together, Tracy. In the midst of her unfortunate divorce, Penny worked several jobs to support herself, including as a choreographer for the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera Association. (and at one point teaching tap dancing at her mother’s dance school in New York.) At age 24, she was invited by her brother, comedy writer-turned-director, Garry Marshall, to move to Los Angeles and try her luck at performing.

In 1968, Penny made her film debut in The Savage Seven and How Sweet It Is!, the latter of which was written by her brother. In 1971, she tied the knot with television star-turned-director Rob Reiner, and Rob adopted her daughter Tracy. Not long after, Garry became the executive producer of the television series The Odd Couple (1970-1975), based on the hit Broadway play and film of the same name. He asked his sister to play Myrna the Secretary on the show, and soon after her guest spot on “Happy Days,” (also produced by her brother) made her a household name. She was cast as Laverne DeFazio, along with Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney, two dates for the show’s main characters, Fonzie and Richie. The pair was so well-received, Garry decided to give them their own show, “Laverne & Shirley.” Penny Marshall’s portrayal of Laverne DeFazio on “Laverne & Shirley,” earned her three Golden Globe nominations. 

While playing DeFazio, Penny developed an interest in directing having watched her brother direct episodes of “Odd Couple,” “Happy Days,” and “Laverne & Shirley.” She was fortunate enough to direct four episodes of “Laverne & Shirley,” with her brother as a mentor, and the experience made her eager to try her directing skills in movies. Although her marriage to Rob Reiner sadly ended in 1981, she made her directorial debut in 1986 with Jumpin’ Jack Flash, starring Whoopi Goldberg. (In the film she cast her brother, Garry, and daughter, Tracy). The film was negatively reviewed by critics, but it made a substantial amount of money. 

Soon she was given the script for “Big,” the story of a 12-year-old boy, who magically turns into a 30-year-old man. Co-written by Gary Ross and Steven Spielberg’s younger sister, Anne Spielberg, the script had been rejected by every major A-list Hollywood actor and director at the time. It gained attention when Robert De Niro expressed an interest in the main role of Josh Baskin. Marshall saw the potential of the story, but rejected De Niro’s salary demand (six million dollars for the part). Tom Hanks was then considered, but initially was not available due to scheduling conflicts with the films Dragnet (1987) and Punchline (1988). Hanks became available later, and accepted at a salary of two million dollars. He earned his first Best Actor Oscar Nomination thanks to Penny Marshall’s guidance. “Big,” also featured Jon Lovitz, whom had worked with Penny Marshall on “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and her daughter, Tracy.

The success of “Big,” led to Awakenings (1990) which starred Robert De Niro and Robin Williams. It received three Oscar Nominations including Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for De Niro, and Best Motion Picture of the Year, but sadly no nominations for Penny Marshall as director. Marshall’s next film was A League of Their Own (1992). Casting for this film proved to be the ultimate task for Penny Marshall because she had to cast actors who not only had exceptional acting skills but could also play baseball. This film reunited her with Tom Hanks, Jon Lovitz, as well as family members Tracy and Garry in small roles It also ignited the film careers of Rosie O’Donnell and Megan Cavanagh, and it even featured her brother Garry in a small role. Although her career was primarily focused on directing at this point, Penny never completely faded away from the spotlight. After making “A League of the Their Own,” she and Garry made a cameo together as a cranky, aging husband and wife couple in Disney’s live-action cult classic, Hocus Pocus (1993).

Marshall’s next two films were Renaissance Man (1994) with Danny DeVito and The Preacher’s Wife (1996) with Denzel Washington—a remake of The Bishop’s Wife (1947) with Cary Grant. She also directed the pilot episode for a short-lived television spin-off of “A League of Their Own.” Her last theatrical film as director was Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) with Drew Barrymore. After that, she returned to television, directing episodes of ABC’s According to Jim (2001-2009), Dreamworks Television’s United States of Tara (2009-2011), and the made-for-television movie Women Without Men (2010). A lung cancer diagnosis was thankfully in remission in 2012. Following that recovery she published her memoir My Mother Was Nuts.

Penny Marshall told stories as a director that made us both laugh and cry, though she will forever be remembered as the wisecracking Laverne DeFazio. She might not have received all the accolades she deserved throughout her wonderful career, but she was a role model both on-screen and off-screen for women in male-dominated society. Everything she did, she did her way.

Merry Christmas!    

