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)
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Hollywood’s Children | Self (archive footage) | 1982-02-24 |
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The Biggest Little Star of the 30's | Self(archive footage) | 1976-01-01 |
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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
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Shadow Over Elveron | Luke Travers | 1968-03-05 |
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The Oscar | TV executive | 1966-03-04 |
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Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man | Telegrapher | 1962-07-25 |
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Journey to the Day | Melville Cooper | 1960-04-22 |
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The Bramble Bush | Stew Schaffer | 1960-02-24 |
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Mr. Broadway | 1957-05-11 | |
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The Ninth Day | 1957-01-10 | |
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A Wonderful Life | Henry Wood | 1950-08-10 |
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The Golden Gloves Story | Joe Riley | 1950-03-22 |
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Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven | Mike | 1948-07-16 |
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Killer McCoy | Brian McCoy | 1947-12-01 |
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That Brennan Girl | Denny Reagan | 1946-12-23 |
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The Caribbean Mystery | Mr. Smith | 1945-06-01 |
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Johnny Nolan | 1945-02-28 |
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Take It or Leave It | (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1944-07-17 |
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Leave It to the Irish | Terry Moran | 1944-08-26 |
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The Ghost and the Guest | Webster Frye | 1943-04-19 |
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Government Girl | Sergeant Joe Blake | 1943-11-05 |
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The Living Ghost | Nick Trayne | 1942-08-11 |
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Son of the Navy | Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone | 1940-03-30 |
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Hold That Woman! | Jimmy Parker | 1940-06-28 |
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Mercy Plane | 'Speed' Leslie | 1939-12-04 |
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Pride of the Navy | Speed Brennan | 1939-01-23 |
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Shadows Over Shanghai | Johnny McGinty | 1938-10-14 |
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Living on Love | Gary Martin | 1937-11-12 |
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We Have Our Moments | John Wade | 1937-03-28 |
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Venus Makes Trouble | Buzz Martin | 1937-05-14 |
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Mysterious Crossing | Addison Francis Murphy | 1936-12-27 |
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Two-Fisted Gentleman | Mickey | 1936-08-15 |
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Come Closer, Folks | Jim Keene | 1936-11-07 |
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Hearts in Bondage | Lt. Kenneth Reynolds | 1936-05-26 |
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Welcome Home | Richard Foster | 1935-08-09 |
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The Daring Young Man | Don McLane | 1935-07-17 |
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Bad Boy | Eddie Nolan | 1935-10-25 |
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George White's 1935 Scandals | Eddie | 1935-03-29 |
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The Payoff | Joe McCoy | 1935-01-09 |
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Bright Eyes | Loop Merritt | 1934-12-28 |
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Baby Take a Bow | Eddie Ellison | 1934-06-30 |
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Have a Heart | James 'Jimmie' Flaherty | 1934-09-07 |
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Change of Heart | Mark McGowan | 1934-05-18 |
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Hold That Girl | Barney Sullivan | 1934-03-23 |
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Stand Up and Cheer! | Jimmy Dugan | 1934-05-04 |
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365 Nights in Hollywood | James 'Jimmy' Dale | 1934-12-11 |
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Jimmy and Sally | Jimmy O'Connor | 1933-11-04 |
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Hold Me Tight | Chuck Evans | 1933-05-20 |
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Sailor's Luck | Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan | 1933-03-17 |
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The Girl in 419 | Dr. Daniel French | 1933-05-26 |
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Arizona to Broadway | Smiley Wells | 1933-07-22 |
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Hello, Sister! | Jimmy | 1933-04-14 |
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Take a Chance | Duke Stanley | 1933-11-25 |
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Handle with Care | Bill Gordon | 1932-12-25 |
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Dance Team | Jimmy Mulligan | 1932-01-17 |
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Society Girl | Johnny Malone | 1932-05-29 |
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Bad Girl | Eddie Collins | 1931-08-13 |
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Over the Hill | Johnny Shelby as an Adult | 1931-11-29 |
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Sob Sister | Garry Webster | 1931-10-25 |
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The Song Plugger | Man in Record Shop | 1930-06-08 |
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In the Nick of Time | 1929-10-01 |
