Born: October 13, 1889 – Died: April 2, 1974
Douglass Dumbrille, a distinguished character villain, graced the silver screen with his unique presence, characterized by stern features, beady eyes, and a tidy mustache. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Dumbrille's journey from a bank clerk to a celebrated actor is a tale of passion and perseverance.
Early Life and Career
Douglass Dumbrille's early life in Hamilton involved a stint as a bank clerk, but the allure of acting led him to leave this position. He ventured into various stock companies in the United States, honing his craft. His Broadway debut came in 1924 as Banquo in "Macbeth," and he became a regular presence on the Great White Way throughout the 1920s and early 1930s.
Dumbrille's first professional acting role was in the production of "Rain" in 1923. He made a significant impact with his portrayal of Athos in the 1928 musical production of "The Three Musketeers." His transition to film began in the 1930s, where he quickly became known for playing villains. He harassed a sea captain in his first film role and continued to play antagonistic characters, often being cast as a nemesis to leading stars.
One of Dumbrille's most memorable roles was in "The Ten Commandments" (1956), where he played Jannes. This role, alongside others in films like Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and "The World Changes" (1933), cemented his reputation as a versatile actor capable of portraying a range of characters, from historical figures to complex villains.
Dumbrille's personal life included marriage to Patricia Mowbray in 1960, the daughter of his friend and fellow actor, Alan Mowbray. This marriage drew attention due to their significant age difference but proved to be a lasting and happy union.
Dumbrille's ability to bring depth and intrigue to villainous roles, coupled with his refined screen presence, made him a sought-after character actor in Hollywood. His contributions to the film industry and his remarkable journey from a bank clerk to a renowned actor in Broadway and Hollywood make him an enduring figure in the annals of cinematic history.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Batman (TV Series) | The Doctor (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1966 | The Beverly Hillbillies (TV Series) | Doug |
| 1964–1965 | Perry Mason (TV Series) | Judge | Judge Robert Adler |
| 1964 | Shock Treatment | Judge (uncredited) |
| 1963–1964 | The New Phil Silvers Show (TV Series) | Mr. Osborne |
| 1964 | The Twilight Zone (TV Series) | Mr. Halpert |
| 1963 | Petticoat Junction (TV Series) | Dave LaSalle (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1963 | Johnny Cool | Corrupt City Council Member |
| 1962 | Ripcord (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1962 | 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) | Phillipson |
| 1962 | Air Patrol | Millard Nolan |
| 1961–1962 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (TV Series) | Judge Baumgartner | Prof. Brinkerhoff, Esq. | Walter 'Show-'em-no-mercy' Appleby |
| 1961 | Shotgun Slade (TV Series) | Mr. Roberts |
| 1959–1960 | Grand Jury (TV Series) | Grant | Thomas Grant |
| 1960 | Bringing Up Buddy (TV Series) | Dean Lester |
| 1960 | The Loretta Young Show (TV Series) | George Haviland (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1959–1960 | The DuPont Show with June Allyson (TV Series) | Warden |
| 1960 | High Time | Judge Carter (uncredited) |
| 1960 | Bat Masterson (TV Series) | Gen. Taylor Millard |
| 1960 | Laramie (TV Series) | T.J. Patterson |
| 1960 | The Untouchables (TV Series) | Judge Ben Harlow |
| 1959 | The Danny Thomas Show (TV Series) | Jim Frazier |
| 1959 | Rescue 8 (TV Series) | Tom Gordon |
| 1958–1959 | The George Burns Show (TV Series) | Mr. Knox |
| 1957–1958 | Hey, Jeannie! (TV Series) | Gen. Orville Fredericks | Gen. Hardwicke |
| 1958 | The Buccaneer | Collector of the Port |
| 1958 | The Millionaire (TV Series) | Greenwise |
| 1958 | The Californians (TV Series) | Mayor Geary |
| 1954–1958 | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (TV Series) | Judge Strickland | Brig. Gen. Masterson | Mr. Arthur J. Cahill ... |
| 1957 | Alcoa Theatre (TV Series) | Captain Beagle |
| 1957 | Telephone Time (TV Series) | John Mason |
| 1953–1957 | The Life of Riley (TV Series) | Cunningham |
| 1957 | Goodyear Theatre (TV Series) | Mr. Applecase |
| 1957 | Matinee Theatre (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1957 | Mr. Adams and Eve (TV Series) | Promoter |
| 1956–1957 | Crossroads (TV Series) | Warden | Mr. Willoughby | Bates ... |
| 1957 | Whirlybirds (TV Series) | Allen Barnes |
| 1957 | Studio 57 (TV Series) | Goldy (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1957 | The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna (TV Series) | Chief Chattahoochie | Col. Bargo |
| 1956 | The Go-Getter | Dr. Baker |
| 1956 | The Sheriff of Cochise (TV Series) | Sam Birch | Judson Knox |
| 1956 | Shake, Rattle & Rock! | Eustace Fentwick III (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1956 | Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1956 | Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) | Gen. Bogardus | Whitfield |
| 1956 | The Ten Commandments | Jannes |
