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James Dunn

James Dunn

Known For Acting
Birthday Nov 02, 1901
Died Sep 03, 1967 (65)
Birthplace New York City, New York, USA
Popularity 0.2 (history)
Updated May 26, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

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

Headshots

Profile
Profile
Filmography

Shadow Over Elveron

Shadow Over Elveron

1968

as Luke Travers

The Oscar

The Oscar

1966

as TV executive

The Bramble Bush

The Bramble Bush

1960

as Stew Schaffer

A Wonderful Life

A Wonderful Life

1950

as Henry Wood

The Golden Gloves Story

The Golden Gloves Story

1950

as Joe Riley

Killer McCoy

Killer McCoy

1947

as Brian McCoy

That Brennan Girl

That Brennan Girl

1946

as Denny Reagan

The Caribbean Mystery

The Caribbean Mystery

1945

as Mr. Smith

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

1945

as Johnny Nolan

Leave It to the Irish

Leave It to the Irish

1944

as Terry Moran

The Ghost and the Guest

The Ghost and the Guest

1943

as Webster Frye

Government Girl

Government Girl

1943

as Sergeant Joe Blake

The Living Ghost

The Living Ghost

1942

as Nick Trayne

Hold That Woman!

Hold That Woman!

1940

as Jimmy Parker

Son of the Navy

Son of the Navy

1940

as Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone

Mercy Plane

Mercy Plane

1939

as 'Speed' Leslie

Pride of the Navy

Pride of the Navy

1939

as Speed Brennan

Shadows Over Shanghai

Shadows Over Shanghai

1938

as Johnny McGinty

Living on Love

Living on Love

1937

as Gary Martin

Venus Makes Trouble

Venus Makes Trouble

1937

as Buzz Martin

We Have Our Moments

We Have Our Moments

1937

as John Wade

Hearts in Bondage

Hearts in Bondage

1936

as Lt. Kenneth Reynolds

Two-Fisted Gentleman

Two-Fisted Gentleman

1936

as Mickey

Come Closer, Folks

Come Closer, Folks

1936

as Jim Keene

Mysterious Crossing

Mysterious Crossing

1936

as Addison Francis Murphy

Bad Boy

Bad Boy

1935

as Eddie Nolan

The Daring Young Man

The Daring Young Man

1935

as Don McLane

Welcome Home

Welcome Home

1935

as Richard Foster

The Payoff

The Payoff

1935

as Joe McCoy

365 Nights in Hollywood

365 Nights in Hollywood

1934

as James 'Jimmy' Dale

Hold That Girl

Hold That Girl

1934

as Barney Sullivan

Have a Heart

Have a Heart

1934

as James 'Jimmie' Flaherty

Baby Take a Bow

Baby Take a Bow

1934

as Eddie Ellison

Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes

1934

as Loop Merritt

Change of Heart

Change of Heart

1934

as Mark McGowan

Stand Up and Cheer!

Stand Up and Cheer!

1934

as Jimmy Dugan

Hello, Sister!

Hello, Sister!

1933

as Jimmy

The Girl in 419

The Girl in 419

1933

as Dr. Daniel French

Sailor's Luck

Sailor's Luck

1933

as Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan

Hold Me Tight

Hold Me Tight

1933

as Chuck

Take a Chance

Take a Chance

1933

as Duke Stanley

Jimmy and Sally

Jimmy and Sally

1933

as Jimmy O'Connor

Arizona to Broadway

Arizona to Broadway

1933

as Smiley Wells

Society Girl

Society Girl

1932

as Johnny Malone

Handle with Care

Handle with Care

1932

as Bill Gordon

Dance Team

Dance Team

1932

as Jimmy Mulligan

Bad Girl

Bad Girl

1931

as Eddie Collins

Sob Sister

Sob Sister

1931

as Garry Webster

Over the Hill

Over the Hill

1931

as Johnny Shelby as an Adult

The Song Plugger

The Song Plugger

1930

as Man in Record Shop

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

It's a Great Life

as Earl Morgan

Episodes: 78

First Aired: Sep 07, 1954

The Great Adventure

as Indian Agent McLean

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 27, 1963

Naked City

as Peter Wilkin

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 30, 1958

The Fugitive

as Lou Bragan

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 17, 1963

The Virginian

as Congressman Matthew J. Cosgrove

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 19, 1962

Lux Video Theatre

as Joey

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1950

Climax!

as Eldon Abernathy

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1954

Wanted: Dead or Alive

as Gabe Henshaw

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 06, 1958

Vacation Playhouse

as P.J. Cunningham

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 22, 1963

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

as Dan McLain

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 05, 1951

Studio One

as Frank Gabriel

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 07, 1948

Climax!

as Warren

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1954

Screen Director's Playhouse

as Sheriff Garrett

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 05, 1955

The Wonderful World of Disney

as J. Henry Newman

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 27, 1954

The Investigators

as Chief Reynolds

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 05, 1961

Studio One

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Nov 07, 1948

Robert Montgomery Presents

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Jan 30, 1950

Route 66

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Oct 07, 1960

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Oct 05, 1951

Matinee Theater

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Oct 31, 1955

Ben Casey

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Oct 02, 1961

General Electric Theater

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 01, 1953

Going My Way

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 03, 1962

Rawhide

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 09, 1959

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1963

Branded

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 24, 1965

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 7 11 4
2024 7 15 30 4
2024 8 15 28 7
2024 9 9 21 3
2024 10 8 14 3
2024 11 5 10 2
2024 12 5 9 2
2025 1 7 16 2
2025 2 3 7 1
2025 3 2 3 1
2025 5 1 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 1 0
2025 8 2 12 0
2025 9 0 0 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
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