Paul Castiglia writes to say…well, here. I'll cut 'n' paste and let you read it for yourself…
I'm not one to nitpick your classic comedy posts — you know more about the subject than I could ever hope to learn — but is it accurate to state that Jack Benny's film The Horn Blows at Midnight features "Margaret Dumont in a rare non-Marx appearance" when she also appeared in Kentucky Kernels and High Flyers with Wheeler & Woolsey, The Life of the Party with Joe Penner, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break with W.C. Fields, The Dancing Masters with Laurel & Hardy, Up in Arms with Danny Kaye, Seven Days Ashore with Brown & Carney and Little Giant with Abbott & Costello?
Of course, she made several other movies but my point is that there's always been this idea perpetuated, this misconception people have that Margaret Dumont was not only exclusively a foil for the Marx Brothers but in some folks' minds made nothing but Marx Brothers movies. And I think that gives short-shrift to her because obviously she was deemed worthy enough to co-star with Fields, Kaye, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello and even Wheeler & Woolsey whose names may mean zilch to most people today but as you know, being mega-successful at the box office, they were nothing to sneeze at, either.
I know you didn't mean it intentionally, but my thought is that when it comes to Dumont playing foil to classic comedians she had several opportunities beyond co-starring with the Marxes, so those appearances can't really be called "rare." Just my two cents.
Well, if I were Groucho, I'd probably say, "If you don't like 'rare,' how about 'medium well?' How about 'well-done with a side of gravy?'" But okay, you have a point. The lady did do a little more in her career than act clueless about Marx double entendres.
Here's kind of an interesting thing to think about. Ms. Dumont was so perfect in the role of a high-society dowager that directors and casting folks used to refer to that kind of character as "a Margaret Dumont role." When one turned up in a script, they'd describe it thusly and maybe try to hire her. I'll bet there were other actresses who were known for playing "Margaret Dumont roles" when she either wasn't available or if a director feared it was too obvious to book her. There were a lot of character actors back then who seemed synonymous with a certain on-screen function…like Jack Norton (who always played a drunk) or Fritz Feld (who always played a waiter) or Iris Adrian (who always played someone's cheap, loudmouthed girl friend).
So is there anyone like that today? Anyone who's so identified as a certain "type" that they're the obvious casting — or at least, model — for a certain kind of role? I can't think of anyone.