Douglass Dumbrille
Encyclopedia
Douglass Dumbrille was a Canadian
actor and one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood
.
. As a young man, he was employed as a bank clerk in Hamilton while pursuing an interest in acting. He eventually left banking to work with a stock company
that led him to Chicago, Illinois and a job with another stock company that toured the United States
. In 1913, the East Coast film industry was flourishing and that year he appeared in the film What Eighty Million Women Want, but it would be another 11 years before he appeared on screen again. In 1924, he made his Broadway
debut and worked off and on in the theatre for several years while supplementing his income with sales jobs, selling car accessories, tea, insurance, real estate, books, etc.
During the Great Depression
, Dumbrille moved to the West Coast where he specialized in playing secondary character roles to the great stars of the day. His physical appearance and suave voice made him perfect for the role of the slick politician, shyster businessman, crooked sheriff, or unscrupulous lawyer. A consummate professional, he was highly regarded by the studios and was sought out by Cecil B. DeMille
, Frank Capra
, Hal Roach
and other Hollywood directing greats. A friend of fellow Canadian-born director Allan Dwan
, Dumbrille played Athos
in Dwan’s 1939 adaptation of The Three Musketeers
.
Over his long and successful career, Douglass Dumbrille had roles in more than 200 motion pictures, and with the advent of television he made numerous appearances throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He had the unusual ability to project the right balance of menace and pomposity required to be an effective heavy in comedy films, such as those of the Marx Brothers
or Abbott and Costello
. He played the same role in Capra's 1934
film Broadway Bill
and the 1950
remake, Riding High. He also appeared in DeMille's 1938
version of The Buccaneer
and twenty years later in the 1958 color remake
.
After a long marriage, his wife Jessie Lawson died in 1958. In 1960, at age 70, Dumbrille caused a stir when he married Patricia Mowbray, the 28-year-old daughter of his friend and fellow actor Alan Mowbray
. In response to criticism of the May–December marriage, Dumbrille had a succinct answer: "Age doesn’t mean a blasted thing. The important thing is whether two people can be happy together. Pat and I agreed that I had some years left and we could best share them together. We don’t give a continental damn what other people think."
Dumbrille's final screen role was portraying a doctor in an episode of the Batman
TV show in February, 1966.
Douglass Dumbrille died from a heart attack
on April 2, 1974 in Woodland Hills, California.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
actor and one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood
Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood
Motion pictures have been a part of the culture of Canada since the beginning.-History:Around 1910, the East Coast filmmakers began to take advantage of California winters and after Nestor Studios, run by Canadian Al Christie, built the first permanent movie studio in Hollywood a number of the...
.
Life and career
Douglass Dumbrille was born in Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. As a young man, he was employed as a bank clerk in Hamilton while pursuing an interest in acting. He eventually left banking to work with a stock company
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
that led him to Chicago, Illinois and a job with another stock company that toured the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1913, the East Coast film industry was flourishing and that year he appeared in the film What Eighty Million Women Want, but it would be another 11 years before he appeared on screen again. In 1924, he made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut and worked off and on in the theatre for several years while supplementing his income with sales jobs, selling car accessories, tea, insurance, real estate, books, etc.
During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Dumbrille moved to the West Coast where he specialized in playing secondary character roles to the great stars of the day. His physical appearance and suave voice made him perfect for the role of the slick politician, shyster businessman, crooked sheriff, or unscrupulous lawyer. A consummate professional, he was highly regarded by the studios and was sought out by Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
, Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
, Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
and other Hollywood directing greats. A friend of fellow Canadian-born director Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:...
, Dumbrille played Athos
Athos (fictional character)
Olivier d'Athos de la Fère, Comte de la Fère is a fictional character, a Musketeer of the Guard in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père....
in Dwan’s 1939 adaptation of The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers (1939 film)
The Three Musketeers is a 1939 musical comedy film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas, père's novel of the same name. Don Ameche stars as D'Artagnan, with the Ritz Brothers as his cowardly helpers.-Cast:*Don Ameche as D'Artagnan...
.
