Almost impossible to believe today, but when Nell Donnelly Reed, sometimes known as Nelly Don, first began making dresses in 1916, the average housedress cost 69 cents. Reed began designing more stylish, flattering dresses and aprons for herself and her family from quality fabrics. The trend caught on and the rest, as we say, is history. Music Theater Heritage produced Nelly Don: the Musical, an original production by Terence O’Malley on Reed’s life and story, in 2019. The run was a sold-out success, and a film inspired by the production is coming to theaters soon.Â
Reed founded the Donnelly Garment company in 1919 with her husband at the time, Paul Donnelly. The company was a wild success, surviving even the Great Depression due to Reed’s business sense, commitment to providing well-made and fashionable clothing, and loyalty to her employees. She provided employee pension plans, health and life insurance, tuition, and scholarship funds for their children. Reed was voted Kansas City’s most illustrious businesswoman in 1927. As a size 16 herself, she also adapted slim women’s fashions for larger figures, wanting her designs to flatter a variety of sizes.
The film doesn’t only focus on Reed’s extraordinary success and business dealings, as her life was also marked by tumult and scandal. In 1931, Reed was kidnapped and held for ransom along with her driver, George Blair. The ensuing drama and trial unfold on screen, along with her affair and subsequent marriage to U.S. Senator James Reed, whose former home is featured in the production along with several other prominent Kansas City historic sites.Â
Over 100 local creative professionals lent their expertise to Nelly Don the Musical Movie, and the independent film will run in several theaters across the metro area. Directed by Terence O’Malley and featuring over 20 songs by composer Daniel Doss, the film pays tribute to the legacy of Nelly Don and features the explosive successes and personal turmoil of this local icon’s life.Â
Visit www.nellydon.com for movie showings.