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Emma Dunn

Emma Dunn

Actor · Died December 14, 1966, aged 92 · Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, UK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Emma Dunn (26 February 1875 – 14 December 1966) was an English character actress on the stage and in motion pictures. Emma Dunn 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 made her first film in 1914, a silent film of her 1910 stage success, Mother, directed by Maurice Tourneur. This was Tourneur's first American film. Dunn's second film was 1920's Old Lady 31, reprising the role she played in the 1916 Broadway play of the same name. One more silent film followed in 1924, Pied Piper Malone, before she made her talkie debut in Side Street, co-starring the Moore brothers, Matt, Owen and Tom as her sons. Dunn wrote two books on elocution and speech: Thought Quality in the Voice (1933) and You Can Do It (1947). Emma Dunn was born 26 February 1875, in Birkenhead, England, although she sometimes gave her year of birth as 1883. Dunn married Harry Beresford, an actor who was then known professionally as Harry J. Morgan, in Chicago on 4 October 1897. They divorced on 10 February 1909, in New York City. She was awarded sole custody of their young daughter, Dorothy. On 19 May 1909, Dunn married John W. Stokes (John W. S. Sullivan), an actor, playwright and theatrical manager. They subsequently adopted a second daughter, Helen. The couple divorced sometime between 1923 and Stokes' death in 1931. After suffering a heart attack some months before, Dunn died 14 December 1966, in Los Angeles, California, aged 91.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 24, 1874
Died
December 14, 1966 (aged 92)
From
Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 98 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

What are Emma Dunn's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
33%
Morality
30%
Self
13%
Power
11%
Society
8%
Survival
4%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 13 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 10 · Charged 7 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 12 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 15 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
7
Romantic
8
Tense
8
Joyful
5
Hopeful
7
Other
14

How their films linger

Hopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet8

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Emma Dunn's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Emma Dunn's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

98 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Woman in White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Mrs. Vesey

  • Mourning Becomes Electra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Mrs. Borden

  • Life with Father(1947)

    as Margaret

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Hoodlum Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Maggie

  • My Buddy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Mary Ballinger

  • Are These Our Parents? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Ma Henderson

  • It Happened Tomorrow(1944)

    as Mrs. Keaver (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Bridge of San Luis Rey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Doña Mercedes

  • Minesweeper(1943)

    as Mom Smith

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Hoosier Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Molly Baker

  • When Johnny Comes Marching Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Ma Flanagan

  • I Married a Witch(1942)

    as Wife of Justice of the Peace (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Talk of the Town(1942)

    as Mrs. Shelley

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Postman Didn't Ring(1942)

    as Martha Carter

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Mad Martindales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Agnes

  • Babes on Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Mrs. Williams

  • Rise and Shine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Mrs. Murray

  • Ladies in Retirement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Sister Theresa

  • Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day(1941)

    as Mrs. Martha Kildare

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Scattergood Meets Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Mirandy Baines

  • Scattergood Pulls the Strings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Mirandy Baines

  • The Penalty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as 'Ma' McCormick

  • The Monster and the Girl(1941)

    as Aunt Della (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Scattergood Baines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Mirandy Baines

  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith(1941)

    as Martha

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Great Dictator(1940)

    as Mrs. Jaeckel

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Yesterday's Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Aunt Winnie

  • Dr. Kildare Goes Home(1940)

    as Mrs. Martha Kildare

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Dance, Girl, Dance(1940)

    as Mrs. Simpson

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • One Crowded Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Ma Matthews

  • You Can't Fool Your Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mother Fields

  • Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Martha Kildare

  • Half a Sinner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Granny Gladden

  • Little Orvie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mrs. Welty

  • High School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mrs. O'Neill

  • The Llano Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Doña Teresa

  • The Secret of Dr. Kildare(1939)

    as Martha Kildare

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Hero for a Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Emmy "Moms" Higgins

  • Each Dawn I Die(1939)

    as Mrs. Ross

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Calling Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mrs. Martha Kildare

  • Son of Frankenstein(1939)

    as Amelia

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Duke of West Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mrs. West

  • The Cowboy and the Lady(1938)

    as Ma Hawkins

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Thanks for the Memory(1938)

    as Mrs. Platt

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Young Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mrs. Martha Kildare

  • Three Loves Has Nancy(1938)

    as Mrs. Briggs

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Cowboy from Brooklyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Ma Hardy

  • Lord Jeff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mrs. Briggs

  • Madame X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Rose, Fleuriot's Houskeeper

  • Varsity Show(1937)

    as Mrs. Smith

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Hideaway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Emma Peterson

  • The Emperor's Candlesticks(1937)

    as Anna - Olga's Housekeeper

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Waikiki Wedding(1937)

    as Mother

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Circus Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Molly

  • When You're in Love(1937)

    as Mrs. Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Second Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mrs. Brown

  • The Harvester (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Granny Moreland

  • Mr. Deeds Goes to Town(1936)

    as Mrs. Meredith (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Another Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Sheila's Mother (uncredited)

  • Seven Keys to Baldpate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Mrs. Quimby

  • This Is the Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Mrs. Davis

  • Little Big Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Orphanage Matron

  • The Keeper of the Bees (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Margaret Campbell

  • Ladies Crave Excitement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Mrs. Phelan

  • The Glass Key (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as 'Mom' Madvig

  • George White's 1935 Scandals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Aunt Jane

  • Flirtation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mrs. Poole

  • Dr. Monica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mrs. Monahan

  • The Quitter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Cordelia Tilford

  • Dark Hazard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mrs. Mayhew

  • A Man of Sentiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mrs. John Russell Sr.

  • It's Great to Be Alive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mrs. Wilton

  • Elmer, the Great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mrs. Kane

  • Private Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mrs. Jones

  • Grand Slam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Reporter

  • Hard to Handle(1933)

    as Mrs. Hawks (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Blessed Event(1932)

    as Mrs. Roberts

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Letty Lynton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Mrs. Darrow

  • It's Tough to Be Famous(1932)

    as 'Moms' McClenahan

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Mrs. Sarah Cohen

  • The Wet Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Mrs. Chilcote

  • Hell's House(1932)

    as Emma Clark

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Broken Lullaby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Frau Miller

  • Under Eighteen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Mrs. Evans (uncredited)

  • Compromised (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Mrs. Squires

  • The Guilty Generation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Nina Palmero

  • Morals for Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Mrs. Hutson

  • Bad Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Emma

  • This Modern Age(1931)

    as Margaret Blake

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Too Young to Marry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Mrs. Bumpstead

  • The Bad Sister (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Mrs. Madison

  • The Prodigal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Mrs. Farraday

  • Manslaughter(1930)

    as Miss Bennett

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Texan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Señora Doña Marguerita Granadas-Ibarra

  • Side Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Nora O'Farrell

  • Pied Piper Malone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Mother Malone

  • Old Lady 31 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    as Angie Rose

  • Mother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Mrs. Wetherell

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 98 titles from 1914 to 1948.

Biggest box office

The Great Dictator (1940)

$972K worldwide

Highest rated

The Great Dictator (1940)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting98 of 98: 98 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64th

By decade

1910s1 · acting1920s3 · acting1930s59 · acting1940s35 · acting

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 0% of 16 roles
3141

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Emma Dunn's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 29; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

This Modern Age (1931)

81st percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Great Dictator (1940)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Emma Dunn's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 9 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 6 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 18 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Emma Dunn work with?

People who share at least 2 of Emma Dunn's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Harold S. Bucquet shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Mixed roles