MovieChat Forums > Joy of Living (1938) Discussion > Great Irene Dunne ( Miss Ball)

Great Irene Dunne ( Miss Ball)


Irene Dunne was simply astounding in this movie, and to me a puzzle why this truly great actress (Show Boat, Cimmarron, Penny Serenade, A Guy Named Joe, I Remember Mama, Anna and The King, etc) was overlooked for an Honorary Oscar.
Whether in comedies like My Favorite Wife, Musicals such as Show Boat, or drama such as George Stevens brilliant I Remember Mama, Dunne was the best.

Of all the stars she knew tis said there was only one Lucille Ball-who played a supporting role in this movie to Ms Dunne- deferred to and that one was the great Ms. Dunne.

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That is very true. Miss Dunne is spectacular in everything which she does!

Same with Lucille - always worth the watch. And Douglas Jr. - who could skip any opportunity to watch his fine work? He also sings the praises of Irene, as very professional with her ever scene.

You may also notice that Irene Dunne has a very large percentage of her films remade by others, including some of the ones which you mention, plus Roberta (under the name Lovely to Look At), Magnificent Obsession, Love Affair (under the title An Affair to Remember), etcetera.

Like Irene Dunne, Deborah Kerr and Barbara Stanwyck are also among those great actresses who was never appreciated by her peers, which something ought to have been done something about, somewhere along the way. But at least we know that part for as long as we've been watching her wonderful films.

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I completely agree. She is the kind of actress who can do great job of acting in bad movie. She is so versatile.

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Irene Dunne was a wonderful, very versatile actress however this is one of the worst films of her career imo and a deservedly forgotten comedy. We're supposed to be glad Fairbanks wants to take her away from her family of leeches yet he is so obnoxious and aggressive (clearly stalking her, or "mashing" as they called it then) he's certainly no hero. I didn't buy for one minute a lady as classy as Irene's character would ultimately fall for him. (I love Lucille Ball but she's wasted here in a smallish part although it's interesting to see her playing a shrewish girl.)

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