Margaret Dumont
Born October 19, 1882 (Age: 143)
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Brooklyn, New York, USA
Biography
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).
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).
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Filmography
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults
1999
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as (archive footage)
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Age: 116
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
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as (archive footage)
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Age: 93
What a Way to Go!
1964
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as Mrs. Foster
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Age: 81
Around the World with Nellie Bly
1960
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as Dowager #1
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Age: 77
Rhythm Parade
1942
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as Ophelia MacDougal
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Age: 60
Tales of Manhattan
1942
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as Mme. Langehanke (uncredited)
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Age: 59
About Face
1942
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as Mrs. Culpepper
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Age: 59
Sing Your Worries Away
1942
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as Flo Faulkner - Landlady
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Age: 59
Born to Sing
1942
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as Mrs. E. V. Lawson
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Age: 59
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
1941
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as Mrs. Hemogloben
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Age: 58
The Big Store
1941
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as Martha Phelps
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Age: 58
For Beauty's Sake
1941
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as Mrs. Franklin Evans
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Age: 58
No Image
Here, Prince
1932
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as The Queen of Deleria (uncredited)
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Age: 49
The Girl Habit
1931
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as Blanche Ledyard
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Age: 48