Emma Dunn
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.
Filmography
The Woman in White
as Mrs. Vesey
The Woman in White
as Mrs. Vesey
Mourning Becomes Electra
as Mrs. Borden
Mourning Becomes Electra
as Mrs. Borden
Life with Father
as Margaret
Life with Father
as Margaret
The Hoodlum Saint
as Maggie
The Hoodlum Saint
as Maggie
My Buddy
as Mary Ballinger
My Buddy
as Mary Ballinger
Are These Our Parents?
as Ma Henderson
Are These Our Parents?
as Ma Henderson
It Happened Tomorrow
as Mrs. Keaver (uncredited)
It Happened Tomorrow
as Mrs. Keaver (uncredited)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
as Doña Mercedes
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
as Doña Mercedes
Minesweeper
as Mom Smith
Minesweeper
as Mom Smith
Hoosier Holiday
as Molly Baker
Hoosier Holiday
as Molly Baker
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
as Ma Flanagan
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
as Ma Flanagan
I Married a Witch
as Wife of Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
I Married a Witch
as Wife of Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
The Talk of the Town
as Mrs. Shelley
The Talk of the Town
as Mrs. Shelley
The Postman Didn't Ring
as Martha Carter
The Postman Didn't Ring
as Martha Carter
The Mad Martindales
as Agnes
The Mad Martindales
as Agnes
Babes on Broadway
as Mrs. Williams
Babes on Broadway
as Mrs. Williams
Rise and Shine
as Mrs. Murray
Rise and Shine
as Mrs. Murray
Ladies in Retirement
as Sister Theresa
Ladies in Retirement
as Sister Theresa
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
as Mrs. Martha Kildare
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
as Mrs. Martha Kildare
Scattergood Meets Broadway
as Mirandy Baines
Scattergood Meets Broadway
as Mirandy Baines
Scattergood Pulls the Strings
as Mirandy Baines
Scattergood Pulls the Strings
as Mirandy Baines
The Penalty
as 'Ma' McCormick
The Penalty
as 'Ma' McCormick
The Monster and the Girl
as Aunt Della (uncredited)
The Monster and the Girl
as Aunt Della (uncredited)
Scattergood Baines
as Mirandy Baines
Scattergood Baines
as Mirandy Baines
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
as Martha
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
as Martha
The Great Dictator
as Mrs. Jaeckel
The Great Dictator
as Mrs. Jaeckel
Yesterday's Heroes
as Aunt Winnie
Yesterday's Heroes
as Aunt Winnie
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
as Mrs. Martha Kildare
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
as Mrs. Martha Kildare
Dance, Girl, Dance
as Mrs. Simpson
Dance, Girl, Dance
as Mrs. Simpson
One Crowded Night
as Ma Matthews
One Crowded Night
as Ma Matthews
You Can't Fool Your Wife
as Mother Fields
You Can't Fool Your Wife
as Mother Fields
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
as Martha Kildare
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
as Martha Kildare
Half a Sinner
as Granny Gladden
Half a Sinner
as Granny Gladden
Little Orvie
as Mrs. Welty
Little Orvie
as Mrs. Welty
High School
as Mrs. O'Neill
High School
as Mrs. O'Neill
The Llano Kid
as Doña Teresa
The Llano Kid
as Doña Teresa
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
as Martha Kildare
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
as Martha Kildare
Hero for a Day
as Emmy "Moms" Higgins
