‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ star Donna Reed quietly kept WWII letters from soldiers for decades, daughter says
Mary Owen, the daughter of Hollywood star Donna Reed, reflects on the legacy of the iconic holiday classic film and how the actress stayed connected to our American troops during WWII.
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Life wasn’t always wonderful for Karolyn Grimes.
The actress was 6 years old when she was offered a role in the 1946 film "It’s a Wonderful Life." The Frank Capra-directed classic stars James Stewart and Donna Reed.
The film centers on the character of George Bailey, played by Stewart, who considers suicide. His guardian angel intervenes and shows him all the people whose lives he has touched. One memorable character is Zuzu, played by Grimes, who famously says, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."
Clockwise from top: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Jimmy Hawkins, Larry Simms and Karolyn Grimes. (Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images)
While the movie has become a beloved holiday staple over the years, Grimes endured personal tragedies outside the spotlight.
The now 84-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter that things began taking a terrible turn when she was 11.
"My mother started getting sick," the former child star recalled. "Unfortunately, it was something that couldn’t be cured. It was what we would call early-onset Alzheimer’s today. Back then, they didn’t call it that. They just called it cerebral atrophy."
American child actress Karolyn Grimes, circa 1946. (Keystone Features/Getty Images)
Grimes noted that her acting career became a financial impossibility for her father, who didn’t approve of it in the first place.
"He would have had to pay somebody to take me for an audition because you have to have a guardian, and he’d have to pay for somebody, if I got a part, to be on set with me," said Grimes. "It was a bit much for him."
At age 14, Grimes lost her mother, who was only 44 years old. Grimes became an orphan a year later at age 15, when her heartbroken father was killed in a car accident. According to the outlet, Grimes’ future was left to the court.
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Karolyn Grimes appeared in "The Bishop's Wife" (1947) with Cary Grant and "Rio Grande" (1950) with John Wayne. (Keystone Features/Getty Images)
"I had parents of friends who were willing to take me," she said. "I asked the judge, ‘Do I have any say at all in who I go to or where I live?’ And he said, ‘Your desires are like a drop in the bucket.’ I’ll never forget that."
Grimes was placed into the custody of her uncle and his wife. She left Hollywood, her birthplace, and moved with them to Osceola, a small town in Missouri. Grimes claimed that for the next three years, she endured "extremely cruel" treatment from her aunt, who was suffering from mental illness.
Eager to escape her home life, Grimes married a local boy at age 18.
"I had parents of friends who were willing to take me. I asked the judge, ‘Do I have any say at all in who I go to or where I live?’ And he said, ‘Your desires are like a drop in the bucket.’ I’ll never forget that."
James Stewart (1908-1997) as George Bailey, and Karolyn Grimes as his daughter Zuzu, in a scene from "It's a Wonderful Life," directed by Frank Capra. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
"I had to get away, and that was the only way I could see of getting out of there," she admitted.
Grimes and her husband had two daughters before they divorced. He was later killed in a hunting accident.
She said "I do" once more to a man who already had three children from a previous marriage. Together, they welcomed two more kids.
While raising a family, Grimes enrolled at the University of Central Missouri. For 25 years, she quietly worked as a medical technologist. Grimes said her children knew little about her Hollywood past.
WATCH: ‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’ STAR DONNA REED QUIETLY KEPT WWII LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS FOR DECADES, DAUGHTER SAYS
"They knew I was in the movies, but that wasn’t important to them because it wasn’t important to me," she said. "I think in fourth grade they might’ve taken a picture to school and said, ‘This is my mom, and she did this,’ but that was about it."
The outlet reported that "It’s a Wonderful Life" entered the public domain in the ‘70s. As a result, it was broadcast every Christmas, garnering a new legion of fans. It wouldn’t be until 1980 when Grimes, who had never seen the film, learned of its resurgence. She was living in Kansas at the time.
"Someone knocked on my door when I was 40 and said, ‘Were you in the movie 'It’s a Wonderful Life?’" said Grimes. "I said, ‘Well, yeah.’ And they said, ‘Can I have an interview?’… So I dug up all my memorabilia from the basement, and we had an interview."
Karolyn Grimes unveils a James Stewart wax figure at Madame Tussauds on Nov. 29, 2010, in Hollywood, California. (Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
"The next week, the same thing happened, and then it happened again," she recalled. "I thought, ‘Maybe I’d better sit down and watch this movie.'"
Tragedy struck Grimes again in 1989. Her youngest son, who was described by the outlet as "a shy and sensitive boy," took his life at age 18.
"The part that’s really sad is the fact that I never had my children see [‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ with its message that every life has great meaning and value]," she said.
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Donna Reed, seen here with James Stewart, died in 1986. She was 64. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Grimes was "deep in mourning" in 1990 when she decided to accept an invitation to attend the Chaplin Award Gala. Stewart was being honored. It was there that, for the first time, as adults, the co-stars spoke.
One of the things Stewart and Grimes bonded over was the heartbreak of losing a child. Stewart lost a stepson during the Vietnam War.
"I don’t think you ever get over that," said Grimes.
The pair stayed in touch until Stewart died in 1997. He was 89.
As an adult, Karolyn Grimes stayed in touch with James Stewart. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
The outlet reported that just a few years later, Grimes’ second husband died of cancer. They were married for 25 years.
"I think it brought it on, really," said Grimes about their son’s suicide.
"Something about that did something to him," she said, referring to her late spouse.
It was around that time, the "lowest emotional point of Grimes’ life," that "It’s a Wonderful Life" saved her, the outlet revealed. In 1993, Target contacted her in hopes she would participate in a Christmas promotional campaign. As she traveled the country, Grimes befriended several former child performers.
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"It's a Wonderful Life" has become a holiday staple every year across the country. (CBS via Getty Images)
"We became real brothers and sisters after that," she said.
Since then, the retired grandmother has kept busy every year. During the holidays, she attends numerous events to celebrate the film and her contributions to Hollywood.
During her tours, Grimes witnessed how much "It’s a Wonderful Life" impacted fans both young and old.
"People came through the line for autographs, and they talked about considering taking their own lives, and how they watched the movie, and it saved them," she said.
Today, Karolyn Grimes is a retired grandmother who lives a quiet life outside of Hollywood. (Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
Those encounters, she said, inspired her to spread the film’s message of hope and "keep it alive."
"I just thought, ‘This is my path, and this is what I’m supposed to do,’" she said. "And I’ve been doing it ever since."
In 2021, Grimes told Fox News Digital that her parents gave her the wisdom to help her overcome any obstacles.
‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’ STAR KAROLYN GRIMES REVEALS WHY SHE LEFT HOLLYWOOD: ‘IT BECAME MY PAST LIFE’
Karolyn Grimes is proud of "It's a Wonderful Life" and the message it has to offer. (Dr. Billy Ingram/WireImage/Getty Images)
"My parents instilled in me that in the end, everything is going to be OK," she said at the time. "It may not feel that way at the moment, but it will be. Life is what you make of it. And I wanted it to be good."
"My parents also gave me a religious background that was very solid," she noted. "I have a certain amount of respect for anyone who believes in a higher being and tries to follow a good path in life.
"I think that’s something we should all strive to do. It’s difficult these days, but geez, if we could just try. It’s a scary world out there. And we need a film like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ now more than ever. I think that’s how I coped."
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