Jean Arthur
“The husky-voiced heart of the screwball era, equal parts spark and decency.”
After years in silent films and B-pictures, Jean Arthur became a star with the coming of sound, where her distinctive husky voice set her apart. Frank Capra's comedies, beginning with 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town' (1936), made her a leading lady. Became a star in 1936.
Silent to Sound
Born Gladys Greene in upstate New York, she spent years in silent films before sound revealed her trademark husky, crackling voice. That distinctive instrument helped make her a comedy star.
Capra's Heroine
Arthur became the ideal Capra leading lady in 'Mr. Deeds,' 'You Can't Take It with You' and 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.' Her warmth and intelligence anchored those populist classics.
Private Star
Notoriously reluctant about fame, she clashed with studio demands and retired relatively early. 'Shane' capped her career before she turned to teaching and a quiet later life.
Career Timeline
- 1900Born October 17 in Plattsburgh, New York
- 1923Begins film career in silent shorts and features
- 1929Transitions to sound films
- 1935'The Whole Town's Talking' boosts her profile
- 1936'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town' makes her a Capra star
- 1938Stars in 'You Can't Take It with You'
- 1939Stars in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'
- 1943Oscar nomination for 'The More the Merrier'
- 1948Appears in 'A Foreign Affair'
- 1953Final film, the Western 'Shane'
- 1991Dies June 19 in Carmel, California
Biggest Hits
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The Moment You Remember
On the Senate floor she watches her once-naive idealist collapse in a desperate filibuster and silently wills him to keep fighting. Arthur's anxious, hopeful face in that gallery turned a political fairy tale into something genuinely stirring.
Portrait: Unknown studio photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons