Margaret Dumont
Acting
1882-10-19 · Brooklyn, New York, USA
Margaret Dumont would probably consider it a tragedy that she is best-known for her performances as the ultimate straight woman in seven of the Marx Brothers' films (including most of their best). By all accounts she never understood their jokes (offscreen and on), which is of course a major reason why she's so funny. Apart from a small role in a 1917 Dickens adaptation, she spent her early career on the stage, ending up with the Marxes in the late 1920s in the stage versions of The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930), and was given a Paramount contract at the same time they were. She played similar roles alongside other great comedians, including W.C. Fields, Laurel & Hardy and Jack Benny and also played straight dramatic parts (her chief love), but few of them made much impact - it is as Groucho Marx's foil that she ranks among the immortals, and she died shortly after being reunited with him on "The Hollywood Palace" (1964).
Filmography
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults
1999 · Movie
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell
1982 · Movie
The Hollywood Clowns
1979 · Movie
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976 · Movie
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975 · Movie
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972 · Movie
What a Way to Go!
1964 · Movie
Zotz!
1962 · Movie
Around the World with Nellie Bly
1960 · Movie
Auntie Mame
1958 · Movie
The Donna Reed Show
1958 · Series
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
1956 · Movie
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956 · Series
Stop, You're Killing Me
1952 · Movie
Three for Bedroom C
1952 · Movie
Racket Squad
1951 · Series
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950 · Series
Susie Steps Out
1946 · Movie
Little Giant
1946 · Movie
Sunset in El Dorado
1945 · Movie
Diamond Horseshoe
1945 · Movie
The Horn Blows at Midnight
1945 · Movie
Bathing Beauty
1944 · Movie
Seven Days Ashore
1944 · Movie
Up in Arms
1944 · Movie
The Dancing Masters
1943 · Movie
Rhythm Parade
1942 · Movie
Tales of Manhattan
1942 · Movie
About Face
1942 · Movie
Sing Your Worries Away
1942 · Movie
Born to Sing
1942 · Movie
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
1941 · Movie
The Big Store
1941 · Movie
For Beauty's Sake
1941 · Movie
At the Circus
1939 · Movie
Dramatic School
1938 · Movie
Wise Girl
1937 · Movie
High Flyers
1937 · Movie
Youth on Parole
1937 · Movie
The Life of the Party
1937 · Movie
A Day at the Races
1937 · Movie
Arbor Day
1936 · Movie
Song and Dance Man
1936 · Movie
Anything Goes
1936 · Movie
A Night at the Opera
1935 · Movie
Rendezvous
1935 · Movie
Reckless
1935 · Movie
Gypsy Sweetheart
1935 · Movie
After Office Hours
1935 · Movie
Kentucky Kernels
1934 · Movie
Gridiron Flash
1934 · Movie
Fifteen Wives
1934 · Movie
Duck Soup
1933 · Movie
Storm at Daybreak
1933 · Movie
Wonderland of California
1933 · Movie
Here, Prince
1932 · Movie
The Girl Habit
1931 · Movie
Animal Crackers
1930 · Movie
The Cocoanuts
1929 · Movie
Enemies of Women
1923 · Movie
A Tale of Two Cities
1917 · Movie