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Emma Dunn

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
98

Gender
Female

Birthday
February 24, 1874 (152 years old)

Place of Birth
Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, UK

Emma Dunn

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). 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

Acting

1948The Woman in Whiteas Mrs. Vesey
1947Mourning Becomes Electraas Mrs. Borden
1947Life with Fatheras Margaret
1946The Hoodlum Saintas Maggie
1944My Buddyas Mary Ballinger
1944Are These Our Parents?as Ma Henderson
1944It Happened Tomorrowas Mrs. Keaver (uncredited)
1944The Bridge of San Luis Reyas Doña Mercedes
1943Minesweeperas Mom Smith
1943Hoosier Holidayas Molly Baker
1942When Johnny Comes Marching Homeas Ma Flanagan
1942I Married a Witchas Wife of Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
1942The Talk of the Townas Mrs. Shelley
1942The Postman Didn't Ringas Martha Carter
1942The Mad Martindalesas Agnes
1941Babes on Broadwayas Mrs. Williams
1941Rise and Shineas Mrs. Murray
1941Ladies in Retirementas Sister Theresa
1941Scattergood Meets Broadwayas Mirandy Baines
1941Dr. Kildare's Wedding Dayas Mrs. Martha Kildare
1941Scattergood Pulls the Stringsas Mirandy Baines
1941The Penaltyas 'Ma' McCormick
1941The Monster and the Girlas Aunt Della (uncredited)
1941Scattergood Bainesas Mirandy Baines
1941Mr. & Mrs. Smithas Martha
1940The Great Dictatoras Mrs. Jaeckel
1940Yesterday's Heroesas Aunt Winnie
1940Dr. Kildare Goes Homeas Mrs. Martha Kildare
1940Dance, Girl, Danceas Mrs. Simpson
1940One Crowded Nightas Ma Matthews
1940You Can't Fool Your Wifeas Mother Fields
1940Dr. Kildare's Strange Caseas Martha Kildare
1940Half a Sinneras Granny Gladden
1940Little Orvieas Mrs. Welty
1940High Schoolas Mrs. O'Neill
1939The Llano Kidas Doña Teresa
1939The Secret of Dr. Kildareas Martha Kildare
1939Hero for a Dayas Emmy "Moms" Higgins
1939Each Dawn I Dieas Mrs. Ross
1939Calling Dr. Kildareas Mrs. Martha Kildare
1939Son of Frankensteinas Amelia
1938The Duke of West Pointas Mrs. West
1938The Cowboy and the Ladyas Ma Hawkins
1938Thanks for the Memoryas Mrs. Platt
1938Young Dr. Kildareas Mrs. Martha Kildare
1938Three Loves Has Nancyas Mrs. Briggs
1938Cowboy from Brooklynas Ma Hardy
1938Lord Jeffas Mrs. Briggs
1937Madame Xas Rose, Fleuriot's Houskeeper
1937Varsity Showas Mrs. Smith
1937Hideawayas Emma Peterson
1937The Emperor's Candlesticksas Anna - Olga's Housekeeper
1937Waikiki Weddingas Mother
1937Circus Girlas Molly
1937When You're in Loveas Mrs. Hamilton
1936Second Wifeas Mrs. Brown
1936The Harvesteras Granny Moreland
1936Mr. Deeds Goes to Townas Mrs. Meredith (uncredited)
1935Another Faceas Sheila's Mother (uncredited)
1935Seven Keys to Baldpateas Mrs. Quimby
1935This Is the Lifeas Mrs. Davis
1935Little Big Shotas Orphanage Matron
1935The Keeper of the Beesas Margaret Campbell
1935Ladies Crave Excitementas Mrs. Phelan
1935The Glass Keyas 'Mom' Madvig
1935George White's 1935 Scandalsas Aunt Jane
1934Flirtationas Mrs. Poole
1934Dr. Monicaas Mrs. Monahan
1934The Quitteras Cordelia Tilford
1934Dark Hazardas Mrs. Mayhew
1933A Man of Sentimentas Mrs. John Russell Sr.
1933It's Great to Be Aliveas Mrs. Wilton
1933Elmer, the Greatas Mrs. Kane
1933Private Jonesas Mrs. Jones
1933Grand Slamas Reporter
1933Hard to Handleas Mrs. Hawks (uncredited)
1932Blessed Eventas Mrs. Roberts
1932Letty Lyntonas Mrs. Darrow
1932It's Tough to Be Famousas 'Moms' McClenahan
1932The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywoodas Mrs. Sarah Cohen
1932The Wet Paradeas Mrs. Chilcote
1932Hell's Houseas Emma Clark
1932Broken Lullabyas Frau Miller
1932Under Eighteenas Mrs. Evans (uncredited)
1931Compromisedas Mrs. Squires
1931The Guilty Generationas Nina Palmero
1931Morals for Womenas Mrs. Hutson
1931Bad Companyas Emma
1931This Modern Ageas Margaret Blake
1931Too Young to Marryas Mrs. Bumpstead
1931The Bad Sisteras Mrs. Madison
1931The Prodigalas Mrs. Farraday
1930Manslaughteras Miss Bennett
1930The Texanas Señora Doña Marguerita Granadas-Ibarra
1929Side Streetas Nora O'Farrell
1924Pied Piper Maloneas Mother Malone
1920Old Lady 31as Angie Rose
1914Motheras Mrs. Wetherell

Production