Editing Irene Dunne (section)

=== 1920–1929: Acting beginnings, Broadway debut ===
[[File:Irene Dunne in costume for a theater show.jpg|thumb|160px|Dunne dressed as a ‘‘rabbit’’ for a Broadway show, mid-1920s]]
Dunne took more singing lessons and then dancing lessons to prepare for a possible career in musical theater.{{sfnp|Pre-Hollywood Years|1898–1929}} On a New York vacation to visit family friends, she was recommended to audition for a stage musical,{{sfnp|''Hats, Hunches & Happiness'' by Irene Dunne|1945}} eventually starring as the leading role in the popular play ''Irene'',{{sfnp|Pre-Hollywood Years|1898–1929}} which toured major cities as a roadshow throughout 1921.<ref name="fristoe"/><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Logansport Pharos-Tribune]]|date=March 18, 1922|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5173797/logansport-pharos-tribune-18-mar-1922-p5/|page=5|title=The Star of 'Irene' Coming to Luna Thursday|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=June 14, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802020058/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5173797/logansport-pharos-tribune-18-mar-1922-p5/|url-status=live}}{{Open access}}</ref> "Back in New York," Dunne reflected, "I thought that with my experience on the road and musical education it would be easy to win a role. It wasn't."{{sfnp|''Hats, Hunches & Happiness'' by Irene Dunne|1945}} Her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut was December 25 the following year as Tessie in [[Zelda Sears]]'s ''[[The Clinging Vine]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=9171 |title=The Clinging Vine – Broadway Musical – Original |website=Internet Broadway Database |access-date=January 19, 2009 |archive-date=March 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311003219/http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=9171 |url-status=live }}</ref> She understudied [[Peggy Wood]], playing the role several times in February 1923.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daily News 28 Feb 1923, page 20 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/430175659/ |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> She then obtained the leading role when the original actress took a leave of absence in 1924.{{sfnp|''Hats, Hunches & Happiness'' by Irene Dunne|1945}} She replaced Leeta Corder in the lead role of Virginia Warewell in ''Ginger'' (1923) for the final few weeks on the production.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daily News 30 Oct 1923, page 20 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/410177461/ |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 04 Nov 1923, page Page 68 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/60015240/ |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> She was also a replacement in ''Lollipop'' (1924) on Broadway.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 30 Mar 1924, page Page 70 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/60017775/ |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> Supporting roles in [[musical theater]] productions followed in the shows ''[[The City Chap (musical)|The City Chap]]'' (1925),{{sfnp|Gehring|2003|p=16}}<ref>{{cite web|title=The City Chap – Broadway Musical|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-city-chap-9932#OpeningNightCast|website=IMDb|access-date=June 30, 2020|archive-date=July 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702061806/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-city-chap-9932#OpeningNightCast|url-status=live}} (Dunne is credited as "Irene Dunn")</ref> ''Yours Truly'' (1927)<ref>{{cite web |title=Yours Truly – Broadway Musical – Original |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/yours-truly-10217#OpeningNightCast |website=Internet Broadway Database |access-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616111412/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/yours-truly-10217#OpeningNightCast |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''She's My Baby'' (1928).<ref>{{cite news |title=THE STAGE |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5173684/pittsburgh-press-15-jan-1928-p85/ |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=January 15, 1928 |page=85}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=She's My Baby – Broadway Musical – Original |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/shes-my-baby-10546 |website=Internet Broadway Database |access-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616105908/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/shes-my-baby-10546 |url-status=live }}</ref> Her first top-billing, leading role ''Luckee Girl'' (1928)<ref>{{cite web |title=Luckee Girl – Broadway Musical – Original |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/luckee-girl-10715 |website=[[Internet Broadway Database]] |access-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801233651/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/luckee-girl-10715 |url-status=live }}</ref> was not as successful as her previous projects.{{sfnp|Pre-Hollywood Years|1898–1929}} She would later call her career beginnings "not great furor."{{sfnp|''Hats, Hunches & Happiness'' by Irene Dunne|1945}} At this time, Dunne added the extra "e" to her surname,{{refn|group=Note|Dunne later told the audience of a film retrospective that she initially considered the [[stage name]] "Irene Barkley", after an uncle.