image
Margaret Dumont
Acting
1882-10-19 - Present
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).
Credits
image
Duck SoupasGloria Teasdale
image
Auntie MameasNoblewoman in Play (uncredited)
image
What a Way to Go!asMrs. Foster
image
A Night at the OperaasMrs. Claypool
image
The Horn Blows at MidnightasMme. Traviata / Miss Rodholder
image
Bathing BeautyasMrs. Allenwood
image
A Day at the RacesasEmily Upjohn
image
The CocoanutsasMrs. Potter
image
That's Entertainment, Part IIas(archive footage)
image
The Big StoreasMartha Phelps
image
Animal CrackersasMrs. Rittenhouse
image
Up in ArmsasMrs. Willoughby
image
RecklessasWoman in Audience Yelling 'Get Off the Stage' (uncredited)
image
At the CircusasMrs. Suzanna Dukesbury
image
Wise GirlasMrs. Bell-Rivington
image
Little GiantasMrs. Hendrickson
image
Tales of ManhattanasMme. Langehanke (uncredited)
image
Kentucky KernelsasMrs. Baxter
image
High FlyersasMartha Arlington
image
Dramatic SchoolasPantomime Teacher
image
The Dancing MastersasLouise Harlan
image
RendezvousasMrs. Hendricks (uncredited)
image
A Tale of Two CitiesasAristocrat (uncredited)
image
The Life of the PartyasMrs. Penner
image
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox VaultsasSelf (archiveFootage)
image
Anything GoesasMrs. Wentworth
image
Zotz!asPersephone Updike
image
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?asSelf (archive footage)
image
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshellas(archive footage)
image
Song and Dance ManasMrs. Whitney
image
Never Give a Sucker an Even BreakasMrs. Hemogloben
Sing Your Worries AwayasFlo Faulkner - Landlady
image
Hollywood: The Dream FactoryasSelf (archive footage)
image
The Hollywood Clownsas(archive footage)
image
Sunset in El DoradoasAunt Dolly / Aunt Arabella
image
For Beauty's SakeasMrs. Franklin Evans
image
The Girl HabitasBlanche Ledyard
image
Storm at DaybreakasDuchess Sophie (uncredited)
image
Diamond HorseshoeasMrs. Standish
image
Seven Days AshoreasMrs. Croxton-Lynch
image
Born to SingasMrs. E. V. Lawson
image
About FaceasMrs. Culpepper
image
Shake, Rattle and Rock!asGeorgianna Fitzdingle
image
After Office HoursasMrs. Murchison (uncredited)
image
Fifteen WivesasSybilla Crum
Gypsy SweetheartasMrs. Van Updyke
image
Gridiron FlashasMrs. Fields
image
Enemies of WomenasFrench Beauty
image
Three for Bedroom CasMrs. Agnes Hawthorne
image
Youth on ParoleasMrs. Abernathy
image
Stop, You're Killing MeasMrs. Whitelaw
image
We're Rich AgainasWedding Guest (uncredited)
image
Rhythm ParadeasOphelia MacDougal
image
Arbor DayasWoman Outside (uncredited)
Here, PrinceasThe Queen of Deleria (uncredited)
image
Wonderland of CaliforniaasSelf