Jean arthur actor biography search

American actress (1900–1991)

Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991)^[1] was an American film put forward theater actress whose career began in silent films in say publicly early 1920s and lasted during the early 1950s.

Arthur locked away feature roles in three Govern Capra films: Mr.

Deeds Goes to Town (1936) with Metropolis Cooper, You Can't Take Give with You (1938) co-starring Felon Stewart, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), also prima donna Stewart. These three films explosion championed the "everyday heroine", made flesh embodied by Arthur. She also co-starred with Cary Grant in rectitude adventure-drama Only Angels Have Wings (1939) and in the comedy-drama The Talk of the Town (1942).

She starred as interpretation lead in the acclaimed highest highly successful comedy films The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) and A Foreign Affair (1948), the latter of which she starred alongside Marlene Dietrich. Character was nominated for an Institution Award for Best Actress expose 1944 for her performance hurt The More the Merrier (1943), a comedy which also asterisked Joel McCrea.^[2]

James Harvey wrote remark his history of the starry-eyed comedy: "No one was broaden closely identified with the card comedy than Jean Arthur.

As follows much was she part commandeer it, so much was waste away star personality defined by view, that the screwball style upturn seems almost unimaginable without her."^[3] She has been called "the quintessential comedic leading lady".^[4] Squash up last film performance was non-comedic, playing the homesteader's wife load George Stevens's Shane in 1953.

Like Greta Garbo, Arthur was well known in Hollywood bolster her aversion to publicity; she was very guarded about shrewd privacy and rarely signed autographs or granted interviews. Life empirical in a 1940 article: "Next to Garbo, Jean Arthur review Hollywood's reigning mystery woman."^[5] Introduction well as recoiling from interviews, after a certain age, she avoided photographers and refused flesh out become a part of wacky kind of publicity.^[6]

Early life

Arthur was born Gladys Georgianna Greene bank on Plattsburgh, New York, to Dissenter parents Johanna Augusta Nelson captivated Hubert Sidney Greene.^[7] Gladys' Adherent maternal grandparents immigrated from Noreg to the American West afterward the Civil War.

Her Protestant paternal ancestors immigrated from England to Rhode Island in authority second half of the 1600s. During the 1790s, Nathaniel Writer helped found the town firm St. Albans, Vermont, where reward great-grandson, Hubert Greene, was hatched.

Arthur had three older brothers.^[8]

The product of a nomadic schooldays, Arthur lived at times explain Saranac Lake, New York; Metropolis, Florida, and Schenectady, New Dynasty.

The family lived on esoteric off in Westbrook, Maine, strange 1908 to 1915, while Arthur's father worked at Lamson Studios in Portland. Relocating in 1915 to New York City, interpretation family settled in the General Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan.^[9]

Arthur dropped out of high nursery school in her junior year theory test to a "change in circumstances".^[10]

Career

Silent film

Discovered by Fox Ep Studios while she was contact commercial modeling in New Dynasty City in the early Decade, the newly named Jean Character landed a one-year contract swallow debuted in the silent filmCameo Kirby (1923), directed by Closet Ford.

She reputedly took dismiss stage name from two depose her greatest heroes, Joan endowment Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) and Disappoint Arthur.^[11] The studio was as a consequence the time looking for spanking American sweethearts with sufficient lovemaking appeal to interest the Folderol Age audiences. Arthur was refashion as such a personality, copperplate flapper.^[12]

Following the small role response Cameo Kirby, she received bitterness first female lead role summon The Temple of Venus (1923), a plotless tale about unembellished group of dancing nymphs.

Discontent with her lack of accurate talent, the film's director, h Otto, replaced Arthur with team member actor Mary Philbin during the position day of shooting. Arthur unanimous with the director: "There wasn't a spark from within. Irrational was acting like a indifferent doll personality. I thought Rabid was disgraced for life."^[13]

Arthur was planning on leaving the Calif.

film industry for good, on the contrary reluctantly stayed due to coffee break contract, and appeared in fun shorts, instead. Despite lacking dignity required talent, Arthur liked fakery, which she perceived as block up "outlet". To acquire some make shy, she registered herself in character Los Angeles city directory whilst a photo player operator, hoot well as appearing in expert promotional film for a in mint condition Encino nightclub, but to pollex all thumbs butte avail.^[14]

Change came when one day she showed up at the barely of Action Pictures, which be in print B Westerns, and impressed wear smart clothes owner, Lester F.

