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Donna Reed, actor
Actor

Donna Reed: Movies, Awards & Box Office

films
46
on screen
1941–2022
box office
$10.7M
award win
1
Born
January 27, 1921
Birthplace
Denison, Iowa, U.S.
Full name
Donna Belle Mullenger
Citizenship
American
Occupations
Actress
Years active
1941-1986
Spouses
William J. Tuttle, Tony Owen, Grover Asmus
Children
4
Biggest hits

The Best Donna Reed Movies

The films of Donna Reed that made the most at the worldwide box office, biggest first: It's a Wonderful Life (1947) leads with $10.6M. The full ranking adds the most awarded films and the newest releases.

Full ranking
Career at a glance

Donna Reed's Career in Numbers

Donna Reed's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Donna Reed works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Babes on Broadway (1941) to Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas (1997), and the 1940s were the busiest decade.

Donna Reed Movies by Decade

  1. 1940s 23
  2. 1950s 17
  3. 1960s 1
  4. 1990s 1

The 1940s were Donna Reed's busiest decade, with 23 films.

Donna Reed Movies by Genre

  • Drama 17
  • Western 5
  • Comedy 4
  • Documentary 3
  • Thriller 3
  • Music 2
  • Adventure 2
  • Romance 2
  • Sport 1
  • Action 1

Drama is the genre Donna Reed has worked in most, with 17 films, ahead of western (5).

Donna Reed Career Milestones

First film
Babes on Broadway 1941
Biggest box office hit
It's a Wonderful Life $10.6M worldwide
46 credits

Donna Reed Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Donna Reed is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Donna Reed Movies as an Actor

42
  1. 1997 Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas (1997) movie poster Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas as Mary Bailey (archive footage) · Documentary
  2. 1960 Pepe (1960) movie poster Pepe as Donna Reed · Music
  3. 1958 The Whole Truth (1958) movie poster The Whole Truth as Carol Poulton · Thriller
  4. 1956 Beyond Mombasa (1956) movie poster Beyond Mombasa as Ann Wilson · Adventure
  5. 1956 Backlash (1956) movie poster Backlash as Karyl Orton · Western
  6. 1956 The Benny Goodman Story (1956) movie poster The Benny Goodman Story as Alice Hammond · Drama
  7. 1956 Ransom! (1956) movie poster Ransom! as Edith Stannard · Thriller
  8. 1955 The Far Horizons (1955) movie poster The Far Horizons as Sacajawea · Western
  9. 1954 The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) movie poster The Last Time I Saw Paris as Marion Ellswirth · Drama
  10. 1954 Three Hours to Kill (1954) movie poster Three Hours to Kill as Laurie Mastin · Western
  11. 1954 The Big Moment (1954) movie poster The Big Moment as Debbie · Drama
  12. 1953 Gun Fury (1953) movie poster Gun Fury as Jennifer Ballard · Western
  13. 1953 From Here to Eternity (1953) movie poster From Here to Eternity Drama
  14. 1953 The Caddy (1953) movie poster The Caddy Sport
  15. 1953 Raiders of the Seven Seas (1953) movie poster Raiders of the Seven Seas as Alida · Adventure
  16. 1953 Trouble Along the Way (1953) movie poster Trouble Along the Way as Alice Singleton · Comedy
  17. 1952 Hangman’s Knot (1952) movie poster Hangman’s Knot as Molly Hull · Action
  18. 1952 Scandal Sheet (1952) movie poster Scandal Sheet as Julie Allison · Thriller
  19. 1951 Saturday’s Hero (1951) movie poster Saturday’s Hero as Melissa McCabe · Drama
  20. 1949 Chicago Deadline (1949) movie poster Chicago Deadline as Rosita Jean D'Ur · Drama
  21. 1948 Beyond Glory (1948) movie poster Beyond Glory as Ann Daniels · Drama
  22. 1947 Green Dolphin Street (1947) movie poster Green Dolphin Street as Marguerite Patourel · Drama
  23. 1947 It's a Wonderful Life (1947) movie poster It's a Wonderful Life Drama
  24. 1946 Faithful in My Fashion (1946) movie poster Faithful in My Fashion as Jean "Chunky" Kendrick · Comedy
  25. 1945 They Were Expendable (1945) movie poster They Were Expendable Drama
  26. 1945 The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) movie poster The Picture of Dorian Gray as Gladys Hallward · Horror
  27. 1944 Gentle Annie (1944) movie poster Gentle Annie as Mary Lingen · Romance
  28. 1944 See Here, Private Hargrove (1944) movie poster See Here, Private Hargrove as Carol Holiday · Romance
  29. 1944 Twenty Years After (1944) movie poster Twenty Years After as (archive footage) · Documentary
  30. 1943 Thousands Cheer (1943) movie poster Thousands Cheer as Customer in Red Skelton Skit · Comedy
  31. 1943 The Man from Down Under (1943) movie poster The Man from Down Under as Mary Wilson · Drama
  32. 1943 Dr. Gillespie’s Criminal Case (1943) movie poster Dr. Gillespie’s Criminal Case as Marcia Bradburn · Drama
  33. 1943 The Human Comedy (1943) movie poster The Human Comedy as Bess Macauley · Drama
  34. 1942 Apache Trail (1942) movie poster Apache Trail as Rosalia Martinez · Western
  35. 1942 Calling Dr. Gillespie (1942) movie poster Calling Dr. Gillespie as Marcia Bradburn · Drama
  36. 1942 Mokey (1942) movie poster Mokey as Anthea Delano · Drama
  37. 1942 The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) movie poster The Courtship of Andy Hardy as Melodie Nesbit · Comedy
  38. 1942 The Bugle Sounds (1942) movie poster The Bugle Sounds as Sally Hanson · Drama
  39. 1942 Personalities (1942) movie poster Personalities as (uncredited) · Documentary
  40. 1941 Babes on Broadway (1941) movie poster Babes on Broadway as Secretary (uncredited) · Music
  41. 1941 Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) movie poster Shadow of the Thin Man Drama
  42. 1941 The Get-Away (1941) movie poster The Get-Away as Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly · Crime
1 win · 1 nomination

