
Acting
Born November 2, 1901 · New 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)

Hollywood’s Children
1982
The Biggest Little Star of the 30's
1976

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975

Shadow Over Elveron
1968

The Oscar
1966

Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
1962

Journey to the Day
1960

The Bramble Bush
1960

Mr. Broadway
1957

The Ninth Day
1957
The Last Stop
1956
A Wonderful Life
1950

The Golden Gloves Story
1950

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
1948

Killer McCoy
1947

That Brennan Girl
1946

The Caribbean Mystery
1945

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1945

Leave It to the Irish
1944

Take It or Leave It
1944

Government Girl
1943

The Ghost and the Guest
1943

The Living Ghost
1942

Hold That Woman!
1940

Son of the Navy
1940
Mercy Plane
1939
Pride of the Navy
1939

Shadows Over Shanghai
1938

Living on Love
1937
Venus Makes Trouble
1937

We Have Our Moments
1937

Mysterious Crossing
1936

Come Closer, Folks
1936

Two-Fisted Gentleman
1936

Hearts in Bondage
1936

Bad Boy
1935

Welcome Home
1935

The Daring Young Man
1935

George White's 1935 Scandals
1935

The Payoff
1935

Bright Eyes
1934

365 Nights in Hollywood
1934

Have a Heart
1934

Baby Take a Bow
1934

Change of Heart
1934

Stand Up and Cheer!
1934

Hold That Girl
1934
Take a Chance
1933

Jimmy and Sally
1933

Arizona to Broadway
1933

The Girl in 419
1933

Hold Me Tight
1933

Hello, Sister!
1933

Sailor's Luck
1933

Handle with Care
1932

Society Girl
1932

Dance Team
1932

Over the Hill
1931

Sob Sister
1931

Bad Girl
1931

The Song Plugger
1930
In the Nick of Time
1929