Douglass Dumbrille
Date of birth: 1889-10-12
Place of birth: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Douglass Rupert Dumbrille, Douglas Dumbrille, Douglas Dunbrile
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Douglass Rupert Dumbrille (October 13, 1889 – April 2, 1974) was a Canadian actor and one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood. 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 by selling such products as car accessories, tea, insurance, real estate, and books. During the Great Depression, Dumbrille moved to the West Coast of the U.S., where he specialized in playing secondary character roles alongside the great stars of the day. His physical appearance and suave voice equipped him for roles as slick politician, corrupt businessman, crooked sheriff, or unscrupulous lawyer. He was highly regarded by the studios and was sought out by Cecil B. DeMille, Frank Capra, Hal Roach and other prominent Hollywood filmmakers. A friend of fellow Canadian-born director Allan Dwan, Dumbrille played Athos in Dwan’s 1939 adaptation of The Three Musketeers. Dumbrille had roles in more than 200 motion pictures and, with the advent of television, made numerous appearances in the 1950s and 1960s. He had the ability to project a balance of menace and pomposity in roles as the "heavy" in comedy films, such as those of the Marx Brothers or Abbott and Costello.
Movie Credits
Blondie of the Follies
1932-09-01
New York City tenement dwelling neighbors Blondie and Lottie are longtime best friends. When Lottie
The Buccaneer
1958-12-11
During the War of 1812 against Britain: General Andrew Jackson has only 1,200 men left to defend New
Julius Caesar
1953-06-04
The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassi
Son of Paleface
1952-07-14
Peter Potter Jr. returns to claim his father's gold, which is nowhere to be found.
The Ten Commandments
1956-10-05
Escaping death, a Hebrew infant is raised in a royal household to become a prince. Upon discovery of
Road to Zanzibar
1941-04-11
Stranded in Africa, Chuck and his pal Fearless have comic versions of jungle adventures, featuring t
The Princess Comes Across
1936-05-22
A Swedish princess boards an ocean liner in Europe en route to an acting career in America and finds
A Day at the Races
1937-06-11
Doctor Hugo Hackenbush, Tony, and Stuffy try and save Judy's sanitarium by winning a big race with a
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936-04-09
Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life. When a relative dies and
Allen in Movieland
1955-07-02
TV goes Hollywood when Steve Allen visits Universal-International to prepare for his upcoming title
City in Darkness
1939-11-15
Chan, in Paris for a reunion with friends from World War I, becomes involved in investigating the mu
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
1939-08-31
Charlie Chan's investigation of a blackmail-induced suicide as a case of murder leads him into a wor
The Big Store
1941-06-20
A detective is hired to protect the life of a singer, who has recently inherited a department store,
Baby Face
1933-07-13
A young woman uses her body and her sexuality to help her climb the social ladder, but soon begins t
World for Ransom
1954-01-31
In Singapore, a private detective and the British authorities are on the trail of a crime syndicate
Road to Utopia
1946-02-27
While on a ship to Skagway, Alaska, Duke and Chester find a map to a secret gold mine, which had bee
The Rustler's Roundup
1933-03-16
Winters is after the Brand ranch, and his man Brett who is foreman there is rustling the Brand stock
Castle in the Desert
1942-02-02
Charlie Chan, with son Jimmy on a week's pass from the Army, takes up a request for help at a castle
The Savage Horde
1950-05-22
A charismatic gunfighter who is on the run takes refuge in a frontier cattle town and attempts to he
Riders of the Whistling Pines
1949-03-16
While trailing Forest Ranger Charles Carter, who is suspected of permitting lumber man Henry Mitchel
Du Barry Was a Lady
1943-08-13
Hat check man Louis Blore is in love with nightclub star May Daly. May, however, is in love with a p
Lady Killer
1933-12-09
An ex-gang member tries to resist his old cohorts' criminal influence after he suddenly becomes a Ho
The Firefly
1937-11-05
Nina Maria Azara is the beautiful and alluring singing spy for Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. Her
Crime and Punishment
1935-11-22
Former student Raskolnikov is pushed to murder when struggling to pay the rent on his apartment. Whe
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
1935-01-11
In the Northwest Frontier of India, the 41st Bengal Lancers led by the harsh Colonel Tom Stone are h
Naughty Marietta
1935-03-29
In order to avoid a prearranged marriage, a rebellious French princess sheds her identity and escape
Elmer, the Great
1933-04-29
Baseball star Elmer Kane leaves the little town of Gentryville, Indiana, to join the Chicago Cubs, w
The Frozen Ghost
1945-06-01
When a man dies of a heart attack, a stage and radio mentalist believes he has willed him to die bec
Unknown Woman
1935-06-21
A young attorney, Larry Condon, is on a retainer by a nightclub-owning gangster, to carry and delive
Buccaneer's Girl
1950-03-01
A New Orleans performer loves a pirate who robs only from the shipowner who ruined his father.
