James Dunn

Known for ActingBorn 1901-11-02Died 1967-09-03New 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)Read more

Movies & web series

The Great Adventure

Mercy Plane

Mysterious Crossing

Don’t Get Personal

The Daring Young Man

Dance Team

Handle with Care

Hollywood’s Children

A Wonderful Life

Two-Fisted Gentleman

Come Closer, Folks

Welcome Home

365 Nights in Hollywood

Hold That Girl

Over the Hill

Vacation Playhouse

It's a Great Life

The Wonderful World of Disney

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

The Fugitive

Bad Boy

Arizona to Broadway

Society Girl

Rawhide

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Have a Heart

Wanted: Dead or Alive

Mr. Broadway

Screen Director's Playhouse

We Have Our Moments

Branded

Hold That Woman!

Pride of the Navy

General Electric Theater

George White's 1935 Scandals

Hold Me Tight

Route 66

Sob Sister

In the Nick of Time

Shadow Over Elveron

Lux Video Theatre

Deliverance

Going My Way

The Virginian

The Caribbean Mystery

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Bright Eyes

The Golden Gloves Story