| 1955 | Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (TV Series) | Goldy (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1955 | TV Reader's Digest (TV Series) | William Jennings Bryan |
| 1955 | Screen Directors Playhouse (TV Series) | Red Beecham (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1955 | Passport to Danger (TV Series) | Bernard |
| 1955 | Treasury Men in Action (TV Series) | Avery Humbolt (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1955 | A Life at Stake | Gus Hillman |
| 1955 | The Pirate and the Lawyer (TV Movie) | Governor William Claiborne |
| 1955 | Jupiter's Darling | Scipio |
| 1955 | Crusade for Freedom (TV Short) | Gov. Spriggs |
| 1954 | Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson (TV Series) | Leo |
| 1954 | Public Defender (TV Series) | Judge Selvey | Frank Hackman |
| 1954 | The Reluctant Redeemer (TV Movie) | Unknown |
| 1954 | The Lawless Rider | Marshal Brady (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1954 | Cavalcade of America (TV Series) | Lord Rawdon |
| 1954 | World for Ransom | Inspector McCollum |
| 1953–1954 | The Ford Television Theatre (TV Series) | J.B. Creston |
| 1953 | Captain John Smith and Pocahontas | Chief Powhatan (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1953 | Plunder of the Sun | Consul (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1951–1953 | Racket Squad (TV Series) | George Vermillion |
| 1952–1953 | China Smith (TV Series) | Inspector Hobson |
| 1953 | Julius Caesar | Lepidus |
| 1952 | Sky Full of Moon | Rodeo Official |
| 1952 | Apache War Smoke | Maj. Dekker |
| 1952 | Son of Paleface | Sheriff McIntyre |
| 1952 | My Little Margie (TV Series) | Angio Piazza |
| 1952 | Scaramouche | Assembly President (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Dangerous Assignment (TV Series) | Larsen (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1952 | Personal Appearance Theater (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1951 | A Millionaire for Christy | J.C. Thompson |
| 1950 | The Kangaroo Kid | Vincent Moller |
| 1950 | Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion | Sheik Hamud El Khalid |
| 1950 | Fireside Theatre (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1950 | The Savage Horde | Col. Price |
| 1950 | Riding High | Eddie Howard |
| 1950 | Buccaneer's Girl | Capt. Martos (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1949 | Tell It to the Judge | George Ellerby |
| 1949 | Rapture | W.C. Hutton |
| 1949 | Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch | Capt. Lance |
| 1949 | Alimony | Burton (Burt) Crail |
| 1949 | Addio Mimí! | Rouchard |
| 1949 | Riders of the Whistling Pines | Henry Mitchell |
| 1949 | The Lone Wolf and His Lady | John J. Murdock |
| 1949 | Dynamite | Hank Gibbons |
| 1948 | Last of the Wild Horses | Charlie Cooper (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1947 | Beyond Our Own | E.W. Osborne |
| 1947 | The Fabulous Texan | Luke Roland |
| 1947 | Christmas Eve | Dr. Bunyan (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1947 | Blonde Savage | Mark Harper |
| 1947 | Dragnet | Frank Farrington (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1947 | Dishonored Lady | District Attorney O'Brien (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1947 | It's a Joke, Son! | Dan Healey |
| 1946 | Monsieur Beaucaire | George Washington |
| 1946 | Under Nevada Skies | Arthur Courtney |
| 1946 | Spook Busters | Dr. Coslow |
| 1946 | The Cat Creeps | Tom McGalvey |
| 1946 | Night in Paradise | High Priest |
| 1946 | The Catman of Paris | Henry Borchard |
| 1945 | Pardon My Past | Uncle Wills |
| 1945 | The Daltons Ride Again | Sheriff Hoskins |
| 1945 | Road to Utopia | Ace Larson |
| 1945 | Flame of the West | Marshal Tom Nightlander |
| 1945 | The Frozen Ghost | Inspector Brant |
| 1945 | A Medal for Benny | General |
| 1945 | Jungle Queen | Lang |
| 1944 | Lost in a Harem | Nimativ |
| 1944 | Gypsy Wildcat | Baron Tovar |
| 1944 | Forty Thieves | Tad Hammond |
| 1944 | Jungle Woman | District Attorney |
| 1944 | Lumberjack | Daniel J. Keefer |
| 1944 | Uncertain Glory | Police Commissioner LaFarge (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1943 | False Colors | Mark Foster |
| 1943 | Du Barry Was a Lady | Willie | Duc de Rigor |
| 1942 | Stand by for Action | Captain Ludlow |
| 1942 | King of the Mounties | Harper |
| 1942 | I Married an Angel | Baron Szigethy |
| 1942 | Ten Gentlemen from West Point | Gen. William Henry Harrison |
| 1942 | A Gentleman After Dark | Enzo Calibra |
| 1942 | Ride 'Em Cowboy | Jake Rainwater |
| 1942 | Castle in the Desert | Paul Manderley (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1941 | Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime | John Matthews |
| 1941 | The Big Store | Mr. Grover |
| 1941 | Washington Melodrama | Donnelly |
| 1941 | Road to Zanzibar | Slave Trader |
| 1941 | The Round Up | Captain Lane |
| 1941 | Murder Among Friends | Carter Stevenson |
| 1940 | Michael Shayne: Private Detective | Gordon (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1940 | South of Pago Pago | Williams |
| 1940 | Virginia City | Maj. Drewery (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1939 | Slightly Honorable | George Taylor |
