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James Dunn

James Dunn

Birthday: 1901-11-02 | Place of Birth: 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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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1968
Shadow Over Elveron

as    Luke Travers

1962
1946
That Brennan Girl

as    Denny Reagan

1945
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

as    Johnny Nolan

1945
The Caribbean Mystery

as    Mr. Smith

1944
Leave It to the Irish

as    Terry Moran

1943
Government Girl

as    Sergeant Joe Blake

1943
The Ghost and the Guest

as    Webster Frye

1942
The Living Ghost

as    Nick Trayne

1940
Hold That Woman!

as    Jimmy Parker

1939
Mercy Plane

as    'Speed' Leslie

1939
Pride of the Navy

as    Speed Brennan

1937
We Have Our Moments

as    John Wade

1936
Mysterious Crossing

as    Addison Francis Murphy

1936
Hearts in Bondage

as    Lt. Kenneth Reynolds

1935
The Payoff

as    Joe McCoy

1934
Baby Take a Bow

as    Eddie Ellison

1934
Have a Heart

as    James 'Jimmie' Flaherty

1934
Stand Up and Cheer!

as    Jimmy Dugan

1934
Bright Eyes

as    Loop Merritt

1934
Change of Heart

as    Mark McGowan

1933
The Girl in 419

as    Dr. Daniel French

1933
Arizona to Broadway

as    Smiley Wells

1931
Bad Girl

as    Eddie Collins