Donna Reed: Awards & Nominations

1 win from 1 nomination across 1 award body. That includes an Oscar: Best Supporting Actress for From Here to Eternity. Every ceremony is listed newest first, with the category and the film.

All movie awards
Biography

Who Is Donna Reed?

Donna Reed was born in Denison, Iowa, U.S. in 1921. Credited on films since 1941, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Donna Reed, born Donna Belle Mullenger had a glittering career in the American Film industry that spanned over 40 years, and was punctuated with exemplary performances in more than 40 films. One name that comes to mind when we think about her seminal contribution to cinema is Mary Hatch Bailey, a protagonist she marvelously embodied in Frank Capra's fantasy holiday film It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Reed also bagged the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her sterling portrayal in Fred Zinnemann's war drama film, From Here to Eternity (1953). Born on Jan 27, 1921, on a farm near Denison, Iowa, Reed was not just a brilliant actress but also a charismatic television personality, best known for her role in The Donna Reed Show (1958–1966). A strong role model for women, Donna Reed's name became synonymous with the portrayal of confident, assertive and complex characters, a trait that was rare among television mothers of her era. Later in her career, when Barbara Bel Geddes decided to return to the melodrama Dallas, Reed replaced her as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow in the 1984 – 1985 season and successfully sued the production company for breach of the contract when she was unceremoniously ousted.

Works with

Who Donna Reed Makes Movies With

The actors and directors Donna Reed shares the most films with. Henry O'Neill comes first, with 7 films together, followed by James Stewart (5).

FAQ

Donna Reed: Questions & Answers

How many movies Donna Reed has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Donna Reed been in?

Donna Reed is credited on 46 films, from 1941 to 2022. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Donna Reed's highest-grossing movie?

It's a Wonderful Life (1947) is Donna Reed's biggest box office hit, with $10.6M worldwide, ahead of From Here to Eternity (1953) ($36.4K). Across every film with box office figures, Donna Reed's movies have made $10.7M.

Donna Reed's biggest hits

Has Donna Reed won an Oscar?

Donna Reed has won an Oscar: Best Supporting Actress for From Here to Eternity at the 1954 ceremony. Across every ceremony in the awards database, Donna Reed has 1 win from 1 nomination.

What is Donna Reed's newest movie?

The most recent film on Donna Reed's filmography is Rat Pack (2022), in the role of Self (archive footage).

Who does Donna Reed work with most often?

Donna Reed shares the most films with Henry O'Neill (7 films), James Stewart (5 films) and Bing Crosby (5 films).

The Best Donna Reed Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 46 credits.

See the ranking

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