Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

105

Gender

Female

Birthday

1900-10-16

Day of Death

1991-06-19 (91 years old)

Place of Birth

Plattsburgh, New York, USA

Also Known As

Gladys Georgianna Greene

Jean Arthur

Biography

Jean Arthur (October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American actress and a major film star of the 1930s and 1940s. She remains arguably the epitome of the female screwball comedy actress. As James Harvey wrote in his recounting of the era, "No one was more closely identified with the screwball comedy than Jean Arthur. So much was she part of it, so much was her star personality defined by it, that the screwball style itself seems almost unimaginable without her." Arthur has been called "the quintessential comedic leading lady." Arthur is best known for her feature roles in three Frank Capra films: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It With You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), films that championed the everyday heroine. Her last performance was the memorable—and distinctly non–comedic—role as the rancher's wife in George Stevens' Shane (1953). Arthur was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1944 for her performance in The More the Merrier (1943). Description above from the Wikipedia article Jean Arthur, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Acting

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

1939

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

as

Clarissa Saunders

Shane

1953

Shane

as

Marian Starrett

The Talk of the Town

1942

The Talk of the Town

as

Nora Shelley

Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It With You

2008

Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It With You

as

Self (archive footage)

History Is Made at Night

1937

History Is Made at Night

as

Irene Vail

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

1936

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

as

Babe Bennett

Public Hero Number 1

1935

Public Hero Number 1

as

Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly

You Can't Take It with You

1938

You Can't Take It with You

as

Alice Sycamore

Arizona

1940

Arizona

as

Phoebe Titus

The Devil and Miss Jones

1941

The Devil and Miss Jones

as

Mary Jones

Only Angels Have Wings

1939

Only Angels Have Wings

as

Bonnie Lee

The Plainsman

1936

The Plainsman

as

Calamity Jane

A Foreign Affair

1948

A Foreign Affair

as

Congresswoman Phoebe Frost

Yesterday and Today

1953

Yesterday and Today

as

(archive footage)

A Lady Takes a Chance

1943

A Lady Takes a Chance

as

Molly J. Truesdale

Easy Living

1937

Easy Living

as

Mary Smith

The Whole Town's Talking

1935

The Whole Town's Talking

as

Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark

The Canary Murder Case

1929

The Canary Murder Case

as

Alice LaFosse

The More the Merrier

1943

The More the Merrier

as

Constance Milligan

The Iron Horse

1925

The Iron Horse

as

Reporter (uncredited)

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

1936

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

as

Paula Bradford

The Greene Murder Case

1929

The Greene Murder Case

as

Ada Greene

Adventure in Manhattan

1936

Adventure in Manhattan

as

Claire Peyton

Too Many Husbands

1940

Too Many Husbands

as

Vicky Lowndes

Most Precious Thing in Life

1934

Most Precious Thing in Life

as

Ellen Holmes, aka Biddy, Babe

If You Could Only Cook

1935

If You Could Only Cook

as

Joan Hawthorne

Party Wire

1935

Party Wire

as

Marge Oliver

The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu

1929

The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu

as

Lia Eltham

The Silver Horde

1930

The Silver Horde

as

Mildred Wayland

Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12

1938

Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12

as

Jean Arthur

The Saturday Night Kid

1929

The Saturday Night Kid

as

Janie Barry

The Impatient Years

1944

The Impatient Years

as

Janie Anderson

Danger Lights

1931

Danger Lights

as

Mary Ryan

Street of Chance

1930

Street of Chance

as

Judith Marsden

The Public Menace

1935

The Public Menace

as

Cassie Nicholls

Wine of Youth

1924

Wine of Youth

as

Flapper

More Than a Secretary

1936

More Than a Secretary

as

Carol Baldwin

The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu

1930

The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu

as

Lia Eltham

Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl

1999

Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl

as

Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)

The Lawyer's Secret

1931

The Lawyer's Secret

as

Beatrice Stevens

The Block Signal

1926

The Block Signal

as

Grace Ryan

Whirlpool

1934

Whirlpool

as

Sandra Rankin Morrison

The Defense Rests

1934

The Defense Rests

as

Joan Hayes

Going Hollywood: The '30s

1984

Going Hollywood: The '30s

as

(archive footage)

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

1961

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

as

'Gone with the Wind' screen test (archive footage) (uncredited)

