Emma Dunn (26 February 1875 – 14 December 1966) was an English-born actress and writer. She appeared in 108 films between 1914 and 1948. She 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 wrote two books regarding voice quality and speech: Thought Quality in the Voice (published in 1933) and You Can Do It (published in 1947).
The Great Dictator, Son of Frankenstein, Life with Father, The Talk of the Town, The Cowboy and the Lady, Broken Lullaby, Ladies in Retirement, The Secret of Dr. Kildare, Dr. Kildare's Strange Case, Young Dr. Kildare, Babes on Broadway, Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day, Dr. Kildare Goes Home, Dance, Girl, ...
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Fact
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On screen from 1919, she often played characters older than her actual age. Invariably cast in matronly or servile roles.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Woman in White
1948
Mrs. Vesey
Mourning Becomes Electra
1947
Mrs. Borden
Life with Father
1947
Margaret (cook)
Night Train to Memphis
1946
Ma Acuff
The Hoodlum Saint
1946
Maggie
Irish Eyes Are Smiling
1944
Mother Machree (uncredited)
My Buddy
1944
Mary Ballinger
Are These Our Parents?
1944
Ma Henderson
Prices Unlimited
1944
Short
Allotment Mother (uncredited)
It Happened Tomorrow
1944
Mrs. Keaver (uncredited)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
1944
Doña Mercedes
The Cross of Lorraine
1943
Mme. Marchand (uncredited)
Minesweeper
1943
Mom Smith
The North Star
1943
uncredited
Hoosier Holiday
1943
Molly Baker
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
1942
Ma (Norah) Flanagan
I Married a Witch
1942
Wife of Justice of the Peace
The Talk of the Town
1942
Mrs. Shelley
The Postman Didn't Ring
1942
Martha Carter
The Mad Martindales
1942
Agnes
Babes on Broadway
1941
Mrs. Williams
Rise and Shine
1941
Mrs. Murray
Ladies in Retirement
1941
Sister Theresa
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
1941
Mrs. Martha Kildare
Scattergood Meets Broadway
1941
Mirandy Baines
Scattergood Pulls the Strings
1941
Mirandy Baines
The Penalty
1941
'Ma' McCormick
The Monster and the Girl
1941
Aunt Della (uncredited)
Scattergood Baines
1941
Mirandy Baines
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
1941
Martha
The Great Dictator
1940
Mrs. Jaeckel
Yesterday's Heroes
1940
Aunt Winnie
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
1940
Mrs. Martha Kildare
Dance, Girl, Dance
1940
Mrs. Simpson
One Crowded Night
1940
Ma
You Can't Fool Your Wife
1940
Mother Fields
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
1940
Mrs. Martha Kildare
Half a Sinner
1940
Granny Gladden
Little Orvie
1940
Mrs. Welty
High School
1940
Mrs. O'Neill
The Llano Kid
1939
Doña Teresa
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
1939
Mrs. Martha Kildare
Hero for a Day
1939
Emmy 'Moms' Dunn
Each Dawn I Die
1939
Mrs. Ross
Calling Dr. Kildare
1939
Mrs. Martha Kildare
Son of Frankenstein
1939
Amelia
The Duke of West Point
1938
Mrs. West
Thanks for the Memory
1938/II
Mrs. Platt
The Cowboy and the Lady
1938
Ma Hawkins
Young Dr. Kildare
1938
Mrs. Martha Kildare
Three Loves Has Nancy
1938
Mrs. Briggs
The Crowd Roars
1938
Laura McCoy (uncredited)
Cowboy from Brooklyn
1938
Ma Hardy
Lord Jeff
1938
Mrs. Briggs
Madame X
1937
Rose
Varsity Show
1937
Mrs. Smith
Hideaway
1937
Emma Peterson
The Emperor's Candlesticks
1937
Anna, Olga's Housekeeper
Waikiki Wedding
1937
Mrs. Marvin (uncredited)
Circus Girl
1937
Molly
When You're in Love
1937
Mrs. Hamilton
Second Wife
1936
Mrs. Brown
The Harvester
1936
Granny Moreland
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936
Mrs. Meredith (uncredited)
Seven Keys to Baldpate
1935
Mrs. Quimby
Another Face
1935
Sheila's Mother (uncredited)
This Is the Life
1935
Mrs. Davis
Little Big Shot
1935
Orphanage Matron
The Crusades
1935
Alan's Mother (uncredited)
The Keeper of the Bees
1935
Margaret Campbell
Ladies Crave Excitement
1935
Mrs. Phelan
The Glass Key
1935
'Mom' Madvig
George White's 1935 Scandals
1935
Aunt Jane
Flirtation
1934
Mrs. Poole
Dr. Monica
1934
Mrs. Monahan
The Quitter
1934
Cordelia Tilford
Dark Hazard
1934
Mrs. Mayhew
Walls of Gold
1933
Mrs. Satterlee (replaced by Margaret Seddon) (scenes deleted)