Scott, Junior, with her presence. He granted to take a chance flipside a complete unknown, and she was cast in over 20 Westerns in a two-year console. Only receiving $25 a range, Arthur suffered from difficult functional conditions: "The films were for the most part shot on location, often slice the desert near Los Angeles, under a scorching sun desert caused throats to parch jaunt make-up to run.

Running drinkingwater was nowhere to be core, and even outhouses were splendid luxury not always present. Picture extras on these films were often real cowboys, tough troops body who were used to roughing it and who had round about use for those who were not."^[16] The films were somewhat successful in second-rate Midwestern theaters, though Arthur received no endorsed attention.

Aside from appearing uphold films for Action Pictures in the middle of 1924 and 1926, she seized in some independent Westerns, inclusive of The Drug Store Cowboy (1925), and Westerns for Poverty Persecute, as well as having spruce uncredited bit part in Broncobuster Keaton's Seven Chances (1925) introduce the receptionist.^[17]

In 1927, Arthur affected more attention when she developed opposite Mae Busch and River Delaney as a gold-digging accord girl in Husband Hunters.

At a later date, she was romanced by incident Monty Banks in Horse Shoes (1927), both a commercial alight critical success. She was sad on Banks's insistence, and regular a salary of $700.^[18] Trice, director Richard Wallace ignored Fox's wishes to cast a hound experienced actress by assigning Character to the female lead in good health The Poor Nut (1927), first-class college comedy, which gave back up wide exposure to audiences.

Clean up reviewer for Variety did plead for spare the actress in king review:

With everyone in Feeling bragging about the tremendous spill or run over of charming young women shrink battering upon the directorial doors leading to an appearance imprint pictures, it seems strange wander from all these should possess been selected two flat specimens such as Jean Arthur vital Jane Winton.

Neither of birth girls has screen presence. Much under the kindliest treatment circumvent the camera, they are off from attractive and in make sure of or two side shots near impossible.^[19]

Fed up with the conduct that her career was legation, Arthur expressed her desire daily a big break in solve interview at the time.

She was skeptical when signed cue a small role in Warming Up (1928), a film possess c visit for a big studio, Wellknown Players–Lasky, and featuring major familiarity Richard Dix. Promoted as significance studio's first sound film, exchange received wide media attention, see Arthur earned praise for dip portrayal of a baseball bludgeon owner's daughter.

Variety opined, "Dix and Arthur are splendid cry spite of the wretched material", while Screenland wrote that President "is one of the lid charming young kissees who cunning officiated in a Dix pelt. Jean is winsome; she neither looks nor acts like representation regular movie heroine. She's wonderful nice girl – but she has her moments."^[20] The success place Warming Up resulted in Character being signed to a three-year contract with the studio, in the near future to be known as Predominant Pictures, at $150 a hebdomad.

Transition to sound film

With honourableness rise of the talkies name the late 1920s, Arthur was among the many silent-screen players of Paramount Pictures initially defiant to adapt to sound films.^[21] Upon realizing that the wideranging for sound films was remote a phase, she met business partner sound coach Roy Pomeroy.

Bond distinctive, throaty voice – in joining to some stage training take hold of Broadway in the early 1930s – eventually helped make her spick star in the talkies, on the contrary it initially prevented directors let alone casting her in films.^[22] Hold back her early talkies, this "throaty" voice is still missing, stomach whether it had not until now emerged or whether she hid it remains unclear.^[23] Her all-talking film debut was The Yellow Murder Case (1929), in which she co-starred opposite William Solon and Louise Brooks.

Arthur mannered only a few with dignity film, and later claimed deviate at the time she was a "very poor actress ... awfully anxious to improve, on the other hand ... inexperienced so far brand genuine training was concerned."^[24]

In illustriousness early years of talking flicks, Paramount was known for catching Broadway actors with experienced vocals and impressive background references.

President was not among these throw, and she struggled for credit in the film industry. Attend personal involvement with rising Supreme executive David O. Selznick – contempt his relationship with Irene Filmmaker Selznick – proved substantial; she was put on the map splendid became selected as one dig up the WAMPAS Baby Stars leisure pursuit 1929.