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
1941-08-14
Several days after one of his company's dams burst, ruining the life savings of several investors, a
Forty Thieves
1944-06-23
When he runs for sheriff, Hoppy is beaten by Jerry Doyle, the gutless wonder voted for by every croo
False Colors
1943-11-05
Before he was killed by Mark Foster's men, Bud Lawton willed part ownership in his ranch to Hoppy an
Lumberjack
1944-04-28
Julie's husband has been murdered and land agents want her to sign away her property rights. Hoppy w
Under Nevada Skies
1946-08-26
Rodeo star Roy Rogers returns home to find that his old friend Tom Craig has been murdered after he
A Life at Stake
1955-03-01
An out-of-work architect meets a married woman who has a business proposition for him. The architect
The Emperor's Candlesticks
1937-07-02
Spies on opposite sides fall in love in pre-revolutionary Russia.
Spook Busters
1946-08-24
The Bowery Boys--Slip, Sach, Bobby, Whitey & Chuck--start their own exterminating service, and g
Plunder of the Sun
1953-08-26
An American insurance adjuster, stranded in Havana, becomes involved with an archaeologist and a col
Peter Ibbetson
1935-11-07
When his mother dies, young Peter Ibbetson leaves Paris and his best friend, Mary, behind to live wi
Broadway Bill
1934-11-30
Tycoon J.L. Higgins controls his whole family, but one of his sons-in-law, Dan Brooks, and his daugh
Harold Teen
1934-04-07
A young reporter pines for his high-school sweetheart, but she's preoccupied with appearing in their
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
1939-04-07
In Puerto Rico to investigate a glut of contraband diamonds that are flooding the world's jewel mark
Christmas Eve
1947-10-31
The greedy nephew of eccentric Matilda Reid seeks to have her judged incompetent so he can administe
The Catman of Paris
1946-04-20
When author Charles Regnier returns to Paris with a best-selling book that criticizes the government
A Gentleman After Dark
1942-04-16
A greedy woman betrays her jewel thief husband to the police, for the reward. Her husband's friend,
Thunder Afloat
1939-09-15
A tugboat captain serves under his rival as a U-boat chaser in World War I.
I Loved a Woman
1933-09-23
The son of a ruthless meatpacking king goes through a number of changes in ideals and motivations as
Tell No Tales
1939-06-12
A newspaper editor turns a kidnapping into the banner headlines and exclusive story that could save
Ali Baba Goes to Town
1937-10-29
While visiting Hollywood a starstruck movie fan (Eddie Cantor) fantasizes about himself cast in an A
Laughter in Hell
1933-01-12
In the late 1800s, a man is sentenced to life at hard labor for killing his wife and her lover.
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
1956-11-01
A TV star meets with opposition from adults who object to the opening of a rock 'n' roll palace for
Michael Shayne: Private Detective
1940-12-19
Millionaire sportsman Hiram Brighton hires gumshoe Michael Shayne to keep his spoiled daughter Phyll
Murder Among Friends
1941-02-28
A society doctor helps an insurance-company file clerk check deaths related to a big policy.
The Three Musketeers
1939-02-17
A parodic remake of the story of the young Gascon D'Artagnan, who arrives in Paris, his heart set on
Slightly Honorable
1939-12-22
A lawyer is framed for the murder of a young party girl and tries to clear his name.
