One of the most popular, beloved and versatile actresses of the 30s and the 40s was Irene Dunne. In her career she was nominated for five Academy Awards, but never won the elusive trophy. Her range of talents made her as comfortable in a screwball comedy as in a dramatic role or even a musical.

She was born in Louisville, Kentucky on December 20, 1898. Her full name was Irene Marie Dunne and was born to Adelaide and Joseph Dunne. She made her very first stage debut at the tender age of five in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." At the age of twelve, her father passed away and she moved to the quaint town of Madison, Indiana with her mother. It was during her time as a young girl that Irene honed her skills for the stage by taking voice and piano lessons. She sang every Sunday in the First Baptist choir to earn money for her lessons.

Her first love being music, she studied at a music conservatory in Indiana and then accepted a position as a music teacher in Chicago, Illinois. However, she never began her new job, She had entered a scholarship contest for the Chicago Music College, which she won and she studied there for one year, before making a move to New York City, the entertainment capitol of the world. She auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera Company, but was rejected because of her youth and inexperience. She took a job with a road touring company working in musical comedy and made her debut on Broadway in 1923. Amidst her stage career, she met and married dentist, Francis Dennis Griffin, in 1928 and with whom she remained married to until his death in 1965. The next year, her life would take on a new twist when her performance in the Broadway production of "Showboat" had Hollywood knocking. She was rewarded with a movie contract with RKO. She appeared in "Leathernecking" in 1930 and her Hollywood debut went almost unnoticed, but with her second film, Cimarron, she received her first nomination for an Academy Award, but the award was bestowed upon Marie Dressler for "Min & Bill." She appeared in 20 more films, some musicals, some dramas until second nomination for an Academy Award for the film, "Theodora Goes Wild." Again, she was eluded from the trophy by Luise Rainer for her film "The Great Ziegfeld." In 1937, she appeared in the romantic comedy "The Awful Truth," which also starred Cary Grant. Her hilarious chemistry with Cary Grant once again got her noticed by the Academy and once again she lost, once again to Luise Rainer for "The Good Earth." The Grant and Dunne team were paired up in two more films, "My Favorite Wife" and "Penny Serenade." In 1940, Irene starred in the romance/drama "Love Affair" with Charles Boyer. Again, nominated by the Academy and again shunned for the award, it would be another seven years before her shot at another chance to take home an Oscar. In the 1947 comedy, "Life With Father," Irene appeared as the "woman behind the successful man." In 1948, she starred in "I Remember Mama" and once again was nominated and lost an Academy Award.

She appeared only in a handful of films after "I Remember Mama" before turning her interests to politics and business. Appointed as an alternate delegate to the United Nations by President Eisenhower, she had a widespread appeal and spent the rest of her life dedicated to civic causes. She also served on the board of directors for Technicolor. Despite her successful films in the 30s and 40s, she almost became destined to be forgotten amongst Hollywood's elite. Many of her films were withdrawn from circulation due to rights problems, but in the 1970s, she was rescued from relative obscurity when the American Film Institute and the Los Angeles County Art Museum began to screen her long-unseen best work. Finally, her films were cleared for television reissue.

In 1985, Irene was awarded with a Kennedy Center Honor, but was unable to attend the award ceremony due to illness. Her longtime fans finally saw their beloved actress rewarded with a long-overdue reward of her of her great talent.

Irene Dunne passed away in 1990 on September 4 of heart failure at the age of 91.

Original biography written by Dawn Marie, Bombshells.Com ©2002