James Dunn (actor)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Howard Dunn (November 2, 1905 - September 3, 1967) was an American film actor.
Born in New York, New York, of Irish descent, Dunn was the son of a Wall Street stockbroker who, according to Dunn, "either had a million or nothing." Dunn started his entertainment career in vaudeville before progressing to films in the early 1930s. He made a strong first impression with his early roles, including Society Girl (1932) with Peggy Shannon and Hello, Sister! (1933) with Boots Mallory and ZaSu Pitts. Dunn's other early successes included Bad Girl (1931), Change of Heart (1933) with Janet Gaynor, and three Shirley Temple films, Baby Take a Bow, Stand Up and Cheer, and Bright Eyes (all 1934).
The roles that followed did nothing to further his career, and during the late 1930s his prospects were further diminished by a battle with alcoholism. In 1945 his performance in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Ironically, he played an alcoholic in that movie. His success was short lived and by the beginning of the 1950s, he was unemployed, bankrupt, and once again depending on alcohol. He appeared in the sitcom It's A Great Life from 1954 until 1956.
He was married to the actress Frances Gifford from 1938 until 1942.
He died as a result of complications following stomach surgery in Santa Monica, California.
James Dunn has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures at 6555 Hollywood Boulevard, and television at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard.
| Preceded by Barry Fitzgerald for Going My Way |
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor 1945 for A Tree Grows In Brooklyn |
Succeeded by Harold Russell for The Best Years of Our Lives |
