
Margaret Dumont
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).
Known For






Credits
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Self (archiveFootage)★ NR
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(archive footage)★ NR
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The Hollywood Clowns 1979(archive footage)★ NR
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(archive footage)★ 6.9
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Self (archive footage)★ 5.7
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Self (archive footage)★ 6
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What a Way to Go! 1964Mrs. Foster★ 7
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Zotz! 1962Persephone Updike★ 5.7
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Auntie Mame 1958Noblewoman in Play (uncredited)★ 7
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The Donna Reed Show 1958★ 6.2
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Georgianna Fitzdingle★ 4.6
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Self★ 6
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Mrs. Whitelaw★ 5
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Three for Bedroom C 1952Mrs. Agnes Hawthorne★ NR
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Racket Squad 1951★ 6
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Self★ 6.8
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Little Giant 1946Mrs. Hendrickson★ 5.3
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Sunset in El Dorado 1945Aunt Dolly / Aunt Arabella★ 4.2
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Diamond Horseshoe 1945Mrs. Standish★ 4
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Mme. Traviata / Miss Rodholder★ 5.8
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Bathing Beauty 1944Mrs. Allenwood★ 5.8
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Seven Days Ashore 1944Mrs. Croxton-Lynch★ 4.5
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Up in Arms 1944Mrs. Willoughby★ 6
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The Dancing Masters 1943Louise Harlan★ 6
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Rhythm Parade 1942Ophelia MacDougal★ NR
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Tales of Manhattan 1942Mme. Langehanke (uncredited)★ 6.3
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About Face 1942Mrs. Culpepper★ 6
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Flo Faulkner - Landlady★ 5.5
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Born to Sing 1942Mrs. E. V. Lawson★ 5
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Mrs. Hemogloben★ 6.9
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The Big Store 1941Martha Phelps★ 6.2
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For Beauty's Sake 1941Mrs. Franklin Evans★ NR
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At the Circus 1939Mrs. Suzanna Dukesbury★ 6.3
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Dramatic School 1938Pantomime Teacher★ 6.2
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Wise Girl 1937Mrs. Bell-Rivington★ 7
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High Flyers 1937Martha Arlington★ 7
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Youth on Parole 1937Mrs. Abernathy★ 2.8
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Mrs. Penner★ 5.2
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A Day at the Races 1937Emily Upjohn★ 7.1
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Arbor Day 1936Woman Outside (uncredited)★ 6
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Song and Dance Man 1936Mrs. Whitney★ NR
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Anything Goes 1936Mrs. Wentworth★ 5.3
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A Night at the Opera 1935Mrs. Claypool★ 7.4
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Rendezvous 1935Mrs. Hendricks (uncredited)★ 4.8
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Reckless 1935Woman in Audience Yelling 'Get Off the Stage' (uncredited)★ 5.3
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Gypsy Sweetheart 1935Mrs. Van Updyke★ 1
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After Office Hours 1935Mrs. Murchison (uncredited)★ 6.4
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Kentucky Kernels 1934Mrs. Baxter★ 6.1
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Gridiron Flash 1934Mrs. Fields★ 3.3
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Fifteen Wives 1934Sybilla Crum★ 1
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We're Rich Again 1934Wedding Guest (uncredited)★ 4
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Duck Soup 1933Gloria Teasdale★ 7.3
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Storm at Daybreak 1933Duchess Sophie (uncredited)★ 5.8
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Self★ NR
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Here, Prince 1932The Queen of Deleria (uncredited)★ NR
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The Girl Habit 1931Blanche Ledyard★ NR
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Animal Crackers 1930Mrs. Rittenhouse★ 6.9
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The Cocoanuts 1929Mrs. Potter★ 6.4
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Enemies of Women 1923French Beauty★ 5.2
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A Tale of Two Cities 1917Aristocrat (uncredited)★ 4.8