IT IS SAD THAT MANY CONTEMPORARY MOVIE LOVERS ARE UTTERLY UNAWARE OF SOME OF THE SCREEN GREATS FROM THE PAST AND KNOW NOTHING OF THEIR BODY OF WORK. ONE SUCH NEARLY FORGOTTEN ACTRESS IS THE GLORIOUS IRENE DUNNE, WHO WAS ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE STARS OF HOLLYWOOD'S SO CALLED GOLDEN AGE. HAPPILY, THE WONDERFUL TCM HAS MONTH LONG TRIBUTES TO DUNNE'S WORK AND HAS INCLUDED MANY OF HER MOST MEMORABLE FILMS. DUNNE WAS SOMEONE WHO REALLY COULD NEARLY DO IT ALL. BLESSED WITH A SUPERB VOICE OF NEAR OPERATIC QUALITY, (SHE APPEARS IN THE VERY BEST VERSION OF SHOWBOAT), SHE SANG IN MANY OF HER FILMS. BUT DUNNE, WHO COULD EXCEL IN MUSICALS ,ALSO WAS WAS EQUALLY ADEPT IN DRAMAS FROM THOSE AT THE SOAP LEVEL TO THE FAR MORE SERIOUS EFFORTS (SEE LOVE AFFAIR, I REMEMBER MAMA FOR BUT TWO GREAT EXAMPLES). SHE COULD EVEN DO WESTERNS AND WAS NOMINATED FOR CIMARRON. SHE GOT MANY NOMINATIONS OVER HER CAREER, BUT, INCREDIBLY, NEVER WON, WHICH IS A BLISTERING COMMENTARY ON THE ACADEMY AWARDS PROCESS. IRENE DUNNE HAS FEW EQUALS WHEN IT COMES TO COMEDY APPEARING IN SOME OF THE VERY BEST SCREWBALL COMEDIES AS WELL AS NUMEROUS OTHER LIGHTHEARTED FARE. EVEN WHEN A MOVIE WAS NOT NECESSARILY THE VERY BEST, DUNNE'S WORK ALWAYS WAS. WHEN SHE WAS ON THE SCREEN, YOU NOTICED. DUNNE RETIRED YOUNG AND REALLY WORKED ONLY ABOUT 20 YEARS IN MOVIES, BUT HER OUTPUT IS JUST ASTONISHING. ABOUT THE ONLY TYPE OF PART SHE NEVER PLAYED WAS A VILLAIN AND ONE SUSPECTS SHE COULD HAVE BEEN SUPER IN THE KIND OF PART --A SOPHISTICATED FEMME FATALE--JUST AS SHE IS IN VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING SHE EVER FILMED. SHE IS AN ESSENTIAL DISCOVERY FOR ANY TRUE MOVIE-LOVER, AND THE REST OF HER FILMS DESERVE TO BE ON DVD. ARE YOU LISTENING TCM?
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