donna reed question

[soapfan72]

why did donna reed replace barbra bel geddes?

[victor lord jr]

why did donna reed replace barbra bel geddes?

bbg wanted a better contract and her man in charge foiled things up so she was replaced for 1 year and then she came back,I heard she was upset that he held information about the contract.

[July Baby]

I thought BBG had to take a year off for medical reasons - I believe it was open heart surgery. That's what I heard at the time.

[midwestdj]

I've always heard it was medical problems and she needed a year off and decided to come back when she saw DR's portrayal.

[dr.ivankipling]

When Barbara Bel Geddes left Dallas I too was under the impression she'd left due to medical reasons. In fact I've believed that for years. About a week ago(right around Larry's passing)I was tooling around the tube&found two videos that say Barbara in fact left because she wanted more money/better contract as VictorLordJr says. I wasn't inclined to believe the first video I saw but I had to believe the second. The second video is Larry Hagman recounting how BBG's rep had demanded a better deal. Tptb refused so BBG left. In the video Larry says all BBG had to do was come to him&he'd have made it happen because he carried that much clout at the time.
I'm going to go back to the the tube&see if I can find the video again. If/when I do I'll post the title here for anyone interested in seeing it.

[dr.ivankipling]

I found it. Go to the tube&type in "bring miss ellie back". Justin Lee Collins interviews Larry Hagman,Susan Howard,&Donna Reed's son Anthony Owen Jr.
Interesting video. I never knew Larry had the kind of pull he had at Dallas.

[July Baby]

Thanks for the info, dr. ivan. I just watched the video. Unbelievable! Very poor handling of the situation all the way around.

[dr.ivankipling]

You're welcome July&ITA with you!

[victor lord jr]

I found it. Go to the tube&type in "bring miss ellie back". Justin Lee Collins interviews Larry Hagman,Susan Howard,&Donna Reed's son Anthony Owen Jr.
Interesting video. I never knew Larry had the kind of pull he had at Dallas.

I too thought it was medical until probally about ten years ago i heard of this,and when i got dallas on dvd one of the seasons have a interview with the cast,not bbg though and all the actors talking about it said that the agent messed up the deal, she wanted more money and the agent wanted alot more and he told her no they wouldnt pay it,[what he wanted]but what she was asking for i think would have been alright and thats why the cast said the agent really messed up the deal for her.I felt sorry for donna reed because they just let her go and she did alright,i did like bbg better but i think they should have handled it differently or maybe had dr a new character.

[dr.ivankipling]

I've always thought tptb would've been better served had they brought Donna Reed on as a new character(maybe a Ewing or Southworth relative we'd not seen or heard of yet). I think that would have worked out better and been accepted easier than having her come on as Miss Ellie. I was a huge DR fan but I didn't enjoy her at all as Miss Ellie. I'm sure Miss Reed gave the very best she had to offer but the changes she brought to the character were too sudden and far too drastic. Up until Donna Reed Miss Ellie had always been a sort of earth mother kind of character. Sure she was a woman of means&power but she was always reserved in dress&demeanor. Donna Reed's Miss Ellie hit the scene running dressed as one of the 'ladies who lunch'. The audience had grown accustomed to seeing Miss Ellie go about her buisness at SF or out on the town(for casual errands) in her trademark 'sack' dresses. Seeing DR's Miss Ellie in diamonds,pearls,and designer duds was too jolting. Had tptb gradually introduced that(new)part of Miss Ellie I may have come to accept DR as Miss Ellie. As it was I spent the entire year wishing Miss Ellie would come home&throw the imposter out. Again no reflection on Donna but her take on Miss Ellie didn't jive with who the character was at heart,at least not in my opinion.
However I don't want to leave without saying knowing what I know now I can't help but feel sorry for Donna Reed. No one should have to work under the conditions she put up with. I've read other articles&seen other videos where it's reported some nasty disrespectul remarks were made to her directly&indirectly. No one should have to put up with that kind of disrespect&abuse.
As July said,the entire situation was handled poorly all the way around.

[Viki&Charlie]

When Barbara Bel Geddes left Dallas I too was under the impression she'd left due to medical reasons. In fact I've believed that for years. About a week ago(right around Larry's passing)I was tooling around the tube&found two videos that say Barbara in fact left because she wanted more money/better contract as VictorLordJr says. I wasn't inclined to believe the first video I saw but I had to believe the second. The second video is Larry Hagman recounting how BBG's rep had demanded a better deal. Tptb refused so BBG left. In the video Larry says all BBG had to do was come to him&he'd have made it happen because he carried that much clout at the time.
I'm going to go back to the the tube&see if I can find the video again. If/when I do I'll post the title here for anyone interested in seeing it.

Dr.Kipling, thanks for sharing. I too was under the impression Barbara Bel Geddes left Dallas because of health related issues. I had no idea it was otherwise.

[Viki&Charlie]

I've always thought tptb would've been better served had they brought Donna Reed on as a new character(maybe a Ewing or Southworth relative we'd not seen or heard of yet). I think that would have worked out better and been accepted easier than having her come on as Miss Ellie. I was a huge DR fan but I didn't enjoy her at all as Miss Ellie. I'm sure Miss Reed gave the very best she had to offer but the changes she brought to the character were too sudden and far too drastic. Up until Donna Reed Miss Ellie had always been a sort of earth mother kind of character. Sure she was a woman of means&power but she was always reserved in dress&demeanor. Donna Reed's Miss Ellie hit the scene running dressed as one of the 'ladies who lunch'. The audience had grown accustomed to seeing Miss Ellie go about her buisness at SF or out on the town(for casual errands) in her trademark 'sack' dresses. Seeing DR's Miss Ellie in diamonds,pearls,and designer duds was too jolting. Had tptb gradually introduced that(new)part of Miss Ellie I may have come to accept DR as Miss Ellie. As it was I spent the entire year wishing Miss Ellie would come home&throw the imposter out. Again no reflection on Donna but her take on Miss Ellie didn't jive with who the character was at heart,at least not in my opinion.
However I don't want to leave without saying knowing what I know now I can't help but feel sorry for Donna Reed. No one should have to work under the conditions she put up with. I've read other articles&seen other videos where it's reported some nasty disrespectul remarks were made to her directly&indirectly. No one should have to put up with that kind of disrespect&abuse.
As July said,the entire situation was handled poorly all the way around.

Well said Dr.Kipling! Over the years, I have admired the works of both Barbara Bel Geddes and Donna Reed. Both actresses delivered memorable performances over the years in their respective careers.

After reading the messages in this thread, I now realize Donna Reed was in a difficult position throughout her time on Dallas when she stepped into the role of Miss Ellie. Many years ago, I remember watching a biographical feature on Donna Reed and her family members/colleagues/friends mentioned she had a difficult time throughout her tenure at Dallas. I remember feeling sadness for Donna, especially with the disrespect she was getting.

I too wish the situation had been different and Donna had been introduced as a new recurring character to the show, maybe as a family member from Miss. Ellie's side of the family. Alas, we will never know.

[midwestdj]

Wow, the whole situation turned out so terrible. Donna Reed, it seems, was treated so badly. Terrible.
I am happy BBG came back the next season, however, the situation really should've been handled differently.
It was weird to see Susan Howard again after all these years, it almost seemed she wasn't too fond of Dallas after she left... Maybe it was just me.

[dr.ivankipling]

Dr.Kipling, thanks for sharing. I too was under the impression Barbara Bel Geddes left Dallas because of health related issues. I had no idea it was otherwise.

You're very welcome Viki&Charlie. I've spent the last 28 years thinking she'd left soley because of health reason. Talk about being out of the loop lol.

Well said Dr.Kipling! Over the years, I have admired the works of both Barbara Bel Geddes and Donna Reed. Both actresses delivered memorable performances over the years in their respective careers.

After reading the messages in this thread, I now realize Donna Reed was in a difficult position throughout her time on Dallas when she stepped into the role of Miss Ellie. Many years ago, I remember watching a biographical feature on Donna Reed and her family members/colleagues/friends mentioned she had a difficult time throughout her tenure at Dallas. I remember feeling sadness for Donna, especially with the disrespect she was getting.

I too wish the situation had been different and Donna had been introduced as a new recurring character to the show, maybe as a family member from Miss. Ellie's side of the family. Alas, we will never know.

Wonderful post Viki&Charlie!!

[Viki&Charlie]

^^^^^^^Thanks Dr.Kipling!

You are not alone when it came to being out of the loop about why the sudden recast occurred all those years ago.

From the same biographical feature on Donna Reed that I watched many years ago, either someone who was interviewed for the program or the program narrator had mentioned one of the actresses who was mentioned as a possible recast was Mary Martin, Larry Hagman's mother. I often wonder how things might have been different if another actress or Mary Martin was recast as Ms. Ellie.

[midwestdj]

^^^^^^^Thanks Dr.Kipling!

You are not alone when it came to being out of the loop about why the sudden recast occurred all those years ago.

From the same biographical feature on Donna Reed that I watched many years ago, either someone who was interviewed for the program or the program narrator had mentioned one of the actresses who was mentioned as a possible recast was Mary Martin, Larry Hagman's mother. I often wonder how things might have been different if another actress or Mary Martin was recast as Ms. Ellie.

That's a great question Viki&Charlie!

[dr.ivankipling]

^^^^^^^Thanks Dr.Kipling!

You are not alone when it came to being out of the loop about why the sudden recast occurred all those years ago.

From the same biographical feature on Donna Reed that I watched many years ago, either someone who was interviewed for the program or the program narrator had mentioned one of the actresses who was mentioned as a possible recast was Mary Martin, Larry Hagman's mother. I often wonder how things might have been different if another actress or Mary Martin was recast as Ms. Ellie.

You're very welcome Viki&Charlie! I also heard there was mention made of Mary Martin stepping into the role of Miss Ellie. All those years ago I heard rumors that Larry himself had made the suggestions. I dismissed it as idle chatter. It wasn't until a few weeks ago I actually heard Larry himself say that he in fact did mention his mother's name as a possible replacement for BBG. Like you I've often wondered how that would have worked.

[Viki&Charlie]

Dr.Kipling, I guess these are some of the many things in life we will never know.

Over the years, I have often been reminded while Ms. Ellie is J.R.'s mother, in real life, Barbara Bel Geddes was about nine years older (if memory serves) than Larry Hagman. Whenever I watched, this fact was always forgotten. I truly believed they were mother and son. The same with Donna Reed and Larry, there was a ten year age difference and the same thing happened.

It would have been interesting had Mary Martin been recast as Ms. Ellie. I would have especially loved to have found out how the real life mother-son relationship would have played out on Dallas through Ms. Ellie and J.R. I have enjoyed watching real life family members act together on television. Most of the time, it was husband/wife.

[dr.ivankipling]

"Dr.Kipling, I guess these are some of the many things in life we will never know."

^^^^^^^^^^^How true Viki&Charlie! I spent years not knowing there was only a nine year age difference between Larry&Barbara. I don't know how but somehow I've been missing all the meetings when things like this have gotten out to the public lol. I know what you mean about BBG&DR. When I saw Larry with either of them I saw a mother and son,not people just a few years apart in age. It's funny how some performers can pull that off&others can't. Whenever I watch North By Northwest I'm always distracted by Carey Grant&Jessie Landis as mother and son. As much as I love&enjoy that movie I still find myself saying in my mind "She's not old enough to be his mother" lol. I never once doubted BBG&LH,or DR&LH, as mother and son.
Well good talking with Viki&Charlie.

[dr.ivankipling]

P.S. I've always wondered if the real life mother&son dynamic would've come through too had Larry&Mary been on Dallas together too. I think I'd have gotten a kick out of seeing Mary Martin play Miss Ellie if for no other reason than to see her scold her real life son lol.

[Viki&Charlie]

P.S. I've always wondered if the real life mother&son dynamic would've come through too had Larry&Mary been on Dallas together too. I think I'd have gotten a kick out of seeing Mary Martin play Miss Ellie if for no other reason than to see her scold her real life son lol.

Dr.Kipling, knowing Larry Hagman, I am willing to guess he would have given his mother, Mary Martin, a run for her money and she would do the same. Over the years, I have enjoyed their individual works on film and television. They are both talented individuals and like mother, like son.

[victor lord jr]

dr.kipling, knowing larry hagman, i am willing to guess he would have given his mother, mary martin, a run for her money and she would do the same. Over the years, i have enjoyed their individual works on film and television. They are both talented individuals and like mother, like son.

that would have been great and when he said mamma he would have meant it.lol.i bet she would have been treated alot better than donna reed was.

[dr.ivankipling]

Dr.Kipling, knowing Larry Hagman, I am willing to guess he would have given his mother, Mary Martin, a run for her money and she would do the same. Over the years, I have enjoyed their individual works on film and television. They are both talented individuals and like mother, like son.

I'm sure you're right Viki&Charlie. I don't know if this makes me sad,selfish,or a nice mix of both but the more I discuss/think about this the sadder I am knowing I'll never have the chance to see it play out

[midwestdj]

I'm sure you're right Viki&Charlie. I don't know if this makes me sad,selfish,or a nice mix of both but the more I discuss/think about this the sadder I am knowing I'll never have the chance to see it play out

Hey! This one is starred too! That makes three on our Dallas page!

[dr.ivankipling]

I see Mid.
Come on folks,fess up.Who's rating the posts?