DETERMINED TO GIVE BACK:
THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF IRENE DUNNE
There was a sense of shock among the movie fans when Irene Dunne walked away from stardom after more than 40 pictures and five Oscar nominations. Still, it was somehow in character for the pioneering actress famous for her independent spirit. On screen, this "first lady of Hollywood" matched wits with leading men like Cary Grant in The Awful Truth. Off screen, she was the "first lady of Saint John's," a thoughtful and private woman with a wicked sense of humor and a strong sense of purpose.
Being a visionary philanthropist, she went on a tireless search for a film project that might benefit the hospital. She found it in the epic 1962 western, How the West Was Won. Using her Hollywood connections, Irene persuaded some of the biggest stars of the day to appear in the MGM film for a fraction of their usual pay. John Wayne, Debbie Reynolds, Jimmy Stewart, and Gregory Peck, among others, signed on at just $5,000 a week.
For their part of the deal, MGM agreed that Saint John's would receive 10 percent of the film's profits in perpetuity. A shrewd negotiator, Irene even secured an advance of $250,000 up front for Saint John's. The deal was a huge success for all parties and an enormous undertaking, but Irene was a focused and determined woman. As her daughter Mary Francis Gage recalls, "When my mother made up her mind to do something, she got it done."
Gifts of intellectual property that include royalties and residuals were rarely made when Irene struck her deal with MGM. Although her contributions was her orchestration of the agreement, we consider her amount the first to support the future of Saint John's through planned giving. In 2013, Irene's gift yielded $36,000, bringing the total gift to date to almost $4 million.
Show Your Support
Irene was truly ahead of her time in how she looked at philanthropy and in the way she created a lasting legacy at Providence Saint John's Health Center. Today, a planned gift of intellectual property can include more than movie royalties, as the software boom has created a host of other opportunities. Gifts like these ensure that Saint John's will be here when your loved ones need care in the years to come. We invite you to follow in Irene's footsteps by making a planned gift of your own.
To learn more about the benefits of a gift of intellectual property or other planned gifts in your estate plans, please contact Andy Trilling, Vice President Principal and Planned Gifts for Saint John's Health Center Foundation and the Cancer Institute at (310) 829-8424.
Being a visionary philanthropist, she went on a tireless search for a film project that might benefit the hospital. She found it in the epic 1962 western, How the West Was Won. Using her Hollywood connections, Irene persuaded some of the biggest stars of the day to appear in the MGM film for a fraction of their usual pay. John Wayne, Debbie Reynolds, Jimmy Stewart, and Gregory Peck, among others, signed on at just $5,000 a week.
For their part of the deal, MGM agreed that Saint John's would receive 10 percent of the film's profits in perpetuity. A shrewd negotiator, Irene even secured an advance of $250,000 up front for Saint John's. The deal was a huge success for all parties and an enormous undertaking, but Irene was a focused and determined woman. As her daughter Mary Francis Gage recalls, "When my mother made up her mind to do something, she got it done."
Gifts of intellectual property that include royalties and residuals were rarely made when Irene struck her deal with MGM. Although her contributions was her orchestration of the agreement, we consider her amount the first to support the future of Saint John's through planned giving. In 2013, Irene's gift yielded $36,000, bringing the total gift to date to almost $4 million.
Show Your Support
Irene was truly ahead of her time in how she looked at philanthropy and in the way she created a lasting legacy at Providence Saint John's Health Center. Today, a planned gift of intellectual property can include more than movie royalties, as the software boom has created a host of other opportunities. Gifts like these ensure that Saint John's will be here when your loved ones need care in the years to come. We invite you to follow in Irene's footsteps by making a planned gift of your own.
To learn more about the benefits of a gift of intellectual property or other planned gifts in your estate plans, please contact Andy Trilling, Vice President Principal and Planned Gifts for Saint John's Health Center Foundation and the Cancer Institute at (310) 829-8424.