James Dunn (actor)

James Howard Dunn (born November 2, 1901 in New York City , New York , USA , † September 3, 1967 in Santa Monica , California , USA ) was an American film and stage actor .

Life

James Dunn was the son of a Wall Street - stockbroker . He had Irish roots. After finishing school, Dunn initially worked as a used car dealer until he first appeared in vaudeville theaters in the 1930s . He also stood in front of the camera as an extra in silent films of that time. After his first successes on Broadway , he made his cinematic breakthrough in 1931 with the lead role in Bad Girl . Subsequently, Dunn was seen mainly as a lovable leading actor in numerous films. In 1934 he starred three times alongside Shirley Temple in the films Stand up and Cheer , Baby Take a bow and Bright Eyes , of which the latter in particular proved to be a big box-office hit.

By the time Fox Film was absorbed into 20th Century Fox in 1935 , the family comedies and musicals in which Dunn received the most role offers were no longer in demand. By the end of the 1930s, Dunn was mostly only seen in B-movies . In addition, the actor suffered from alcohol problems at times in the late 1930s . In 1945 Dunn made a remarkable, but only short-term comeback : For his portrayal of a loving but alcoholic family father in the film drama A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , he was awarded the Oscar in the category Best Supporting Actor. But in the following years, Dunn continued to shoot mostly only B-films. In the 1950s, Dunn became a busy guest actor on American television, including in the lead role in the television series It's a Great Life .

Although he was married three times, he had no biological children. He was nonetheless the stepfather of William Tick, the son of his third wife Edna Rush, with whom he was married from 1945 until his death. He was previously married to Edna O'Lier and actress Frances Gifford . He died at the age of 65 as a result of an operation on his abdomen. In his last role, he made a guest appearance in the star-studded film ... Because Nobody Is Guilty (1966).

Two stars on the Walk of Fame are dedicated to him.

Filmography (selection)

• 1929: In the Nick of Time
• 1931: Bad Girl
• 1933: Walking Down Broadway
• 1934: Stand Up and Cheer!
• 1934: Change of Heart
• 1934: Laughing Eyes (Bright Eyes)
• 1934: Shirley's Big Game (Baby Take a Bow)
• 1935: George White's 1935 Scandals
• 1937: Living on Love
• 1940: Hold That Woman!
• 1942: The Living Ghost
• 1943: Government Girl
• 1943: The Ghost and the Guest
• 1945: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn)
• 1947: Killer McCoy
• 1948: Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
• 1954–1956: It's a Great Life (TV series, 65 episodes)
• 1960: Everyone pays for their debt (The Bramble Bush)
• 1962: Hemingway 's Adventures of a Young Man
• 1965: ... because nobody is without guilt (The Oscar)

Web links

• James Dunn in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Site with photo