It wasn’t the writers’ decision to depict Donna Stone as a tough and independent character, Donna Reed herself possessed these characteristics. One example of her strong character was when she joined the cast of the show “Dallas”, playing the role of Miss Ellie Ewing who was formerly played by Barbara Bel Geddes.
In a very unprofessional manner, producers reinstated Bel Geddes to her original role in the next season. This meant that Donna Reed was fired for no good reason, which was a breach of her contract. Understandably, Reed became furious with the studio and sued them, and eventually won a seven-figure settlement. Bravo!
Discussing the Sensitive Topics
The plot of "The Donna Reed Show" usually revolved around the dynamics of the middle-class American family. This was not extraordinary at that time — it was the '60s after all, and the show had a rather revolutionizing approach to introducing new takes on varied subjects and specific characteristics of the family members.
The episodes included controversial and sensitive topics as well, subjects no other mainstream media outlet dared to touch. Some of these issues included freedom of the press and women’s rights. Because of this, the show is seen as one that helps bring these important issues into the living rooms of Americans and people around the world.
The Stateless Hilldale, USA
In "The Donna Reed Show", Donna’s family lives in a town called Hilldale. The producers and writers of the show deemed the location stateless, probably to avoid leaving the impression on the audience that the family on the show was real. So while there exists a Hilldale in a few states, we don't know which one exactly was the family's hometown.
At no point during the show was it revealed which state, or even which area of the country, Hilldale is located. The producers and the writers were also very careful to not include clues in the show’s shooting location that would reveal a specific place or location for the family.
Her Softer Side
Donna Reed has also used her popularity for good things. One of these was during World War II. Donna Reed occasionally wrote letters to soldiers during her free time to give them moral support and keep their spirits up while they were fighting. She was praised for these good and thoughtful deeds and has earned more love from her fans.
Surprisingly, some soldiers were able to write back to her. Donna Reed treasured these letters from the soldiers and kept them. In 2009, to the surprise of many, a box was found in Donna Reed’s garage which contained a total of 341 letters from the soldiers that she wrote to back in the day.
A "Jill" of All Trades
As we have mentioned, Donna Reed was very much like her character on the show. She was also a loving wife and mother to her family and let's not forget, she was also an exemplary homemaker! This just proves how important her family is to her and how she has managed to balance her life as a mother and as an actress.
While Donna Reed was best known for her acting talents, she was also known to make wonderful recipes, some of which can be found online. For example, the recipe for her bundt cake is very simple as it was designed for mothers like her. The ingredients required were just four eggs, lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil.