Irene Dunne: A Forgotten Legacy
In the early '30s she starred in several interesting movies, including Cimmarron, Consolation Marriage (1931), Ann Vickers (1933) and The Age of Innocence (1934). She reprised her role from Show Boat onscreen just as she was entering her strongest period as a comedic actress. Her roles in Theodora Goes Wild, The Awful Truth and My Favorite Wife (1940) ranked her among the best actresses of the screwball genre. As the '40s arrived, she developed into a strong dramatic actress in films such as A Guy Named Joe (1943), Penny Serenade (1941), The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) and I Remember Mama. She made her last film in 1952, the forgettable comedy It Grows on Trees. After that, she focused most of her energy on philanthropy and politics, though she did occasionally appear on television shows such as Letter to Loretta and Ford Theatre.
She led a distinguished life in retirement: she was the first woman to be elected to the Technicolor board of directors and in the late fifties Eisenhower named her alternate delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. When she was offered the role of Aunt Alicia for the 1958 film version of Gigi she turned it down, quite content to remain in retirement. She was married to dentist Francis Dennis Griffen from 1928 until his death in 1965. They adopted one daughter together. She lived a long life, and died of heart failure on September 4, 1990.
It is ironic that two of Irene Dunne's best performances were in the movies also the most obscured by their 1950's remakes. Over the years, numerous film critics and fans have agreed that these early versions are the best.
Show Boat (1936)
Directed by: James Whale
Also starring: Helen Morgan, Paul Robeson, Charles Winninger, Allan Jones, Hattie McDaniel
It was a bit of a stretch to cast Dunne as teenage Magnolia Hawkes at the age of 38, but no other Hollywood actress could fill the role as comfortably as she and she did get to age onscreen into retirement. It was the second screen version of the stage musical that had introduced her to Hollywood executives. Part of the reason so many agree that it is the best version is its phenomenal cast, including Paul Robeson singing the definitive rendition of Old Man River and Helen Morgan singing heartbreaking performances of Bill and Can't Help Loving That Man. Director James Whale also brought a lively luster
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