Over his long and successful career, Douglass Dumbrille had roles in more than 200 motion pictures, and with the advent of television he made numerous appearances throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He had the unusual ability to project the right balance of menace and pomposity required to be an effective heavy in comedy films, such as those of the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
or Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
. He played the same role in Capra's 1934
1934 in film
-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
film Broadway Bill
Broadway Bill
Broadway Bill is an American horse-racing - comedy film from 1934, directed by Frank Capra and starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy. In the UK the film was released as Strictly Confidential...
and the 1950
1950 in film
The year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:*Ambush...
remake, Riding High. He also appeared in DeMille's 1938
1938 in film
The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
version of The Buccaneer
The Buccaneer (1938 film)
The Buccaneer is a 1938 American adventure film made by Paramount Pictures based on Jean Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. It was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille from a screenplay by Harold Lamb, Edwin Justus Mayer and C. Gardner Sullivan adapted by Jeanie...
and twenty years later in the 1958 color remake
The Buccaneer (1958 film)
The Buccaneer is a 1958 War film, made by Paramount Pictures like the 1938 version and shot in Technicolor and VistaVision. It takes place during the War of 1812, and tells a heavily fictionalized version of how the pirate Jean Lafitte helped in the Battle of New Orleans and how he had to choose...
.
After a long marriage, his wife Jessie Lawson died in 1958. In 1960, at age 70, Dumbrille caused a stir when he married Patricia Mowbray, the 28-year-old daughter of his friend and fellow actor Alan Mowbray
Alan Mowbray
Alan Mowbray MM, , was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood.Born Alfred Ernest Allen in London, England, he served with distinction the British Army in World War I, being awarded the Military Medal for bravery...
. In response to criticism of the May–December marriage, Dumbrille had a succinct answer: "Age doesn’t mean a blasted thing. The important thing is whether two people can be happy together. Pat and I agreed that I had some years left and we could best share them together. We don’t give a continental damn what other people think."
Dumbrille's final screen role was portraying a doctor in an episode of the Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
TV show in February, 1966.
Douglass Dumbrille died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on April 2, 1974 in Woodland Hills, California.
Selected filmography
- The Declaration of Independence (1924)
- The Symphony Murder Mystery (1932)
- The Wiser SexThe Wiser SexThe Wiser Sex is a 1932 crime drama film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Berthold Viertel and Victor Viertel, and starring Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas, Lilyan Tashman, William Boyd and Ross Alexander....
(1932) - King of the Jungle (1933)
- Baby FaceBaby Face (film)Baby Face is a 1933 American dramatic film directed by Alfred E. Green, and starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent. Based on a story by Darryl F. Zanuck , this sexually-charged, Pre-Code Hollywood film is about an attractive young woman who uses sex to advance her social and financial status...
(1933) - Lady KillerLady Killer (1933 film)Lady Killer is a 1933 film starring James Cagney, Mae Clarke, and Margaret Lindsay, based on the story "The Finger Man" by Rosalind Keating Shaffer.-Cast:*James Cagney as Dan Quigley*Mae Clarke as Myra Gale*Margaret Lindsay as Lois Underwood...
(1933) - Treasure IslandTreasure Island (1934 film)Treasure Island is a 1934 movie adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous 1883 novel Treasure Island. Jim Hawkins discovers a treasure map and travels on a sailing ship to a remote island, but pirates led by Long John Silver threaten to take away the honest seafarers’ riches and...
(1934) as Israel Hands - Broadway BillBroadway BillBroadway Bill is an American horse-racing - comedy film from 1934, directed by Frank Capra and starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy. In the UK the film was released as Strictly Confidential...
(1934) - The Lives of a Bengal LancerThe Lives of a Bengal LancerThe Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a 1935 American adventure film loosely adapted from the 1930 book of the same name by Francis Yeats-Brown. The plot of the movie, which bears little resemblance to Yeats-Brown's memoir, concerns British soldiers defending the borders of India against rebellious...
(1935) - Love Me ForeverLove Me ForeverLove Me Forever is a 1935 American drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Sound Recording .-Cast:* Grace Moore as Margaret Howard* Leo Carrillo as Steve Corelli...
(1935) - Naughty Marietta (1935)
- Cardinal RichelieuCardinal Richelieu (film)Cardinal Richelieu is a 1935 American historical film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring George Arliss, Maureen O'Sullivan, Edward Arnold and Cesar Romero...
(1935) - The Public Menace (1935)
- The Lone Wolf Returns (1935)
- Mr. Deeds Goes to TownMr. Deeds Goes to TownMr. Deeds Goes to Town is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Frank Capra, and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur in her first featured role...
(1936) - The Princess Comes AcrossThe Princess Comes AcrossReleased by Paramount in 1936, The Princess Comes Across is a film starring Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray.-Plot:A mixture of screwball comedy and murder mystery, a Swedish princess with a secret and a concertina-playing band leader with a past board the liner Mammoth, bound for New York...