Riding High
1950-04-12
A horse trainer who has fallen on hard times looks to his horse, Broadway Bill, to finally win the b
The Music Goes 'Round
1936-02-27
Harry Wallace (Harry Richman) is the star of a musical comedy who, while on a leave of absence from
Apache War Smoke
1952-09-25
An outlaw murders several Apaches and flees to a stagecoach way station with the tribe in hot pursui
A Medal for Benny
1945-04-16
Outcast Benny Martin joined the army to escape public scorn. But when townspeople learn that he is t
Jupiter's Darling
1955-02-18
Rome is on the verge of being conquered by Hannibal. While Rome's ruler, Fabius Maximus, plots a def
The Kangaroo Kid
1950-10-22
A 19th-century San Francisco detective named Tex Kinnane is sent "Down Under" to nab shyster lawyer
The Buccaneer
1938-02-04
French pirate Jean Lafitte rescues a girl and joins the War of 1812.
It's a Joke, Son!
1947-01-15
Claghorn gets into some financial difficulties and is forced by a machine-political gang to enter a
Sky Full of Moon
1952-12-12
A cowboy seeks fame and fortune in Las Vegas where he meets a girl working in a casino.
Hard to Handle
1933-01-28
A hustling public relations man promotes a series of fads.
Kentucky
1938-12-30
Young lovers Jack and Sally are from families that compete to send horses to the 1938 Kentucky Derby
Night in Paradise
1946-05-03
Aesop of fable fame poses as an old man and woos away a princess who wants a king for his gold.
Fast Company
1938-07-05
Married book-dealers Joel & Garda Sloane try to clear a friend in the murder of a rival book-seller.
Stolen Heaven
1938-05-11
Two attractive jewel thieves, one female (Olympe Bradna), one male (Gene Raymond) escape together af
You May Be Next!
1936-02-05
Gangster tries to censor a crusading radio station by jamming its signal.
The Public Menace
1935-09-30
1935 comedy in which an immigrant (Jean Arthur), a reporter (George Murphy) and a gangster (Douglass
The Lone Wolf and His Lady
1949-08-11
A newspaper man, and former jewel thief, is accused of gem theft.
Last of the Wild Horses
1948-12-27
A cowboy must clear himself of a murder he did not commit.
Journal of a Crime
1934-03-10
A woman murders her husband's mistress and someone else gets accused of the crime.
The World Changes
1933-11-25
Generational saga tracing the events in the lives of the midwest pioneering Nordholm family, as seen
Air Hawks
1935-05-07
A small, independent air delivery service is menaced by a mad scientist with a death ray machine th
The Fabulous Texan
1947-11-09
A couple of Confederate soldiers, returning home from the Civil War, find Texas transformed into an
Scaramouche
1952-05-08
In 18th-century France, a young man masquerades as an actor to avenge his friend's murder.
The Pride of the Legion
1932-10-17
After suffering a traumatic injury, a policeman resigns from the force and, after he's saved from a
Pardon My Past
1945-12-24
Eddie York is mistaken for playboy Francis Pemberton and gets into trouble.
Alimony
1949-06-11
A promising young composer is tempted away from his devoted wife by a fortune-seeking woman who care
The Door Knocker
1931-11-07
Al St. John working as a door-to-door book salesman.
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
1942-06-26
This historical drama tells the story of the first class to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy
Gypsy Wildcat
1944-08-02
In an unspecified Renaissance kingdom, no sooner has Anube's gypsy tribe encamped near Baron Tovar's
Jungle Queen
1945-01-22
A young girl journeys to Africa to find her father, an explorer who vanished in the jungle.
South of Pago Pago
1940-07-19
Sent by cutthroat pirates to turn Kehane’s head while they loot his island paradise of a fortune in
His Woman
1931-11-20
Tough Caribbean freighter Captain Sam Whelan engages Sally Clark, a tramp masquerading as a missiona
Rapture
1952-12-13
Artist Pietro Leoni is preoccupied with feminine beauty. While walking near an old castle in Italy,
The Mysterious Rider
1938-09-21
Ben Wade and his partner Frosty return to Bellounds' ranch where twenty years earlier Wade was wante
Washington Melodrama
1941-04-17
An elderly businessman plans what he thinks is an innocent night on the town while his wife is away.
