She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to a riverboat engineer and his musician wife in 1898. She learned to love music and wanted to teach it. In 1918, a voice contest intercepted her and sent her on an amazing journey through Chicago, New York, and Hollywood.
Near the end of her journey, in 1985, Irene Marie Dunne (1898 – 1990) was awarded the highest possible honor bestowed upon a performing artist for her contributions to the arts and humanities: The Kennedy Center Award. At the White House reception for the honorees, President Ronald Reagan aptly said, “You have enhanced life—you have moved us and made us laugh, made us cheer and made our souls soar.”
Dunne grew up with the Mississippi riverboat culture. She later recalled, “No triumph of either my stage or screen career has ever rivaled the excitement of trips down the Mississippi on the river boats with my father.” This changed when her father died in 1909 and the family moved to Madison, Indiana, where she was remembered by a neighbor as “a friendly and happy girl.” Well-grounded in her Catholic faith, in patriotism and in Hoosier values, Irene grew up to became one of the greatest screen performers of all time, excelling in serious drama, screwball comedy and musicals.
In 1928, Irene met and married Frank Griffin, a New York dentist, to whom she remained devoted until his death in 1965. She never removed her wedding ring as an actress, regardless of the part. They adopted a baby girl in 1936.
Always a gracious, elegant and dignified professional, she invariably elevated her audience’s notion of American womanhood like no celebrity in our history. She soon became known as The First Lady of Hollywood.
When the screwball comedy genre surfaced in Hollywood, exciting new rolls opened up for women. In some cases, leading men were reduced to puppets under the sway of a headstrong independent woman complicating his life. For others, it was a ditzy blonde or a hot bombshell causing him fits. However, Irene Dunne topped this genre with a one-foot-in-reality approach that combined a quick wit with a rich dignity.
In all her roles, she depicted emotionally stable and strong women who do not take that strength at the expense of men. Leading men didn’t get the best of her but they got the best of themselves from being with her. Her strength was not limited to her acting roles. In one case when she was subjected to disgusting and disrespectful harassment from a major co-star, she stood up to the nonsense and threatened to walk off the project. She w was no milquetoast victim.
Dunne’s off-screen life was above reproach. Following her film career, she turned to Republican politics, business and flourished in philanthropic and charitable efforts for her church, the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America and many other causes on behalf of the underfed, underprivileged and disinherited. Her highest charitable priority was St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California. She raised more than $20 million as President and then supporter of the St. John’s Hospital Foundation. In 1963, she harnessed all the biggest names in Hollywood to help make the classic western How the West Was Won and to donate proceeds to St. John’s. The Irene Dunne Guild is instrumental to this day in supporting St. John’s.
Dunne received three honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of her work in music, cancer research and for her fidelity to the principles of her faith in public and private life. She once said, “Trying to build the brotherhood of man without the Fatherhood of God is like having the spokes of a wheel without the hub.” She obliterated any pseudo distinction between being good and being nice. Unable to disparage her decency, the best that the more prurient side of Hollywood could do was ignore her. Thus, her memory has been poorly kept. As one hungry tabloid journalist said of her, “She is bad copy but a delight to know.”
Film Highlights:
Her Legacy in Charitable and Civic Causes.
Her Legacy in Quotes:
All in all, she was a class act.
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Photo Credits