James Dunn
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)
87 acting credits
Acting · 87
The Fugitive
1963
The Virginian
1962
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Naked City
1958
Climax!
1954
Ben Casey
1961
Route 66
1960
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
Rawhide
1959
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
Studio One
1948
Matinee Theater
1955
Branded
1965
Screen Director's Playhouse
1955
The Great Adventure
1963
Lux Video Theatre
1950
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
Vacation Playhouse
1963
Going My Way
1962
The Investigators
1961
General Electric Theater
1953
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
It's a Great Life
1954
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1945
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
1962
The Oscar
1966
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
1948
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
Baby Take a Bow
1934
Mysterious Crossing
1936
Bright Eyes
1934
The Daring Young Man
1935
Hollywood’s Children
1982
Killer McCoy
1947
That Brennan Girl
1946
Come Closer, Folks
1936
Son of the Navy
1940
Hello, Sister!
1933
Arizona to Broadway
1933
Over the Hill
1931
Bad Boy
1935
The Girl in 419
1933
Shadow Over Elveron
1968
The Living Ghost
1942
Stand Up and Cheer!
1934
Living on Love
1937
Sob Sister
1931
Government Girl
1943
Take It or Leave It
1944
Hold Me Tight
1933
George White's 1935 Scandals
1935
Mr. Broadway
1957
The Song Plugger
1930
Sailor's Luck
1933
Hearts in Bondage
1936
The Golden Gloves Story
1950
We Have Our Moments
1937
Bad Girl
1931
Dance Team
1932
365 Nights in Hollywood
1934
Change of Heart
1934
Hold That Woman!
1940
Welcome Home
1935
The Bramble Bush
1960
Handle with Care
1932
Society Girl
1932
Have a Heart
1934
Take a Chance
1933
Hold That Girl
1934
Shadows Over Shanghai
1938
The Payoff
1935
A Wonderful Life
1950
The Last Stop
1956
Jimmy and Sally
1933
Venus Makes Trouble
1937
Pride of the Navy
1939
In the Nick of Time
1929
The Caribbean Mystery
1945
Mercy Plane
1939
Two-Fisted Gentleman
1936
Deliverance
1919
Leave It to the Irish
1944
Journey to the Day
1960
The Ninth Day
1957
Don’t Get Personal
1936
The Biggest Little Star of the 30's
1976
The Ghost and the Guest
1943