James Dunn
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- 2 November 1901 · New York City, New York, USA
- Died
- 3 September 1967
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
Acting 64
- 1982Hollywood’s Children as Self (archive footage)
- 1976The Biggest Little Star of the 30's as Self(archive footage)
- 1975Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
- 1968Shadow Over Elveron as Luke Travers
- 1966The Oscar as TV executive
- 1962Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man as Telegrapher
- 1960Journey to the Day as Melville Cooper
- 1960The Bramble Bush as Stew Schaffer
- 1957Mr. Broadway as Jerry Cohan
- 1957The Ninth Day
- 1956The Last Stop as Yigal
- 1950A Wonderful Life as Henry Wood
- 1950The Golden Gloves Story as Joe Riley
- 1948Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven as Mike
- 1947Killer McCoy as Brian McCoy
- 1946That Brennan Girl as Denny Reagan
- 1945The Caribbean Mystery as Mr. Smith
- 1945A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as Johnny Nolan
- 1944Leave It to the Irish as Terry Moran
- 1944Take It or Leave It as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1943Government Girl as Sergeant Joe Blake
- 1943The Ghost and the Guest as Webster Frye
- 1942The Living Ghost as Nick Trayne
- 1940Hold That Woman! as Jimmy Parker
- 1940Son of the Navy as Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone
- 1939Mercy Plane as 'Speed' Leslie
- 1939Pride of the Navy as Speed Brennan
- 1938Shadows Over Shanghai as Johnny McGinty
- 1937Living on Love as Gary Martin
- 1937Venus Makes Trouble as Buzz Martin
- 1937We Have Our Moments as John Wade
- 1936Mysterious Crossing as Addison Francis Murphy
- 1936Come Closer, Folks as Jim Keene
- 1936Two-Fisted Gentleman as Mickey
- 1936Hearts in Bondage as Lt. Kenneth Reynolds
- 1936Don’t Get Personal as Bob McDonald
- 1935Bad Boy as Eddie Nolan
- 1935Welcome Home as Richard Foster
- 1935The Daring Young Man as Don McLane
- 1935George White's 1935 Scandals as Eddie
- 1935The Payoff as Joe McCoy
- 1934Bright Eyes as Loop Merritt
- 1934365 Nights in Hollywood as James 'Jimmy' Dale
- 1934Have a Heart as James 'Jimmie' Flaherty
- 1934Baby Take a Bow as Eddie Ellison
- 1934Change of Heart as Mark McGowan
- 1934Stand Up and Cheer! as Jimmy Dugan
- 1934Hold That Girl as Barney Sullivan
- 1933Take a Chance as Duke Stanley
- 1933Jimmy and Sally as Jimmy O'Connor
- 1933Arizona to Broadway as Smiley Wells
- 1933The Girl in 419 as Dr. Daniel French
- 1933Hold Me Tight as Chuck Evans
- 1933Hello, Sister! as Jimmy
- 1933Sailor's Luck as Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan
- 1932Handle with Care as Bill Gordon
- 1932Society Girl as Johnny Malone
- 1932Dance Team as Jimmy Mulligan
- 1931Over the Hill as Johnny Shelby as an Adult
- 1931Sob Sister as Garry Webster
- 1931Bad Girl as Eddie Collins
- 1930The Song Plugger as Man in Record Shop
- 1929In the Nick of Time
- 1919Deliverance as Life Saver