Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other genres. In the 1930s, Dunne established herself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and highly-paid leading ladies, transitioning seamlessly from emotional dramas to the newly popular screwball comedy genre.
After a successful Broadway career, Irene Dunne moved to Hollywood and signed with RKO in 1930. She achieved instant stardom with her second film, the Western epic Cimarron (1931), which won Best Picture and earned her the first of five career Academy Award nominations. For the first half of the decade, she was primarily known for “weepers” or sentimental dramas like Back Street (1932) and Magnificent Obsession (1935). A trained soprano, she showcased her voice in major musicals, most notably as Magnolia Hawks in Show Boat (1936) and in Roberta (1935), where she introduced the standard “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.”
In 1936, she surprised audiences with Theodora Goes Wild, proving she had a “wicked sense of humor” and earning another Oscar nomination. She cemented her comedy status in The Awful Truth (1937) opposite Cary Grant. Their chemistry was so successful that they became one of the era’s definitive screen duos, later starring together in My Favorite Wife (1940).
Dunne was renowned for her sophisticated beauty, “high-class posture,” and a unique ability to handle both slapstick comedy and heavy drama with equal grace. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she avoided scandals, remained married to her husband (Dr. Francis Griffin) for 38 years, and was widely considered a “consummate professional.”
By the end of 1939, after starring in the romantic classic Love Affair, she was regarded as one of the finest actresses in the world—though she famously became known as “the best actress never to win an Oscar.”
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