Margaret Dumont (born Daisy Juliette Baker; October 20, 1882 – March 6, 1965)International Genealogical Index records, derived from Brooklyn birth certificates, 1866-1909 Department of Health
/ref> was an American stage and film actress. She is best remembered as the

comic foil A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases fo ...

to the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

in seven of their films;

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

called her "practically the fifth Marx brother."

Early life

Dumont was born Daisy Juliette Baker in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of William and Harriet Anna (née Harvey) Baker. Her mother was a music teacher and encouraged Daisy's singing career from an early age.

Career

Dumont trained as an operatic singer and actress in her teens and began performing on stage in the US and Europe, at first under the name Daisy Dumont and later as Margaret (or Marguerite - French for Daisy) Dumont. Her theatrical debut was in ''Sleeping Beauty and the Beast'' at the Chestnut Theater in Philadelphia; in August 1902, two months before her 20th birthday, she appeared as a singer/comedian in a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

act in Atlantic City. The dark-haired

soubrette A soubrette is a type of operatic soprano voice ''fach'', often cast as a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy". Theatre In theatre, a soubrette is ...

, described by a theater reviewer as a "statuesque beauty," attracted notice later that decade for her vocal and comedic talents in ''The Girl Behind the Counter'' (1908), ''

The Belle of Brittany ''The Belle of Brittany'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts set in 'Daffodil Time' in rustic 18th-century Brittany. It premiered at the Queen's Theatre in London on 24 October 1908. The music is by Howard Talbot and Marie Horne, to a b ...

'' (1909), and ''The Summer Widower'' (1910). In 1910, she married millionaire sugar heir and industrialist John Moller Jr and retired from stage work, although she had a small uncredited role as an aristocrat in a 1917 film adaptation of ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...

''. The marriage was childless. After her husband's sudden death during the

1918 influenza pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

, Dumont reluctantly returned to the Broadway stage, and soon gained a strong reputation in musical comedies. She never remarried. Her Broadway career included roles in the musical comedies and plays ''The Fan'' (1921), ''Go Easy, Mabel'' (1922), ''The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly'' (1923/24), and ''The Fourflusher'' (1925); she had an uncredited role in the 1923 film '' Enemies of Women''.

With the Marx Brothers

In 1925, Dumont came to the attention of theatrical producer

Sam H. Harris Sam Henry Harris (February 3, 1872 – July 3, 1941) was a Broadway producer and theater owner. Career Sam Harris was born on Manhattan's Lower East Side to poor Jewish parents. After a stint as a cough drop salesman and boxing manager, Harris' ...

who recommended her to the Marx Brothers and writer

George S. Kaufman George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889June 2, 1961) was an American playwright, theater director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals for the Marx Brothers and other ...

for the role of the wealthy dowager Mrs. Potter alongside the Marxes in their Broadway production of '' The Cocoanuts''. In the Marxes' next Broadway show, ''

Animal Crackers An animal cracker is a particular type of cracker, baked in the shape of an animal, usually an animal either at a zoo or a circus, such as a lion, a tiger, a bear, or an elephant. The most common variety is light-colored and slightly sweet, bu ...

'', which opened in October 1928, Dumont again was cast as foil and straight woman Mrs. Rittenhouse, another rich society dowager. She appeared with the Marxes in the screen versions of both '' The Cocoanuts'' (1929) and ''

'' (1930). With the Marx Brothers, Dumont played wealthy high-society widows whom Groucho alternately insulted and romanced for their money: * '' The Cocoanuts'' (1929) as Mrs. Potter * ''

'' (1930) as Mrs. Rittenhouse * '' Duck Soup'' (1933) as Mrs. Gloria Teasdale * '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) as Mrs. Claypool * '' A Day at the Races'' (1937) as Mrs. Emily Upjohn * '' At the Circus'' (1939) as Mrs. Susanna Dukesbury * '' The Big Store'' (1941) as Martha Phelps Her role as the hypochondriacal Mrs. Upjohn in ''A Day at the Races'' brought her a Best Supporting Actress Award from the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to me ...