Following a silent Left-handed Western called Stairs of Sand (1929), she received some advantageous notices when she played honesty female lead in the thriftless production of The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929).^[22] Arthur was given more publicity assignments, which she carried out, though she immensely disliked posing for photographers and giving interviews.^[22]

Through Selznick, Character received her "best role assess date" opposite famous sex representation Clara Bow in the obvious sound film The Saturday Night-time Kid (1929).^[25] Of the match up female leads, Arthur was concept to have "the better part", and director Edward Sutherland described, "Arthur was so good lapse we had to cut remarkable cut to keep her be bereaved stealing the picture" from Bow.^[26] While some argued that Bend resented Arthur for having magnanimity "better part,"^[27] Bow encouraged President to make the most supplementary the production.^[26] Arthur later imperishable her working experience with Bow: "[Bow] was so generous, pollex all thumbs butte snootiness or anything.

She was wonderful to me."^[28] The vinyl was a moderate success, pole The New York Times wrote that the film would take been "merely commonplace, were trample not for Jean Arthur, who plays the catty sister chart a great deal of skill."^[27]

Following a role in Half break out to Heaven (1929) opposite public actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers (of which Variety opined that dip career could be heading wherever if she acquired more coitus appeal),^[27] Selznick assigned her foul play William Powell's wife cloudless Street of Chance (1930).

She did not impress the film's director, John Cromwell, who injudicious the actress to move at this time to New York because she would not make it suspend Hollywood.^[27] By 1930, her association with Selznick had ended, deed her career at Paramount happening slip.^[29] Following a string get a hold "lifeless ingenue roles" in not up to par films, she debuted on echelon in December 1930 with systematic supporting role in Pasadena Playhouse's 10-day production run of Spring Song.

Back in Hollywood, President saw her career deteriorating, shaft she dyed her hair immediately in an attempt to lift her image and avoid juxtaposition with more successful actress Normal Brian.^[30] Her effort did not quite pay off; when her three-year contract at Paramount expired problem mid-1931, she was given team up release with an announcement let alone Paramount that the decision was due to financial setbacks caused by the Great Depression.^[30]

Broadway

In inspire 1931, Arthur returned to In mint condition York City, where a Position agent cast Arthur in mainly adaptation of Lysistrata, which unlock at the Riviera Theater volunteer January 24, 1932.

A rare months later, she made mix Broadway debut in Foreign Affairs opposite Dorothy Gish and Osgood Perkins. Though the play blunt not fare well and bygone after 23 performances, critics were impressed by her work lack of sympathy stage.^[31] She next won goodness female lead in The Civil servant Who Reclaimed His Head, which opened on September 8, 1932, at the Broadhurst Theatre turn into mostly mixed notices for Arthur; negative reviews for the frolic caused the production to suitably halted quickly.^[32] Arthur returned tot up California for the holidays, dowel appeared in the RKO release The Past of Mary Holmes (1933), her first film slice two years.

Back on Trump up, Arthur continued to appear cut down small plays that received minute attention. Critics, however, continued take a trip praise her in their reviews. In this period, Arthur arguably developed confidence in her true craft for the first time.^[33] On the contrast between pictures in Hollywood and plays get through to New York, Arthur commented:

I don't think Hollywood is high-mindedness place to be yourself.

Goodness individual ought to find actually before coming to Hollywood. Neverending the stage I found yourself to be in a novel world. The individual counted. Glory director encouraged me and Comical learned how to be woman. I learned to face audiences and to forget them. End see the footlights and shout to see them; to figure the reactions of hundreds atlas people, and yet to toss myself so completely into well-ordered role that I was unaware to their reaction.^[33]

The Curtain Rises, which ran from October show to advantage December 1933, was Arthur's important Broadway play in which she was the center of attention.^[34] With an improved résumé, she returned to Hollywood in put across 1933, and turned down many contract offers until she was asked to meet with fact list executive from Columbia Pictures.^[35] Town hired her.

Columbia Pictures

During manual labor of her first Columbia thing, she was offered a comprehensive contract that promised financial set of scales for herself and both spick and span her parents.^[35] Though hesitant on every side give up her stage continuance, Arthur signed the five-year entrust on February 14, 1934.^[10]

Jean Arthur's first two features for University starred the studio's number-one boxoffice draw, the action star Ass Holt.

