James Dunn
Nacimiento : 1901-11-02, New York City, New York, USA
Muerte : 1967-09-03
Historia
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)
Self (archive footage)
A documentary about child actors in Hollywood, exploring their history from the early days of film.
Self(archive footage)
A compilation of Shirley Temple newsreel appearances from the 1930's.
Self (archive footage)
Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American entertainment industry during the Great Depression.
Luke Travers
A corrupt sheriff knows the secrets of everyone in town and uses that information to go unchallenged. But after the arrest of an innocent teenager, the new doctor cannot keep quiet and tries to get the community to stand up for what is right.
TV executive
Ésta es la historia de los sueños, pero también de las maquinaciones urdidas por los buscavidas, los famosos y los farsantes que utilizan todos los medios a su alcance para conseguir el más alto premio cinematográfico.
Telegrapher
Primera Guerra Mundial (1914-1918). Nick Adams, un joven inquieto e hijo único de una familia un poco excéntrica, emprende un viaje a Nueva York para conseguir un trabajo como reportero, pero antes se alista en el ejército italiano como conductor de ambulancia. Durante la guerra conocerá el amor. (FILMAFFINITY)
Stew Schaffer
Un médico joven y exitoso regresa a su ciudad natal de Nueva Inglaterra para darle el último adiós a un viejo amigo. Éste, debido a sus dolor, le pide que para terminar con su sufrimiento, le procure la muerte (una eutanasia, pues, en toda regla). Una vez llevado a cabo tal acto, son tales los remordimientos del doctor que decide evadirse y envolver su conciencia con el 'alivio' del desenfreno que le proporciona la compañía de muchas mujeres... Pero, claro está, lejos de hacerle olvidar, eso sólo va acrecentando su tormento interior.
Henry Wood
Sponsored by The Protestant Film Commission, this religiously-affiliated tale centers around citizen Henry Wood (played by Oscar winner James Dunn from "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"), who loved family and church, gave to the needy, and donated most of his money to charity. Now deceased, his somewhat neglected daughter reflects on his past and ponders that age-old question, did he indeed have such "a wonderful life"?
Joe Riley
Joe Riley is a boxing referee whose life-code is the same as the sporting rules of the prizefight ring. Two Golden Glove (a tournament for amateur prizefighters) contestants Nick Martel, a tough, pugnacious kid from Chicago who has had to fight for everything he has in life, and Bob Gilmore, from the other side of life's tracks, are also competing for the affections of Riley's daughter, Patty.
Mike
Eddie Tayloe's grandfather leaves him six thousand dollars and the money belt it came in, freeing Tayloe to leave his dull newspaper job in Texas and move to New York to become a playwright. Along the way, his car breaks down and a girl walking along the highway asks for a lift. It turns out she's a nice girl, named Perry, running away from a job at a gasoline station. Soon they're off to New York together, but part ways once they arrive. Time passes and Eddie is failing to sell his play; Perry is failing to find a job. Odd circumstances, involving an old pickpocket named Mandy, bring them together again.
Brian McCoy
Tommy McCoy grew up poor and scrappy. As a young man he discovers that he can fight with his powerful right arm. He becomes successful at boxing, however he has an alcoholic father.
Denny Reagan
Raised by Natalie Brennan, a flamboyant and irresponsible mother, Ziggy Brennan gets involved in hustling men at a young age. She hangs around with a wild crowd and learns gets her "street smarts" first from her mother, who wants everyone to think they are sisters, and then from Denny Reagan, an older man. He starts teaching her his tricks of the trade and she falls right in line with his crooked ways. Then one night she meets Martin J. 'Mart' Neilson, a tall, handsome, honest farmer boy who's a sailor and they fall in love. While he's away fighting the war, she discovers she's pregnant.
Mr. Smith
The Caribbean Mystery is a remake of Mr. Moto on Danger Island (1939)-which in turn was a remake of Murder in Trinidad. James Dunn stars as Mr. Smith, a Columbo-like Brooklyn detective who pops up on a tropical island to track down some missing geologists.
Johnny Nolan
Crónica de una humilde familia de inmigrantes irlandeses que viven en el barrio neoyorquino de Brooklyn a comienzos del siglo XX. El padre es un hombre amable, pero con problemas de alcoholismo; la madre una mujer luchadora, y la hija pequeña es una brillante muchacha que sueña con salir del barrio para emprender una nueva vida.
Terry Moran
A private eye (James Dunn) investigates the murder of a fur dealer. Monogram.
Himself
A young husband becomes a game-show participant in the hopes of winning the cash to pay his pregnant wife's doctor.
Sergeant Joe Blake
En plena Segunda Guerra Mundial, un fabricante de coches intenta construir aviones en Washington. Por suerte, o no, encuentra una secretaria que sabe desenvolverse en el laberinto político de la capital... y algunas cosas más.
