James Dunn
11/2/1901
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)
James Dunn
Appeared In:
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
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Baby Take a Bow
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Welcome Home
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The Living Ghost
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Bright Eyes
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Stand Up and Cheer!
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The Ghost and the Guest
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Government Girl
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Bad Girl
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The Oscar
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Killer McCoy
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Hearts in Bondage
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Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man
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The Caribbean Mystery
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Two-Fisted Gentleman
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The Girl in 419
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Arizona to Broadway
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Mr. Broadway
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George White's 1935 Scandals
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The Payoff
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Hold That Woman!
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Have a Heart
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That Brennan Girl
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Leave It to the Irish
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We Have Our Moments
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Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
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Change of Heart
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Hello, Sister!
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Society Girl
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Over the Hill
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Sailor's Luck
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Shadows Over Shanghai
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365 Nights in Hollywood
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Bad Boy
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Mysterious Crossing
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The Biggest Little Star of the 30's
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A Wonderful Life
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Living on Love
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Shadow Over Elveron
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The Daring Young Man
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Pride of the Navy
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Hold That Girl
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Mercy Plane
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The Golden Gloves Story
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The Bramble Bush
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The Ninth Day
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Dance Team
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Son of the Navy
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Take a Chance
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The Song Plugger
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Come Closer, Folks
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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
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Jimmy and Sally
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Venus Makes Trouble
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Take It or Leave It
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Handle with Care
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Hollywood’s Children
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Hold Me Tight
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Sob Sister
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In the Nick of Time