Irene Dunne

Irene Dunne

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1898-12-17
Deathday: 1990-09-04 (91 years old)

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Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn, December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American film actress and singer of the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. Dunne was nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performances in Cimarron (1931), Theodora Goes Wild (1936), The Awful Truth (1937), Love Affair (1939) and I Remember Mama (1948). In 1985, Dunne was given Kennedy Center Honors for her services to the arts. Dunne was discovered by Hollywood while starring with the road company of Show Boat in 1929. She signed a contract with RKO and appeared in her first movie, Leathernecking (1930), a film version of the musical Present Arms. Already in her thirties when she made her first film, she would be in competition with younger actresses for roles, and found it advantageous to evade questions that would reveal her age. Her publicists encouraged the belief that she was born in 1901 or 1904, and the former is the date engraved on her tombstone.


During the 1930s and 1940s, Dunne blossomed into a popular screen heroine in movies such as the original Back Street (1932) and the original Magnificent Obsession (1935) and re-created her role as Magnolia in Show Boat (1936), directed by James Whale. Love Affair (1939) is the first of three films she made opposite Charles Boyer. She starred, and sang "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", in the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers film version of the musical Roberta (1935).


Dunne was apprehensive about attempting her first comedy role, as the title character in Theodora Goes Wild (1936), but discovered that she enjoyed it. She turned out to possess an aptitude for comedy, with a flair for combining the elegant and the madcap, a quality she displayed in such films as The Awful Truth (1937) and My Favorite Wife (1940), both co-starring Cary Grant. Other roles include Julie Gardiner Adams in Penny Serenade (1941), again with Grant, Anna and the King of Siam (1946) as Anna Leonowens, Lavinia Day in Life with Father (1947), and Marta Hanson in I Remember Mama (1948). In The Mudlark (1950), she was nearly unrecognizable under heavy makeup as Queen Victoria.


The comedy It Grows on Trees (1952) became Dunne's last screen performance, although she remained on the lookout for suitable film scripts for years afterwards. The following year, she was the opening act on the 1953 March of Dimes showcase in New York City. While in town, she made an appearance as the mystery guest on What's My Line? She also made television performances on Ford Theatre, General Electric Theater, and the Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, continuing to act until 1962.


In 1952–53, Dunne played newspaper editor Susan Armstrong in the radio program Bright Star. The syndicated 30-minute comedy-drama also starred Fred MacMurray.


Dunne commented in an interview that she had lacked the "terrifying ambition" of some other actresses and said, "I drifted into acting and drifted out. Acting is not everything. Living is."

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Filmography

all 69

Movies 58

self 24

TV Shows 11

Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack

Rat Pack (2022)

Movie
Self
Stewart & Mitchum: The Two Faces of America

Stewart & Mitchum: The Two Faces of America (2017)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Becoming Cary Grant

Becoming Cary Grant (2017)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009)

Movie
Self
The Lady with the Torch

The Lady with the Torch (1999)

Movie
Self
Yours for a Song: The Women of Tin Pan Alley

Yours for a Song: The Women of Tin Pan Alley (1999)

Movie
Self
The Disneyland Story

The Disneyland Story (1990)

Movie
Self
Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man

Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man (1988)

Movie
Magnolia Hawks
Musical Comedy Tonight III

Musical Comedy Tonight III (1985)

Movie
Self
The Kennedy Center Honors

The Kennedy Center Honors (1978)

TV
Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1975)

Movie
Self – Hostess
The Big Party

The Big Party (1959)

TV
Dr. Gina Kerstas
The DuPont Show with June Allyson

The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959)

TV
Self
The Pre-Opening Report from Disneyland

The Pre-Opening Report from Disneyland (1955)

Movie
Self - Guest Host
Letter to Loretta

Letter to Loretta (1953)

TV
Self
The Oscars

The Oscars (1953)

TV
Margaret Henderson
General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater (1953)

TV
Polly Baxter
It Grows on Trees

It Grows on Trees (1952)

Movie
Self - Host
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)

TV
Irene Dunne
The Jack Benny Program

The Jack Benny Program (1950)

TV
Queen Victoria
The Mudlark

The Mudlark (1950)

Movie
Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour

The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950)

TV
Kay
Never a Dull Moment

Never a Dull Moment (1950)

Movie
Self
You Can Change The World

You Can Change The World (1950)

Movie
Self - Mystery Guest
What's My Line?

