Christmas would not be such if Fran Capra's classic, How Beautiful It Is To Live, did not air on television every year. (1946), starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, whose centenary of her birth has been celebrated on January 27. How lucky he was when Jean Arthur, Ginger Rogers, and Olivia de Havilland all declined the part. In this way, and without meaning to, she became the most famous Christmas face in the world.
Moviegoers will also remember her as the counterpoint to Deborah Derr in From Here to Eternity (1953), for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Her charming smile, her good manners, and her generosity earned her great popularity, especially among her classmates, who adored her sweet and gentle nature.
She did not value becoming a star too much and the only thing she wanted was to be happy as an actress, wife, and mother. Her simple-girl farmer roots never succumbed to Hollywood glamour. Following her unsuccessful first marriage, she immediately married producer Tony Owen, with whom she adopted two children (Penny Jane and Anthony) and had two biological children (Timothy and Mary Anne). He was the one who produced her successful television show The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966).
After 26 years of marriage, they decided to divorce and in 1974 she said "Yes, I do" for the last time with ex-military Grover Asmus. After dedicating herself to family and philanthropic endeavors, including helping Vietnam veterans and being against the use of nuclear weapons, Reed agreed to replace Barbara Bel Geddes as Mrs. Ewing on the series. Dallas for the 1984-1985 season following his open-heart surgery.
After her recovery, Barbara returned to the set and Donna was abruptly fired without warning while she was on vacation in Europe. Due to the mistreatment suffered by the producers and some actors, the veteran interpreter filed a lawsuit for 7.5 million dollars, but she finally received compensation of one million. As her husband alleged shortly after her, her dismissal along with slights directed at her by Larry Hagman (JR) and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen) hastened the ordeal of her illness. She died of pancreatic cancer at age 64 in 1986. It was said that her widower sued again for $50 million.
