MD
Margaret Dumont
Actor
Died March 6, 1965 (82 years)
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).
Filmography
| 2005 | Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood · as Cast |
| 2003 | Inside the Marx Brothers · as Mrs. Rittenhouse (clip From Animal Crackers (1930)) |
| 1993 | The Unknown Marx Brothers · as Various Roles |
| 1986 | Classic Comedy Teams · as Mrs. Claypool |
| 1982 | Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · as Actress - 'a Night At The Opera' |
| 1982 | The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell · as (archive Footage) |
| 1976 | That's Entertainment, Part II · as (archive Footage) |
| 1964 | What a Way to Go! · as Mrs. Foster |
| 1962 | Zotz! · as Persephone Updike |
| 1958 | Auntie Mame · as Noblewoman In Play (uncredited) |
| 1958 | The Donna Reed Show (TV Series) |
| 1956 | Shake, Rattle & Rock! · as Georgianna Fitzdingle |
| 1954 | Studio 57 (TV Series) · as Mrs. Sabine |
| 1952 | Stop, You're Killing Me · as Mrs. Whitelaw |
| 1952 | Three for Bedroom C · as Mrs. Agnes Hawthorne |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1950 | Racket Squad (TV Series) |
| 1950 | The Trouble with Father (TV Series) · as Mrs. Selkirk |
| 1950 | The Bob Hope Show (TV Series) · as Lady Fabian |
| 1946 | Little Giant · as Mrs. Hendrickson |
| 1945 | Sunset in El Dorado · as Aunt Dolly / Aunt Arabella |
| 1945 | Diamond Horseshoe · as Mrs. Standish |
| 1945 | The Horn Blows at Midnight · as Mme. Traviata / Miss Rodholder |
| 1944 | Bathing Beauty · as Mrs. Allenwood |
| 1944 | Seven Days Ashore · as Mrs. Croxton-Lynch |
| 1944 | Up in Arms · as Mrs. Willoughby |
| 1943 | The Dancing Masters · as Louise Harlan |
| 1942 | Rhythm Parade · as Ophelia Macdougal |
| 1942 | Tales of Manhattan · as Mme. Langehanke (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Sing Your Worries Away · as Flo Faulkner - Landlady |
| 1942 | Born to Sing · as Mrs. E. V. Lawson |
| 1941 | Never Give a Sucker an Even Break · as Mrs. Hemogloben |
| 1941 | The Big Store · as Martha Phelps |
| 1939 | At the Circus · as Mrs. Suzanna Dukesbury |
| 1939 | The Women · as Mrs. Wagstaff |
| 1938 | Dramatic School · as Pantomime Teacher |
| 1937 | Wise Girl · as Mrs. Bell-Rivington |
| 1937 | High Flyers · as Martha Arlington |
| 1937 | Youth on Parole · as Mrs. Abernathy |
| 1937 | The Life of the Party · as Mrs. Penner |
| 1937 | A Day at the Races · as Emily Upjohn |
| 1936 | Anything Goes · as Mrs. Wentworth |
| 1935 | A Night at the Opera · as Mrs. Claypool |
| 1935 | Rendezvous · as Mrs. Hendricks (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Reckless · as Woman In Audience Yelling 'get Off The Stage' (uncredited) |
| 1935 | After Office Hours · as Mrs. Murchison (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Kentucky Kernels · as Mrs. Baxter |
| 1934 | Gridiron Flash · as Mrs. Fields |
| 1934 | We're Rich Again · as Wedding Guest (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Duck Soup · as Gloria Teasdale |
| 1933 | Storm at Daybreak · as Duchess Sophie (uncredited) |
| 1930 | Animal Crackers · as Mrs. Rittenhouse |
| 1929 | The Cocoanuts · as Mrs. Potter |
| 1917 | A Tale of Two Cities · as Aristocrat (uncredited) |