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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The Bramble Bush | Stew Schaffer | 1960-02-24 |
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The Ninth Day | 1957-01-10 | |
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Mr. Broadway | 1957-05-11 | |
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The Golden Gloves Story | Joe Riley | 1950-03-22 |
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A Wonderful Life | Henry Wood | 1950-08-10 |
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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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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Johnny Nolan | 1945-02-28 |
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The Caribbean Mystery | Mr. Smith | 1945-06-01 |
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Leave It to the Irish | Terry Moran | 1944-08-26 |
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Take It or Leave It | (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1944-07-17 |
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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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Hold That Woman! | Jimmy Parker | 1940-06-28 |
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Son of the Navy | Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone | 1940-03-30 |
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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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Venus Makes Trouble | Buzz Martin | 1937-05-14 |
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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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Two-Fisted Gentleman | Mickey | 1936-08-15 |
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Mysterious Crossing | Addison Francis Murphy | 1936-12-27 |
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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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The Payoff | Joe McCoy | 1935-01-09 |
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The Daring Young Man | Don McLane | 1935-07-17 |
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George White's 1935 Scandals | Eddie | 1935-03-29 |
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Welcome Home | Richard Foster | 1935-08-09 |
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Bad Boy | Eddie Nolan | 1935-10-25 |
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Baby Take a Bow | Eddie Ellison | 1934-06-30 |
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Hold That Girl | Barney Sullivan | 1934-03-23 |
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365 Nights in Hollywood | James 'Jimmy' Dale | 1934-12-11 |
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Have a Heart | James 'Jimmie' Flaherty | 1934-09-07 |
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Bright Eyes | Loop Merritt | 1934-12-28 |
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Change of Heart | Mark McGowan | 1934-05-18 |
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Stand Up and Cheer! | Jimmy Dugan | 1934-05-04 |
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Hold Me Tight | Chuck Evans | 1933-05-20 |
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Take a Chance | Duke Stanley | 1933-11-25 |
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Jimmy and Sally | Jimmy O'Connor | 1933-11-04 |
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Hello, Sister! | Jimmy | 1933-04-14 |
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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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Sailor's Luck | Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan | 1933-03-17 |
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Handle with Care | Bill Gordon | 1932-12-25 |
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Society Girl | Johnny Malone | 1932-05-29 |
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Dance Team | Jimmy Mulligan | 1932-01-17 |
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Sob Sister | Garry Webster | 1931-10-25 |
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Over the Hill | Johnny Shelby as an Adult | 1931-11-29 |
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Bad Girl | Eddie Collins | 1931-08-13 |
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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 |
