Wikipedia

Dominique Dunne

This article is about the actress. For her father, the author, see Dominick Dunne.

Dominique Ellen Dunne (November 23, 1959 – November 4, 1982) was an American actress.[1] Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, she made her on-screen debut with the television film Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker (1979) and played recurring roles in the drama series Family (1980) and the comedy series Breaking Away (1980–1981). Her breakthrough role was Dana Freeling in the blockbuster horror film Poltergeist (1982).[2] Afterwards, she headlined the Western film The Shadow Riders and the crime series CHiPs (both 1982).

Dominique Dunne
Dunne in Fame (1982)
Born
Dominique Ellen Dunne

(1959-11-23)November 23, 1959
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 4, 1982(1982-11-04) (aged 22)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of deathHomicide by strangulation
Burial placeWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
EducationHarvard-Westlake School
Taft School
Fountain Valley School
OccupationActress
Years active1979–1982
Parents
RelativesGriffin Dunne (brother)
John Gregory Dunne (uncle)
Joan Didion (aunt)
Hannah Dunne (niece)
Signature

On October 30, 1982, Dunne was strangled by her ex-boyfriend John Sweeney during an argument on the driveway of her West Hollywood home. She fell into a coma and died five days later on November 4, 1982.

Early life and education

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Dunne was born in Santa Monica, California, the youngest child of Ellen Beatriz "Lenny" (née Griffin), a ranching heiress, and Dominick Dunne, a writer, producer, and actor.[1] Dunne had Irish and Mexican ancestry, her father was born and raised in an Irish Catholic family with her maternal grandfather an Irish-American and her maternal grandmother a Mexican who was from Sonora, Mexico.[3][4] Dunne had two older brothers, Alexander "Alex" and Griffin Dunne, who is an actor, producer and director. She was also the niece of married writers John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion.[5] Her godparents were Maria Cooper-Janis, daughter of actors Gary Cooper and Veronica "Rocky" Cooper, and producer Martin Manulis.[6] Her parents divorced in 1965.[7]

Dunne attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, and Fountain Valley School in Fountain, Colorado. After graduation, she spent a year in Florence, Italy, where she studied art and learned Italian.[8] She studied acting at Milton Katselas' Workshop and appeared in various stage productions, including West Side Story, The Mousetrap, and My Three Angels.[5]

Career

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Dunne (left) with Ally Sheedy (right) in the television film The Day the Loving Stopped (1981).

Dunne's first role was in the 1979 television film, Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker. She then got supporting roles in episodes of popular 1980s television series, such as Lou Grant, Family, Hart to Hart, and Fame. Dunne also had a recurring role on the comedy-drama television series, Breaking Away, and she also appeared in several other television films.

After her television appearances, in 1981, Dunne was cast in the supernatural horror film Poltergeist in the main role of Dana Freeling,[9] the teenaged daughter of a couple whose family is terrorized by malevolent ghosts. The film was produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper,[10][11] and served as her feature film debut. Poltergeist was theatrically released in 1982, which marks both her first starring role and her only appearance in a theatrical feature.[12] It went on to become a critical and commercial success,[13] becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 1982,[14] and since its release it has acquired a cult following.[15] She was set to reprise the role in the following installments of the franchise, but she died before production began on the sequels; Poltergeist II: The Other Side,[16] filmed in 1985 and released in 1986,[16] explains her character's absence by stating that she has gone off to attend college.[17]

Her last on-screen appearance was in the Hill Street Blues episode "Requiem For a Hairbag", which aired on November 18, 1982, only two weeks after her death. In the episode, she played a teenage mother who was a victim of parental abuse and chose to give her baby up for adoption, out of fear of repeating the cycle of abuse that she endured with her own mother; due to an altercation with her abusive partner John Sweeney that occurred just before the episode was filmed, her bruises on screen were real. The episode was dedicated to her memory.[18]

Dunne was cast in the miniseries V in 1982; she died during filming, so her role was portrayed by actress Blair Tefkin. According to series creator Kenneth Johnson, recovered footage of Dunne was used in a cameo appearance.[19] The series was released in 1983,[20] and is dedicated to her memory.[21]

Death

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Main article: Murder of Dominique Dunne
 
Headstone of Dunne's grave

Dunne met John Thomas Sweeney, a sous-chef at the restaurant Ma Maison, at a party in 1981. After a few weeks of dating, they moved into a one-bedroom house together on Rangely Avenue in West Hollywood.[22] Due to Sweeney's jealousy and possessiveness, however, the relationship quickly deteriorated.[23]

