Irene Dunne

[ken123]

She seems to have gotten a number of posts already. Do you have a favorite Irene Dunne comedy. Incidentall she was of Irish Catholic background from Louisville,Ky, and a Republican. I guess that she can be forgiven for that !

[Ayres]

She's so wonderful in The Awful Truth and My Favorite Wife. I love that sort of clenched-teeth giggle that she gives when she's up to mischief! One of the sexy comediennes--who tend to be my favorite kind.

[feaito]

"Theodora Goes Wild". Amazing comedy.

"The Awful Truth" and "My favorite Wife" are runners up.

[Moraldo Rubini]

The Awful Truth is not only my favorite Irene Dunne comedy, it's one of my favorite all-time comedies. She is as sparkling as champagne in this romp with Cary Grant.

I'm also a fan of Theodora Goes Wild, though it's been years since I've seen it.

I really think she was swell. The scope of her roles from sappy sobbers (Back Street, Magnificent Obsession), epic musicals (Show Boat, High, Wide and Handsome), Romance (Love Affair, Penny Serenade), character roles (I Remember Mama) and romantic comedies (My Favorite Wife). What a range!

[jdb1]

What I've always liked about Dunne is that she doesn't look at all like a comedienne, and yet she can be wonderful and wonderfully silly in her films. She doesn't let loose quite as far as some other glamorous types like Claudette Colbert can, but her touch is light and, depending on her leading man (I like her best with Cary Grant), she can be quite delightful. I liked her in "Show Boat." I think she did very well, even though for most of the film she was much too old for the role.

I'm also very fond of her in "I Remember Mama." I'm constantly tormenting my household when I'm in the kitchen by announcing, as Dunne did, that there's "some yelly in de cooler."

[MissGoddess]

My favorites include My Favorite Wife, The Awful Truth and Theodora Goes Wild, but I also want to include Life With Father, which, unfortunately, appears tied up in a legal tangle so it's not shown often. What a superb film, one of her last I believe, and one of her most enchanting performances. She's too adorably screwy for words. The way she managed to get to William Powell's irrasicble Clarence Day is priceless. She has him wrapped around her little finger and seems only half-conscious of her power.

A must see for Irene's fans.

Miss G

[movieman1957]

There's a scene where she tries to justify buying their son a new suit. By the time she's done she's convinced Powell he'll almost make money on the deal. Her life's dedication after Powell himself is to get him baptized once she's found out he managed to get this far on life without benefit of baptism.

You're right, she's not completely aware of her power which is why she's so wonderful. Also enjoy a nearly pre-teen Martin Milner and Elizabeth Taylor.

A really fun film.

[moirafinnie]

Here's a rare audio interview with Irene Dunne (at age 81) talking about her career:

[Rita Hayworth]

My favorites include My Favorite Wife, The Awful Truth and Theodora Goes Wild, but I also want to include Life With Father, which, unfortunately, appears tied up in a legal tangle so it's not shown often. What a superb film, one of her last I believe, and one of her most enchanting performances. She's too adorably screwy for words. The way she managed to get to William Powell's irrasicble Clarence Day is priceless. She has him wrapped around her little finger and seems only half-conscious of her power.

A must see for Irene's fans.

Miss G

Those movies that Miss Goddess listed in her post here are my secondary favorites and I do love them for different reasons. Last Year with the help of charliechaplinfan and Jack Favell ... I became a Charles Boyer fan and I just can't get enough of that charming and delightful actor that charms his way with his leading ladies. My all time Irene Dunne Comedy is Love Affair of which she co-starred with BOYER (in 1939) to make this movie irresistible to me. They were great together and having these two working together made me laugh, laugh, and laugh.


My favorite part of the movie ... Boyer's eyes and Dunne's radiant beauty ... perfection!

I consider this movie my favorite and always will she made her role of Terry memorable in this movie.

[Fossy]

Irene Dunne is one of my favourites. I have thirty of her movies. When I started collecting I started out with sopranos. Irene made the successful transition from singer to actress, and was so successful that she was five times nominated (unsuccessfully) for best actress Oscars. Only Deborah Kerr had more (six). (That information may be out of date). Of her comedy movies my favourite would probably be" My Favorite Wife".

[Rita Hayworth]

Wow, Fossy ... I did not know that you were a Irene Dunne Fan ... 30 movies ... that's more than I have of Rita Hayworth.

Thanks for sharing that!

[JackFavell]

Hey, Fossy, I did not know she got so many Oscar noms. I actually never liked her much until the last few years, when I got TCM on my cable hook up finally. I really had no idea how versatile she was. Now I really love her movies, with I Remember Mama, Penny Serenade and Love Affair at the top of my list. I remember liking The White Cliffs of Dover very much but I haven't seen it in a very long time.

[Vienna]

What a star! Irene was so talented - musicals, comedies, dramas. Her three films with Cary Grant are among my most watched.
Love her songs in Roberta especially Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

[Rita Hayworth]

What a star! Irene was so talented - musicals, comedies, dramas. Her three films with Cary Grant are among my most watched.
Love her songs in Roberta especially Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

You got that right Vienna! ... I love her in Love Affair with Charles Boyer! She was so dreamy in that movie. And, the three films with Mr. Grant too.

[RedRiver]

How interesting that two of the very best, Dunne and Kerr, were nominated so many times, but never took home the trophy. I relish the work of these phenomenal talents.