Pamela Lyndon “P.L.” Travers: The Writer Behind the Nanny  

Helen Lyndon Goff (known to you as P.L. Travers) was born and raised in rural Australia by her aristocratic mother and her severely alcoholic father. His premature death had a huge impact on her, as did her Aunt Ellie, who came to help look after the family in their distress. 

At 18 years of age, young “Lyndon,” as her family called her went off to boarding school, and began publishing poems for Australian magazines, including The Bulletin and Triad. She also briefly became an actress where she adopted the stage name Pamela Lyndon Travers. She toured with Alan Wilkie’s Shakespearean Company from Australian to New Zealand, and ultimately to England. And when the company reached Sussex, she and a friend rented a thatched cottage together, and it was at that cottage in the winter of 1933, where Mrs. Pamela Travers created the magical nanny known as Mary Poppins (patterned to a large extent after her Aunt Ellie, whom Pamela felt “could do anything”). She published the very first book, Mary Poppins, in 1934, and it was an instant success, leading to the publishing of a sequel, Mary Poppins Come Back the very next year in ’35. (In a 1977 radio interview, Travers explained that the name Mary Poppins came from childhood stories that she made up for her sisters and that she also had a book as a child with that name inscribed in the book.) 

Walt Disney overhead his daughters giggling together one night and he asked them what so funny, together they replied “Why Dad, Mary Poppins.” Once he read the books, he knew they were special, and immediately sought the film rights from Mrs. Travers. She unfortunately declined his offer, fearing that a film adaptation of her heroine could easily dilute the stories. She continued to write more books I Go By Sea, I Go By Land in 1941 and her third “Poppins,” novel Mary Poppins Opens the Door in 1943. The next year Walt sent his brother, Roy Disney with another offer for a film adaptation of “Poppins,” but again, Travers declined.

Finally, in 1959, on the verge of losing her house, and due to a decline in the book’s sales, Mrs. Travers accepted another offer from the Disney Studios. (Prior to this, she had also written the book Mary Poppins in the Park in 1952 and she also wrote Mary Poppins from A to Z in 1963). Producing the film, however, proved to be an exasperating process for Mrs. Travers, Walt Disney, and many all involved. She disapproved of screenwriter Don DaGradi’s excluding the more serious/darker elements of her books, despised every nearly every note of music written by Richard M. Sherman and his Robert B. Sherman, and hated Disney’s use of cartoons. As a result, Mrs. Travers wasn’t even invited to the film’s premier, but humiliated a Disney executive into extending her one. Though the final cut of the film made her weep throughout its entirety and afterwards she met Walt and said “We have a long way to go, Disney.” He replied “Pamela, the ship has sailed,” and walked away.

Despite the film being a major blockbuster, Mrs. Travers refused any further film adaptations of her books, but she continued to write more sequels about her magical nanny, including: Mary Poppins in the Kitchen in 1975, Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane in 1982 and Mary Poppins in the House Next Door in 1988. When asked about the film in another 1977 interview and she replied “I’ve seen it once or twice, and I’ve learned to live with it. It’s glamorous and it’s a good film on its own level, but I don’t think it is very like my books.”

When theater producer Cameron Mackintosh asked her about adapting her nanny for the stage, she agreed only on the conditions that the show would be produced only by English citizens, and that no Americans whatsoever, including those that were involved with the film, would be involved with it. She did however agree to allowing certain aspects of the film, including songs in the play. 

Mrs. Travers passed away on April 23rd, 1996 at the age of 96 in London, England. With the character of Mary Poppins, she created an extraordinary legacy in children’s literature. And her character’ stories became a true gem of a Disney movie, which will hopefully continue with Disney’s upcoming Mary Poppins Returns. But Disney never would have been able to make their magical movie, had it not been for her wonderful books.   

John Wayne: “The Duke”

In 1949, John “The Duke” Wayne starred as Captain Nathan Cutting Brittles in the film She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. It was his the sixth of his 15 collaborations with director John Ford. His co-star in the film, Harry Carrey Jr. Carrey Jr. once said that the role of Nathan Brittles was “Wayne’s favorite role.” Throughout a 50-year-career in movies, John Wayne became far more than just a Hollywood actor, he became one of Hollywood’s most popular icons. His screen persona beautifully epitomizes the American Cowboy in western movies, and while not all of his movies were westerns, he always played men of courage on screen. He once said “A man’s got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job.”