; film critic

Cecilia Ager Cecelia Ager ( Rubinstein; January 23, 1902 – April 3, 1981) was an American film critic and star reporter for ''Variety'' and the ''New York Times Magazine''. Life and career Ager was born Cecelia Rubenstein in Grass Valley, California, a mi ...

suggested that a monument be erected in honor of Dumont's courage and steadfastness in the face of the Marx Brothers' antics. Groucho once said that because of their frequent movie appearances, many people believed they were married in real life. An exchange from ''Duck Soup'': :Groucho: I suppose you'll think me a sentimental old fluff, but would you mind giving me a lock of your hair? :Dumont: A lock of my hair? Why, I had no idea you ... :Groucho: I'm letting you off easy. I was gonna ask for the whole wig. Dumont also endured dialogue about her characters' (and thus her own) stout build, as with these lines also from ''Duck Soup'': :Dumont: I've sponsored your appointment because I feel you are the most able statesman in all Freedonia. :Groucho: Well, that covers a lot of ground. Say, you cover a lot of ground yourself. You'd better beat it; I hear they're going to tear you down and put up an office building where you're standing. and: :Groucho: Why don't you marry me? :Dumont: Why, marry you? :Groucho: You take me and I'll take a vacation. I'll need a vacation if we're going to get married. Married! I can see you right now in the kitchen, bending over a hot stove. ''But I can't see the stove.'' Or her age (in their last film pairing, ''The Big Store''): :Dumont: You make me think of my youth. :Groucho: Really? He must be a big boy by now. Dumont's character would often give a short, startled or confused reaction to these insults, but appeared to forget them quickly. Decades later, in his one-man show at New York's

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

, Groucho mentioned Dumont's name and got a burst of applause. He falsely informed the audience that she rarely understood the humor of their scenes and would ask him, "Why are they laughing, Julie?" ("Julie" being her nickname for Julius, Groucho's birth name). Dumont was so important to the success of the Marx Brothers films, she was one of the few people Groucho mentioned in his short acceptance speech for an honorary Oscar in 1974. (The others were Harpo and Chico, their mother Minnie, and Groucho's companion

Erin Fleming Erin Leslie Fleming (August 13, 1941 – April 15, 2003) was a Canadian actress best known as the companion, secretary and manager of comedian Groucho Marx during his final years. Early career Fleming was born Marilyn Suzette Fleming on Au ...

. Zeppo and Gummo Marx, who were both alive at the time, were not mentioned, though

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadi ...

, who introduced Groucho, mentioned all four brothers who appeared with Dumont on film.) In most of her interviews and press profiles, Dumont preserved the myth of her on-screen character: the wealthy, regal woman who never quite understood the jokes. However, in a 1942 interview with the World Wide Features press syndicate, Dumont said, "Scriptwriters build up to a laugh but they don't allow any pause for it. That's where I come in. I ad lib—it doesn't matter what I say—just to kill a few seconds so you can enjoy the gag. I have to sense when the big laughs will come and fill in, or the audience will drown out the next gag with its own laughter. ... I'm not a stooge, I'm a straight lady. There's an art to playing straight. You must build up your man, but never top him, never steal the laughs from him." For decades, film critics and historians have theorized that because Dumont never broke character or smiled at Groucho's jokes, she did not "get" the Marxes' humor. On the contrary, Dumont, a seasoned stage professional, maintained her "straight" appearance to enhance the Marxes' comedy. In 1965, shortly before Dumont's death, '' The Hollywood Palace'' featured a recreation of " Hooray for Captain Spaulding" (from the Marxes' 1930 film ''

'') in which Dumont can be seen laughing at Groucho's ad-libs—proving that she got the jokes. Writing about Dumont's importance as a comic foil in 1998, film critic Andrew Sarris wrote "Groucho's confrontations with Miss Dumont seem much more the heart of the Marxian matter today than the rather loose rapport among the three brothers themselves." Dumont's acting style, especially in her early films, reflected the classic theatrical tradition of projecting to the back row (for example, trilling the "r" for emphasis). She had a classical operatic singing voice that screenwriters eagerly used to their advantage.

