Acting
Jean Arthur
Born Oct 17, 1900 · Plattsburgh, New York, USA · Died Jun 19, 1991
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.
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Acting
Becoming Cary Grant
2017
Documentary
Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It with You
2008
Documentary
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
2001
Documentary
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
1999
Documentary · TV Movie
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
1998
Documentary
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
Documentary
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
1985
Documentary
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
Documentary
The Jean Arthur Show
1966
Comedy
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
1961
Documentary
Gunsmoke
1955
Western · Action & Adventure · Drama
Yesterday and Today
1953
Documentary
Shane
1953
Drama · Western
A Foreign Affair
1948
Comedy · Drama
The Impatient Years
1944
Comedy · Romance · Drama
A Lady Takes a Chance
1943
Comedy · Romance
The More the Merrier
1943
Comedy · Romance
The Talk of the Town
1942
Comedy · Drama · Romance
The Devil and Miss Jones
1941
Comedy · Romance
Arizona
1940
Western
Too Many Husbands
1940
Comedy · Romance
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
Comedy · Drama
Only Angels Have Wings
1939
Romance · Adventure · Drama
You Can't Take It with You
1938
Comedy · Romance
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
1938
Documentary
Easy Living
1937
Comedy · Romance
History Is Made at Night
1937
Romance · Drama
More Than a Secretary
1936
Comedy · Romance
The Plainsman
1936
Western · War · Romance
Adventure in Manhattan
1936
Mystery · Comedy · Crime
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
1936
Documentary
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
1936
Comedy · Mystery
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936
Comedy · Drama · Romance
If You Could Only Cook
1935
Comedy · Romance · Crime
The Public Menace
1935
Drama · Comedy
Diamond Jim
1935
Drama
Public Hero Number 1
1935
Crime · Drama
Party Wire
1935
Drama · Comedy
The Whole Town's Talking
1935
Comedy · Crime
The Defense Rests
1934
Drama · Crime
Most Precious Thing in Life
1934
Drama · Romance
Whirlpool
1934
Crime · Drama
Get That Venus
1933
Comedy
The Past of Mary Holmes
1933
Drama
Ex-Bad Boy
1931
Romance · Comedy
The Lawyer's Secret
1931
Crime · Drama
Virtuous Husband
1931
Comedy · Romance
The Gang Buster
1931
Comedy · Romance · Crime
Danger Lights
1931
Adventure · Drama
The Silver Horde
1930
Drama
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu
1930
Mystery · Thriller · Crime
Paramount on Parade
1930
Music · Comedy
Young Eagles
1930
Drama
Street of Chance
1930
Crime · Drama
Half Way to Heaven
1929
Drama · Romance · Thriller
The Saturday Night Kid
1929
Comedy · Romance
The Greene Murder Case
1929
Mystery
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu
1929
Crime · Romance · Thriller
Stairs of Sand
1929
Romance · Western
The Canary Murder Case
1929
Crime · Mystery
Sins of the Fathers
1928
Drama
Brotherly Love
1928
Drama · Comedy
Warming Up
1928
Comedy · Romance
Wallflowers
1928
Drama
Flying Luck
1927
Comedy
The Masked Menace
1927
Drama
Bigger and Better Blondes
1927
Comedy
Horse Shoes
1927
Comedy
The Broken Gate
1927
Drama
Hello Lafayette
1927
Comedy
Winners of the Wilderness
1927
Drama · War · History
Husband Hunters
1927
Comedy · Drama
The Block Signal
1926
Drama · Thriller
The College Boob
1926
Comedy
The Cowboy Cop
1926
Western
Double Daring
1926
Western
Born to Battle
1926
Western
The Iron Horse
1925
Western · Drama · History
A Man of Nerve
1925
Western
Tearin' Loose
1925
Western
The Fighting Smile
1925
Western
The Drug Store Cowboy
1925
Action · Comedy · Western
Seven Chances
1925
Comedy · Romance
Thundering Romance
1924
Action · Adventure · Western
Bringin' Home the Bacon
1924
Western
Wine of Youth
1924
Comedy · Drama
Biff Bang Buddy
1924
Western
Fast and Fearless
1924
Western
Spring Fever
1923
Cameo Kirby
1923
Drama