He was born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26th, 1907 in Winterset, Iowa. His father, Clyde, was a pharmacy clerk and his mother, Molly, was a former telephone operator who became a stay-at-home Mom. Four years later, she had a second boy which she decided to name Robert, and she switched her older son’s middle name from Robert to Mitchell. The family later moved from Winterset to Palmdale, California, and then Glendale, California where young Marion attended Glendale Union High School. His parents sadly had a rocky marriage because Molly was tough and not very affectionate woman. His father was all about the affection, and the move unfortunately strained the relationship even more. This made both him and his brother anxious, and their father tried to ease their anxieties by teaching them how to play football. It was also here that Marion convinced his parents to let him have a dog, and they gave him an Airedale Terrier which he named Duke. He later took a paper delivery job, and everyone at the local fire station, which was on his paper route began calling young Marion “Big Duke,” and the dog “Little Duke,” because they would never go anywhere without one another. The nickname stuck throughout the rest of his life.

In school, Duke was an exceptional student and was well-liked by the other students. Throughout his four years at Glendale Union High, he was either vice president or president of his class, and it was here that he also developed a love of drama, performing in plays varying from Henry VIII to The First Lady of the Land. Marion also took a job as a handbill deliverer for the Palace Grand Movie Theatre in Glendale, which is where he also developed a love of the movies. After graduating High School, he had hoped to join the Navy, but his application was denied. He got a football scholarship at USC, but during his sophomore year at the university his parents got divorced. His father remarried, and although his second wife was good to both him and his children, Wayne’s brother relocated to Long Beach, California with his mother, and Marion didn’t have very much contact with either of them after that. The USC football team caught the attention of many celebrities at the time, including Western star Tom Mix. Mix made a bargain with the team’s Coach Howard, giving players jobs at Fox Film’s Corporation in exchange for box seats, and when football season was over, Duke Morrison and one other player, got employed at Fox. Not long after their employment, Mix offered the two football players jobs as extras in his next Western movie, saying “I think there’s a future in pictures for both of you.”

  Duke Morrison ultimately decided to pursue a career as full-time movie star, and he began taking bit parts in B-movies. His first film appearance was in a silent film called Brown of Harvard (1926) where he played a Yale Football Player. His first starring role was in a film called The Big Trail (1930). Even though he had found work in movies, he continued as a prop boy who moved furniture at Fox. When he was moving furniture one day, a director named Raoul Walsh saw him and cast him in his first starring role on in a film called The Big Trail (1930). While on that film, Walsh was told by Fox chief Winfield Sheehan that Duke would need a different name. Without actually consulting Wayne, Walsh initially suggested “Anthony Wayne,” and Sheehan deemed that name “too Italian.”  Walsh then suggested John Wayne, and Sheehan agreed. 

John Wayne acted in almost 90 movies before landing his “big break” in the role of the Ringo Kid in Stagecoach (1939), which his first major collaboration with director John Ford. Tom Mix, who happened to be a friend of Ford’s, recommended Duke, and he hired him as an extra on the silent film Mother Machree (1927). (“Machree,” was also Ford’s first collaboration with Victor McLaglen, who would later co-star with Duke in The Quiet Man (1952)). “Stagecoach,” was a critical and commercial success, and even received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture.

Throughout his incredible career, John Wayne worked with hundreds of leading ladies who were both beautiful and talented, but often they were also strong-willed, sassy, and equally as courageous as he. The best example of that would have to be Maureen O’Hara. O’Hara worked with Wayne on five movies: Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLintock! (1963), and Big Jake (1971). In “Grande,” “Quiet Man,” and “Eagles,” they were directed by John Ford and on “McLintock!” they were directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, son of their co-star from “Quiet Man,” Victor McLaglen. John Wayne often referred to Maureen O’Hara as “One of the greatest guys I’ve ever known.” Maureen O’Hara also once said “Speaking as an actress, I wish all actors would be more like Duke-and speaking as a person, it would be nice if all people could be honest and as genuine as he is. This is a real man.”

Wayne also worked with a number of talented men who played both sidekicks and villains in his movies. He made three films with another Hollywood legend, James Stewart: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), How the West Was Won (1962), and The Shootist (1976), which was Duke’s final film ever. “Shootist,” also starred Ron Howard, who at this point, was still well-known as an actor, but was beginning to pursue his directing career. Howard said that while on this movie, he learned more from Wayne than he usually learned from working with other Hollywood legends on screen.