Hero for a Day
as Emmy "Moms" Higgins
Each Dawn I Die
as Mrs. Ross
Each Dawn I Die
as Mrs. Ross
Calling Dr. Kildare
as Mrs. Martha Kildare
Calling Dr. Kildare
as Mrs. Martha Kildare
Son of Frankenstein
as Amelia
Son of Frankenstein
as Amelia
The Duke of West Point
as Mrs. West
The Duke of West Point
as Mrs. West
The Cowboy and the Lady
as Ma Hawkins
The Cowboy and the Lady
as Ma Hawkins
Thanks for the Memory
as Mrs. Platt
Thanks for the Memory
as Mrs. Platt
Young Dr. Kildare
as Mrs. Martha Kildare
Young Dr. Kildare
as Mrs. Martha Kildare
Three Loves Has Nancy
as Mrs. Briggs
Three Loves Has Nancy
as Mrs. Briggs
Cowboy from Brooklyn
as Ma Hardy
Cowboy from Brooklyn
as Ma Hardy
Lord Jeff
as Mrs. Briggs
Lord Jeff
as Mrs. Briggs
Madame X
as Rose, Fleuriot's Houskeeper
Madame X
as Rose, Fleuriot's Houskeeper
Varsity Show
as Mrs. Smith
Varsity Show
as Mrs. Smith
Hideaway
as Emma Peterson
Hideaway
as Emma Peterson
The Emperor's Candlesticks
as Anna - Olga's Housekeeper
The Emperor's Candlesticks
as Anna - Olga's Housekeeper
Waikiki Wedding
as Mother
Waikiki Wedding
as Mother
Circus Girl
as Molly
Circus Girl
as Molly
Second Wife
as Mrs. Brown
Second Wife
as Mrs. Brown
The Harvester
as Granny Moreland
The Harvester
as Granny Moreland
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
as Mrs. Meredith (uncredited)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
as Mrs. Meredith (uncredited)
Another Face
as Sheila's Mother (uncredited)
Another Face
as Sheila's Mother (uncredited)
Seven Keys to Baldpate
as Mrs. Quimby
Seven Keys to Baldpate
as Mrs. Quimby
This Is the Life
as Mrs. Davis
This Is the Life
as Mrs. Davis
The Keeper of the Bees
as Margaret Campbell
The Keeper of the Bees
as Margaret Campbell
Ladies Crave Excitement
as Mrs. Phelan
Ladies Crave Excitement
as Mrs. Phelan
The Glass Key
as 'Mom' Madvig
The Glass Key
as 'Mom' Madvig
George White's 1935 Scandals
as Aunt Jane
George White's 1935 Scandals
as Aunt Jane
Flirtation
as Mrs. Poole
Flirtation
as Mrs. Poole
Dr. Monica
as Mrs. Monahan
Dr. Monica
as Mrs. Monahan
The Quitter
as Cordelia Tilford
The Quitter
as Cordelia Tilford
Dark Hazard
as Mrs. Mayhew
Dark Hazard
as Mrs. Mayhew
It's Great to Be Alive
as Mrs. Wilton
It's Great to Be Alive
as Mrs. Wilton
Private Jones
as Mrs. Jones
Private Jones
as Mrs. Jones
Hard to Handle
as Mrs. Hawks (uncredited)
Hard to Handle
as Mrs. Hawks (uncredited)
Letty Lynton
as Mrs. Darrow
Letty Lynton
as Mrs. Darrow
It's Tough to Be Famous
as 'Moms' McClenahan
It's Tough to Be Famous
as 'Moms' McClenahan
The Wet Parade
as Mrs. Chilcote
The Wet Parade
as Mrs. Chilcote
Broken Lullaby
as Frau Miller
Broken Lullaby
as Frau Miller
Under Eighteen
as Mrs. Evans (uncredited)
Under Eighteen
as Mrs. Evans (uncredited)
The Guilty Generation
as Nina Palmero
The Guilty Generation
as Nina Palmero
Bad Company
as Emma
Bad Company
as Emma
This Modern Age
as Margaret Blake
This Modern Age
as Margaret Blake
The Bad Sister
as Mrs. Madison
The Bad Sister
as Mrs. Madison
The Prodigal
as Mrs. Farraday
The Prodigal
as Mrs. Farraday
The Texan
as Señora Doña Marguerita Granadas-Ibarra
The Texan
as Señora Doña Marguerita Granadas-Ibarra
Side Street
as Nora O'Farrell
Side Street
as Nora O'Farrell
Pied Piper Malone
as Mother Malone
Pied Piper Malone
as Mother Malone
Old Lady 31
as Angie Rose
Old Lady 31
as Angie Rose