On October 30, 1982, Sweeney strangled Dunne outside of her home.[23] She was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she was placed on life support.[24] She never regained consciousness. On November 4 (19 days before her 23rd birthday), her parents consented to have her removed from life support.[23] At the request of her mother, Dunne's kidneys and heart were donated to transplant recipients.[25] Her funeral was held on November 6 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Her godfather, Martin Manulis, delivered the eulogy.[26] She was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.[27]

Filmography

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List of roles and appearances
Year Title Role Notes
1979 Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker Cathy Robinson Television film
1979–1980 Lou Grant Various roles 2 episodes
1980 Family Erica Episode: "When The Bough Breaks"
Valentine Magic on Love Island Cheryl Television film
1980–1981 Breaking Away Paulina Bornstein Recurring role; 4 episodes
1981 CBS Children's Mystery Theatre Polly Ames Episode: "The Haunting of Harrington House"
Unit Four Tracey Phillips Television film
The Day the Loving Stopped Judy Danner
1982 Fame Tracy Episode: "Street Kid"
Hart to Hart Christy Ferrin Episode: "Hart, Line, and Sinker"
Poltergeist Dana Freeling Film
The Shadow Riders Sissy Traven Television film
CHiPs Amy Kent Episode: "Meet the New Guy"
The Quest Italian Girl Episode: "He Stole-a My Art"
Hill Street Blues Abandoned Baby's Mother Episode: "Requiem for a Hairbag"; posthumous release
1983 V Robin Maxwell Cameo; posthumous release

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Dunne, Dominick (March 2004). "A Death in the Family". vanityfair.com. p. 2. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  2. ^ "Strangled Actress : Did Slayer's Penalty Fit His Crime?". Los Angeles Times. December 3, 1986. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  3. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths DUNNE, ELLEN GRIFFIN". The New York Times. January 13, 1997. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  4. ^ "Celebrity Author And Hartford Native Dominick Dunne Dies At Age 83 -- Courant.com". August 28, 2009. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Actress Dominique Dunne Dies After Choking Attack". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. November 5, 1982. p. 7C.
  6. ^ (Dunne 2009, p. 10)
  7. ^ Woo, Elaine (August 27, 2009). "Dominick Dunne dies at 83; author and former Hollywood producer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  8. ^ (Dunne 2009, p. 5)
  9. ^ "Remembering the Tragic Murder of 'Poltergeist' Star Dominique Dunne". iHorror. November 4, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  10. ^ quint. "Click over, children! All are welcome! All welcome! Quint interviews Zelda Rubinstein!!!!". Aint It Cool News. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  11. ^ Kyriazis, Stefan (July 19, 2017). "Steven Spielberg SECRETLY directed Poltergeist for TWO very sneaky reasons: This is why". Express.co.uk. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  12. ^ (Muir 2007, p. 35)
  13. ^ "Greatest Films of 1982". www.filmsite.org. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  14. ^ "Poltergeist". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "Movies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Boyar, Jay (May 31, 1986). "MISSING IN ACTION: HOW SEQUEL-MAKERS DO WITHOUT STARS". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  17. ^ Macias, Gil (July 8, 2020). "The Tragic Real-Life Story Of The Poltergeist Cast". Looper.com. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  18. ^ (Dunne 2009, pp. 13, 29)
  19. ^ "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  20. ^ "Vanity Fair". Dominick Dunne on His Daughter's Murder. March 1984. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  21. ^ (Marill 1987, p. 435)
  22. ^ Arnold, Roxane (February 18, 1987). "Actress' killer free, but victim's family still suffers". The Courier. p. 1C. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  23. ^ a b c Darrach, Brad (October 10, 1983). "An American Tragedy That Brought Death to Actress Dominique Dunne Now Brings Outrage to Her Family". People. 20 (15). ISSN 0093-7673.
  24. ^ "Actress Listed In Critical Condition". Toledo Blade. November 1, 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  25. ^ (Dunne 2009, p. 8)
  26. ^ (Dunne 2009, p. 13)
  27. ^ Pool, Bob (April 15, 2002). "Westwood Fears Dead Could Lie Too Close; Cemetery: The owner of the resting place for Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon wants to build at property lines". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2013.

References

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  • Dunne, Dominick (2009). Justice : crimes, trials, and punishments. Random House Digital, Inc. ISBN 978-0-307-55722-3.
  • Douglas, John E.; Olshaker, Mark (1998). Obsession: The FBI's Legendary Profiler Probes the Psyches of Killers, Rapists, and Stalkers and Their Victims and Tells How to Fight Back. New York, NY: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-01704-7.
  • Marill, Alvin H. (1987). Movies made for television: the telefeature and the mini-series, 1964-1986. New York, NY: New York Zoetrope. ISBN 0-918432-80-4.
  • Muir, John Kenneth (2007). Horror films of the 1980s. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-2821-2.
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