James Dunn
Acting • Born 1901-11-02 – Died 1967-09-03
Biography
James Dunn worked on the stage, in vaudeville and as an extra in silent movies before he was signed by Fox in 1931. His first movie with Fox was 1931's Sob Sister (1931). While at Fox, he appeared with Shirley Temple in her first three features: Baby Take a Bow (1934), Stand Up and Cheer! (1934) and Bright Eyes (1934). Dunn's screen character was usually the boy next door or the nice guy. In 1935 musicals at the new 20th Century-Fox were out and Dunn would move to the "B" list, from which he would never return. In The Payoff (1935) he plays the nice guy newspaper columnist whose wife ruins his career. By the late 1930s he was drinking heavily and become unemployable. He would appear in small roles in films during the early 1940s, but those parts were few. In 1945 he was able to make a comeback and win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), but his rejuvenated career would not continue. By 1951 he would again be unemployed and bankrupt. Television would later supply some work and he would be a regular on the series It's a Great Life (1954). Dunn was born 2 November 1901, New York City, New York, USA, and he died 1 September 1967, Santa Monica, California, USA (following abdominal surgery)
Filmography
89 credits
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Movie • 1945
Johnny Nolan
Baby Take a Bow
Movie • 1934
Eddie Ellison
Welcome Home
Movie • 1935
Richard Foster
The Living Ghost
Movie • 1942
Nick Trayne
Bright Eyes
Movie • 1934
Loop Merritt
Stand Up and Cheer!
Movie • 1934
Jimmy Dugan
The Ghost and the Guest
Movie • 1943
Webster Frye
Government Girl
Movie • 1943
Sergeant Joe Blake
Bad Girl
Movie • 1931
Eddie Collins
The Oscar
Movie • 1966
TV executive
Killer McCoy
Movie • 1947
Brian McCoy
Hearts in Bondage
Movie • 1936
Lt. Kenneth Reynolds
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
Movie • 1962
Telegrapher
The Caribbean Mystery
Movie • 1945
Mr. Smith
Two-Fisted Gentleman
Movie • 1936
Mickey
The Girl in 419
Movie • 1933
Dr. Daniel French
Arizona to Broadway
Movie • 1933
Smiley Wells
Mr. Broadway
Movie • 1957
George White's 1935 Scandals
Movie • 1935
Eddie
The Payoff
Movie • 1935
Joe McCoy
Hold That Woman!
Movie • 1940
Jimmy Parker
Have a Heart
Movie • 1934
James 'Jimmie' Flaherty
That Brennan Girl
Movie • 1946
Denny Reagan
Leave It to the Irish
Movie • 1944
Terry Moran
We Have Our Moments
Movie • 1937
John Wade
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
Movie • 1948
Mike
Change of Heart
Movie • 1934
Mark McGowan
Hello, Sister!
Movie • 1933
Jimmy
Society Girl
Movie • 1932
Johnny Malone
Over the Hill
Movie • 1931
Johnny Shelby as an Adult
Sailor's Luck
Movie • 1933
Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan
Shadows Over Shanghai
Movie • 1938
Johnny McGinty
365 Nights in Hollywood
Movie • 1934
James 'Jimmy' Dale
Bad Boy
Movie • 1935
Eddie Nolan
Mysterious Crossing
Movie • 1936
Addison Francis Murphy
The Biggest Little Star of the 30's
Movie • 1976
Self(archive footage)
A Wonderful Life
Movie • 1950
Henry Wood
Living on Love
Movie • 1937
Gary Martin
Shadow Over Elveron
Movie • 1968
Luke Travers
The Daring Young Man
Movie • 1935
Don McLane
Pride of the Navy
Movie • 1939
Speed Brennan
Hold That Girl
Movie • 1934
Barney Sullivan
Mercy Plane
Movie • 1939
'Speed' Leslie
The Golden Gloves Story
Movie • 1950
Joe Riley
The Bramble Bush
Movie • 1960
Stew Schaffer
The Ninth Day
Movie • 1957
Dance Team
Movie • 1932
Jimmy Mulligan
Son of the Navy
Movie • 1940
Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone
Take a Chance
Movie • 1933
Duke Stanley
The Song Plugger
Movie • 1930
Man in Record Shop
Come Closer, Folks
Movie • 1936
Jim Keene
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Movie • 1975
Self (archive footage)
Jimmy and Sally
Movie • 1933
Jimmy O'Connor
Venus Makes Trouble
Movie • 1937
Buzz Martin
Take It or Leave It
Movie • 1944
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Handle with Care
Movie • 1932
Bill Gordon
Hollywood’s Children
Movie • 1982
Self (archive footage)
Hold Me Tight
Movie • 1933
Chuck Evans
Sob Sister
Movie • 1931
Garry Webster
In the Nick of Time
Movie • 1929
Journey to the Day
Movie • 1960
Melville Cooper
The Last Stop
Movie • 1956
Yigal
The Great Adventure
TV • 1963
Indian Agent McLean
Route 66
TV • 1960
Naked City
TV • 1958
Peter Wilkin
Studio One
TV • 1948
General Electric Theater
TV • 1953
Going My Way
TV • 1962
Rawhide
TV • 1959
The Fugitive
TV • 1963
Lou Bragan
The Virginian
TV • 1962
Congressman Matthew J. Cosgrove
Lux Video Theatre
TV • 1950
Joey
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Climax!
TV • 1954
Eldon Abernathy
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
TV • 1963
Matinee Theater
TV • 1955
Branded
TV • 1965
Wanted: Dead or Alive
TV • 1958
Gabe Henshaw
Ben Casey
TV • 1961
Robert Montgomery Presents
TV • 1950
Vacation Playhouse
TV • 1963
P.J. Cunningham
It's a Great Life
TV • 1954
Earl Morgan
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Dan McLain
Studio One
TV • 1948
Frank Gabriel
Climax!
TV • 1954
Warren
Screen Director's Playhouse
TV • 1955
Sheriff Garrett
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV • 1954
J. Henry Newman
The Investigators
TV • 1961
Chief Reynolds
Rawhide
TV • 1959
Dr. Soloman Flood