(1936) - A Day at the RacesA Day at the Races (film)Further reading* Elisabeth Buxbaum: Veronika, der Lenz ist da. Walter Jurmann – Ein Musiker zwischen den Welten und Zeiten. Mit einem Werkverzeichnis von Alexander Sieghardt. Edition Steinbauer, Wien 2006, ISBN 3-902494-18-2-External links:*...
(1937) - The Emperor's CandlesticksThe Emperor's Candlesticks (film)The Emperor's Candlesticks is a 1937 film starring William Powell and Luise Rainer, based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. It was directed by George Fitzmaurice.-Plot:...
(1937) - Ali Baba Goes to TownAli Baba Goes to TownAli Baba Goes to Town is a 1937 movie starring Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, and Roland Young. Cantor plays a hobo named Aloysius "Al" Babson, who walks into the camp of a movie company that is making the Arabian Nights. He falls asleep and dreams he is in Baghdad as an advisor to the Sultan...
(1937) - The BuccaneerThe Buccaneer (1938 film)The Buccaneer is a 1938 American adventure film made by Paramount Pictures based on Jean Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. It was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille from a screenplay by Harold Lamb, Edwin Justus Mayer and C. Gardner Sullivan adapted by Jeanie...
(1938) - Fast CompanyFast Company (1938 film)Fast Company is a 1938 mystery film starring Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice as married rare-book dealers who try to solve a murder case. It was based on the novel of the same name by "Marco Page"...
(1938) - The Mysterious RiderThe Mysterious RiderThe Mysterious Rider is a 1938 American film directed by Lesley Selander.The film is also known as Mark of the Avenger.- Cast :*Douglass Dumbrille as Pecos Bill / Ben Wade *Sidney Toler as Frosty Kilburn...
(1938) - The Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers (1939 film)The Three Musketeers is a 1939 musical comedy film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas, père's novel of the same name. Don Ameche stars as D'Artagnan, with the Ritz Brothers as his cowardly helpers.-Cast:*Don Ameche as D'Artagnan...
(1939) as Athos - Charlie Chan at Treasure IslandCharlie Chan at Treasure IslandCharlie Chan at Treasure Island is a 1939 American film directed by Norman Foster, starring Sidney Toler as the fictional Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan, that takes place on Treasure Island during San Francisco's Golden Gate International Exposition.-Cast:* Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan*...
(1939) - Charlie Chan in City in DarknessCharlie Chan in City in DarknessCharlie Chan in City in Darkness, also titled City in Darkness, is a 1939 mystery film starring Sidney Toler in his fourth performance as detective Charlie Chan.-Cast:*Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan*Lynn Bari as Marie Dubon...
(1939) - Virginia CityVirginia City (film)Virginia City is a 1940 black-and-white movie starring Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, and Randolph Scott, and featuring a mustachioed Humphrey Bogart in the role of the real-life outlaw John Murrell. The film was directed by Michael Curtiz...
(1940)
- Road to ZanzibarRoad to ZanzibarRoad to Zanzibar is a 1941 Paramount Pictures comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, and marked the second picture in the popular "Road to …" series made by the trio....
(1941) - The Big StoreThe Big StoreThe Big Store is a Marx Brothers comedy film in which Groucho, Chico and Harpo work to save the Phelps Department Store, owned by Martha Phelps . Groucho plays her detective and bodyguard Wolf J...
(1941) - Castle in the DesertCastle in the DesertCastle in the Desert is a 1942 film featuring the Asian detective Charlie Chan. It was the eleventh film to feature Sidney Toler as the title character, and the last made by 20th Century Fox...
(1942) - Stand by for ActionStand by for ActionStand by for Action is a 1942 war film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Robert Taylor, Brian Donlevy and Charles Laughton and featuring Walter Brennan. Suggested by a story by Laurence Kirk, and with an original story by Captain Harvey Haislip and R. C. Sherriff, the film's screenplay was...
(1943) - Uncertain GloryUncertain Glory-Plot:During World War II, Jean Picard is a convicted killer being led to the guillotine; he escapes during an air raid. He is captured by French Sûreté Inspector Marcel Bonet . They learn that a bridge has been blown up by three saboteurs, and that the Germans have taken 100 hostages who will be...
(1944) - Jungle WomanJungle WomanJungle Woman is a 1944 horror film released by Universal Pictures. The movie features Evelyn Ankers, J. Carrol Naish, Samuel S. Hinds, Lois Collier, Milburn Stone, Douglass Dumbrille, and Acquanetta...
(1944) - Forty Thieves (1944)
- Pardon My Past (1945)
- Road to UtopiaRoad to UtopiaRoad to Utopia, filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, is the fourth film of the "Road to …" series starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.-Plot:After the credits we see Sal and Chester Hooton, an old married couple...
