Highest rated as cast or director
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.
Acted in 82
1980s
- 1985
- 1984
Going Hollywood: The '30s
(archive footage)
1960s
- 1966
The Jean Arthur Show
TV
1950s
- 1955
- 1953
Yesterday and Today
(archive footage)
1940s
- 1948
- 1944
The Impatient Years
Janie Anderson
- 1943
The More the Merrier
Constance Milligan
- 1942
- 1941
The Devil and Miss Jones
Mary Jones
- 1940
Too Many Husbands
Vicky Lowndes
1930s
- 1939
- 1938
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
Jean Arthur
- 1937
- 1936
More Than a Secretary
Carol Baldwin
Adventure in Manhattan
Claire Peyton
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
Paula Bradford
- 1935
If You Could Only Cook
Joan Hawthorne
The Public Menace
Cassie Nicholls
Diamond Jim
Jane Matthews / Emma
Public Hero Number 1
Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly
Party Wire
Marge Oliver
The Whole Town's Talking
Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark
- 1934
The Defense Rests
Joan Hayes
Most Precious Thing in Life
Ellen Holmes, aka Biddy, Babe
Whirlpool
Sandy
- 1933
Get That Venus
Margaret Rendleby
The Past of Mary Holmes
Joan Hoyt
- 1931
Ex-Bad Boy
Ethel Simmons
The Lawyer's Secret
Beatrice Stevens
The Gang Buster
Sylvia Martine
Danger Lights
Mary Ryan
- 1930
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu
Lia Eltham
Paramount on Parade
Dream Girl
Young Eagles
Mary Gordon
Street of Chance
Judith Marsden
1920s
- 1929
Half Way to Heaven
Greta Nelson
The Greene Murder Case
Ada Greene
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu
Lia Eltham
Stairs of Sand
Ruth Hutt
- 1928
Sins of the Fathers
Mary Spengler
Brotherly Love
Mary
Wallflowers
Sandra
- 1927
Flying Luck
The Girl
The Masked Menace
Faith Newton
Bigger and Better Blondes
Ramona
Horse Shoes
Miss Baker
The Broken Gate
Ruth Hale
Hello Lafayette
Movie
Winners of the Wilderness
Bit Role (uncredited)
Husband Hunters
Lettie Crane
- 1926
The Block Signal
Grace Ryan
The College Boob
Angela Boothby
The Cowboy Cop
Virginia Selby
Born to Battle
Eunice Morgan
- 1925
A Man of Nerve
Loria Gatlin
Tearin' Loose
Sally Harris
The Fighting Smile
Rose Craddock
The Drug Store Cowboy
Jean
- 1924
Thundering Romance
Mary Watkins
Bringin' Home the Bacon
Nancy Norton
Wine of Youth
Flapper
Fast and Fearless
Mary Brown
Biff Bang Buddy
Bonnie Norton
- 1923
Spring Fever
Movie
Cameo Kirby
Ann Playdell
Appearances8
2010s
- 2017
2000s
- 2008
Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It with You
Self (archive footage)
- 2001
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
Self (archive footage)
1990s
- 1999
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
- 1998
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
Self (archive footage)
1980s
- 1988
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Self (archive footage)
1960s
- 1961
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Self - Actress 'Gone with the Wind' screen test (archive footage) (uncredited)
1930s
- 1936
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
Self