Margaret Dumont
Known for: Acting
Born: October 19, 1882
Died: March 6, 1965
Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Margaret Dumont would probably consider it a tragedy that she is best-known for her performances as the ultimate straight woman in seven of the Marx Brothers' films (including most of their best). By all accounts she never understood their jokes (offscreen and on), which is of course a major reason why she's so funny. Apart from a small role in a 1917 Dickens adaptation, she spent her early career on the stage, ending up with the Marxes in the late 1920s in the stage versions of The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930), and was given a Paramount contract at the same time they were. She played similar roles alongside other great comedians, including W.C. Fields, Laurel & Hardy and Jack Benny and also played straight dramatic parts (her chief love), but few of them made much impact - it is as Groucho Marx's foil that she ranks among the immortals, and she died shortly after being reunited with him on "The Hollywood Palace" (1964).
Advertisement
Filmography
57 movies · 4 TV shows, newest first
9.0
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults
1999
9.0
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell
1982
NR
The Hollywood Clowns
1979
7.0
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
6.3
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
7.2
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972
7.1
What a Way to Go!
1964
5.6
Zotz!
1962
10.0
Around the World with Nellie Bly
1960
7.0
Auntie Mame
1958
6.5
The Donna Reed Show
1958
5.6
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
1956
6.4
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
7.7
Stop, You're Killing Me
1952
10.0
Three for Bedroom C
1952
6.5
Racket Squad
1951
6.9
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
10.0
Susie Steps Out
1946
5.3
Little Giant
1946
5.7
Sunset in El Dorado
1945
7.0
Diamond Horseshoe
1945
5.9
The Horn Blows at Midnight
1945
5.9
Bathing Beauty
1944
4.2
Seven Days Ashore
1944
5.7
Up in Arms
1944
6.2
The Dancing Masters
1943
9.0
Rhythm Parade
1942
6.4
Tales of Manhattan
1942
6.6
About Face
1942
6.0
Sing Your Worries Away
1942
5.4
Born to Sing
1942
7.0
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
1941
6.3
The Big Store
1941
10.0
For Beauty's Sake
1941
6.4
At the Circus
1939
6.5
Dramatic School
1938
7.1
Wise Girl
1937
7.5
High Flyers
1937
3.9
Youth on Parole
1937
6.2
The Life of the Party
1937
7.1
A Day at the Races
1937
6.2
Arbor Day
1936
7.0
Song and Dance Man
1936
5.8
Anything Goes
1936
7.4
A Night at the Opera
1935
4.9
Rendezvous
1935
5.1
Reckless
19355.7
Gypsy Sweetheart
1935
6.5
After Office Hours
1935
6.4
Kentucky Kernels
1934
4.8
Gridiron Flash
1934
3.0
Fifteen Wives
1934
7.3
Duck Soup
1933
6.6
Storm at Daybreak
1933
NR
Wonderland of California
19337.0
Here, Prince
1932
8.0
The Girl Habit
1931
6.9
Animal Crackers
1930
6.5
The Cocoanuts
1929
6.5
Enemies of Women
1923
4.8
A Tale of Two Cities
1917