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
Johnny Nolan
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Eddie Ellison
Baby Take a Bow
Richard Foster
Welcome Home
Nick Trayne
The Living Ghost
Loop Merritt
Bright Eyes
Jimmy Dugan
Stand Up and Cheer!
Webster Frye
The Ghost and the Guest
Sergeant Joe Blake
Government Girl
Eddie Collins
Bad Girl
TV executive
The Oscar
Brian McCoy
Killer McCoy
Lt. Kenneth Reynolds
Hearts in Bondage
Telegrapher
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
Mr. Smith
The Caribbean Mystery
Mickey
Two-Fisted Gentleman
Dr. Daniel French
The Girl in 419
Smiley Wells
Arizona to Broadway
Mr. Broadway
Eddie
George White's 1935 Scandals
Joe McCoy
The Payoff
Jimmy Parker
Hold That Woman!
James 'Jimmie' Flaherty
Have a Heart
Denny Reagan
That Brennan Girl
Terry Moran
Leave It to the Irish
John Wade
We Have Our Moments
Mike
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
Mark McGowan
Change of Heart
Jimmy
Hello, Sister!
Johnny Malone
Society Girl
Johnny Shelby as an Adult
Over the Hill
Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan
Sailor's Luck
Johnny McGinty
Shadows Over Shanghai
James 'Jimmy' Dale
365 Nights in Hollywood
Eddie Nolan
Bad Boy
Addison Francis Murphy
Mysterious Crossing
Self(archive footage)
The Biggest Little Star of the 30's
Henry Wood
A Wonderful Life
Gary Martin
Living on Love
Luke Travers
Shadow Over Elveron
Don McLane
The Daring Young Man
Speed Brennan
Pride of the Navy
Barney Sullivan
Hold That Girl
'Speed' Leslie
Mercy Plane
Joe Riley
The Golden Gloves Story
Stew Schaffer
The Bramble Bush
The Ninth Day
Jimmy Mulligan
Dance Team
Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone
Son of the Navy
Duke Stanley
Take a Chance
Man in Record Shop
The Song Plugger
Jim Keene
Come Closer, Folks
Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Jimmy O'Connor
Jimmy and Sally
Buzz Martin
Venus Makes Trouble
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Take It or Leave It
Bill Gordon
Handle with Care
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood’s Children
Chuck Evans
Hold Me Tight
Garry Webster
Sob Sister
In the Nick of Time
Melville Cooper
Journey to the Day
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
61
Gender
Male
Birthday
1901-11-02
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Also Known As
James Howard Dunn