Lee & Irene Reem

Born Irene Dannacher on April 5, 1928, in Buffalo N.Y., to Swiss immigrants Fernand and Cecile Dannacher, she lived most of her life in Los Angeles. The family moved cross-country in 1944 during World War II, soon settling into the family home in North Hollywood. Upon high school graduation, Irene began a career in the movie industry from 1946-1954, during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Trained as a professional dancer with a specialty in ballet, she worked in more than 50 movies, including several musicals that included “Singin’ in the Rain” and “American in Paris.” Irene, who had a closeup playing a nun in “The Red Danube” (1949), worked with actors Elizabeth Taylor, Ingrid Bergman, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Marlene Diedrich, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly. Her movies were directed by William Wyler, Alfred Hitchcock, Vincente Minnelli, Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, and Michael Curtiz. Along with the aforementioned musicals, Irene also appeared in another American Film Institute Top 100 American film of all time: “A Place in the Sun.”

Her first marriage produced two sons, the late Kevin Reem, and Craig Reem. She and Lee were married on May 20, 1962, in North Hollywood. Lee had a daughter, Vicki Klint, from his first marriage.

Lee Reem was born on June 26, 1933, in Bell, CA, to Dagmar and Clifford Reem, who had recently moved to the Los Angeles area from Idaho during the Great Depression. Lee spent most of his life in the Los Angeles area, attending USC and UCLA; he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He worked at various jobs, such as at the Lockheed Aircraft plant in Burbank and as a beer delivery person. At KTTV Channel 11, he wrote cue cards for the news host George Putnam, among other duties.

At the beginning of 1963, Lee was hired by The Walt Disney Co., and worked the next 25 years at the Burbank studio. He became Vice President, Sales Promotion, Advertising Publicity Worldwide, and secured advertising accounts from major companies such as Goodyear and Procter & Gamble. Later in his career, he worked briefly as an executive for Filmation before opening his own marketing firm.

Lee took Irene to the Big Sur Inn for their honeymoon in 1962, and then returned with family for the next eight summers, creating many memories of the place and the times that were changing. Shortly after the honeymoon, President Kennedy predicted that a man would go to the moon before the decade was out. By the time the family stopped heading north on a regular basis for summer vacations, man had made it there.

Irene and Lee are survived by son Craig Reem (Nikki Batalis), daughter Vicki Klint (Dan Klint), daughter-in-law Colleen Reem (the late son, Kevin), eight grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is pending.

The family would like to thank Providence Hospice OC of Orange County, CA, and Adventist Health Hospice Services of Glendale, CA for the care and compassion they showed our loved ones in their final days. Also, to their long-term senior homes, The Groves of Tustin, CA, as well as Solheim Senior Community of Los Angeles.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in their honor to Providence Hospice OC of Orange County, CA, or Adventist Health Hospice Services of Glendale, CA.