Little Prima Donna, Miss Irene Dunne, Is Southern Girl

 Anent the forthcoming engagement of the world famous musical comedy "Irene", which will pay a return visit to Atlanta, opening with a matinee on Monday, Christmas day, at the Atlanta theater for an engagement of one week, with matinee also on Wednesday and Saturday, it might be interesting news to Atlanta theatergoers to know that little prima donna, Miss Irene Dunne, who will be seen in the title role, is a southern girl, and is making in this part an immense hit.

 Miss Dunne was born in Louisville, Ky., but at an early age moved with her parents to Memphis, where she received her kindergarten training, finishing her education at the Lauretta academy in St. Louis, Mo. She is the daughter of the late General J.J. Dunne, supervisor of steamships, a man well known in politics, especially in the national capital.

 Miss Dunne made her debut in society in Memphis, 1917, but soon tired of the butterfly life which society belles seem to edict themselves to, and yearned for something more substantial. Having a leaning toward music, she entered the Indianapolis Conservatory of Music, where after two years' hard study and steady application she graduated, winning a scholarship at Dr. Ziegfeld's famous college of Music in Chicago, from which many of our noted American singers graduated. One year's study there, under the celebrated tutors fitted her for an examination toward graduation, and in 1920 at Oratorial hall, in the Windy City, in competition with 150 students, she graduated, winning the gold trophy offered by Dr. Ziegfeld at each comment exercise, the judges on this occasion being John McCormack, tenor; Levitski, pianist; Ysaye, violonist, and John Stock, conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In his congratulatory speech, Mr. McCormack is quoted as telling Miss Dunne that her voice was as set and steady as many singers twice her age, which was quite a compliment for the little lady.

 Douglas Gordon, of The Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, in his review of the play on its return engagement to Norfolk, closed his article with this paragraph:

 "Sh-sh! but if you ain't seen little Miss Dunne in 'Irene,' you ain't seen nothin' yet."

(Atlanta Constitution, December 25. 1921)