Reed started out in film, starring in a series of forgettable roles before appearing It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart in 1946. I haven't seen From Here to Eternity (1953), but apparently she played a whore in it, and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1958, the Donna Reed Show was released, and Reed became the embodiment of the wholesome '50s American Mom. It ran for five seasons, making her enormously famous. Later, she appeared in the 1984-5 season of Dallas.

Source: IMDB