Donna Reed
Donna Reed (1921–1986) was an American actress known for wholesome roles in mid-twentieth-century film and television.
She won an Academy Award for *From Here to Eternity* (1953) but is best remembered for *The Donna Reed Show* (1958–1966), where she played an idealized suburban housewife.
Her name became shorthand for a type of pristine, apron-wearing domesticity: She's no Donna Reed—the house is always a mess.
Episodic TV comedy series
- 1950sDecade after WWII
- primetimeTelevision's highest-viewership period
- housewifeHome-focused married woman
- suburbanOf residential outskirts
family · episodes · black-and-white · broadcast · network · ratings · syndication · viewership
American film industry center
- leading ladyPrincipal female performer
- silver screenFilm industry metonym
- Oscar winnerFilm award recipient
- From Here to Eternity1950s military drama, Hawaii
studio system · starlet · ingénue · co-star · performer · dramatic · filmography · talent
Legendary period of perfection
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
- classicOf lasting excellence
- timelessUnaffected by eras
- legendaryFamous beyond ordinary measure
glamour · vintage · nostalgia · star power · beauty · elegance · charisma · sophisticated
Conducive to well-being
- family-friendlySuitable for all ages
- virtuousMorally excellent, principled
- clean-cutNeat in appearance
- gracefulElegant in movement
elegant · nurturing · respectable · sincere · kind-hearted · good-natured · modest · genteel
sitcom
Episodic TV comedy series
- 1950sDecade after WWII
- primetimeTelevision's highest-viewership period
- housewifeHome-focused married woman
suburban · family · episodes · black-and-white · broadcast · network · ratings · syndication · viewership · TV Guide
Hollywood
American film industry center
- leading ladyPrincipal female performer
- silver screenFilm industry metonym
- Oscar winnerFilm award recipient
From Here to Eternity · studio system · starlet · ingénue · co-star · performer · dramatic · filmography · talent · MGM
Golden Age
Legendary period of perfection
legendary · glamour · vintage · nostalgia · star power · beauty · elegance · charisma · sophisticated · Iowa
wholesome
Conducive to well-being
- family-friendlySuitable for all ages
- virtuousMorally excellent, principled
- clean-cutNeat in appearance
graceful · elegant · nurturing · respectable · sincere · kind-hearted · good-natured · modest · genteel · heartwarming
- Fictional MothersMarge Simpson, Molly Weasley, Morticia Addams, Lily Potter, Martha Kent
- IowansHerbert Hoover, John Wayne, Johnny Carson, Ashton Kutcher, Elijah Wood
- TV PioneersEd Sullivan, Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow
Donna ReedMarilyn Monroe
Mae West · Bettie Page · Brigitte Bardot · Marlene Dietrich · Ava Gardner
Donna ReedBetty Friedan
Gloria Steinem · Angela Davis · Roseanne Barr · Murphy Brown · Madonna
Donna Reedfemme fatale
Treacherous enchantress
Barbara Stanwyck · Bette Davis · Veronica Lake · Ellen Burstyn · Faye Dunaway