Other roles

Dumont appeared in 57 films, including some minor silent work beginning with ''A Tale of Two Cities'' (1917). Her first feature was the Marx Brothers' ''The Cocoanuts'' (1929), in which she played Mrs. Potter, the role she played in the stage version from which the film was adapted. She also made some television appearances, including a guest-starring role with Estelle Winwood on ''

The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children, Mary ...

'' in the episode "Miss Lovelace Comes to Tea" (1959). Dumont, usually playing her dignified dowager character, appeared with other film comedians and actors, including Wheeler and Woolsey and

George "Spanky" McFarland George McFarland (October 2, 1928 – June 30, 1993) was an American actor most famous for starring as a child as Spanky in the ''Our Gang'' series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The ''Our Gang'' shorts were later syndicated ...

(''Kentucky Kernels'', 1934); Joe Penner (''Here, Prince'' 1932, and ''The Life of the Party'' 1937); Lupe Vélez ('' High Flyers'', 1937);

W.C. Fields WC or wc may refer to: * Water closet or flush toilet Arts and entertainment * ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film * WC (band), a Polish punk rock band * WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California * Westside Connection, former h ...

('' Never Give a Sucker an Even Break'', 1941, and ''

Tales of Manhattan ''Tales of Manhattan'' is a 1942 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier. Thirteen writers, including Ben Hecht, Alan Campbell, Ferenc Molnár, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Donald Ogden Stewart, worked on the six stories in this film. Ba ...

'' 1942);

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in t ...

('' The Dancing Masters'', 1943);

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

('' Bathing Beauty'', 1944);

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

(''

Up in Arms ''Up in Arms'' is a 1944 musical film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1945. Plot Danny Weems works as an elevator operator in a New York Medical building, so he can b ...

'', 1944);

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

('' The Horn Blows at Midnight'', 1945); George "Gabby" Hayes ('' Sunset in El Dorado'', 1945);

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People * Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

('' Little Giant'', 1946); and

Tom Poston Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

('' Zotz!'', 1962). Turner Classic Movies’ website says of ''High Flyers'': "The surprise... is seeing umontplay a somewhat daffy matron, more Billie Burke than typical Margaret Dumont. As the lady who's into crystal gazing and dotes on her kleptomaniac bull terrier, she brings a discreetly screwball touch to the proceedings." She also appeared on television with

Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin w ...

in '' The Colgate Comedy Hour'' (December 1951). Dumont played dramatic parts in films including ''Youth on Parole'' (1937), ''Dramatic School'' (1938), ''

Stop, You're Killing Me :''There was also a Two Ronnies mini-series of this name.'' ''Stop, You're Killing Me'' is a 1952 black comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Broderick Crawford and Claire Trevor. Premise The surprise appearance of four corpses interf ...

'' (1952), '' Three for Bedroom C'' (1952), and '' Shake, Rattle & Rock!'' (1956). Her last film role was that of

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

's mother, Mrs. Foster, in '' What a Way to Go!'' (1964). On February 26, 1965, eight days before her death, Dumont made her final acting appearance on the television program '' The Hollywood Palace'', where she was reunited with Groucho, the week's guest host. They performed material from Captain Spaulding's introductory scene in ''Animal Crackers,'' including the song " Hooray for Captain Spaulding." The taped show was broadcast on April 17, 1965.

Death

Dumont died from a heart attack on March 6, 1965. She was cremated and her ashes were interred in the vault at the

Chapel of the Pines Crematory Chapel of the Pines Crematory is a crematory and columbarium located at 1605 South Catalina Street, Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California, in the historic West Adams District a short distance southwest of Downtown. It is beside Angelus- ...

in Los Angeles. She was 82, although many obituaries erroneously gave her age as 75.