Dynamite
1949-01-18
Two members of a dynamite crew--a rugged veteran and a young college drop-out--finds themselves at o
M'Liss
1936-07-27
The third film version of the Bret Harte tale, starring Anne Shirley as a miner's daughter in a smal
The Lone Wolf Returns
1935-12-31
Once a jewel thief always a jewel thief? Yes and no. Yes if you consider the fact that Michael Lanya
Operator 13
1934-06-08
American Civil War, 1862. After the disaster of the Second Battle of Bull Run, Major Allen, chief of
The Working Man
1933-04-20
A successful shoe manufacturer named John Reeves goes on vacation and meets the grown children of hi
Johnny Cool
1963-10-02
A deported gangster trains an Italian convict to take over his operations in the U.S.
Jungle Woman
1944-06-01
Paula, the ape woman, has survived the ending of CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN and is running around a creepy o
Treasure Island
1934-08-17
In this early film adaptation of the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, young Jim Hawkins is c
Woman in Distress
1937-01-17
Investigating rumors that a priceless Rembrandt, believed destroyed years ago, is actually in the po
Fog Over Frisco
1934-06-02
Val takes the assistance of a society reporter and a journalist to investigate the disappearance of
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1941-11-17
Two peanut vendors at a rodeo show get in trouble with their boss and hide out on a railroad train h
Hi, Nellie!
1934-01-20
Managing Editor Brad Bradshaw refuses to run a story linking the disappearance of Frank Canfield wit
Virginia City
1940-03-23
Union officer Kerry Bradford escapes from a Confederate prison and races to intercept $5 million in
King of the Jungle
1933-03-10
A white youth raised in the jungle by animals is captured by a safari and brought back to civilizati
The Lawless Rider
1954-07-01
Johnny Carpenter plays a taciturn sheriff who disguises himself as a notorious gunslinger. His missi
I Married an Angel
1942-07-09
A count who ignores an infatuated secretary thinks he has met his match when an angel from Heaven sh
Blonde Savage
1947-11-22
An expedition into the deep jungle discovers a native tribe led by a tall Caucasian blonde woman.
The Witness Chair
1936-04-23
Late one night, secretary Paula Young (Ann Harding) leaves the office of her boss, Stanley Whittaker
Rovin' Tumbleweeds
1939-11-16
Rancher Autry takes a job singing on the radio to aid farmers and ranchers whose lands were destroye
The Man Who Dared
1933-06-30
An "imaginative biography" of Anton Cermak, mayor of Chicago who was killed in the line of fire duri
Smoke Lightning
1933-01-01
After Smoke wins the Blake ranch in a poker game, Blake commits suicide and Smoke deeds the ranch to
Female
1933-11-11
Alison Drake, the tough-minded executive of an automobile factory, succeeds in the man's world of bu
Uncertain Glory
1944-04-07
In occupied France, a convicted thief and murderer escapes the guillotine when a bombing raid strike
A Millionaire for Christy
1951-09-02
Christy Sloane is sent on a business trip to inform radio personality Peter Lockwood that his uncle
The Secret Bride
1934-12-22
Before Ruth Vincent, daughter of a state governor, and state attorney general Robert Sheldon can ann
Counterfeit Lady
1936-12-31
Phyllis Fowler claims to be just a "simple little country girl" trying to get by in the wicked big-c
End of the Trail
1936-10-10
In this western, a Spanish-American war veteran cannot find gainful employment. In desperation, he b
Sharpshooters
1938-11-18
Ace newsreel cameraman is working in a mythical European country when the king is assassinated. He g
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
1932-11-09
A World War I veteran’s dreams of becoming a master architect evaporate in the cold light of economi
Storm Over Bengal
1938-11-14
This being a Republic picture, it should come as no surprise that Storm Over Bengal was filmed in it
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas
1953-11-20
With the help of Pocahontas, Captain John Smith overcomes the treachery of some of his men and resen
Love Me Forever
1935-06-28
A man who loves an aspiring opera singer is prepared to sacrifice everything to help her with her ca
Air Patrol
1962-07-17
L.A. detective Sgt. Castle and his two partners investigate the theft of a valuable Fragonard painti
The Calling of Dan Matthews
1935-12-10
Dan Matthews (Richard Arlen), a young parson, is in love with Hope Strong (Charlotte Wynters), the d
Captain Fury
1939-05-26
An Irish convict sentenced to hard labor in Australia escapes into the outback, and organizes a band
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in the Foreign Legion
1950-08-05
Jonesy and Lou are in Algeria looking for a wrestler they are promoting. Sergeant Axmann tricks them
The Roundup
1941-04-03
A woman's believed-dead cowhand beau shows up on her wedding day to cause trouble.