John Wayne received a total of three Academy Award Nominations throughout his career: Best Actor in Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), Best Picture for producing The Alamo (1960), and Best Actor in True Grit (1969) and his performance in that film as Rooster Cogburn would be his first and only Oscar win. While making the film, Wayne disapproved of the casting of Kim Darby as Mattie Ross, and barely ever spoke to her off camera. He also did not get along well with Robert Duvall, who ironically played his main antagonist Lucky Ned Pepper in the film. Throughout filming, Duvall constantly argued with the director, Henry Hathaway, and at one point Wayne even threatened to punch Duvall if he argued with Hathaway again. Despite this, the film was a success, and was remade in 2010 with Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn who coincidentally received a Best Actor Oscar Nomination for his performance, as well.

Although he feuded with Robert Duvall, Wayne did get along well with some of the actors who played the main antagonists in his movies. Bruce Dern played “Long Hair Watts” in The Cowboys (1972). Dern says that Wayne came up to him once and said “Oh, how they’re gonna hate you for this.” Dern replied “Maybe, but in Berkeley I’ll be a (bleeping) hero.” Wayne also made three movies with Richard Boone, a distant relative of American frontiersman, Daniel Boone: The Alamo (1960), Big Jake (1971), and The Shootist (1976).

John Wayne was not only well-liked by movie fans, but by movie professionals as well. His five-decade-career in movies made him an American legend—and he brought lots of adventure, intrigue, and fun into the lives of many. 

Donna Reed: A Wonderful Life

When we think of leading ladies from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Katherine Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and Grace Kelly, easily came to mind. But another name that fits the profile is Donnabelle Mullenger, but you know her as Donna Reed. Donna Reed was an undoubtedly beautiful woman who starred in all kinds of Classic Hollywood movies from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) to From Here to Eternity (1953) and then transitioned into television in The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966). She had a career in show business that lasted nearly 50 years. While known as the epitome of a loving wife and mother, she accomplished much more.

Born on a farm in Denison, Iowa on January 27th, 1921, Donnabelle Mullenger was the oldest of William and Hazel Mullenger’s five children. Growing up in the Iowa countryside, she learned the values of kindness, honesty, and respect from her parents and immediately took to looking after her younger siblings. She was so close with her family that at one point, she earned the nickname “Little Mother.” When the Great Depression struck the Midwest, she could only watch as many of her family’s neighbors tragically lost their houses and farms. It was very emotional for her and her family, despite the fact that they were fortunate enough to keep theirs. The Mullengers optimistically sang songs together and on occasion, journeyed into the Denison town square to go to the movie house on the square for a double feature. It was there that young Donnabelle developed a love for the movies, though she didn’t officially discover her own acting talents until time at Denison High School.  

Going to High School was a nerve-wrecking experience for her because her classmates were primarily city girls and she wasn’t confident that she would actually be able to make any social connections with them. She had a teacher, however, who encouraged her to read a book called How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and as a result, she began to make friends and became part of the debate team and the theatre department. She even improved her own level of intellect, graduating at the top ten of her class. After graduation, she became the first person in her family to “continue,” when her Aunt Mildred, who happened to live in Los Angeles, invited her to live with her and enroll at Los Angeles City College to pursue a career in acting.

After only one semester at Los Angeles City College, she entered and won a “Miss South Gate, CA.” Her win got her the chance to represent South Gate in the 1940 Tournament of Roses, and a photo on the front of the Los Angeles Times. This led to movie studio offers screen tests for her, and when she tested for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), studio chief Louie B. Mayer declared her “MGM’s next starlet.” After graduating college, she signed with MGM at $75 a week, but was told that she would need to shorten her name in order to fit a marquis. Temporarily, she shortened her name to Donna Adams, but ultimately adopted the name Donna Reed. Her first credited film appearance was in The Getaway (1941) opposite Robert Sterling and Charles Winninger.

During her time as the “new kid” on the MGM backlot, she met makeup artist William Tuttle and they married. Sadly, however, their marriage dissolved after just two years, as, Donna became more and more eager to boost her career. She desperately wanted to play Sibyl Vane in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) but she instead was cast as Gladys Hallward, while Angela Lansbury was cast as Vane. And although she also had roles in films that did exceptionally well at the box office like The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) and The Human Comedy (1943), it was all still unsatisfying to her. Ultimately, she divorced William Tuttle, but not long after that, met Tony Owen, who at this point was a Hollywood agent and an aspiring film producer. They were married on June 15th, 1945. Reed was also determined to be a mother, but after many unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant, she and Owen adopted two children, a daughter, Penny Jane and a son, Tony Jr.

