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Emma Dunn
Actor

Emma Dunn

24 Feb 1874Born
14 Dec 1966Died
92Age at death
98Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Emma Dunn (26 February 1875 – 14 December 1966) was an English character actress on the stage and in motion pictures.

Emma Dunn appeared onstage in her early teens, graduating to the London stage for several years and later became a noted Broadway actress. She appeared in the first American production of Ibsen's Peer Gynt (1906) with Richard Mansfield as Peer. She played Peer's mother, Ase, even though she was, in real life, 20 years younger than Mansfield. She appeared in three productions for theatre impresario David Belasco: The Warrens of Virginia (1907), The Easiest Way (1909) and The Governor's Lady (1912).

Read the full biography

In The Easiest Way, Dunn portrayed Annie, who was black, in blackface. In 1913 Dunn appeared in vaudeville.

Dunn made her first film in 1914, a silent film of her 1910 stage success, Mother, directed by Maurice Tourneur. This was Tourneur's first American film. Dunn's second film was 1920's Old Lady 31, reprising the role she played in the 1916 Broadway play of the same name. One more silent film followed in 1924, Pied Piper Malone, before she made her talkie debut in Side Street, co-starring the Moore brothers, Matt, Owen and Tom as her sons.

Dunn wrote two books on elocution and speech: Thought Quality in the Voice (1933) and You Can Do It (1947).

Emma Dunn was born 26 February 1875, in Birkenhead, England, although she sometimes gave her year of birth as 1883.

Dunn married Harry Beresford, an actor who was then known professionally as Harry J. Morgan, in Chicago on 4 October 1897. They divorced on 10 February 1909, in New York City. She was awarded sole custody of their young daughter, Dorothy. On 19 May 1909, Dunn married John W. Stokes (John W. S. Sullivan), an actor, playwright and theatrical manager. They subsequently adopted a second daughter, Helen. The couple divorced sometime between 1923 and Stokes' death in 1931.

After suffering a heart attack some months before, Dunn died 14 December 1966, in Los Angeles, California, aged 91.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 98 credits.

