TV/Rodio & Cable Week, Sunday, September 2, 1984
Donna takes on tough assignment by Steve Reich
Is Bobby Ewing alive after taking bullets obviously meant for brother J.R.? If, in fact, he did survive how badly is he injured? Who was the coward who pulled the trigger? What was Bobby doing in J.R.’s office in the first place? These questions are haunting ‘Dallas” as it enters its seventh season Friday, Sept. 28 on CBS at 9 p.m. Besides Bobby’s fate, the public waits to see how Donna Reed fares as the new Miss Ellie.
Miss Reed is taking over as TV’s most beloved matriarch, a role Barbara Bel Geddes made into an American institution. Miss Bel Geddes quit the blockbuster series for health reasons last spring. At the moment, it's uncertain if viewers will accept Miss Reed in this very distinctive part. “We had no other choice but to preserve the character. It was the only viable option. Miss Ellie’s such an integral part of the chemistry at Southfork that it was inconceivable getting rid of her,” producer Philip Capice insisted as Miss Reed sat by his side during an interview with TV Week in Phoenix. “Somebody dropped Donna's name in the hopper and it seemed to be such a natural choice.” Capice points out that replacements of longstanding actors in key roles have occurred before. "Daytime soaps do it continually. Dick Sargent replaced Dick York on ‘Bewitched ’ I agree that this is more of a gamble since Miss Ellie is so unique a character. We hope that the audience will suspend its disbelief.” The producer says that Miss Reed, a series superstar of the '50s and '60s, conveys an aura similar to Miss Bel Geddes. “We needed somebody who was the same age and had the same qualities. Donna has that same simple elegance and quiet authority,” Miss Reed said she has secretly longed to play this classic heroine and super-mom for years. “There are very few characters as strong, steadfast or emotionally resourceful as Ellie. She is the glue that holds the embattled Ewing family together. She's a woman of the land, a farm girl who has kept the ranch going for generations. For years, I felt very close to her. I grew up on a farm, too.”
Miss Reed is a native of Denison, Iowa. The 63-year-old actress, who has four children of her own. hesitated about offering her own opinion on the devilish machinations of J.R Ewing. “He has his darling moments. Could America do without J.R. saying 'my mama’ or ‘I love my mama?' Just for that reason alone there was no way Miss Ellie could be written out. I plan to be a good mother. Miss Ellie is not judgmental about her sons and most importantly she never withholds her love.” Naturally, Miss Reed is a little worried about being compared unfavorably to Miss Bel Geddes. "She gave a remarkable performance because she was so consistent. I’m running a lot of the old shows just to get a better feel of those complicated relationships.” Miss Reed stresses that she won't mimic the distinctive Bel Geddes mannerisms. “I’m not going into the role with any preconceived notions. I hope that my characterization will flow naturally out of the relationships.”
Rather than presenting Miss Reed right off the bat, she will surface in episode seven. Despite the shooting of son Bobby, Miss Ellie and Clayton Farlow, played by Howard Keel, will continue honeymooning in Greece.
After “The Donna Reed Show” vanished in 1966, so did the actress. Except for the 1979 miniseries “The Right Place to Be” and the 1983 telefilm “Deadly Lessons,” Miss Reed remained on hiatus. “TV retired me in the '60s. There was a rebellion against the kind of wholesome, gentle family show I did. Occasionally, I got offers but always to play passive women. It was as if I was being punished for the part I played.” Miss Reed, an Oscar winner for “From Here to Eternity,” also recalls receiving a warning from studio executives distrustful of TV stars. “They told me that I was strictly TV and that I would never get another movie role. They were true to their word.”
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Paul Raven ·
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