Following the growth of her family, she was cast by Frank Capra in what would be his first post-WW2 film and what would also be arguably her best film role ever. The role, of course, was Mary Hatch Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). Not long after making this movie, Donna Reed said that the film was “the most difficult film I ever did. No director ever demanded as much of me,” having to learn to portray a character that aged from 18 to 40 years throughout the course of the film’s plot. In later years, however, she said that “Wonderful Life,” was her favorite film of her whole career. Although the film is a beloved classic today, it was only moderately well-received when it first came out in December of 1946, and recorded a loss of $525,000 for its distribution company, RKO Radio Pictures. Disappointed by the film’s reception, Donna Reed became even more determined to find the role that would make her a true star. 

When her contract with MGM ended, she signed another contract with Columbia Studios in 1950. (The year prior to that, she amazingly had her first biological child, her son, Timothy, in 1949.) Her first two films at Columbia were Saturday’s Hero (1951) and Scandal Street (1952). The following year she starred in From Here to Eternity (1953) as Alma the Dance Hall prostitute. Fred Zinnemann, the film’s director, did not want her in the movie, but the Columbia studio chief insisted that Zinnemann consider her. After three screen tests, Zinnemann relented and cast her alongside Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, and Frank Sinatra. The film had 13 Academy Award Nominations and won eight, including Best Picture, Best Director for Fred Zinnemann, Best Supporting Actor for Frank Sinatra and Best Supporting Actress for Donna Reed. (Lancaster, Clift, and Kerr, were also all nominated in the leading categories for their performances.) Despite her Oscar win, Reed continued to be cast in roles that were unsatisfying to her. Columbia continued to view her as the wholesome beauty that could always play the love interest, roughly similar to how MGM viewed her, but Reed wanted to be seen as more than that.

In the mid-1950’s, she formed “Todon Productions,” with her husband Tony, and together they produced the film Beyond Mombasa (1956), but that film flopped. Desperately in need of a hit, they decided to try television, which at this point had just been coming into the spotlight. The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966) aired its pilot episode on the ABC Network on September 24th, 1958. Not an immediate hit, but it grew to be a hit thanks to sponsorship by Campbell’s Soup. Donna Reed also became involved in production aspects of the show: casting decisions, story ideas, and other things, in many ways like Lucille Ball did after I Love Lucy (1951-1957). She was an uncredited producer of the show, because it just wasn’t the norm for a woman to be credited as the producer of a show at the time. The show ran for a total of eight seasons and 275 episodes.

After it ended, Donna took a break from the entertainment industry and in 1967 joined the group Another Mother for Peace, an organization opposed to the United States involvement in Vietnam and who wanted the country to have a Secretary of Peace. She co-chaired the group and in addition to opposing the Vietnam War, they also opposed Nuclear Power Plants. Reed’s involvement in politics sadly put a strain on her relationship with her husband Tony, and they divorced after 26 years of marriage in 1971. Ironically, not long after her second divorce, she met Colonel Grover Asmus, the Senior Aide to General Omar Bradley. They began dating, and Col. Asmus almost immediately proposed marriage to Reed. She declined, but Col. Asmus continued to propose marriage as they dated for the next three years. One day, they were eating together at a restaurant, and he gave his daily proposal. Reed replied “Well you’ve finally worn me out, all right.” And they were married on August 30th, 1974. 

Ten years After her third walk down the aisle, Reed was cast as Miss Ellie Ewing in Dallas (1978-1991), when Barbara Bel Geddes left the show in 1984. After one season on the show, however, she was fired upon Bel Geddes’ return. As a result, she sued the production company of the show and won a total of $1.25 million dollars. Her brief stint on “Dallas,” was her last acting job due to diagnosis of advanced pancreatic cancer. She was intent on battling the cancer, but sadly lost the battle, and passed away at the age of 64 on January 14th, 1986. Not long after, her widower and children, along with some of her friends created the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts, based in her hometown of Denison, Iowa. The organization provides students interested in the performing arts with scholarships, hosts an annual festival for performing arts workshops, and runs the Donna Reed Center for the Performing Arts. 

It’s been 65 years since Donna Reed won her Oscar for “From Here to Eternity,” though we might remember her better either as Donna Stone on “The Donna Reed Show,” or as George Bailey’s beautiful love interest-turned-wife in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Even though her life was short, she always did the best she could to maintain an optimistic and cheerful attitude—despite the pressures of living and working in Hollywood. She was a relentless optimist that never gave up on anything, and had a versatile acting career, a decent family life, and a “Wonderful Life.”