DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) -Governor Kim Reynolds has proclaimed Wednesday, January 27, 2021 “Donna Reed Day,” exactly 100 years after the iconic actress was born in Denison, Iowa.
Reed-born Donna Belle Mullenger-is probably best known for her role as “Mary Hatch Bailey” in the1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life and in 1950′s-60′s ABC sitcom The Donna Reed Show.
Reed passed away in 1986, but her legacy endures.
In today’s announcement, Reynolds wrote she encouraged “Iowans to be like Donna Reed and follow their dreams with integrity, courtesy, equity and humanity,” echoing the Donna Reed Foundation’s mission to inspire young people to serve their communities and pursue careers in the performing arts” and cited the Donna Reed Foundation’s mission to “inspire young people to serve their communities and pursue careers in the performing arts.”
The proclamation was announced via Facebook Live and capped off a series of video tributes from Reed’s friends and family and kicked off a year of programs to celebrate the centennial, including commemorative displays at the Donna Reed Heritage Museum in Denison and the State Historical Museum of Iowa in Des Moines.
The state museum also plans to host an online presentation on March 25th, when Reed’s daughter, Mary Owen of Iowa City, will share rarely seen family photos from her mother’s early days in Iowa.
Other events are in the works for December, when Reed’s most popular movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, will mark its 75th anniversary.
Today, the Turner Classic Movies network has been airing many of Reed’s movies to celebrate her birthday. The lineup started at 5:00 A.M. with Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) and continues through 5:00 P.M. with Ransom! (1956).
”Donna Reed was a legend,” Turner Classic Movies network host Alicia Malone said in a statement. “Turner Classic Movies is thrilled to help celebrate Donna Reed Day with her fans in Iowa and across the entire world. People often think of her as ‘the girl next door,’ but she had rare talent and an extraordinary career.”
According to a press released, “Donnabelle Mullenger was just 17 when she left Iowa and packed her bags for California. She won a Los Angeles beauty pageant, which landed her a spot in the Rose Bowl Parade, a photo on the front page of the Los Angeles Times and, soon after, a contract with MGM Studios. The studio changed her name to ‘Donna Reed’ for her first movie, The Get-Away, when she was 20, and the name stuck. Reed won an Academy Award in the 1954 movie From Here to Eternity and co-founded her own TV production company, which produced The Donna Reed Show from 1958 through 1966. Back then, few women held executive roles in Hollywood.”
“Donna Reed’s life really was wonderful,” said Chris Kramer, director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, including the State Historical Society of Iowa and Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media production. “She was an Iowa icon, a gifted actress, a savvy businesswoman and a visionary humanitarian who always kept in touch with her hometown. We can all learn from her example.”
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