Cast

Jean Arthur

Acting

Cast

Jean Arthur

Known for

Acting

Born

1900-10-17

From

Plattsburgh, New York, USA

Died

1991-06-19

Also known as Gladys Georgianna Greene

Biography

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.

Jean Arthur

Jean Arthur

Biography

Shane

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Virtuous Husband

Hello Lafayette

Thundering Romance

Brotherly Love

You Can't Take It with You

Somebody Lied

Warming Up

Double Daring

Thundering Through

If You Could Only Cook

Only Angels Have Wings

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Case Dismissed

The Plainsman

A Foreign Affair

The More the Merrier

Seven Chances

The Talk of the Town

Ridin' Rivals

Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel

Paramount on Parade

Becoming Cary Grant

Too Many Husbands

A Lady Takes a Chance

The Whole Town's Talking

Diamond Jim

Travelin' Fast

The Drug Store Cowboy

History Is Made at Night

Easy Living

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

Bigger and Better Blondes

The Fighting Cheat

The Cowboy Cop

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

Horse Shoes

Party Wire

The Iron Horse

Arizona

The Devil and Miss Jones

Adventure in Manhattan

The Lawyer's Secret

The Greene Murder Case

Ex-Bad Boy

The Mad Racer

Get That Venus

Twisted Triggers

Public Hero Number 1

Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero

The Impatient Years

The Past of Mary Holmes

The Fighting Smile

The Masked Menace

The Canary Murder Case

More Than a Secretary

The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu

Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl

Going Hollywood: The '30s

The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu

Flying Luck

The Defense Rests

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

Sins of the Fathers

The Block Signal

The College Boob

Born to Battle

Danger Lights

Bringin' Home the Bacon

Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 1

The Silver Horde

Tearin' Loose

Street of Chance

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

Most Precious Thing in Life

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