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Donna Reed

Donna Reed

Actor · Died January 14, 1986, aged 64 · Denison, Iowa, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American film and television actress and producer. Her career spanned more than 40 years, with performances in more than 40 films. She is well known for her role as Mary Hatch Bailey in Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. In 1953 she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Lorene Burke in the war drama From Here to Eternity. Reed is known for her work in television, notably as Donna Stone in the sitcom The Donna Reed Show (1958–66). She received numerous Emmy Award nominations for this role and the Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star in 1963.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 27, 1921
Died
January 14, 1986 (aged 64)
From
Denison, Iowa, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 56 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Up 27% in 30 days

What are Donna Reed's films like?

Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
31%
Bonds
30%
Self
20%
Power
8%
Society
8%
Ideas
1%
Survival
1%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 7 · Dark 7

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 13 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 10 · Charged 9 · Intense 6

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 16 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 18 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 11 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 5

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

16 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 6 of 16 analyzed roles.

Ally
6 of 16
Shapeshifter
3 of 16
Threshold guardian
3 of 16
Hero
2 of 16
Herald
1 of 16
Shadow
1 of 16
Show the 16 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Warm
12
Melancholic
10
Joyful
7
Romantic
8
Other
17

How their films linger

Feel-good16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Donna Reed's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Donna Reed's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

56 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • It’s a Wonderful Night of the Living Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Mary Bailey

  • Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room(2005)

    as Mary Hatch

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Television: The First Fifty Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Donna Stone (archive footage)

  • Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Mary Bailey (archive footage)

  • Deadly Lessons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Miss Wade

  • The Best Place to Be(1979)

    as Sheila Callahan

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dallas(1978)

    Show 30 episodes · as Miss Ellie Southworth Ewing Farlow

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Polly Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Pepe(1960)

    as Donna Reed

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Donna Reed Show(1958)

    Show 275 episodes · as Donna Stone

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • The Whole Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Carol Poulton

  • Suspicion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Letty Jason

  • Beyond Mombasa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Ann Wilson

  • Backlash(1956)

    as Karyl Orton

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Benny Goodman Story(1956)

    as Alice Hammond

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Ransom! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Edith Stannard

  • The Far Horizons(1955)

    as Sacajawea

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • They Rode West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Laurie MacKaye

  • The Last Time I Saw Paris(1954)

    as Marion Ellswirth

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Three Hours to Kill(1954)

    as Laurie Mastin

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Big Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Debbie

  • Gun Fury(1953)

    as Jennifer Ballard

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • From Here to Eternity(1953)

    as Alma 'Lorene' Burke

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Caddy(1953)

    as Kathy Taylor

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Raiders of the Seven Seas(1953)

    as Alida

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Trouble Along the Way(1953)

    as Alice Singleton

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Rayna

  • Hangman's Knot(1952)

    as Molly Hull

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Donna Reed

  • Scandal Sheet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Julie Allison

  • Saturday's Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Melissa McCabe

  • Chicago Deadline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Rosita Jean D'Ur

  • Beyond Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Ann Daniels

  • Green Dolphin Street(1947)

    as Marguerite Patourel

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • It's a Wonderful Life(1946)

    as Mary Hatch

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Faithful in My Fashion(1946)

    as Jean "Chunky" Kendrick

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • They Were Expendable(1945)

    as Lt. Sandy Davyss

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray(1945)

    as Gladys Hallward

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Gentle Annie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Mary Lingen

  • See Here, Private Hargrove(1944)

    as Carol Holiday

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Twenty Years After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as (archive footage)

  • Thousands Cheer(1943)

    as Drug Store Customer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Man from Down Under(1943)

    as Mary Wilson

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case(1943)

    as Marcia Bradburn

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Human Comedy(1943)

    as Bess Macauley

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Sucker Bait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Geraldine - Waitress

  • Eyes in the Night(1942)

    as Barbara Lawry

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Apache Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Rosalia Martinez

  • Calling Dr. Gillespie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Marcia Bradburn

  • Mokey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Anthea Delano

  • The Courtship of Andy Hardy(1942)

    as Melodie Nesbit

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Bugle Sounds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Sally Hanson

  • Personalities (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as (uncredited)

  • Babes on Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Secretary (uncredited)

  • Shadow of the Thin Man(1941)

    as Molly Ford

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Get-Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 55 titles from 1941 to 2026.

Biggest box office

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

$11M worldwide

Highest rated

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Donna Reed Show (1958)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout

Top draw in 8 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting55 of 55: 55 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score58th

By decade

1940s25 · acting1950s22 · acting1960s1 · acting1970s3 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s2 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 0% of 17 roles
4146

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Donna Reed's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 30 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

The Best Place to Be (1979)

71st percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Donna Reed's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 35 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 5 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 44 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 34 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Donna Reed work with?

People who share at least 2 of Donna Reed's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Charles Lawton Jr. shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers