Biography

One outstanding feature of Irene Dunne was her privacy. Working in a high-profile business she consistently protected her private life, and shared her gifts, talents and beauty but not any intimacies with us. There are no home-stories, no publicity photos of her husband, daughter or other family members, no Irene Dunne on anything and anybody interviews, and - though she considered it - Irene never wrote her autobiography. Sometimes the subject of gossip - especially in her early Hollywood years when Irene and husband Frank Griffin managed a bi-coastal marriage - she was never a source of it. Whereas a wonderful representative of the Hollywood studio era, Irene wasn't "swallowed" by the system; no "leg art" photography, no cheese cake photos but early free-lanced work for Miss Dunne. All along the way she knew that there was something else -  "Acting isn't everything. Living is."  Nonetheless, she determinately and ambitiously pushed on with her career and hit the top which didn't hinder her from moving on to pastures new when it was  about time. 

 For everyone mainly interested in "Hollywood Babylon" Irene Dunne as a person is quite a bore; but for all others - looking for integrity, authenticity, and the wish for personal growth - she could be a source of inspiration. 

 A major advantage of a website in comparison to a book is that I have the option to adjust an entry. Like the whole website the biography section is a "project in progress" - there will be corrections if necessary and additions if possible, but at the moment this is my state of knowledge on Irene Dunne.  

Biographical outline

and in more details: 

Part One - The Pre-Hollywood Years (1898-1929)