Donna Reed
Toronto Daily Star, 24 March 1943
I'm not sure how the voting was conducted - how were the candidates chosen?
The film critics who selected Donna Reed (1921-1986) for stardom were prescient: she went on to appear as James Stewart's wife in the 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life, and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in From Here To Eternity in 1953. She then became a TV star, appearing on The Donna Reed Show from 1958 to 1966.
Her final screen role was in the TV series Dallas in 1984-1985. When she was fired from the show, she sued for breach of contract and won; unfortunately, not long after that, she died of pancreatic cancer.
Created June 4, 2025.