Webster Frye
Newlyweds Webster and Jackie Frye spend their honeymoon in a sinister old country house. Before long, they are besieged by a gang of crooks, searching for a fortune in diamonds. With the help of chauffeur Harmony Jones, the honeymooners attempt to outsmart the villains.
Nick Trayne
A detective investigating kidnapping case discovers the victim, who may be a zombie.
Jimmy Parker
A skip tracer--someone who collects late payments from people who've purchased appliances, etc., or takes them back them when they don't pay--repossesses a small radio from a deadbeat who's skipped payments. What he doesn't know is that a gang that has stolen diamonds from a Hollywood movie star has stashed them inside the radio, and they start hunting for him.
Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone
A runaway boy pretends to be the son of a Navy man, only to turn both their lives upside down.
'Speed' Leslie
Air-race champions "Speed" Leslie and Branda Fowler combine to open a very profitable airplane service that flies patients to other cities for special treatment. Gangsters soon move in and offer to take over, without an invitation.
Speed Brennan
A disruptive Annapolis naval cadet refuses to tow the line and so gets booted out of the prestigious academy. Later, he takes to designing speedboats. They are innovative and soon the Navy comes a-knocking in hopes that he will design a fast and easily maneuverable boat to carry torpedoes.
Johnny McGinty
A pilot carrying a valuable amulet is shot down over China by a ruthless Russian agent, who also wants the amulet.
Gary Martin
A man and woman, who've never met, are forced by circumstances to share the same apartment. A remake of the 1933 film "Rafter Romance".
Buzz Martin
A fast-talking, street-wise con-man forsakes the tank-towns of Pennsylvania for the greener pastures in Manhattan, and gains fame-and-fortune as New York City's number one merchandise promoter. A model and a society girl provide some complications along the way.
John Wade
A trio of American crooks board a ship bound for Europe, intending to get rid of $100,000 in stolen dough. With detective John Wade breathing down their necks, the crooks stash the loot in the trunk belonging to vacationing schoolmarm Mary Smith.
Addison Francis Murphy
While crossing on the train ferry to New Orleans, roving reporter Addison Francis Murphy borrows money from singing hillbilly "Carolina," then loses it all in a crap game. Outside on deck, Murphy sees two men shaking hands, and after he looks away, hears a splash of water and discovers both men have disappeared...
Jim Keene
A fast-talking pitchman working the con-games on the streets, works himself up into an executive position of a large department store, with the aide of his shill, Mae. But the owner, Elmer Woods, of the department store has a blonde-beauty daughter, Peggy, who goes to work on him.
Mickey
Mickey, is a prizefighter whose bright career hits the skids when he comes under the guidance of Ginger, a female fight promoter, when he becomes involved with June Prentice and her high-society crowd.
Lt. Kenneth Reynolds
Best friends Kenneth Reynolds and Raymond Jordan are U.S. Navy officers, and Kenneth is engaged to Raymond's sister. But the eruption of the Civil War divides them, as Raymond stands by his native Virginia while Kenneth remains on duty as a Northern officer. Kenneth's uncle, John Ericsson, designs a new kind of ship, an ironclad he calls the Monitor. Eventually the war pits Kenneth, on board the Monitor, against his friend Raymond, serving aboard the South's own ironclad, the Merrimac (as it is called here). A naval battle ensues, one that will go down in history.
Eddie Nolan
An unemployed loafer who spends his time playing pool decides he's ready to look for a job so he can secure his girlfriend's parents' approval for their marriage.
Richard Foster
A con artist attends a reunion in his hometown and discovers that his former classmates are trying to trick an old millionaire into returning to build a factory.
Don McLane
Dos reporteros planean casarse, pero la novia se queda esperando en el altar porque su novio se ha infiltrado para exponer la actividad de las pandillas.
Eddie
A Brodway producer discovers new talent in a small Georgia town and brings them to New York for his new show.
Joe McCoy
An honest sports columnist's greedy wife persuades him to go easy on a cheat, famous for crooked sports deals.
Loop Merritt
Una familia de snobs se lleva a una niña huérfana ante la insistencia de su tío rico e irrespetuoso, incluso cuando su devoto padrino aviador lucha por la custodia.
James 'Jimmy' Dale
Un director de cine fracasado acepta un trabajo en una academia de interpretación. El director le convence de que utilicen los fondos que ha aportado un joven rico para rodar una película protagonizada por una bonita estudiante...
James 'Jimmie' Flaherty
Sally (Jean Parker) is engaged to be married, loves dancing and kids. But her life is ruined when an accident cripples her and her betrothed magnanimously offers to not back out of the marriage. After rejecting his offer she starts a doll shop and tries to save for an operation. From her doll shop window she watches children and talks to Jimmie (James Dunn) the ice cream man. She wants to know Jimmie better, but is terrified of rejection.