What's My Line? (1950)

TV
Self (archive footage)
The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)

TV
6
Mama (Martha Hanson)
I Remember Mama

I Remember Mama (1948)

Movie
Vinnie
Life with Father

Life with Father (1947)

Movie
Anna Owens
Anna and the King of Siam

Anna and the King of Siam (1946)

Movie
Paula 'Polly' Wharton
Over 21

Over 21 (1945)

Movie
Anne Crandall
Together Again

Together Again (1944)

Movie
Susan Ashwood
The White Cliffs of Dover

The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)

Movie
6
(archive footage)
Twenty Years After

Twenty Years After (1944)

Movie
Dorinda Durston
A Guy Named Joe

A Guy Named Joe (1943)

Movie
Self
Show-Business at War

Show-Business at War (1943)

Movie
Jane Palmer
Lady in a Jam

Lady in a Jam (1942)

Movie
Nancy Andrews
Unfinished Business

Unfinished Business (1941)

Movie
Julie Gardiner
Penny Serenade

Penny Serenade (1941)

Movie
6
Ellen Wagstaff Arden
My Favorite Wife

My Favorite Wife (1940)

Movie
5.8
Helen Lawrence
When Tomorrow Comes

When Tomorrow Comes (1939)

Movie
Eleanor Wayne
Invitation to Happiness

Invitation to Happiness (1939)

Movie
Terry McKay
Love Affair

Love Affair (1939)

Movie
Maggie Garret
Joy of Living

Joy of Living (1938)

Movie
Lucy Warriner
The Awful Truth

The Awful Truth (1937)

Movie
5.88
Sally Watterson
High, Wide and Handsome

High, Wide and Handsome (1937)

Movie
Theodora Lynn
Theodora Goes Wild

Theodora Goes Wild (1936)

Movie
6
Self
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) (1936)

Movie
Magnolia
Show Boat

Show Boat (1936)

Movie
1
Helen Hudson
Magnificent Obsession

Magnificent Obsession (1935)

Movie
6
Self
Things You Never See on the Screen

Things You Never See on the Screen (1935)

Movie
Stephanie
Roberta

Roberta (1935)

Movie
6.83
Adeline Schmidt
Sweet Adeline

Sweet Adeline (1934)

Movie
Ellen
The Age of Innocence

The Age of Innocence (1934)

Movie
Hilda Bouverie
Stingaree

Stingaree (1934)

Movie
Tony Dunlap
This Man Is Mine

This Man Is Mine (1934)

Movie
Sarah Cazenove
If I Were Free

If I Were Free (1933)

Movie
Ann Vickers
Ann Vickers

Ann Vickers (1933)

Movie
6
Christina Phelps
The Silver Cord

The Silver Cord (1933)

Movie
Sally Sanders aka Madame Blanche
The Secret of Madame Blanche

The Secret of Madame Blanche (1933)

Movie
Anna Stanley
No Other Woman

No Other Woman (1933)

Movie
Laura Stanhope
Thirteen Women

Thirteen Women (1932)

Movie
Ray Schmidt
Back Street

Back Street (1932)

Movie
Jessica
Symphony of Six Million

Symphony of Six Million (1932)

Movie
Mary Brown Porter
Consolation Marriage

Consolation Marriage (1931)

Movie
Diana Page
The Great Lover

The Great Lover (1931)

Movie
Helene Andrews
Bachelor Apartment

Bachelor Apartment (1931)

Movie
Irene Dunne
The Stolen Jools

The Stolen Jools (1931)

Movie
6
Sabra Cravat
Cimarron

Cimarron (1931)

Movie
Delphine Witherspoon
Leathernecking

Leathernecking (1930)

Movie

Ratings

Average 6.23
Based on 113 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1930
1935
1943
1937
2022
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Irene DunneIrene DunneIrene DunneIrene DunneIrene DunneIrene DunneIrene Dunne

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Female

Birthday
1898-12-17

Deathday
1990-09-04 (91 years old)

Birth Place
Louisville, United States of America

Citizenships
United States of America

Also Known As
Irene Marie Dunn

Awards
Laetare Medal, Kennedy Center Honors, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Los Angeles Times Women of the Year Silver Cup, star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Papal Lateran Cross


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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