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.
Acted in 177
1960s
- 1966
- 1963
- 1962
Air Patrol
Millard Nolan
- 1960
Bringing Up Buddy
TV
High Time
Judge Carter (uncredited)
1950s
- 1959
- 1958
The Buccaneer
Collector of the Port
- 1957
- 1956
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
Eustace Fentwick III
Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers
TV
Hey, Jeannie!
Gen. Hardwicke · 1 episode
Mobs, Inc.
Leland Cameron James
Jungle Safari
Lang
- 1955
Crossroads
TV
- 1954
The Lawless Rider
Marshal Brady (as Douglas Dumbrille)
World for Ransom
Insp. McCollum
- 1953
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas
Powhatan (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Plunder of the Sun
Consul
- 1952
Rapture
W.C. Hutton
Sky Full of Moon
Rodeo Official
Apache War Smoke
Maj. Dekker
- 1951
A Millionaire for Christy
J.C. Thompson
- 1950
The Kangaroo Kid
Vincent Moller
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in the Foreign Legion
Sheik Hamud El Khalid
Riding High
Eddie Howard
Buccaneer's Girl
Capt. Martos
1940s
- 1949
Tell It to the Judge
George Ellerby
Rapture
W.C. Hutton
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch
Captain Lance
The Lone Wolf and His Lady
John J. Murdock
Alimony
Burton Crail
- 1948
Last of the Wild Horses
Charlie Cooper
- 1947
Beyond Our Own
E.W. Osborne
Christmas Eve
Dr. Bunyan
Dragnet
Frank Farrington
It's a Joke, Son!
Big Dan Healey
- 1946
Monsieur Beaucaire
George Washington
Spook Busters
Dr. Coslow
The Cat Creeps
Tom McGalvey
Night in Paradise
High Priest
The Catman of Paris
Henry Borchard
- 1945
Pardon My Past
Uncle Wills
The Daltons Ride Again
Sheriff Hoskins
Flame of the West
Marshal Tom Nightlander
The Frozen Ghost
Inspector Brant
A Medal for Benny
General
Jungle Queen
Lang
- 1944
Lost in a Harem
Nimativ
Gypsy Wildcat
Baron Tovar
Forty Thieves
Tad Hammond
Lumberjack
Daniel J. Keefer
Uncertain Glory
Police Commissioner LaFarge
- 1943
False Colors
Mark Foster
- 1942
Stand by for Action
Capt. Ludlow
King of the Mounties
Harper
I Married an Angel
Baron Szigethy
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Gen. William Henry Harrison
A Gentleman After Dark
Enzo Calibra
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Jake Rainwater
Castle in the Desert
Paul Manderley
- 1941
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
John Matthews
Washington Melodrama
District Attorney Donnelly
Road to Zanzibar
Slave Trader
The Roundup
Capt. Bob Lane
Murder Among Friends
Carter Stevenson
- 1940
Michael Shayne: Private Detective
Benny Gordon (as Douglas Dumbrille)
South of Pago Pago
Williams
1930s
- 1939
Slightly Honorable
George Taylor
Rovin' Tumbleweeds
Stephen Holloway
City in Darkness
B. Petroff (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Thunder Afloat
District Commander
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
Stewart Salsbury, alias Thomas Gregory
Tell No Tales
Matt Cooper
Captain Fury
Preston
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Comdr. La Costa
The Three Musketeers
Athos (as Douglas Dumbrille)
- 1938
Kentucky
John Dillon - 1861
Sharpshooters
Count Maxim
Storm Over Bengal
Ramin Khan
Crime Takes a Holiday
J.J. Grant
The Mysterious Rider
Pecos Bill aka Ben Wade
Fast Company
Arnold Stamper (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Stolen Heaven
Klingman
The Buccaneer
Governor William C.C. Claiborne
- 1937
The Firefly
Marquis de Melito
Ali Baba Goes to Town
Prince Musah
The Emperor's Candlesticks
Mr. Korum, a Conspirator
Woman in Distress
Jerome Culver
- 1936
Counterfeit Lady
August Marino
End of the Trail
Bill Mason
M'Liss
Lou Ellis
The Princess Comes Across
Lorel
The Witness Chair
Stanley Whittaker
The Music Goes 'Round
Bishop
You May Be Next!
Beau Gardner
- 1935
The Lone Wolf Returns
Morphew
The Calling of Dan Matthews
Jeff Hardy
Crime and Punishment
Grilov
The Public Menace
Mario Tonelli
Love Me Forever
Miller
Air Hawks
Victor Arnold
- 1934
Fog Over Frisco
Joshua Mayard
Harold Teen
H.H. Snatcher (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Journal of a Crime
Cartier (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Hi, Nellie!
Harvey Dawes
- 1933
The World Changes
Buffalo Bill Cody
Female
George Mumford
The Way to Love
Agent Chapusard
I Loved a Woman
U.S. Attorney Brandt (uncredited)
The Big Brain
Dan Thomas
The Man Who Dared
Judge Collier
Heroes for Sale
Chief Engineer Jim (uncredited)
Elmer, the Great
Stillman (uncredited)
The Rustler's Roundup
Bill Brett (as Douglas Dunbrile)
King of the Jungle
Ed Peters
Hard to Handle
District Attorney (uncredited)
Laughter in Hell
Ed Perkins
Smoke Lightning
Sam Edson
- 1932
That's My Boy
Coach "Daisy" Adams
The Pride of the Legion
McMahon
Blondie of the Follies
Murchenson
The Wiser Sex
Chauffeur - aka The Wop
The Symphony Murder Mystery
Giuseppe Benito
- 1931
His Woman
Alisandroe
1910s
- 1913
What 80 Million Women Want
District Attorney(uncredited)
Appearances2
2000s
- 2003
Complicated Women
Self (archive footage)
1950s
- 1955
Allen in Movieland
Self - Lawyer