James Dunn
Biography
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)
Known For
All Movies (64)
- Hollywood’s Children1982 · as Self (archive footage)
- The Biggest Little Star of the 30's1976 · as Self(archive footage)
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?1975 · as Self (archive footage)
- Shadow Over Elveron1968 · as Luke Travers
- The Oscar1966 · as TV executive
- Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man1962 · as Telegrapher
- Journey to the Day1960 · as Melville Cooper
- The Bramble Bush1960 · as Stew Schaffer
- Mr. Broadway1957
- The Ninth Day1957
- The Last Stop1956 · as Yigal
- A Wonderful Life1950 · as Henry Wood
- The Golden Gloves Story1950 · as Joe Riley
- Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven1948 · as Mike
- Killer McCoy1947 · as Brian McCoy
- That Brennan Girl1946 · as Denny Reagan
- The Caribbean Mystery1945 · as Mr. Smith
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn1945 · as Johnny Nolan
- Leave It to the Irish1944 · as Terry Moran
- Take It or Leave It1944 · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Government Girl1943 · as Sergeant Joe Blake
- The Ghost and the Guest1943 · as Webster Frye
- The Living Ghost1942 · as Nick Trayne
- Hold That Woman!1940 · as Jimmy Parker
- Son of the Navy1940 · as Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone
- Mercy Plane1939 · as 'Speed' Leslie
- Pride of the Navy1939 · as Speed Brennan
- Shadows Over Shanghai1938 · as Johnny McGinty
- Living on Love1937 · as Gary Martin
- Venus Makes Trouble1937 · as Buzz Martin
- We Have Our Moments1937 · as John Wade
- Mysterious Crossing1936 · as Addison Francis Murphy
- Come Closer, Folks1936 · as Jim Keene
- Two-Fisted Gentleman1936 · as Mickey
- Hearts in Bondage1936 · as Lt. Kenneth Reynolds
- Don’t Get Personal1936 · as Bob McDonald
- Bad Boy1935 · as Eddie Nolan
- Welcome Home1935 · as Richard Foster
- The Daring Young Man1935 · as Don McLane
- George White's 1935 Scandals1935 · as Eddie
- The Payoff1935 · as Joe McCoy
- Bright Eyes1934 · as Loop Merritt
- 365 Nights in Hollywood1934 · as James 'Jimmy' Dale
- Have a Heart1934 · as James 'Jimmie' Flaherty
- Baby Take a Bow1934 · as Eddie Ellison
- Change of Heart1934 · as Mark McGowan
- Stand Up and Cheer!1934 · as Jimmy Dugan
- Hold That Girl1934 · as Barney Sullivan
- Take a Chance1933 · as Duke Stanley
- Jimmy and Sally1933 · as Jimmy O'Connor
- Arizona to Broadway1933 · as Smiley Wells
- The Girl in 4191933 · as Dr. Daniel French
- Hold Me Tight1933 · as Chuck Evans
- Hello, Sister!1933 · as Jimmy
- Sailor's Luck1933 · as Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan
- Handle with Care1932 · as Bill Gordon
- Society Girl1932 · as Johnny Malone
- Dance Team1932 · as Jimmy Mulligan
- Over the Hill1931 · as Johnny Shelby as an Adult
- Sob Sister1931 · as Garry Webster
- Bad Girl1931 · as Eddie Collins
- The Song Plugger1930 · as Man in Record Shop
- In the Nick of Time1929
- Deliverance1919 · as Life Saver
All TV Shows (27)
- Branded1965
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre1963
- The Great Adventure1963 · as Indian Agent McLean
- The Fugitive1963 · as Lou Bragan
- Vacation Playhouse1963 · as P.J. Cunningham
- Going My Way1962
- The Virginian1962 · as Congressman Matthew J. Cosgrove
- The Investigators1961 · as Chief Reynolds
- Ben Casey1961
- Route 661960
- Rawhide1959
- Rawhide1959 · as Dr. Soloman Flood
- Naked City1958 · as Peter Wilkin
- Wanted: Dead or Alive1958 · as Gabe Henshaw
- Matinee Theater1955
- Screen Director's Playhouse1955 · as Sheriff Garrett
- The Wonderful World of Disney1954 · as J. Henry Newman
- Climax!1954 · as Eldon Abernathy
- Climax!1954 · as Warren
- It's a Great Life1954 · as Earl Morgan
- General Electric Theater1953
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Dan McLain
- Lux Video Theatre1950 · as Joey
- Robert Montgomery Presents1950
- Studio One1948
- Studio One1948 · as Frank Gabriel