Known For
Acting
Born
Nov 02, 1901
Died
Sep 03, 1967
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Credits
88 titles
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
Filmography
Hollywood’s Children
Self (archive footage)
The Biggest Little Star of the 30's
Self(archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
Shadow Over Elveron
Luke Travers
The Oscar
TV executive
Branded
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
The Great Adventure
Indian Agent McLean
The Fugitive
Lou Bragan
Vacation Playhouse
P.J. Cunningham
Going My Way
The Virginian
Congressman Matthew J. Cosgrove
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
Telegrapher
The Investigators
Chief Reynolds
Ben Casey
Route 66
Journey to the Day
Melville Cooper
The Bramble Bush
Stew Schaffer
Bonanza
Danny Lynch
Rawhide
Naked City
Peter Wilkin
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Gabe Henshaw
Mr. Broadway
The Ninth Day
The Last Stop
Yigal
Matinee Theater
Screen Director's Playhouse
Sheriff Garrett
The Wonderful World of Disney
J. Henry Newman
Climax!
Eldon Abernathy
It's a Great Life
Earl Morgan
General Electric Theater
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Lux Video Theatre
Joey
A Wonderful Life
Henry Wood
The Golden Gloves Story
Joe Riley
Robert Montgomery Presents
Studio One
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
Mike
Killer McCoy
Brian McCoy
That Brennan Girl
Denny Reagan
The Caribbean Mystery
Mr. Smith
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Johnny Nolan
Leave It to the Irish
Terry Moran
Take It or Leave It
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Government Girl
Sergeant Joe Blake
The Ghost and the Guest
Webster Frye
The Living Ghost
Nick Trayne
Hold That Woman!
Jimmy Parker
Son of the Navy
Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone
Mercy Plane
'Speed' Leslie