James Dunn (actor)
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James Dunn | |||||||
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Born | James Howard Dunn November 2, 1901 New York, New York, U.S. |
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Died | September 3, 1967 (aged 65) (following abdominal surgery) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
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Occupation | Actor, Vaudeville performer | ||||||
Years active | 1929-1966 | ||||||
Spouse(s) | Edna O Lier' (?-?) Frances Gifford (1938-1942) Edna Rush (1945-1967) (his death) |
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James Howard Dunn (November 2, 1901 - September 3, 1967) was an American Academy Award-winning film actor.
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[edit] Biography
Born in New York, New York, of Irish descent, Dunn was the son of a Wall Street stockbroker who, according to Dunn, "either had a million or nothing." Dunn started his entertainment career in vaudeville before progressing to films at Paramount's Astoria studios in the late 1920s.[1] He was signed by Fox in 1931, making 22 films and several more on loan-out.[1] He made a strong first impression with his first role, in Bad Girl.[1] He went on to make several formula films, including Society Girl (1932) with Peggy Shannon and Hello, Sister! (1933) with Boots Mallory and ZaSu Pitts. Dunn's other early successes included four Shirley Temple films in 1934, Baby Take a Bow, Stand Up and Cheer, Change of Heart and Bright Eyes.[1]
The roles that followed did nothing to further his career, and during the late 1930s his prospects were further diminished by a battle with alcoholism. In 1945 his performance in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, playing an alcoholic ne'er-do-well Irish father. His success was short lived and by the beginning of the 1950s, he was unemployed, bankrupt, and once again depending on alcohol. After 1950, he appeared in only three feature films, but continued working in television until his death. He appeared in the sitcom It's A Great Life from 1954 until 1956.
[edit] Personal life
Dunn was married three times. His first, to Edna O'Lier, ended in divorced.[2] He was married to the actress Frances Gifford from 1938 until 1942. He married his third wife, Edna Rush in 1945, who survived him at his death on September 3, 1967. He died as a result of complications following stomach surgery in Santa Monica, California.
James Dunn has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contributions to motion pictures at 6555 Hollywood Boulevard, and television at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard.
[edit] Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
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1929 | In the Nick of Time | as Jimmy Dunn | |
1930 | Believe It or Not #3 | Reporter | uncredited |
Barefoot Days | |||
Tom Thumbs Down | as Jimmy Dunn | ||
The Varsity Show | as Jimmy Dunn | ||
1931 | Bad Girl | Eddie Collins | |
Sob Sister | Garry Webster | ||
Over the Hill | Johnny Shelby as an Adult | ||
1932 | Society Girl | Johnny Malone | |
Dance Team | Jimmy Mulligan | ||
Handle with Care | Bill Gordon | ||
1933 | Hold Me Tight | Chuck | |
Hello, Sister | Jimmy | ||
Arizona to Broadway | Smiley Wells | ||
Sailor's Luck | Jimmy Harrigan | ||
Jimmy and Sally | Jimmy O'Connor | ||
The Girl in 419 | Dr. Daniel French | ||
Take a Chance | Duke Stanley | ||
1934 | Hold That Girl | Barney Sullivan | |
365 Nights in Hollywood | James 'Jimmy' Dale | ||
Have a Heart | James 'Jimmie' Flaherty | ||
Bright Eyes | James 'Loop' Merritt | ||
Change of Heart | Mack McGowan | ||
Stand Up and Cheer! | Jimmy Dugan | ||
Baby Take a Bow | Eddie Ellison | ||
1935 | Bad Boy | Eddie Nolan | |
The Daring Young Man | Don McLane | ||
The Payoff | Joe McCoy | ||
Welcome Home | Richard Foster | ||
George White's 1935 Scandals | Eddy Taylor | ||
1936 | Come Closer, Folks | Jim Keene | |
Don't Get Personal | Bob | ||
Hearts in Bondage | Lieutenant Kenneth Reynolds | ||
Two-Fisted Gentleman | Mickey | ||
Mysterious Crossing | Addison Francis Murphy | ||
1937 | We Have Our Moments | John Wade | |
Living on Love | Gary Martin | ||
Venus Makes Trouble | Buzz Martin | ||
1938 | Shadows Over Shanghai | Johnny McGinty | |
1939 | Pride of the Navy | Speed Brennan | |
Mercy Plane | Speed Leslie | ||
1940 | Son of the Navy | Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone | |
Hold That Woman! | Jimmy Parker, a Skip-Tracer | ||
1942 | The Living Ghost | Nick Trayne | |
1943 | The Ghost and the Guest | Webster Frye | |
1944 | Leave It to the Irish | Terry Moran, Private Investigator | |
Government Girl | Sergeant Joe Blake | ||
1945 | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Johnny Nolan aka The Brooklyn Thrush | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor |
The Caribbean Mystery | Mr. Smith | ||
1946 | That Brennan Girl | Denny Reagan aka Prof. Who's Its | |
1947 | Killer McCoy | Brian McCoy | |
1948 | Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven | Mike | |
1950 | A Wonderful Life | ||
The Golden Gloves Story | Joe Riley | ||
1960 | The Bramble Bush | Stew Schaeffer | |
1962 | Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man | Telegrapher | |
1966 | The Oscar | Network Executive |
Awards | ||
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Preceded by Barry Fitzgerald for Going My Way |
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor 1945 for A Tree Grows In Brooklyn |
Succeeded by Harold Russell for The Best Years of Our Lives |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d James Dunn. Allocine.co.uk.
- ^ Great Character Actors. Doug Macauley.com.
[edit] External links
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