
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

Duck SoupasGloria Teasdale

Auntie MameasNoblewoman in Play (uncredited)

What a Way to Go!asMrs. Foster

A Night at the OperaasMrs. Claypool

The Horn Blows at MidnightasMme. Traviata / Miss Rodholder

Bathing BeautyasMrs. Allenwood

A Day at the RacesasEmily Upjohn

The CocoanutsasMrs. Potter

That's Entertainment, Part IIas(archive footage)

The Big StoreasMartha Phelps

Animal CrackersasMrs. Rittenhouse

Up in ArmsasMrs. Willoughby

RecklessasWoman in Audience Yelling 'Get Off the Stage' (uncredited)

At the CircusasMrs. Suzanna Dukesbury

Wise GirlasMrs. Bell-Rivington

Little GiantasMrs. Hendrickson

Tales of ManhattanasMme. Langehanke (uncredited)

Kentucky KernelsasMrs. Baxter

High FlyersasMartha Arlington

Dramatic SchoolasPantomime Teacher

The Dancing MastersasLouise Harlan

RendezvousasMrs. Hendricks (uncredited)

A Tale of Two CitiesasAristocrat (uncredited)

The Life of the PartyasMrs. Penner

Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox VaultsasSelf (archiveFootage)

Anything GoesasMrs. Wentworth

Zotz!asPersephone Updike

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?asSelf (archive footage)

The Marx Brothers in a Nutshellas(archive footage)

Song and Dance ManasMrs. Whitney

Never Give a Sucker an Even BreakasMrs. Hemogloben
Sing Your Worries AwayasFlo Faulkner - Landlady

Hollywood: The Dream FactoryasSelf (archive footage)

The Hollywood Clownsas(archive footage)

Sunset in El DoradoasAunt Dolly / Aunt Arabella

For Beauty's SakeasMrs. Franklin Evans

The Girl HabitasBlanche Ledyard

Storm at DaybreakasDuchess Sophie (uncredited)

Diamond HorseshoeasMrs. Standish

Seven Days AshoreasMrs. Croxton-Lynch

Born to SingasMrs. E. V. Lawson

About FaceasMrs. Culpepper

Shake, Rattle and Rock!asGeorgianna Fitzdingle

After Office HoursasMrs. Murchison (uncredited)

Fifteen WivesasSybilla Crum
Gypsy SweetheartasMrs. Van Updyke

Gridiron FlashasMrs. Fields

Enemies of WomenasFrench Beauty

Three for Bedroom CasMrs. Agnes Hawthorne

Youth on ParoleasMrs. Abernathy

Stop, You're Killing MeasMrs. Whitelaw

We're Rich AgainasWedding Guest (uncredited)

Rhythm ParadeasOphelia MacDougal

Arbor DayasWoman Outside (uncredited)
Here, PrinceasThe Queen of Deleria (uncredited)

Wonderland of CaliforniaasSelf