James Dunn
Acting
1901-11-02 · New York City, New York, USA
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
Hollywood’s Children
1982 · Movie
The Biggest Little Star of the 30's
1976 · Movie
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975 · Movie
Shadow Over Elveron
1968 · Movie
The Oscar
1966 · Movie
Branded
1965 · Series
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963 · Series
The Great Adventure
1963 · Series
The Fugitive
1963 · Series
Vacation Playhouse
1963 · Series
Going My Way
1962 · Series
The Virginian
1962 · Series
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
1962 · Movie
The Investigators
1961 · Series
Ben Casey
1961 · Series
Route 66
1960 · Series
Journey to the Day
1960 · Movie
The Bramble Bush
1960 · Movie
Bonanza
1959 · Series
Rawhide
1959 · Series
Naked City
1958 · Series
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958 · Series
Mr. Broadway
1957 · Movie
The Ninth Day
1957 · Movie
The Last Stop
1956 · Movie
Matinee Theater
1955 · Series
Screen Director's Playhouse
1955 · Series
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · Series
Climax!
1954 · Series
It's a Great Life
1954 · Series
General Electric Theater
1953 · Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951 · Series
Lux Video Theatre
1950 · Series
A Wonderful Life
1950 · Movie
The Golden Gloves Story
1950 · Movie
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950 · Series
Studio One
1948 · Series
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
1948 · Movie
Killer McCoy
1947 · Movie
That Brennan Girl
1946 · Movie
The Caribbean Mystery
1945 · Movie
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1945 · Movie
Leave It to the Irish
1944 · Movie
Take It or Leave It
1944 · Movie
Government Girl
1943 · Movie
The Ghost and the Guest
1943 · Movie
The Living Ghost
1942 · Movie
Hold That Woman!
1940 · Movie
Son of the Navy
1940 · Movie
Mercy Plane
1939 · Movie
Pride of the Navy
1939 · Movie
Shadows Over Shanghai
1938 · Movie
Living on Love
1937 · Movie
Venus Makes Trouble
1937 · Movie
We Have Our Moments
1937 · Movie
Mysterious Crossing
1936 · Movie
Come Closer, Folks
1936 · Movie
Two-Fisted Gentleman
1936 · Movie
Hearts in Bondage
1936 · Movie
Don’t Get Personal
1936 · Movie
Bad Boy
1935 · Movie
Welcome Home
1935 · Movie
The Daring Young Man
1935 · Movie
George White's 1935 Scandals
1935 · Movie
The Payoff
1935 · Movie
Bright Eyes
1934 · Movie
365 Nights in Hollywood
1934 · Movie
Have a Heart
1934 · Movie
Baby Take a Bow
1934 · Movie
Change of Heart
1934 · Movie
Stand Up and Cheer!
1934 · Movie
Hold That Girl
1934 · Movie
Take a Chance
1933 · Movie
Jimmy and Sally
1933 · Movie
Arizona to Broadway
1933 · Movie
The Girl in 419
1933 · Movie
Hold Me Tight
1933 · Movie
Hello, Sister!
1933 · Movie
Sailor's Luck
1933 · Movie
Handle with Care
1932 · Movie
Society Girl
1932 · Movie
Dance Team
1932 · Movie
Over the Hill
1931 · Movie
Sob Sister
1931 · Movie
Bad Girl
1931 · Movie
The Song Plugger
1930 · Movie
In the Nick of Time
1929 · Movie
Deliverance
1919 · Movie