Margaret Dumont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Dumont
Dumont as Mrs. Claypool in A Night at the Opera (1935)
Born	Daisy Juliette Baker (1882-10-20)October 20, 1882 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	March 6, 1965(1965-03-06) (aged 82) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1902–1965
Spouse(s)	John Moller, Jr. ​ ​ (m. 1910; died 1918)​

Margaret Dumont (born Daisy Juliette Baker; October 20, 1882 – March 6, 1965) was an American actress. She was famous for her roles in movies and on stage. Many people remember her best for working with the Marx Brothers. She was often called "practically the fifth Marx brother" by Groucho Marx.

Who Was Margaret Dumont?

Margaret Dumont was a talented actress. She became well-known for playing serious, wealthy women. These characters often got into funny situations with the silly Marx Brothers. She was very good at staying serious while the comedians around her were making jokes.

Her Early Life and Career

Margaret Dumont was born Daisy Juliette Baker in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother was a music teacher. She helped Daisy start singing lessons when she was young.

As a teenager, Dumont trained to be an opera singer and actress. She started performing on stage in the United States and Europe. At first, she used the name Daisy Dumont. Later, she changed it to Margaret Dumont.

In 1910, she married John Moller Jr., a wealthy businessman. She stopped acting for a while after getting married. She had a small, uncredited role in a 1917 film. Her marriage did not have any children.

After her husband passed away in 1918 during a serious illness, Dumont returned to acting. She became very popular in musical comedies on Broadway. She never married again.

Working with the Marx Brothers

In 1925, Margaret Dumont got a big chance. She was chosen to act with the famous Marx Brothers in their Broadway show, The Cocoanuts. She played a rich lady named Mrs. Potter.

She then joined them again in their next show, Animal Crackers. In this show, she played another wealthy socialite, Mrs. Rittenhouse. She also appeared with them in the movie versions of both The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930).

Dumont often played rich, high-society widows in the Marx Brothers' films. Groucho Marx would often make fun of them or pretend to be in love with them for their money.

Here are some of the movies she made with the Marx Brothers:

• The Cocoanuts (1929) as Mrs. Potter
• Animal Crackers (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 in A Day at the Races even earned her an award nomination. Many people thought she was very brave to act with the Marx Brothers because of their wild jokes! Groucho Marx once said that because they were in so many movies together, many people thought they were married in real life.

Famous Movie Scenes

Margaret Dumont was great at reacting to Groucho's funny lines. Here's a famous 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.

Groucho also made jokes about her size, like in 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 in their last movie together, The Big Store, he joked about her age:

Dumont: You make me think of my youth.

Groucho: Really? He must be a big boy by now.

Dumont's characters would often look surprised or confused by these jokes. But they would quickly forget them.

Why She Didn't Laugh

For a long time, people thought Margaret Dumont didn't understand the Marx Brothers' jokes. This was because she never laughed or broke character on screen. However, Dumont was a very skilled actress. She knew that by staying serious, she made the Marx Brothers' comedy even funnier.

In a 1942 interview, Dumont explained her acting style. She said she would add small lines to give the audience time to laugh. She knew when the big laughs would come. She made sure the audience could enjoy the jokes without missing the next lines. She said, "I'm not a stooge, I'm a straight lady. There's an art to playing straight."

Later, in 1965, a TV show proved she understood the humor. Dumont was seen laughing at Groucho's jokes during a performance. This showed she was a professional who knew how to make the comedy work.

Film critics have said that Dumont's scenes with Groucho were very important. They were a key part of the Marx Brothers' movies.

Other Movies and TV Shows

Margaret Dumont was in 57 films. Her first big movie was The Cocoanuts in 1929. She also appeared on television. One time, she was a guest star on The Donna Reed Show in 1959.

Dumont often played her usual dignified lady character. She worked with many other famous comedians and actors. These included W. C. Fields in Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941) and Laurel and Hardy in The Dancing Masters (1943). She also appeared with Red Skelton, Danny Kaye, and Abbott and Costello.

In the movie High Flyers (1937), she played a slightly silly character. She was a lady who liked looking into crystal balls and had a dog that liked to take things. This was a bit different from her usual serious roles.

She also acted in some serious movies. These included Youth on Parole (1937) and Dramatic School (1938).

Her very last movie role was in What a Way to Go! (1964). She played the mother of the main character, played by Shirley MacLaine.

Just eight days before she passed away, Dumont made her final TV appearance. She was reunited with Groucho Marx on The Hollywood Palace. They performed a scene from Animal Crackers together.

Her Later Years

Margaret Dumont passed away from a heart attack on March 6, 1965. She was 82 years old. Her ashes were placed in a vault in Los Angeles.

Movies She Was In

See also

In Spanish: Margaret Dumont para niños