Dominique Dunne

Dominique Ellen Dunne (November 23, 1959 – November 4, 1982) was an American actress.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> 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).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Afterwards, she headlined the Western film The Shadow Riders and guest starred in one episode of the crime series CHiPs (both 1982).

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 at the age of 22.

Early life and education

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.<ref name=":0"/> Dunne had Irish and Mexican ancestry. Dominick was born and raised in an Irish Catholic family to an Irish-American father and his wife, who was from Sonora, Mexico.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="daytona">Template:Cite news</ref> Her godparents were Maria Cooper-Janis, daughter of actors Gary Cooper and Veronica "Rocky" Cooper, and producer Martin Manulis.<ref>Template:Harv</ref> Her parents divorced in 1965.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Harv</ref> She studied acting at Milton Katselas' Workshop and appeared in various stage productions, including West Side Story, The Mousetrap, and My Three Angels.<ref name="daytona" />

Career

File:Dominique Dunne & Ally Sheedy in The Day The Loving Stopped.jpg

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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Harv</ref> It went on to become a critical and commercial success,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> becoming the eighth highest grossing film of 1982,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and since its release it has acquired a cult following.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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,<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> filmed in 1985 and released in 1986,<ref name=":2" /> explains her character's absence by stating that she has gone off to attend college.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="dunne13">Template:Harv</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The series was released in 1983,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is dedicated to her memory.<ref>Template:Harv</ref>

Death

File:Dominique Dunne headstone.jpg

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.<ref name="arnold1">Template:Cite news</ref> The relationship quickly deteriorated due to Sweeney's jealousy and possessiveness.<ref name="darrach">Template:Cite journal</ref>

On October 30, 1982, Sweeney strangled Dunne outside of her home.<ref name="darrach" /> She was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she was placed on life support.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She never regained consciousness. On November 4, her parents consented to have her removed from life support.<ref name="darrach" /> At the request of her mother, Dunne's kidneys and heart were donated to transplant recipients.<ref>Template:Harv</ref> Her funeral was held on November 6 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Her godfather, Martin Manulis, delivered the eulogy.<ref>Template:Harv</ref> She was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Filmography

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

• Poltergeist curse

References

Works cited

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External links

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• Justice for Homicide Victims - The official site of the victim's rights organization founded by Dominique's mother in 1984
• "Justice: A Father's Account Of the Trial Of His Daughter's Killer" Template:Webarchive by Dominick Dunne at Vanityfair.com