King of the Mounties
1942-10-17
King of the Candian riding police is up against Japs and Nazis who are about to invade Canada. They
The Daltons Ride Again
1945-11-23
The notorious Dalton Boys have decided to go straight and move to Argentina. Just before they leave,
Flame of the West
1945-06-25
Flame of the West has always attracted more attention than most of Johnny Mack Brown's Monogram west
Jungle Safari
1956-01-01
Feature version of the 1945 Universal serial, JUNGLE QUEEN.
Heroes for Sale
1933-06-17
World War I veteran Tom Holmes is marked by the unbearable suffering caused by his battle wounds. Ov
Dishonored Lady
1947-05-16
Art editor Madeleine Damian carries on numerous loveless affairs. After a failed relationship with a
Lost in a Harem
1944-11-08
Two bumbling magicians help a Middle Eastern prince regain his rightful throne from his despotic unc
Dragnet
1947-08-16
Scotland Yard Inspector Geoffrey James comes to the United States looking for a band of internationa
Complicated Women
2003-05-06
Looks at the stereotype-breaking films of the period from 1929, when movies entered the sound era, u
Stand by for Action
1942-12-31
U. S. Navy Lieutenant Gregg Masterman, of The Harvard and Boston Back Bay Mastermans, learned about
The Cat Creeps
1946-05-17
A black cat is suspected of being possessed by the spirit of a elderly murdered woman.
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch
1949-08-14
Joe heads for South America to fight the Latin champ. Shipboard, he helps federal agents fight count
That's My Boy
1932-11-13
Featuring members of the 1931 National Champion football team from the University of Southern Califo
The Way to Love
1933-10-20
Francois, a cheerful Parisian bohemian, wants more than anything to be a tour guide in his beloved c
Tell It to the Judge
1949-11-18
Marsha Meredith, an attorney-at-law, is nominated for a federal judgeship, but her nomination is opp
The Wiser Sex
1932-03-14
A young woman goes undercover to gather evidence to free her boyfriend, an attorney who has been fra
Beyond Our Own
1947-11-16
This latter-day parable focuses on two brothers. Peter Rogers is an ambitious, hard-driving attorney
Crime Takes a Holiday
1938-10-05
A district attorney uses psychology to expose a criminal gang by publicizing the prosecution of an i
The Symphony Murder Mystery
1932-01-13
A cellist is murdered during a symphony concert. Shortly afterwards, the manager of the hall is foun
Mobs, Inc.
1956-03-21
Captain Braddock of the Los Angeles Racket Squad schools a group of cadet policemen by telling them
Monsieur Beaucaire
1946-09-04
A bumbling barber in the court of King Louis XV becomes engaged in political intrigue when he masque
High Time
1960-09-16
Despite the dissapproval of his grown son and daughter, 51-year-old widdower and wealthy restaurante
The Big Brain
1933-08-04
A small-town barber finds himself short of stature but a giant in the world of stock promotion. As h
What 80 Million Women Want
1913-11-21
The women's suffrage movement inspired this silent film classic that includes appearances by equal r
Life of Vernon Hathaway
1955-11-09
A daydreaming man discovers that his imagined adventures are happening in real life.