JEAN ARTHUR BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Jean Arthur was born on October 17th, 1900 in Plattsburgh, New York with the birth name Glady Georgianna Greene to parents Johanna Augusta Nelson and Hubert Sidney Greene.  Her father was a photographer and she came from a family with three older brothers.
 
After completing High School she moved to New York City in the 1920's, working as a commercial model when she was discovered by Fox Film Studios.  Her film debut was in 1923 in the silent film, "Cameo Kirby" which was directed by John Ford.  Following her debut the next couple years were spent working on comedy short films or westerns.      
 
In the early 30's she worked on Broadway and received some voice training.  When sound films arrived the roles she played and the quality of films were improving.  At the age of thirty four she starred in the film, "The Whole Town's Talking" (1935) which was ironically also directed by John Ford.
 
When she was chosen by Frank Capra to co-star with Gary Cooper in the film, "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" (1936) her film career began to really take off.  Some of the next film roles to follow were on,, "The Plainsman" (1936), "You Can't Take it With You" (1938), "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939), "Easy Living" (1937), "Only Angels Have Wings" (1939), "The Talk of the Town" (1942) and "The More the Merrier" (1943) in which she received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination.
 
In 1944, Arthur contract with Columbia Pictures expired and for the most part her career slowed down into the mid to late 40's.  She did take on a couple roles in films such as, "A Foreign Affair" (1948)and "Shane" (1953) starring Alan Ladd which was the only color film she ever appeared in and it was a box office hit.  However, it was her final role before she decided to retire from the industry for good.

After retiring from the industry, Arthur went to become a drama teacher at Vassar.  Jean did return to work on Broadway on an adaptation of, "Peter Pan" when she was almost fifty years old. She also made an appearance on television in the series, "The Jean Arthur Show" (1966), however it only ran for eleven weeks.  
 
Jean Arthur was married twice during her lifetime.  First she married Julian Ancker from 1928, but after only one day the marriage was annulled.  Arthur then married Frank Ross from June 11th, 1932 through March 14th, 1949.  Arthur passed away on June 19th, 1991 in Carmel, California from heart failure.  Her ashes were scattered off Point Lobos, California. 
 

Filmography

1966   The Jean Arthur Show 
1965   Gunsmoke 
1953   Shane 
1948   A Foreign Affair
1944   The Impatient Years  
1943   A Lady Takes a Chance
1943   The More the Merrier 
1942   The Talk of the Town 
1941   The Devil and Miss Jones
1940   Arizona  
1940   Too Many Husbands
1939   Mr. Smith Goes to Washington  
1939   Only Angels Have Wings
1938   You Can't Take It with You  
1937   Easy Living  
1937   History Is Made at Night  
1936   More Than a Secretary 
1936   The Plainsman 
1936   Adventure in Manhattan  
1936   The Ex-Mrs. Bradford  
1936   Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1935   If You Could Only Cook 
1935   The Public Menace  
1935   Diamond Jim
1935   Public Hero #1 
1935   Party Wire  
1935   The Whole Town's Talking
1934   The Defense Rests 
1934   The Most Precious Thing in Life
1934   Whirlpool  
1933   Get That Venus  
1933   The Past of Mary Holmes 
1931   Ex-Bad Boy  
1931   The Lawyer's Secret 
1931   The Virtuous Husband
1931   The Gang Buster
1930   The Silver Horde  
1930   Galas de la Paramount
1930   Danger Lights 
1930   The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu 
1930   Paramount on Parade 
1930   Young Eagles 
1930   Street of Chance
1929   Halfway to Heaven
1929   The Saturday Night Kid  
1929   The Greene Murder Case 
1929   The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu  
1929   Stairs of Sand 
1929   The Canary Murder Case 
1928   Sins of the Fathers 
1928   Brotherly Love 
1928   Warming Up
1928   Easy Come, Easy Go 
1928   Wallflowers
1927   Flying Luck 
1927   The Masked Menace 
1927   The Poor Nut 
1927   Bigger and Better Blondes
1927   Horse Shoes  
1927   The Broken Gate  
1927   Hello Lafayette
1927   Winners of the Wilderness  
1927   Husband Hunters 
1926   The Block Signal 
1926   The College Boob 
1926   Twisted Triggers 
1926   The Cowboy Cop 
1926   Lightning Bill 
1926   Double Daring  
1926   Ridin' Rivals
1926   The Mad Racer 
1926   Eight-Cylinder Bull 
1926   The Fighting Cheat 
1926   Born to Battle 
1926   The Roaring Rider 
1926   Under Fire
1925   Thundering Through 
1925   The Hurricane Horseman 
1925   A Man of Nerve 
1925   Tearin' Loose 
1925   The Fighting Smile 
1925   The Drug Store Cowboy 
1925   Seven Chances 
1924   Travelin' Fast 
1924   Thundering Romance
1924   Bringin' Home the Bacon 
1924   Biff Bang Buddy
1924   Fast and Fearless 
1924   The Iron Horse 
1924   Wine of Youth
1924   The Powerful Eye 
1924   Case Dismissed 
1923   II Spring Fever
1923   Somebody Lied 
1923   The Temple of Venus 
1923   Cameo Kirby