Job Actress
Years active 1902-1910, 1917-1964
Known for Comic foil to Groucho Marx; sophisticated but slightly confused wealthy dowagers
Top Roles Woman in Audience Yelling 'Get Off the Stage', Mme. Traviata / Miss Rodholder, Mrs. Foster, Louise Harlan, Mrs. Wagstaff
Top GenresComedy, Musical, Drama, Romance, Crime, Action
Top TopicsSlapstick, Romance (Comic), Spies
Top Collaborators , , , (Director)
Shares birthday with Anna Neagle, Rex Ingram, B?la Lugosi  see more..

Margaret Dumont Overview:

Legendary character actress, Margaret Dumont, was born Daisy Juliette Baker on Oct 20, 1882 in Brooklyn, NY. Dumont appeared in over 55 film and television roles. Her best known films include (most famously) seven Marx Brothers films (listed below). Dumont died at the age of 82 on Mar 6, 1965 in Hollywood, CA and was laid to rest in Chapel Of The Pines Crematory (ashes in vaultage) Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA.

MINI BIO:

Tall, stately Margaret Dumont, built along dowager duchess lines, started her career as a singer, but became the world's best-loved comedy foil when she started working, at first on stage, then in films with the Marx Brothers. Groucho always insisted that she didn't understand the jokes. She died from a heart attack a few days after a TV sketch with Groucho.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Illustrated Dictionary of Film Character Actors).

DUMONT / MARX BROTHERS FILMS:

Margaret Dumont appeared in SEVEN Marx Brothers films: as Mrs. Potter in The Cocoanuts (1929), Mrs. Rittenhouse in Animal Crackers (1930), Mrs. Teasdale in Duck Soup (1933), Mrs. Claypool in A Night at the Opera (1935), Mrs. Upjohn in A Day at the Races (1937), Mrs. Dukesbury in At the Circus (1939), and Martha Phelps in The Big Store (1941).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Dumont was never nominated for an Academy Award.

BlogHub Articles:

Screen Teams: and Groucho Marx

By Amanda Garrett on May 26, 2018 From Old Hollywood Films

Groucho Marx and share a soda in At the Circus (1939). This article is part of the Dynamic Duos in Classic Film Blogathon hosted by Once Upon a Screen and Classic Movie Hub. and Groucho Marx were one of the great comedy teams in classic movies. Despite their obv... Read full article


O quinto irm?o Marx: / The fifth Marx brother:

By L? on Dec 16, 2016 From Critica Retro

O quinto irm?o Marx: / The fifth Marx brother: Equil?brio. Balance. Equil?brio ? o que todos n?s devemos tentar alcan?ar na vida, e tamb?m na arte. A vida – e a arte – sem equil?brio ? apenas exagero, e isso nunca ? bom. Quem vive uma vida se... Read full article


Dynamic Duos in Classic Film: Groucho Marx and

By Annmarie Gatti on Jul 13, 2013 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Groucho Marx and : Maybe not the most romantic Dynamic Duo in Classic Film — but certainly one of the funniest… I’ve been a huge fan of The Marx Brothers ever since I was a little kid (thanks to my father) — and to this day I still laugh out loud when I watch t... Read full article


Classic Movie Legend Tribute:

By Annmarie Gatti on Oct 20, 2012 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, , born on October 20, 1882! I must say that is one of my favorite Character Actresses of all time! And, although she has appeared in over 55 films, I just can’t help but associate her with the Marx Brothers, so much so, in ... Read full article


, WHAT A CHARACTER!

By Aurora on Sep 21, 2012 From Once Upon a Screen

... Read full article


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Margaret Dumont Quotes:

Ouliotta Delight Hemogloben: Do you think he drinks?
Mrs. Hemogloben: He didn't get that nose from playing ping-pong.


Mrs. Claypool: If you had any real feeling for me you'd stop associating with the kind of riffraff I've seen you going around with.
Otis B. Driftwood: You mean Gottlieb?
Mrs. Claypool: I mean those two uncouth men I saw you around the opera house with. I'm very grateful they're not on board the boat.
Otis B. Driftwood: [gets up from his chair, concerned] Why, have they slipped off?
Mrs. Claypool: [pulls him back into his chair] Sit down!


Mrs. Upjohn: Hugo, I mean, Dr. Hackenbush, always insisted on treating me in my home. Why I didn't know there was a thing the matter with me until I met him.


read more quotes from Margaret Dumont...



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Margaret Dumont Facts
She was bald and wore wigs for several years on and off camera.

Her screen persona was that of a stolid, wealthy society matron, which is exactly what she was: her husband, John Moller, was a millionaire industrialist, and she often commuted to filming locations from her mansions in Palm Springs, California, and Paris, France.

Last appearance of any kind was on the TV show "The Hollywood Palace" (1964) in 1965, reprising her role as Groucho Marx's straight woman. She died just days later.

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