| 1939 | City in Darkness | Petroff (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1939 | Rovin' Tumbleweeds | Stephen Holloway |
| 1939 | Thunder Afloat | District Commander (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1939 | Charlie Chan at Treasure Island | Thomas Gregory (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1939 | Captain Fury | Preston |
| 1939 | Tell No Tales | Matt Cooper (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1939 | Mr. Moto in Danger Island | La Costa (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1939 | The Three Musketeers | Athos (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1938 | Kentucky | John Dillon (1861) (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1938 | Sharpshooters | Count Maxim |
| 1938 | Storm Over Bengal | Ramin Khan |
| 1938 | Crime Takes a Holiday | J.J. Grant |
| 1938 | The Mysterious Rider | Pecos Bill - aka Ben Wade (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1938 | Fast Company | Arnold Stamper (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1938 | Stolen Heaven | Klingman |
| 1938 | The Buccaneer | Gov. William C.C. Claiborne |
| 1937 | Ali Baba Goes to Town | Prince Musah (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1937 | The Firefly | Marquis de Melito (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1937 | The Emperor's Candlesticks | Mr. Korum - a Conspirator (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1937 | A Day at the Races | Morgan |
| 1937 | Woman in Distress | Jerome Culver |
| 1936 | Counterfeit Lady | August Marino |
| 1936 | End of the Trail | Bill Mason |
| 1936 | M'Liss | Lou Ellis |
| 1936 | The Princess Comes Across | Lorel |
| 1936 | The Witness Chair | Stanley Whittaker |
| 1936 | *Mr Deeds Goes To Town* | John Cedar |
| 1936 | The Music Goes 'Round | Bishop |
| 1936 | You May Be Next! | Beau Gardner |
| 1935 | The Lone Wolf Returns | Morphew |
| 1935 | The Calling of Dan Matthews | Jeff Hardy |
| 1935 | Crime and Punishment | Grilov |
| 1935 | Peter Ibbetson | Col. Forsythe |
| 1935 | The Public Menace | Carissimo Tonelli |
| 1935 | Love Me Forever | Miller |
| 1935 | Unknown Woman | Phil Gardner |
| 1935 | Air Hawks | Victor Arnold (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1935 | Cardinal Richelieu | Count Baradas |
| 1935 | Naughty Marietta | Uncle (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1935 | The Lives of a Bengal Lancer | Mohammed Khan (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | The Secret Bride | Dave Breeden (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | Broadway Bill | Eddie Morgan (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | Hide-Out | DeSalle - Nightclub Owner (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Treasure Island | Pirate of the Spanish Main (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | Operator 13 | Gen. Stuart (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | Fog Over Frisco | Joshua Mayard (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | Harold Teen | H.H. Snatcher (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | Journal of a Crime | Germaine Cartier (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | Hi, Nellie | Harvey Dawes (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1934 | Massacre | Sen. Emory - Chairman (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Convention City | Customer |
| 1933 | Lady Killer | Spade Maddock (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1933 | The World Changes | Buffalo Bill Cody (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1933 | Female | George Mumford (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1933 | The Way to Love | Agent Chapusard |
| 1933 | I Loved a Woman | U.S. Attorney Brandt (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Voltaire | Actor - Oriental King in Play |
| 1933 | The Big Brain | Dan Thomas |
| 1933 | Baby Face | Brody (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1933 | The Man Who Dared | Judge Collier |
| 1933 | Heroes for Sale | Jim - Chief Engineer (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Silk Express | Myton Associate (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Elmer, the Great | Stillman (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Working Man | Hammersmith - Lawyer (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Rustler's Roundup | Bill Brett (as Douglas Dunbrile) |
| 1933 | Smoke Lightning | Sam Edson |
| 1933 | Hard to Handle | District Attorney (uncredited) |
| 1933 | King of the Jungle | Ed Peters (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1933 | Laughter in Hell | Ed Perkins |
| 1932 | I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang | District Attorney (uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Pride of the Legion | McMahon |
| 1932 | That's My Boy | Coach 'Daisy' Adams |
| 1932 | Blondie of the Follies | Murchenson |
| 1932 | The Door Knocker (Short) | Gangster (as Douglas Dumbrille) |
| 1932 | The Wiser Sex | Chauffeur - aka The Wop |
| 1932 | The Symphony Murder Mystery (Short) | Giuseppe Benito |
| 1931 | His Woman | Alisandroe (uncredited) |
| 1924 | The Declaration of Independence (Short) | Thomas Paine |
| 1913 | What 80 Million Women Want | District Attorney (uncredited) |
General:
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