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 1931s 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). Dunns 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 Its 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)
Johnny Nolan
Film 1945
Eddie Ellison
Film 1934
Richard Foster
Film 1935
Nick Trayne
Film 1942
Webster Frye
Film 1943
Eddie Collins
Film 1931
Brian McCoy
Film 1947
Lt. Kenneth Reynolds
Film 1936
Telegrapher
Film 1962
Mr. Smith
Film 1945
Mickey
Film 1936
Dr. Daniel French
Film 1933
Smiley Wells
Film 1933
Film 1957
Eddie
Film 1935
Joe McCoy
Film 1935
Jimmy Parker
Film 1940
Denny Reagan
Film 1946
Terry Moran
Film 1944
John Wade
Film 1937
Mike
Film 1948
Jimmy
Film 1933
Johnny Malone
Film 1932
Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan
Film 1933
Johnny Shelby as an Adult
Film 1931
Johnny McGinty
Film 1938
James 'Jimmy' Dale
Film 1934
Eddie Nolan
Film 1935
Addison Francis Murphy
Film 1936
Self(archive footage)
Film 1976
Henry Wood
Film 1950
Gary Martin
Film 1937
Speed Brennan
Film 1939
Barney Sullivan
Film 1934
'Speed' Leslie
Film 1939
Joe Riley
Film 1950
Stew Schaffer
Film 1960
Film 1957
Jimmy Mulligan
Film 1932
Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone
Film 1940
Duke Stanley
Film 1933
Man in Record Shop
Film 1930
Jim Keene
Film 1936
Self (archive footage)
Film 1975
Jimmy O'Connor
Film 1933
Buzz Martin
Film 1937
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Film 1944
Bill Gordon
Film 1932
Self (archive footage)
Film 1982
Chuck Evans
Film 1933
Garry Webster
Film 1931
Film 1929
Indian Agent McLean
Tv 1963
Tv 1960
Peter Wilkin
Tv 1958
Tv 1948
Tv 1953
Tv 1962
Tv 1959
Lou Bragan
Tv 1963
Congressman Matthew J. Cosgrove
Tv 1962
Tv 1951
Joey
Tv 1950
Tv 1963
Tv 1955
Tv 1965
Gabe Henshaw
Tv 1958
Tv 1961
Tv 1950
P.J. Cunningham
Tv 1963
Earl Morgan
Tv 1954
Dan McLain
Tv 1951
Frank Gabriel
Tv 1948
Sheriff Garrett
Tv 1955