  1. 1948The Woman in WhiteFilm: Mrs. Vesey
  2. 1947Mourning Becomes ElectraFilm: Mrs. Borden
  3. 1947Life with FatherFilm: Margaret
  4. 1946The Hoodlum SaintFilm: Maggie
  5. 1944My BuddyFilm: Mary Ballinger
  6. 1944Are These Our Parents?Film: Ma Henderson
  7. 1944It Happened TomorrowFilm: Mrs. Keaver (uncredited)
  8. 1944The Bridge of San Luis ReyFilm: Doña Mercedes
  9. 1943MinesweeperFilm: Mom Smith
  10. 1943Hoosier HolidayFilm: Molly Baker
  11. 1942When Johnny Comes Marching HomeFilm: Ma Flanagan
  12. 1942I Married a WitchFilm: Wife of Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
  13. 1942The Talk of the TownFilm: Mrs. Shelley
  14. 1942The Postman Didn't RingFilm: Martha Carter
  15. 1942The Mad MartindalesFilm: Agnes
  16. 1941Babes on BroadwayFilm: Mrs. Williams
  17. 1941Rise and ShineFilm: Mrs. Murray
  18. 1941Ladies in RetirementFilm: Sister Theresa
  19. 1941Dr. Kildare's Wedding DayFilm: Mrs. Martha Kildare
  20. 1941Scattergood Meets BroadwayFilm: Mirandy Baines
  21. 1941Scattergood Pulls the StringsFilm: Mirandy Baines
  22. 1941The PenaltyFilm: 'Ma' McCormick
  23. 1941The Monster and the GirlFilm: Aunt Della (uncredited)
  24. 1941Scattergood BainesFilm: Mirandy Baines
  25. 1941Mr. & Mrs. SmithFilm: Martha
  26. 1940The Great DictatorFilm: Mrs. Jaeckel
  27. 1940Yesterday's HeroesFilm: Aunt Winnie
  28. 1940Dr. Kildare Goes HomeFilm: Mrs. Martha Kildare
  29. 1940Dance, Girl, DanceFilm: Mrs. Simpson
  30. 1940One Crowded NightFilm: Ma Matthews
  31. 1940You Can't Fool Your WifeFilm: Mother Fields
  32. 1940Dr. Kildare's Strange CaseFilm: Martha Kildare
  33. 1940Half a SinnerFilm: Granny Gladden
  34. 1940Little OrvieFilm: Mrs. Welty
  35. 1940High SchoolFilm: Mrs. O'Neill
  36. 1939The Llano KidFilm: Doña Teresa
  37. 1939The Secret of Dr. KildareFilm: Martha Kildare
  38. 1939Hero for a DayFilm: Emmy "Moms" Higgins
  39. 1939Each Dawn I DieFilm: Mrs. Ross
  40. 1939Calling Dr. KildareFilm: Mrs. Martha Kildare
  41. 1939Son of FrankensteinFilm: Amelia
  42. 1938The Duke of West PointFilm: Mrs. West
  43. 1938The Cowboy and the LadyFilm: Ma Hawkins
  44. 1938Thanks for the MemoryFilm: Mrs. Platt
  45. 1938Young Dr. KildareFilm: Mrs. Martha Kildare
  46. 1938Three Loves Has NancyFilm: Mrs. Briggs
  47. 1938Cowboy from BrooklynFilm: Ma Hardy
  48. 1938Lord JeffFilm: Mrs. Briggs
  49. 1937Madame XFilm: Rose, Fleuriot's Houskeeper
  50. 1937Varsity ShowFilm: Mrs. Smith
  51. 1937HideawayFilm: Emma Peterson
  52. 1937The Emperor's CandlesticksFilm: Anna - Olga's Housekeeper
  53. 1937Waikiki WeddingFilm: Mother
  54. 1937Circus GirlFilm: Molly
  55. 1937When You're in LoveFilm: Mrs. Hamilton
  56. 1936Second WifeFilm: Mrs. Brown
  57. 1936The HarvesterFilm: Granny Moreland
  58. 1936Mr. Deeds Goes to TownFilm: Mrs. Meredith (uncredited)
  59. 1935Another FaceFilm: Sheila's Mother (uncredited)
  60. 1935Seven Keys to BaldpateFilm: Mrs. Quimby
  61. 1935This Is the LifeFilm: Mrs. Davis
  62. 1935Little Big ShotFilm: Orphanage Matron
  63. 1935The Keeper of the BeesFilm: Margaret Campbell
  64. 1935Ladies Crave ExcitementFilm: Mrs. Phelan
  65. 1935The Glass KeyFilm: 'Mom' Madvig
  66. 1935George White's 1935 ScandalsFilm: Aunt Jane
  67. 1934FlirtationFilm: Mrs. Poole
  68. 1934Dr. MonicaFilm: Mrs. Monahan
  69. 1934The QuitterFilm: Cordelia Tilford
  70. 1934Dark HazardFilm: Mrs. Mayhew
  71. 1933A Man of SentimentFilm: Mrs. John Russell Sr.
  72. 1933It's Great to Be AliveFilm: Mrs. Wilton
  73. 1933Elmer, the GreatFilm: Mrs. Kane
  74. 1933Private JonesFilm: Mrs. Jones
  75. 1933Grand SlamFilm: Reporter
  76. 1933Hard to HandleFilm: Mrs. Hawks (uncredited)
  77. 1932Blessed EventFilm: Mrs. Roberts
  78. 1932Letty LyntonFilm: Mrs. Darrow
  79. 1932It's Tough to Be FamousFilm: 'Moms' McClenahan
  80. 1932The Cohens and Kellys in HollywoodFilm: Mrs. Sarah Cohen

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.