Margaret Dumont

    Margaret Dumont

    October 19, 1882 (142 years old) in Brooklyn, New York, USA

    Margaret Dumont would probably consider it a tragedy that she is best-known for her performances as the ultimate straight woman in seven of the Marx Brothers' films (including most of their best). By all accounts she never understood their jokes (offscreen and on), which is of course a major reason why she's so funny. Apart from a small role in a 1917 Dickens adaptation, she spent her early career on the stage, ending up with the Marxes in the late 1920s in the stage versions of The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930), and was given a Paramount contract at the same time they were. She played similar roles alongside other great comedians, including W.C. Fields, Laurel & Hardy and Jack Benny and also played straight dramatic parts (her chief love), but few of them made much impact - it is as Groucho Marx's foil that she ranks among the immortals, and she died shortly after being reunited with him on "The Hollywood Palace" (1964).

    Known For

    Racket SquadRacket Squad
    The Donna Reed ShowThe Donna Reed Show
    The Dinah Shore Chevy ShowThe Dinah Shore Chevy Show
    The Colgate Comedy HourThe Colgate Comedy Hour
    Duck SoupDuck Soup

    Credits