(1945) - Under Nevada SkiesUnder Nevada SkiesUnder Nevada Skies is a 1946 American film starring Roy Rogers....
(1945) - The Cat CreepsThe Cat CreepsThe Cat Creeps is a crime/mystery film, and a sound remake of The Cat and the Canary . It is one of the many lost films of the early talkie film era....
(1946) - Monsieur BeaucaireMonsieur Beaucaire (1946 film)Monsieur Beaucaire is a 1946 comedy film starring Bob Hope as the title character, the barber of King Louis XV of France. It is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington.-Cast:*Bob Hope as Monsieur Beaucaire*Joan Caulfield as Mimi...
(1946) - Spook BustersSpook BustersSpook Busters is a 1946 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the fourth film in the series.-Plot:All of the boys have just graduated from school where they learned exterminating, except for Sach who flunked out. They set up their new business in a corner of Louie's Sweet Shop...
(1946) - Tell It to the JudgeTell It to the JudgeTell It to the Judge is a 1949 romantic comedy film starring Rosalind Russell as a divorcee who tries to get her ex-husband, played by Robert Cummings, back.-Cast:*Rosalind Russell as Marsha Meredith*Robert Cummings as Peter B...
(1949) - Abbott and Costello in the Foreign LegionAbbott and Costello in the Foreign LegionAbbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion is a 1950 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.-Plot:Bud Jones and Lou Hotchkiss are wrestling promoters. Their star, Abdullah , no longer wishes to follow the script for their crooked matches, especially since he is supposed to lose his...
(1950) - Riding HighRiding High (1950 film)Riding High is a black and white musical racetrack film featuring Bing Crosby and directed by Frank Capra in which the songs were actually sung as the movie was being filmed instead of the customary lip-synching to previous recordings. The movie is a remake of an earlier Capra film called...
(1950) - remake of Broadway Bill - Son of PalefaceSon of PalefaceSon of Paleface , is a western comedy film and sequel to The Paleface , directed by Frank Tashlin and written by Tashlin, Joseph Quillan and Robert L. Welch. It stars Bob Hope, Jane Russell and Roy Rogers.-Plot:...
(1952) - Julius CaesarJulius Caesar (1953 film)Julius Caesar is an 1953 MGM film adaptation of the play by Shakespeare, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who also wrote the uncredited screenplay, and produced by John Houseman. The original music score is by Miklós Rózsa...
(1953) as Lepidus - Captain John Smith and PocahontasCaptain John Smith and PocahontasCaptain John Smith and Pocahontas is a 1953 American historical film directed by Lew Landers. The distributor was United Artists. It stars Anthony Dexter, Jody Lawrance and Alan Hale. It depicts the foundation of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia by English settlers and the relationship between...
(1953) as Chief PowhatanChief PowhatanChief Powhatan , whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh , was the paramount chief of Tsenacommacah, an alliance of Algonquian-speaking Virginia Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia at the time English settlers landed at Jamestown in 1607... - A Life at StakeA Life at StakeA Life at Stake is a 1954 American film directed by Paul Guilfoyle.The film is also known as Key Man.- Plot summary :Down on his luck architect and builder Edward Shaw is approached by Mrs Doris Hillman with a business proposal: buying land together, on which he would build houses that she would...
(1954) - Jupiter's DarlingJupiter's DarlingJupiters Darling is the twelfth studio album released by the band Heart. The album was a minor success, peaking at number ninety-four on the U.S. Billboard 200. Two singles were released simultaneously: "The Oldest Story in the World" and "The Perfect Goodbye".This album marked a return to Heart's...
(1955) - Davy Crockett and the River PiratesDavy Crockett and the River PiratesDavy Crockett and the River Pirates is a 1956 live-action Walt Disney adventure film starring Fess Parker as Davy Crockett. It was shot in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois...
(1956) as Saloon owner (uncredited) - The Ten CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments (1956 film)The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...
(1956) as JannesIannesJannes and Jambres, or sometimes Johanai and Mamre, or Iannes and Mambres, or Janis and Jamberes, are names traditionally given to the magicians who contended with Moses and Aaron and were discomfited by the Hebrew leaders in the Hebrew Bible Book of Exodus.-Hebrew Bible:According to Exodus 7:10-12... - High TimeHigh Time (film)High Time is a 1960 collegiate comedic film, directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bing Crosby. The film is told from the perspective of a middle-aged man who enters the world of a new generation of postwar youth...
(1960) - Shock Treatment (1964)