Eddie Ellison
Eddie Ellison es un ex convicto que pasó un tiempo en la prisión de Sing-Sing. Kay se casa con él tan pronto como cumple su hora. Cinco años después, Eddie y su ex compañero convicto Larry, ambos se han ido, y Eddie y Kay tienen una hermosa niña llamada Shirley. Sin embargo, Welch ha mantenido una estrecha vigilancia sobre ellos durante años. Él cree en "una vez un criminal, siempre un criminal". Luego, cuando las perlas de la esposa del empleador de Eddie se pierden, resulta que Eddie y Larry pasaron un tiempo en prisión y fueron despedidos. Welch sospecha que Eddie y Larry tienen algo que ver con el robo de las perlas. ¿Probará Welch que Eddie y Larry tuvieron algo que ver con el robo o prevalecerá la verdad?
Mark McGowan
Catherine and Mack and their close friends Chris and Madge graduate from a West Coast college and fly to New York City to find work.
Jimmy Dugan
El presidente Roosevelt nombra nuevo Secretario de Diversiones a un productor teatral, con el fin de levantar los ánimos del pueblo estadounidense. El nuevo secretario pronto se harta de los grupos de presión que intentan destruir su departamento.
Barney Sullivan
"That girl" is newspaper sob-sister Tony Bellamy (Claire Trevor), whose nose for news gets her into one jam after another, especially when she poses as an exotic dancer to get the goods on a gangster.
Duke Stanley
Take a Chance was based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, though only one of the original songs, Eadie Was a Lady, has been retained. The thinnish plot involves the misadventures of a pair of pickpockets, played on Broadway by Jack Haley and Sid Silvers and on film by James Dunn and Cliff “Ukelele Ike” Edwards.
Jimmy O'Connor
Jimmy is a wiseguy press agent whose efforts to promote a meat-packing firm come to naught. Our hero is fired from his job, whereupon his sweetheart Sally steps in, immediately succeeding where Jimmy had failed.
Smiley Wells
In the small town of Larrup, Arizona, Smiley, a con-artist traveling with cohorts Kingfish, Morris and Ambrose, persuades Lynn Martin, a traveling demonstrator of pancake making, to accompany him to a carnival, where Kingfish sells a large number of bottles of Bambo, an elixir...
Dr. Daniel French
A hospital surgeon (James Dunn) protects a mystery woman (Gloria Stuart) who knows too much about a card-game murder.
Chuck
Hold Me Tight is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by David Butler and written by Gladys Lehman.
Jimmy
Peggy and her friend Millie are strolling down Broadway while Jimmy and Mac are trolling Broadway, and the four get together...
Jimmy Fenimore Harrigan
U.S. sailor Jimmy Harrigan, on shore leave in San Pedro, meets and falls for Sally Brent She promises to wait for him when he ships out to San Francisco, but Jimmy becomes jealous and tells her off when he learns Sally has entered a marathon dance contest sponsored by a lecherous snake named Baron Portola. Along with several of his Navy pals, Jimmy goes to the ballroom the night of the dance marathon, to try to change Sally's mind and win her back.
Bill Gordon
Bill Gordon (James Dunn), whose lot-in-life is rising, falls in love with Helen Barlow (Boots Mallory), who is raising two cute motherless children who nearly wreck her romance when they can't understand why grown-ups kiss...and other complications.
Johnny Malone
Johnny se está entrenando para el campeonato de boxeo. Judy le distrae, de modo que su manager le deja plantado. Y también Judy.
Jimmy Mulligan
From Wikipedia.com A 1932 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and written by Edwin J. Burke.
Johnny Shelby as an Adult
Ma Shelby (Mae Marsh) es una madre que lo da todo por sus cuatro hijos; pero estos, cuando se hacen mayores tomarán caminos dispares y no se preocuparán por ella.
Garry Webster
Jane Ray, a very clever reporter of crimes of passion, or "sob sister," for a New York tabloid, begins to feel depressed by the sordidness of her latest assignment, the investigation of a young woman's murder by her husband. Despite her growing distaste for her profession, Jane gets her story and, with typical ingenuity, frustrates her competitors' attempts to follow her lead.
Eddie Collins
Época de la Gran Depresión (años 30). Un electricista y una modelo se casan y esperan su primer hijo, pero las dificultades económicas harán peligrar su matrimonio. (FILMAFFINITY)
Man in Record Shop
'Blind Bob' has written a song and the folks at the music publishing company think that Joe Frisco, his old friend from the Bowery is just right for it. So we see Joe at stage doing his peddler routine. He goes over to the publishing company, where he flirts with a girl act, and then tries out some eccentric dancing to the new song, which happens to be 'Get Happy.'