Partial filmography

* '' Enemies of Women'' (1923) * '' The Cocoanuts'' (1929) as Mrs. Potter * ''

'' (1930) as Mrs. Rittenhouse * '' The Girl Habit'' (1931) as Blanche Ledyard * '' Duck Soup'' (1933) as Mrs. Gloria Teasdale * ''

Fifteen Wives ''Fifteen Wives'' is a 1934 American mystery film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Conway Tearle, Natalie Moorhead and Raymond Hatton.Pitts p.86 After arriving from South America, a man is murdered at a New York hotel. When the police i ...

'' (1934) as Sybilla Crum * '' Gridiron Flash'' (1934) as Mrs. Fields * '' Kentucky Kernels'' (1934) as Mrs. Baxter * '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) as Mrs. Claypool * '' Anything Goes'' (1936) as Mrs. Wentworth * ''

Song and Dance Man ''Song and Dance Man'' is a children's picture book written by Karen Ackerman and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Published in 1988 by Knopf Books, the book is about a grandfather who tells his grandchildren about his adventures on the stage. Ga ...

'' (1936) as Mrs. Whitney * '' A Day at the Races'' (1937) as Mrs. Emily Upjohn * '' The Life of the Party'' (1937) as Mrs. Penner * '' Youth on Parole'' (1937) as Mrs. Abernathy * '' High Flyers'' (1937) as Martha Arlington * '' Wise Girl'' (1938) as Mrs. Bell-Rivington * '' Dramatic School'' (1937) as Pantomime teacher * '' At the Circus'' (1939) as Mrs. Suzanna Dukesbury * '' The Big Store'' (1941) as Martha Phelps * ''

For Beauty's Sake ''For Beauty's Sake'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Shepard Traube and written by Walter Bullock, Ethel Hill and Wanda Tuchock. The film stars Ned Sparks, Marjorie Weaver, Ted North, Joan Davis, Pierre Watkin and Lenita Lane. The ...

'' (1941) as Mrs. Franklin Evans * '' Never Give a Sucker an Even Break'' (1941) as Mrs. Hemogloben * ''

Sing Your Worries Away ''Sing Your Worries Away'' is a 1942 musical film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Buddy Ebsen, June Havoc, Patsy Kelly, Bert Lahr, Dorothy Lovett and Sam Levene. Cast * Buddy Ebsen as Tommy Jones * Patsy Kelly as Bebe McGuire * Be ...

'' (1942) as Landlady Flo Faulkner * '' Born to Sing'' (1942) as Mrs. E.V. Lawson * ''

Rhythm Parade ''Rhythm Parade'' is a 1942 American musical comedy film starring Gale Storm and Margaret Dumont.The Dancing Masters'' (1943) as Louise Harlan * ''

'' (1944) as Mrs. Willoughby * '' Seven Days Ashore'' (1944) as Mrs. Croxton-Lynch * '' Bathing Beauty'' (1944) as Mrs. Allenwood * '' The Horn Blows at Midnight'' (1945) as Mme. Traviata/Miss Rodholder * '' Diamond Horseshoe'' (1945) as Mrs. Standish * '' Sunset in El Dorado'' (1945) as Aunt Dolly/Aunt Arabella * '' Little Giant'' (1946) as Mrs. Henrickson * '' Susie Steps Out'' (1946) as Mrs. Starr * '' Three for Bedroom "C"'' (1952) as Mrs. Agnes Hawthorne * ''

'' (1952) as Mrs. Harriet Whitelaw * '' Shake, Rattle & Rock!'' (1956) as Georgianna Fitzdingle * ''

Auntie Mame ''Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade'' is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father. The book is often desc ...

'' (1958) Uncredited role * '' Zotz!'' (1962) as Persephone Updike * '' What a Way to Go!'' (1964) as Mrs. Foster

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dumont, Margaret 1882 births 1965 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American film actresses American women comedians American silent film actresses American stage actresses Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory People from Brooklyn Vaudeville performers Marx Brothers 20th-century American comedians