James Dunn

Acting

Born November 2, 1901 — Died September 3, 1967 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)

Movies(64)

Hollywood’s Children

Self (archive footage)

1982

The Biggest Little Star of the 30's

Self(archive footage)

1976

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Self (archive footage)

1975

Shadow Over Elveron

Luke Travers

1968

The Oscar

TV executive

1966

Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man

Telegrapher

1962

Journey to the Day

Melville Cooper

1960

The Bramble Bush

Stew Schaffer

1960

Mr. Broadway

1957

The Ninth Day

1957

The Last Stop

Yigal

1956

A Wonderful Life

Henry Wood

1950

The Golden Gloves Story

Joe Riley

1950

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

Mike

1948

Killer McCoy

Brian McCoy

1947

That Brennan Girl

Denny Reagan

1946

The Caribbean Mystery

Mr. Smith

1945

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Johnny Nolan

1945

Leave It to the Irish

Terry Moran

1944

Take It or Leave It

(archive footage) (uncredited)

1944

Government Girl

Sergeant Joe Blake

1943

The Ghost and the Guest

Webster Frye

1943

The Living Ghost

Nick Trayne

1942

Hold That Woman!

Jimmy Parker

1940

Son of the Navy

Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone

1940

Mercy Plane

'Speed' Leslie

1939

Pride of the Navy

Speed Brennan

1939

Shadows Over Shanghai

Johnny McGinty

1938

Living on Love

Gary Martin

1937

Venus Makes Trouble

Buzz Martin

1937

We Have Our Moments

John Wade

1937

Mysterious Crossing

Addison Francis Murphy

1936

Come Closer, Folks

Jim Keene

1936

Two-Fisted Gentleman

Mickey

1936

Hearts in Bondage

Lt. Kenneth Reynolds

1936

Don’t Get Personal

Bob McDonald

1936

Bad Boy

Eddie Nolan

1935

Welcome Home

Richard Foster

1935

The Daring Young Man

Don McLane

1935

George White's 1935 Scandals

Eddie

1935

The Payoff

Joe McCoy

1935

Bright Eyes

Loop Merritt

1934

365 Nights in Hollywood

James 'Jimmy' Dale

1934

Have a Heart

James 'Jimmie' Flaherty

1934

Baby Take a Bow

Eddie Ellison

1934

Change of Heart

Mark McGowan

1934

Stand Up and Cheer!

Jimmy Dugan

1934

Hold That Girl

Barney Sullivan

1934

Take a Chance

Duke Stanley

1933

Jimmy and Sally

Jimmy O'Connor

1933

Arizona to Broadway

Smiley Wells

1933

The Girl in 419

Dr. Daniel French

1933

Hold Me Tight

Chuck Evans

1933

Hello, Sister!

Jimmy

1933

Sailor's Luck

Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan

1933

Handle with Care

Bill Gordon

1932

Society Girl

Johnny Malone

1932

Dance Team

Jimmy Mulligan

1932

Over the Hill

Johnny Shelby as an Adult

1931

Sob Sister

Garry Webster

1931

Bad Girl

Eddie Collins

1931

The Song Plugger

Man in Record Shop

1930

In the Nick of Time

1929

Deliverance

Life Saver

1919

James Dunn

TV Shows(23)

Movies(64)