Biografia

On Christmas in 1935, Dunn fulfilled Shirley Temple's wish that Santa Claus visit her house by airplane, delivering presents to her via parachute.

In 1937, Dunn, an avid and accomplished pilot who owned his own plane, helped federal agents by flying them and their prisoner to New Orleans. He returned to Los Angeles before the studio executives knew he had even gone.

Dunn's mother, Jessie, took control of his finances throughout most of his early career, saving his money and investing it in real estate, stocks and bonds. She turned most of his assets over to him when he married Frances Gifford. However, as an extra security measure, she had established a trust fund for him which he would not be able to access until he turned 50. At that time, he would be eligible to receive a substantial monthly income, for the remainder of his life.

Despite his personal problems, Dunn was well liked by co-workers and others who knew him well. He was invariably described as having a very friendly, modest and good natured personality. Elia Kazan remarked "..he was an awfully sweet, nice man...When I met him I said 'this is it, this is Johnny Nolan, himself'.".

During the filming of Hold Me Tight, he offered to take the place of an extra, who had suddenly become ill, thereby assuring the man would receive his day's wages of $7.50.