Jean Arthur

Known for ActingBorn 1900-10-17Died 1991-06-19Plattsburgh, New York, USA

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.Read more

Movies & web series

The Past of Mary Holmes

Wallflowers

The Poor Nut

The Masked Menace

Bigger and Better Blondes

Ridin' Rivals

Double Daring

Under Fire

The Drug Store Cowboy

Travelin' Fast

The Powerful Eye

Biff Bang Buddy

Somebody Lied

Going Hollywood: The '30s

The College Boob

Warming Up

Flying Luck

Horse Shoes

The Block Signal

Eight-Cylinder Bull

Lightning Bill

Tearin' Loose

Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl

Spring Fever

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

Party Wire

Wine of Youth

Ex-Bad Boy

Virtuous Husband

Brotherly Love

Sins of the Fathers

Twisted Triggers

The Mad Racer

The Fighting Smile

The Hurricane Horseman

A Man of Nerve

Bringin' Home the Bacon

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

The Jean Arthur Show

The Devil and Miss Jones

Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero

Winners Of The Wilderness

You Can't Take It with You

If You Could Only Cook

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Shane

Get That Venus

Becoming Cary Grant