Jean Arthur
Biography
Jean Arthur, born Gladys Georgianna Greene on October 17, 1900 in Plattsburgh, New York, was an American actress whose career defined Hollywood’s Golden Age. She died June 19, 1991 at age 90. Recognized for her quick wit, expressive voice and understated charm, Arthur became a leading comedic actress, particularly in screwball comedies. Film historian James Harvey observed that no one was more closely identified with the screwball genre than she. She rose to prominence in the mid‑1930s and is noted for collaborations with director Frank Capra, including starring roles in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). TMDB lists her as having 107 acting credits.
Career overview
Jean Arthur, born Gladys Georgianna Greene on October 17, 1900 in Plattsburgh, New York, was an American actress whose career became synonymous with Hollywood’s Golden Age. She entered the film industry with a voice noted for its expressiveness and a wit that translated into an understated on‑screen charm. By the mid‑1930s Arthur had risen to prominence, establishing herself as a leading figure in the screwball comedy genre. Film historian James Harvey observed that “no one was more closely identified with the screwball comedy than Jean Arthur,” underscoring her central role in shaping that style.
Arthur’s most celebrated collaborations were with director Frank Capra, most notably her starring role in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). The partnership highlighted her talent for blending humor with sincerity, qualities that made her one of the era’s most beloved comedic leads. Over the span of her career she accumulated more than one hundred credited performances, reflecting a prolific presence in both film and television.
She continued to work steadily until her death on June 19, 1991 at the age of ninety. Throughout her life Arthur remained recognized for her quick wit, expressive voice, and the understated charm that defined her enduring legacy in American cinema.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Becoming Cary Grant (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It with You (2008) as Self (archive footage)
- Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel (2001) as Self (archive footage)
- Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl (1999) as Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
- Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero (1998) as Self (archive footage)
- The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988) as Self (archive footage)
- Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984) as (archive footage)
- The Jean Arthur Show (1966)
- Hollywood: The Selznick Years (1961) as Self - Actress 'Gone with the Wind' screen test (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Julie Blane
- Shane (1953) as Marian Starrett
- Yesterday and Today (1953) as (archive footage)
- A Foreign Affair (1948) as Congresswoman Phoebe Frost
- The Impatient Years (1944) as Janie Anderson
- The More the Merrier (1943) as Constance Milligan
- A Lady Takes a Chance (1943) as Molly J. Truesdale
- The Talk of the Town (1942) as Nora Shelley
- The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) as Mary Jones
- Arizona (1940) as Phoebe Titus
- Too Many Husbands (1940) as Vicky Lowndes
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) as Clarissa Saunders
- Only Angels Have Wings (1939) as Bonnie Lee
- Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 1 (1939) as Self
- You Can't Take It with You (1938) as Alice Sycamore
- Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 (1938) as Jean Arthur
- History Is Made at Night (1937) as Irene Vail
- Easy Living (1937) as Mary Smith
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) as Babe Bennett
- The Plainsman (1936) as Calamity Jane
- The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936) as Paula Bradford
- More Than a Secretary (1936) as Carol Baldwin
- Adventure in Manhattan (1936) as Claire Peyton
- Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) (1936) as Self
- If You Could Only Cook (1935) as Joan Hawthorne
- The Whole Town's Talking (1935) as Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark
- Public Hero Number 1 (1935) as Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly
- Diamond Jim (1935) as Jane Matthews / Emma
- Party Wire (1935) as Marge Oliver
- The Public Menace (1935) as Cassie Nicholls
- Whirlpool (1934) as Sandy
- Most Precious Thing in Life (1934) as Ellen Holmes, aka Biddy, Babe
- The Defense Rests (1934) as Joan Hayes
- Get That Venus (1933) as Margaret Rendleby
- The Past of Mary Holmes (1933) as Joan Hoyt
- Virtuous Husband (1931) as Barbara Olwell
- Ex-Bad Boy (1931) as Ethel Simmons
- The Lawyer's Secret (1931) as Beatrice Stevens
- Danger Lights (1931) as Mary Ryan
- The Gang Buster (1931) as Sylvia Martine
- Paramount on Parade (1930) as Dream Girl
- Street of Chance (1930) as Judith Marsden
- The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (1930) as Lia Eltham
- The Silver Horde (1930) as Mildred Wayland
- Young Eagles (1930) as Mary Gordon
- The Greene Murder Case (1929) as Ada Greene
- The Canary Murder Case (1929) as Alice LaFosse
- The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929) as Lia Eltham
- The Saturday Night Kid (1929) as Janie Barry
- Stairs of Sand (1929) as Ruth Hutt
- Half Way to Heaven (1929) as Greta Nelson
- Brotherly Love (1928) as Mary
- Warming Up (1928) as Mary Post
- Sins of the Fathers (1928) as Mary Spengler
- Wallflowers (1928) as Sandra
- Hello Lafayette (1927)
- Horse Shoes (1927) as Miss Baker
- Bigger and Better Blondes (1927) as Ramona
- The Masked Menace (1927) as Faith Newton
- Husband Hunters (1927) as Lettie Crane
- Winners Of The Wilderness (1927) as Bit Role (uncredited)
- Flying Luck (1927) as The Girl
- The Poor Nut (1927) as Margie Blake
- The Broken Gate (1927) as Ruth Hale
- Double Daring (1926) as Marie Wells
- Twisted Triggers (1926) as Ruth Regan
- Ridin' Rivals (1926) as Ruth Burroghs
- The Cowboy Cop (1926) as Virginia Selby
- The Mad Racer (1926)
- The College Boob (1926) as Angela Boothby
- The Block Signal (1926) as Grace Ryan
- The Fighting Cheat (1926) as Ruth Wells
- The Roaring Rider (1926) as Mary Watkins
- Born to Battle (1926) as Eunice Morgan
- Lightning Bill (1926) as Marie Denton
- Under Fire (1926) as Margaret Cranston
- Eight-Cylinder Bull (1926)
- Seven Chances (1925) as Miss Smith the Country Club Receptionist (uncredited)
- Thundering Through (1925) as Ruth Burroughs
- The Iron Horse (1925) as Reporter (uncredited)
- The Drug Store Cowboy (1925) as Jean
- The Fighting Smile (1925) as Rose Craddock
- The Hurricane Horseman (1925) as June Mathews
- Tearin' Loose (1925) as Sally Harris
- A Man of Nerve (1925) as Loria Gatlin
- Thundering Romance (1924) as Mary Watkins
- Case Dismissed (1924) as Jean
- Travelin' Fast (1924) as Betty Conway
- Wine of Youth (1924) as Flapper
- Bringin' Home the Bacon (1924) as Nancy Norton
- Fast and Fearless (1924) as Mary Brown
- The Powerful Eye (1924) as Dud's Sweetheart
- Biff Bang Buddy (1924) as Bonnie Norton
- Somebody Lied (1923)
- Cameo Kirby (1923) as Ann Playdell
- Monks a la mode (1923) as Madame Maxine
- Spring Fever (1923)