Jean Arthur
Known for Acting · 106 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 (104)
Shane
1953
as Marian Starrett
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
as Clarissa Saunders
Virtuous Husband
1931
as Barbara Olwell
Hello Lafayette
1927
Thundering Romance
1924
as Mary Watkins
Brotherly Love
1928
as Mary
You Can't Take It with You
1938
as Alice Sycamore
Somebody Lied
1923
Warming Up
1928
as Mary Post
Double Daring
1926
as Marie Wells
Thundering Through
1925
as Ruth Burroughs
If You Could Only Cook
1935
as Joan Hawthorne
Only Angels Have Wings
1939
as Bonnie Lee
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936
as Babe Bennett
Case Dismissed
1924
as Jean
The Plainsman
1936
as Calamity Jane
A Foreign Affair
1948
as Congresswoman Phoebe Frost
The More the Merrier
1943
as Constance Milligan
Seven Chances
1925
as Miss Smith the Country Club Receptionist (uncredited)
The Talk of the Town
1942
as Nora Shelley
Ridin' Rivals
1926
as Ruth Burroghs
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
2001
as Self (archive footage)
Paramount on Parade
1930
as Dream Girl
Becoming Cary Grant
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Too Many Husbands
1940
as Vicky Lowndes
A Lady Takes a Chance
1943
as Molly J. Truesdale
The Whole Town's Talking
1935
as Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark
Diamond Jim
1935
as Jane Matthews / Emma
Travelin' Fast
1924
as Betty Conway
The Drug Store Cowboy
1925
as Jean
History Is Made at Night
1937
as Irene Vail
Easy Living
1937
as Mary Smith
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
1936
as Paula Bradford
Bigger and Better Blondes
1927
as Ramona
The Fighting Cheat
1926
as Ruth Wells
The Cowboy Cop
1926
as Virginia Selby
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
as Self (archive footage)
Horse Shoes
1927
as Miss Baker
Party Wire
1935
as Marge Oliver
The Iron Horse
1925
as Reporter (uncredited)
Arizona
1940
as Phoebe Titus
The Devil and Miss Jones
1941
as Mary Jones
Adventure in Manhattan
1936
as Claire Peyton
The Lawyer's Secret
1931
as Beatrice Stevens
The Greene Murder Case
1929
as Ada Greene
Ex-Bad Boy
1931
as Ethel Simmons
The Mad Racer
1926
Get That Venus
1933
as Margaret Rendleby
Twisted Triggers
1926
as Ruth Regan
Public Hero Number 1
1935
as Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
1998
as Self (archive footage)
The Impatient Years
1944
as Janie Anderson
The Past of Mary Holmes
1933
as Joan Hoyt
The Fighting Smile
1925
as Rose Craddock
The Masked Menace
1927
as Faith Newton
The Canary Murder Case
1929
as Alice LaFosse
More Than a Secretary
1936
as Carol Baldwin
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu
1929
as Lia Eltham
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
1999
as Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
as (archive footage)
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu
1930
as Lia Eltham
Flying Luck
1927
as The Girl
The Defense Rests
1934
as Joan Hayes
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
1961
as Self - Actress 'Gone with the Wind' screen test (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sins of the Fathers
1928
as Mary Spengler
The Block Signal
1926
as Grace Ryan
The College Boob
1926
as Angela Boothby
Born to Battle
1926
as Eunice Morgan
Danger Lights
1931
as Mary Ryan
Bringin' Home the Bacon
1924
as Nancy Norton
Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 1
1939
as Self
The Silver Horde
1930
as Mildred Wayland
Tearin' Loose
1925
as Sally Harris
Street of Chance
1930
as Judith Marsden
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
1936
as Self
Most Precious Thing in Life
1934
as Ellen Holmes, aka Biddy, Babe
Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It with You
2008
as Self (archive footage)
The Public Menace
1935
as Cassie Nicholls
Whirlpool
1934
as Sandy
The Poor Nut
1927
as Margie Blake
Stairs of Sand
1929
as Ruth Hutt
Cameo Kirby
1923
as Ann Playdell
The Gang Buster
1931
as Sylvia Martine
Lightning Bill
1926
as Marie Denton
The Saturday Night Kid
1929
as Janie Barry
Half Way to Heaven
1929
as Greta Nelson
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
1938
as Jean Arthur
The Powerful Eye
1924
as Dud's Sweetheart
The Hurricane Horseman
1925
as June Mathews
Wine of Youth
1924
as Flapper
Yesterday and Today
1953
as (archive footage)
Husband Hunters
1927
as Lettie Crane
Winners Of The Wilderness
1927
as Bit Role (uncredited)
The Roaring Rider
1926
as Mary Watkins
Fast and Fearless
1924
as Mary Brown
Under Fire
1926
as Margaret Cranston
Young Eagles
1930
as Mary Gordon
The Broken Gate
1927
as Ruth Hale
A Man of Nerve
1925
as Loria Gatlin
Monks a la mode
1923
as Madame Maxine
Spring Fever
1923
Eight-Cylinder Bull
1926
Wallflowers
1928
as Sandra
Biff Bang Buddy
1924
as Bonnie Norton
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 106 credits spanning from 1923 to 2017, Jean Arthur has appeared in 104 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
- Virtuous Husband (1931) — as Barbara Olwell
- Hello Lafayette (1927)
- Thundering Romance (1924) — as Mary Watkins
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.