Margaret Dumont
Acting
Born October 19, 1882 · Brooklyn, New York, USA
Margaret Dumont would probably consider it a tragedy that she is best-known for her performances as the ultimate straight woman in seven of the Marx Brothers' films (including most of their best). By all accounts she never understood their jokes (offscreen and on), which is of course a major reason why she's so funny. Apart from a small role in a 1917 Dickens adaptation, she spent her early career on the stage, ending up with the Marxes in the late 1920s in the stage versions of The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930), and was given a Paramount contract at the same time they were. She played similar roles alongside other great comedians, including W.C. Fields, Laurel & Hardy and Jack Benny and also played straight dramatic parts (her chief love), but few of them made much impact - it is as Groucho Marx's foil that she ranks among the immortals, and she died shortly after being reunited with him on "The Hollywood Palace" (1964).
Films (56)
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults
1999
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell
1982
The Hollywood Clowns
1979
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972
What a Way to Go!
1964
Zotz!
1962
Around the World with Nellie Bly
1960
Auntie Mame
1958
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
1956
Stop, You're Killing Me
1952
Three for Bedroom C
1952
Little Giant
1946
Sunset in El Dorado
1945
Diamond Horseshoe
1945
The Horn Blows at Midnight
1945
Bathing Beauty
1944
Seven Days Ashore
1944
Up in Arms
1944
The Dancing Masters
1943
Rhythm Parade
1942
Tales of Manhattan
1942
About Face
1942
Sing Your Worries Away
1942
Born to Sing
1942
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
1941
The Big Store
1941
For Beauty's Sake
1941
At the Circus
1939
Dramatic School
1938
Wise Girl
1937
High Flyers
1937
Youth on Parole
1937
The Life of the Party
1937
A Day at the Races
1937
Arbor Day
1936
Song and Dance Man
1936
Anything Goes
1936
A Night at the Opera
1935
Rendezvous
1935
Reckless
1935
Gypsy Sweetheart
1935
After Office Hours
1935
Kentucky Kernels
1934
Gridiron Flash
1934
Fifteen Wives
1934
Duck Soup
1933
Storm at Daybreak
1933
Wonderland of California
1933
Here, Prince
1932
The Girl Habit
1931
Animal Crackers
1930
The Cocoanuts
1929
Enemies of Women
1923
A Tale of Two Cities
1917