Emma Dunn (26 February 1875 – 14 December 1966) was an English actress. After starting her acting career on stage in London, she became known for her works in numerous films and Broadway productions.

Career

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 Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''. Life and career Mansfield was born ...

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 David Belasco (July 25, 1853 – May 14, 1931) was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director, and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story ''Madame Butterfly'' for the stage. He launched the theatrical career of m ...

: ''The Warrens of Virginia'' (1907), ''The Easiest Way'' (1909) and ''

The Governor's Lady ''The Governor's Lady'' is a 1912 play written by Alice Bradley, directed by David Belasco and produced by Belasco and his son-in-law David Elliott. It is known for its unconventional set. Production After previews in Philadelphia and Washingto ...

'' (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 ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...

'', directed by Maurice Tourneur. This was Tourneur's first American film. Dunn's second film was 1920's ''

Old Lady 31 ''Old Lady 31'' is a 1920 American silent comedy-drama film produced and distributed by Metro Pictures and directed by John Ince. It is based on a novel by Louise Forsslund that was turned into a play by Rachel Crothers. The film starred actre ...

'', reprising the role she played in the 1916 Broadway play of the same name. One more silent film followed in 1924, ''

Pied Piper Malone ''Pied Piper Malone'' is a 1924 American silent comedy drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Thomas Meighan. The Famous Players-Lasky produced the film and Paramount Pictures distributed. Plot As described in a film magazine review ...

'', and then she made her sound debut in ''

Side Street A side road is a minor highway typically leading off a main road.Main road — definition

'', co-starring the Moore brothers, Matt,

Owen Owen may refer to: Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin. Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born. Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...

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).

Personal life

Emma Dunn was born 26 February 1875, in

Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...

, England, although she sometimes gave her year of birth as 1883. Dunn married

Harry Beresford Harry J. Beresford (4 November 1863 – 4 October 1944) was an English-born actor on the American stage and in motion pictures. He used the professional name Harry J. Morgan early in his career. Career Harry Beresford began his acting career i ...

, 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"Emma Dunn Stokes", National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 2 January 1906 – 31 March 1925; Roll #: 2321; Volume #: Roll 2321 - Certificates: 317850-318349, 29 June 1923 – 30 June 1923. Ancestry.com. ''U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925'' atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007; retrieved 16 April 2016. (John W. S. Sullivan), an actor, playwright"Emma D. Stokes". Ancestry.com. ''New York, State Census, 1915'' atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; retrieved 16 April 2016. 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 Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, aged 91.

Theatre credits

Filmography

References

External links

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Emma Dunn
(Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Emma 1875 births 1966 deaths English expatriates in the United States English film actresses English silent film actresses English stage actresses English non-fiction writers People from Birkenhead 20th-century English actresses British expatriate actresses in the United States