Jean Arthur
Known for Acting · 104 credits
- Born
- 1900-10-17
- Died
- 1991-06-19
- Place of birth
- Plattsburgh, New York, USA
- 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.
Known For
TV Shows (2)
Movies (102)
Shane
1953
as Marian Starrett
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
as Clarissa Saunders
Seven Chances
1925
as Miss Smith the Country Club Receptionist (uncredited)
You Can't Take It with You
1938
as Alice Sycamore
Only Angels Have Wings
1939
as Bonnie Lee
Whirlpool
1934
as Sandy
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936
as Babe Bennett
The Plainsman
1936
as Calamity Jane
The Whole Town's Talking
1935
as Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark
A Foreign Affair
1948
as Congresswoman Phoebe Frost
The Talk of the Town
1942
as Nora Shelley
The Devil and Miss Jones
1941
as Mary Jones
The More the Merrier
1943
as Constance Milligan
Arizona
1940
as Phoebe Titus
Wallflowers
1928
as Sandra
Easy Living
1937
as Mary Smith
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
as Self (archive footage)
History Is Made at Night
1937
as Irene Vail
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
as (archive footage)
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
1999
as Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
Danger Lights
1931
as Mary Ryan
A Lady Takes a Chance
1943
as Molly J. Truesdale
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
1998
as Self (archive footage)
Diamond Jim
1935
as Jane Matthews / Emma
Young Eagles
1930
as Mary Gordon
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
1936
as Paula Bradford
The Iron Horse
1925
as Reporter (uncredited)
The Past of Mary Holmes
1933
as Joan Hoyt
Adventure in Manhattan
1936
as Claire Peyton
Becoming Cary Grant
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
1936
as Self
Cameo Kirby
1923
as Ann Playdell
If You Could Only Cook
1935
as Joan Hawthorne
Double Daring
1926
as Marie Wells
Travelin' Fast
1924
as Betty Conway
Too Many Husbands
1940
as Vicky Lowndes
More Than a Secretary
1936
as Carol Baldwin
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu
1930
as Lia Eltham
Get That Venus
1933
as Margaret Rendleby
The Canary Murder Case
1929
as Alice LaFosse
The Lawyer's Secret
1931
as Beatrice Stevens
Lightning Bill
1926
as Marie Denton
Public Hero Number 1
1935
as Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly
The Silver Horde
1930
as Mildred Wayland
The Impatient Years
1944
as Janie Anderson
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu
1929
as Lia Eltham
The Masked Menace
1927
as Faith Newton
Paramount on Parade
1930
as Dream Girl
Street of Chance
1930
as Judith Marsden
The Gang Buster
1931
as Sylvia Martine
Half Way to Heaven
1929
as Greta Nelson
Flying Luck
1927
as The Girl
Twisted Triggers
1926
as Ruth Regan
Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It with You
2008
as Self (archive footage)
Bigger and Better Blondes
1927
as Ramona
The Greene Murder Case
1929
as Ada Greene
Case Dismissed
1924
as Jean
The Saturday Night Kid
1929
as Janie Barry
Born to Battle
1926
as Eunice Morgan
The Defense Rests
1934
as Joan Hayes
Virtuous Husband
1931
as Barbara Olwell
Husband Hunters
1927
as Lettie Crane
Most Precious Thing in Life
1934
as Ellen Holmes, aka Biddy, Babe
Stairs of Sand
1929
as Ruth Hutt
Ex-Bad Boy
1931
as Ethel Simmons
Winners Of The Wilderness
1927
as Bit Role (uncredited)
The Cowboy Cop
1926
as Virginia Selby
Party Wire
1935
as Marge Oliver
Brotherly Love
1928
as Mary
The Roaring Rider
1926
as Mary Watkins
Horse Shoes
1927
as Miss Baker
The Poor Nut
1927
as Margie Blake
Spring Fever
1923
Sins of the Fathers
1928
as Mary Spengler
Fast and Fearless
1924
as Mary Brown
Yesterday and Today
1953
as (archive footage)
Tearin' Loose
1925
as Sally Harris
Thundering Romance
1924
as Mary Watkins
Bringin' Home the Bacon
1924
as Nancy Norton
Warming Up
1928
as Mary Post
Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 1
1939
as Self
Eight-Cylinder Bull
1926
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
1938
as Jean Arthur
The Block Signal
1926
as Grace Ryan
The Public Menace
1935
as Cassie Nicholls
The Broken Gate
1927
as Ruth Hale
Wine of Youth
1924
as Flapper
Monks a la mode
1923
as Madame Maxine
The Mad Racer
1926
The Drug Store Cowboy
1925
as Jean
Thundering Through
1925
as Ruth Burroughs
A Man of Nerve
1925
as Loria Gatlin
Ridin' Rivals
1926
as Ruth Burroghs
The Fighting Cheat
1926
as Ruth Wells
The College Boob
1926
as Angela Boothby
The Hurricane Horseman
1925
as June Mathews
The Fighting Smile
1925
as Rose Craddock
Hello Lafayette
1927
Biff Bang Buddy
1924
as Bonnie Norton
Under Fire
1926
as Margaret Cranston
Somebody Lied
1923
The Powerful Eye
1924
as Dud's Sweetheart
About Jean Arthur
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 promi… With 104 credits spanning from 1923 to 2017, Jean Arthur has appeared in 102 films and 2 TV shows.
Fans searching for Jean Arthur movies, Jean Arthur filmography, or the latest projects starring Jean Arthur can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Jean Arthur Movies
- Shane (1953) — as Marian Starrett
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) — as Clarissa Saunders
- Seven Chances (1925) — as Miss Smith the Country Club Receptionist (uncredited)
- You Can't Take It with You (1938) — as Alice Sycamore
- Only Angels Have Wings (1939) — as Bonnie Lee
Where to Watch Jean Arthur Films
Most Jean Arthur movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Jean Arthur, check our movies catalogue and browse page.