Jean Arthur
Acting
104 titles
Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American actress celebrated as one of the defining screen personalities of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Known for her quick wit, expressive voice, and understated charm, she became one of the era’s most beloved comedic leading ladies, especially in the screwball comedy genre. Film historian James Harvey noted that “no one was more closely identified with the screwball comedy than Jean Arthur,” and her work remains central to the style’s legacy. Arthur rose to prominence in the mid‑1930s and became best known for her collaborations with director Frank Capra, starring in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can’t Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). These films cemented her image as the relatable, spirited heroine of Depression‑era American cinema. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in The More the Merrier (1943). Although she famously disliked the pressures of Hollywood and often retreated from public life, Arthur continued to work selectively after the 1940s. She delivered a memorable dramatic turn as Marian Starrett in George Stevens’ classic Western Shane (1953). She later returned to acting on television, appearing in a 1965 episode of Gunsmoke and starring in the 1966 sitcom The Jean Arthur Show. After leaving acting, Arthur taught drama at Vassar College and the North Carolina School of the Arts, where students remembered her as a passionate and generous instructor. She lived a largely private life in her later years and died in 1991 at the age of 90.
Filmography
Becoming Cary Grant
2017
Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It with You
2008
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
1999
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
1998
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
The Jean Arthur Show
1966
Gunsmoke
1955
Yesterday and Today
1953
Shane
1953
A Foreign Affair
1948
The Impatient Years
1944
A Lady Takes a Chance
1943
The More the Merrier
1943
The Talk of the Town
1942
The Devil and Miss Jones
1941
Arizona
1940
Too Many Husbands
1940
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 1
1939
Only Angels Have Wings
1939
You Can't Take It with You
1938
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
1938
Easy Living
1937
History Is Made at Night
1937
More Than a Secretary
1936
The Plainsman
1936
Adventure in Manhattan
1936
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
1936
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
1936
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936
If You Could Only Cook
1935
The Public Menace
1935
Diamond Jim
1935
Public Hero Number 1
1935
Party Wire
1935
The Whole Town's Talking
1935
The Defense Rests
1934
Most Precious Thing in Life
1934
Whirlpool
1934
Get That Venus
1933
The Past of Mary Holmes
1933
Ex-Bad Boy
1931
The Lawyer's Secret
1931
Virtuous Husband
1931
The Gang Buster
1931
Danger Lights
1931
The Silver Horde
1930
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu
1930
Paramount on Parade
1930
Young Eagles
1930
Street of Chance
1930
Half Way to Heaven
1929
The Saturday Night Kid
1929
The Greene Murder Case
1929
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu
1929
Stairs of Sand
1929
The Canary Murder Case
1929
Sins of the Fathers
1928
Brotherly Love
1928
Warming Up
1928
Wallflowers
1928
Flying Luck
1927
The Masked Menace
1927
The Poor Nut
1927
Bigger and Better Blondes
1927
Horse Shoes
1927
The Broken Gate
1927
Hello Lafayette
1927
Winners Of The Wilderness
1927
Husband Hunters
1927
The Block Signal
1926
The College Boob
1926
Twisted Triggers
1926
The Cowboy Cop
1926
Lightning Bill
1926
Double Daring
1926
Ridin' Rivals
1926
The Mad Racer
1926
Eight-Cylinder Bull
1926
The Fighting Cheat
1926
Born to Battle
1926
The Roaring Rider
1926
Under Fire
1926
Thundering Through
1925
The Hurricane Horseman
1925
The Iron Horse
1925
A Man of Nerve
1925
Tearin' Loose
1925
The Fighting Smile
1925
The Drug Store Cowboy
1925
Seven Chances
1925
Travelin' Fast
1924
Thundering Romance
1924
Bringin' Home the Bacon
1924
Wine of Youth
1924
Biff Bang Buddy
1924
Fast and Fearless
1924
The Powerful Eye
1924
Case Dismissed
1924
Spring Fever
1923
Monks a la mode
1923
Somebody Lied
1923
Cameo Kirby
1923