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)
64 movies · 24 shows
Hollywood’s Children
1982·9.0
The Biggest Little Star of the 30's
1976·0.0
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975·6.3
Shadow Over Elveron
1968·6.6
The Oscar
1966·5.0
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
1962·5.6
Journey to the Day
1960·0.0
The Bramble Bush
1960·5.3
Mr. Broadway
1957·7.0
The Ninth Day
1957·0.0
The Last Stop
1956·0.0
A Wonderful Life
1950·9.0
The Golden Gloves Story
1950·6.5
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
1948·5.8
Killer McCoy
1947·6.3
That Brennan Girl
1946·5.5
The Caribbean Mystery
1945·6.7
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1945·7.5
Leave It to the Irish
1944·4.4
Take It or Leave It
1944·6.0
Government Girl
1943·5.7
The Ghost and the Guest
1943·5.3
The Living Ghost
1942·4.3
Hold That Woman!
1940·7.0
Son of the Navy
1940·6.2
Mercy Plane
1939·10.0
Pride of the Navy
1939·7.0
Shadows Over Shanghai
1938·5.3
Living on Love
1937·6.1
Venus Makes Trouble
1937·5.0
We Have Our Moments
1937·7.2
Mysterious Crossing
1936·10.0
Come Closer, Folks
1936·9.0
Two-Fisted Gentleman
1936·9.0
Hearts in Bondage
1936·4.9
Don’t Get Personal
1936·10.0
Bad Boy
1935·7.5
Welcome Home
1935·9.0
The Daring Young Man
1935·10.0
George White's 1935 Scandals
1935·7.0
The Payoff
1935·5.5
Bright Eyes
1934·6.7
365 Nights in Hollywood
1934·9.0
Have a Heart
1934·7.3
Baby Take a Bow
1934·5.7
Change of Heart
1934·6.3
Stand Up and Cheer!
1934·5.3
Hold That Girl
1934·9.0
Take a Chance
1933·5.5
Jimmy and Sally
1933·4.8
Arizona to Broadway
1933·7.5
The Girl in 419
1933·4.2
Hold Me Tight
1933·7.0
Hello, Sister!
1933·6.0
Sailor's Luck
1933·6.0
Handle with Care
1932·10.0
Society Girl
1932·7.5
Dance Team
1932·10.0
Over the Hill
1931·8.5
Sob Sister
1931·7.0
Bad Girl
1931·6.0
The Song Plugger
1930·6.0
In the Nick of Time
1929·7.0
Deliverance
1919·7.0