Flying Luck

1927

Flying Luck

as

The Girl

Cameo Kirby

1923

Cameo Kirby

as

Ann Playdell

Diamond Jim

1935

Diamond Jim

as

Jane Matthews / Emma

Seven Chances

1925

Seven Chances

as

Miss Smith the Country Club Receptionist (uncredited)

Ex-Bad Boy

1931

Ex-Bad Boy

as

Ethel Simmons

Young Eagles

1930

Young Eagles

as

Mary Gordon

Brotherly Love

1928

Brotherly Love

as

Mary

The Poor Nut

1927

The Poor Nut

as

Margie Blake

Half Way to Heaven

1929

Half Way to Heaven

as

Greta Nelson

Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero

1998

Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero

as

Self (archive footage)

Winners Of The Wilderness

1927

Winners Of The Wilderness

as

Bit Role (uncredited)

Paramount on Parade

1930

Paramount on Parade

as

Dream Girl

Warming Up

1928

Warming Up

as

Mary Post

The Past of Mary Holmes

1933

The Past of Mary Holmes

as

Joan Hoyt

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

1988

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

as

Self (archive footage)

The Drug Store Cowboy

1925

The Drug Store Cowboy

as

Jean

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

1936

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

as

Self

The Gang Buster

1931

The Gang Buster

as

Sylvia Martine

Horse Shoes

1927

Horse Shoes

as

Miss Baker

The Cowboy Cop

1926

The Cowboy Cop

as

Virginia Selby

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

1985

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

as

Self (archive footage)

Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 1

1939

Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 1

as

Self

Somebody Lied

1923

Somebody Lied

as

Biff Bang Buddy

1924

Biff Bang Buddy

as

Bonnie Norton

Fast and Fearless

1924

Fast and Fearless

as

Mary Brown

The Powerful Eye

1924

The Powerful Eye

as

Dud's Sweetheart

Case Dismissed

1924

Case Dismissed

as

Jean

Bringin' Home the Bacon

1924

Bringin' Home the Bacon

as

Nancy Norton

Spring Fever

1923

Spring Fever

as

The College Boob

1926

The College Boob

as

Angela Boothby

Stairs of Sand

1929

Stairs of Sand

as

Ruth Hutt

Bigger and Better Blondes

1927

Bigger and Better Blondes

as

Ramona

Born to Battle

1926

Born to Battle

as

Eunice Morgan

Tearin' Loose

1925

Tearin' Loose

as

Sally Harris

Hello Lafayette

1927

Hello Lafayette

as

The Fighting Smile

1925

The Fighting Smile

as

Rose Craddock

Lightning Bill

1926

Lightning Bill

as

Marie Denton

The Hurricane Horseman

1925

The Hurricane Horseman

as

June Mathews

The Broken Gate

1927

The Broken Gate

as

Ruth Hale

The Mad Racer

1926

The Mad Racer

as

Ridin' Rivals

1926

Ridin' Rivals

as

Ruth Burroghs

Wallflowers

1928

Wallflowers

as

Sandra

Thundering Romance

1924

Thundering Romance

as

Mary Watkins

The Fighting Cheat

1926

The Fighting Cheat

as

Ruth Wells

Thundering Through

1925

Thundering Through

as

Ruth Burroughs

The Roaring Rider

1926

The Roaring Rider

as

Mary Watkins

Twisted Triggers

1926

Twisted Triggers

as

Ruth Regan

Eight-Cylinder Bull

1926

Eight-Cylinder Bull

as

Travelin' Fast

1924

Travelin' Fast

as

Betty Conway

Under Fire

1926

Under Fire

as

Margaret Cranston

Husband Hunters

1927

Husband Hunters

as

Lettie Crane

Double Daring

1926

Double Daring

as

Marie Wells

A Man of Nerve

1925

A Man of Nerve

as

Loria Gatlin

The Masked Menace

1927

The Masked Menace

as

Faith Newton

Sins of the Fathers

1928

Sins of the Fathers

as

Mary Spengler

Virtuous Husband

1931

Virtuous Husband

as

Barbara Olwell

Get That Venus

1933

Get That Venus

as

Margaret Rendleby

Monks a la Mode

1923

Monks a la Mode

as

Madame Maxine

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke

as

Julie Blane

The Jean Arthur Show

The Jean Arthur Show

as

Production

Crew

Directing