<ref>{{cite news |title=Irene Dunne Retrospective |work=Los Angeles Herald-Examiner |date=1975-03-24}}</ref>}}<ref name="freelance"/> which had ironically been misspelled as "Dunne" at times throughout her life until this point;<ref>{{cite news |last1=Webb |first1=Anah |title=Bedford Girl |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/580989316/?terms=irene%2Bdunne |work=The Bedford Daily |date=1918-12-04 |page=1 |quote=Musical numbers on the program will be given by the following Indiana girls: Miss Wynota Cleaveland of [[Crawfordsville, Indiana|Crawfordsville]], Miss Anah Webb of [[Bedford, Indiana|Bedford]], Miss Irene Dunne of [[Madison, Indiana|Madison]], Miss Lillian Prass of [[Lafayette, Indiana|Lafayette]]... |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724180158/https://www.newspapers.com/image/580989316/?terms=irene%2Bdunne |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Chateau-Thierry Stage and Hoosier Girls Feature Dinner. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5127306/the-indianapolis-star-8-dec-1918-p33/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |work=The Indianapolis Star |date=1918-12-08 |page=33 |quote=The following Hoosier girls took part: Miss Irene Dunne, Madison, represented France... |access-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724180219/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5127306/the-indianapolis-star-8-dec-1918-p33/ |url-status=live }}{{Open access}}</ref> until her death, "Dunne" would then occasionally be misspelled as "Dunn".<ref name="benefit"/><ref>{{cite news|title='Together Again' With Irene Dunn [sic] Next 'Lux' Drama|newspaper=Harrisburg Telegraph |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3211428/harrisburg_telegraph/|agency=Harrisburg Telegraph|date=December 7, 1946|page=19|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=September 12, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074023/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3211428/harrisburg_telegraph/|url-status=live}}{{Open access}}</ref> Starring as Magnolia Hawks in a road company adaptation of ''[[Show Boat]]'' was the result of a chance meeting with its director [[Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.]]{{refn|group=Note|Ziegfeld's father founded Chicago Musical College.{{sfnp|McDonough|1985}}}} in an elevator the day she returned from her [[honeymoon]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Screen Stars Relate Their Favorite Anecdotes: Road to Fame Begins in Elevator For Irene Dunne |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63671621/ |work=The Indianapolis Star |date=1944-09-10 |page=21}}</ref> when he mistook her for his next potential client, eventually sending his secretary to chase after her.{{sfnp|''Hats, Hunches & Happiness'' by Irene Dunne|1945}}{{refn|group=Note|Magnolia Hawks had been a dream role for Dunne and she had bought the sheet music of the musical to practice,{{sfnp|Gehring|2003|p=23}} so this story was jokingly disputed by ''American Magazine'' with the comment: "Neither you not I nor [her husband] would ever suspect that she deliberately went to Florenz Ziegfeld [Jr] and suggested that she'd like to play Magnolia in the road company."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beatty |first1=Jerome |title=Lady Irene |work=American Magazine |issue=November 1944 |date=1944 |page=118}}</ref>}} A talent scout for [[RKO Pictures]] attended a performance,{{sfnp|Pre-Hollywood Years|1898–1929}} and Dunne signed the studio's contract, appearing in her first movie, ''[[Leathernecking]]'' (1930),<ref name=leathernecking>{{cite web |title= Leathernecking |url= https://catalog.afi.com/Film/10217-LEATHERNECKING |website= American Film Institute |access-date= June 1, 2020 |archive-date= June 24, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200624235627/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/10217-LEATHERNECKING |url-status= live }}</ref> an adaptation of the musical ''[[Present Arms (musical)|Present Arms]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Present Arms. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5173608/shamokin-news-dispatch-penn-17-may-19/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |work=Shamokin News-Dispatch |date=May 17, 1930 |page=5 |access-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-date=September 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914175455/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5173608/shamokin-news-dispatch-penn-17-may/ |url-status=live }}{{Open access}}</ref> Already in her 30s when she made her first film, she would be in competition with younger actresses for roles, and found it advantageous to evade questions that would reveal her age, so publicists encouraged the belief that she was born in 1901 or 1904;<ref name="freelance"/><ref>{{cite news |author1=Charles Champlin |title=Critic at Large: Irene Dunne: Always a Lady of the House |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-05-ca-832-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=1985-12-05 |quote=Depending on which film source you read, Irene Dunne will be 81, 84 or 87 on Dec. 20. The official birth year is 1904, which makes her almost 81 and which she says sternly is correct, although in all events, "We do not think about Dec. 20. It is a day I choose to disregard." |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801230605/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-05-ca-832-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> the former is the date engraved on her tombstone.<ref name="malta"/>{{sfnp|Pre-Hollywood Years|1898–1929}}

{{multiple image
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 | image1 = Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.jpg
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 | footer = Dunne starred in three films each with [[Charles Boyer]] and [[Cary Grant]]. These pairings were popular with audiences and critics alike.
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