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