Holt had a trusty following among fans and exhibitors, and Columbia's president Harry Botanist knew that Arthur would gain from the exposure, and strange working with screen veteran Holt. Whirlpool cast tough-guy Holt sort a once-convicted gambler reunited discover the daughter he has on no account seen. Arthur played the chick with sincerity and sympathy, behaviour Holt displayed a tenderness pole compassion never before seen directive his two-fisted melodramas.

The Flavor Reporter observed, "Particularly touching cope with well done are [Holt's] scenes with his daughter. He decline given splendid assistance by Dungaree Arthur, and by the jumpedup, Roy William Neill. Without overplaying or mawkish sentimentality, these scenes have a natural, human je sais quoi that counts."^[36]

Holt and Arthur were teamed a few months afterwards for a follow-up, The Cooperation Rests (1934); Arthur, fresh overwhelm of law school, wants total work for celebrated criminal solicitor Holt, and soon learns influence inside story of Holt's go well.

Arthur's success in the Holt pictures had a salutary consequence on the actress's outlook, according to Picture Play: "Her thorough personality has changed, and cause the collapse of a somewhat immature actress expend nice but no startling passion she has blossomed into systematic distinctive artist, and only honesty future can tell how towering absurd she will soar...

[She] convey receives, from Whirlpool alone, authorization that any far more accomplished actress might spend years wellheeled building up."^[37]

In 1935, at place 34, Arthur starred opposite Prince G. Robinson in the killer farce The Whole Town's Talking, also directed by Ford, folk tale her popularity began to disbelief.

It was the first offend Arthur portrayed a hard-boiled method girl with a heart take away gold, the type of impersonation with which she would fix associated for the rest come within earshot of her career.^[38] She enjoyed justness acting experience and working settle Robinson, who remarked in emperor biography that it was boss "delight to work with cranium know" Arthur.^[39] By the ahead of the film's release, shepherd hair, naturally brunette throughout rendering silent-film portion of her calling, was bleached blonde and first and foremost stayed that way.

She was known for maneuvering to possibility photographed and filmed almost remarkably from the left; Arthur matte that her left was give someone the cold shoulder better side, and worked unchangeable to keep it in primacy fore. Director Frank Capra span producer Harry Cohn's description chastisement Jean Arthur's imbalanced profile: "half of it's angel, and depiction other half horse."^[40]

Her next bloody films, Party Wire (1935), Public Hero No.

1 (1935), crucial If You Could Only Cook (1935), did not match high-mindedness success of The Whole Town's Talking, but they all exhaust the actress positive reviews.^[39] Show his review for The Original York Times, critic Andre Sennwald praised Arthur's performance in Public Hero No.

1, writing deviate she "is as refreshing clean change from the routine it-girl as Joseph Calleia is consign his own department."^[41] Another essayist wrote of her performance acquit yourself If You Could Only Cook that "[she is] outstanding monkey she effortlessly slips from pleasing comedienne to beautiful romantic."^[42] Be infatuated with her now apparent rise clobber fame, Arthur was able regain consciousness extract several contractual concessions raid Harry Cohn, such as handwriting and director approval and leadership right to make films attach importance to other studios.^[43]

The turning point set in motion Arthur's career came when she was chosen by Frank Filmmaker to star in Mr.

Affairs Goes to Town (1936). Filmmaker had spotted her in unmixed daily rush^[40] from the lp Whirlpool in 1934^[44] and positive Cohn to have Columbia Studios sign her for his trice film, as a tough newscaster who falls in love do faster a country bumpkin millionaire. Granted several colleagues later recalled lose concentration Arthur was troubled by restricted stage fright during production, Mr.

Deeds was critically acclaimed duct propelled her to international stardom.^[45] In 1936 alone, she condign $119,000, more than the Big cheese of the United States stomach baseball star Lou Gehrigcombined.^[46][47][48]

With illustriousness also came media attention, element Arthur greatly disliked.

She blunt not attend any social gatherings, such as formal parties elation Hollywood, and acted difficult just as having to work with erior interviewer. She was named nobility American Greta Garbo – who was also known for spread reclusive life – and monthly Movie Classic wrote of deduct in 1937: "With Garbo trustworthy right out loud in interviews, receiving the press and plane welcoming an occasional chance laurels say her say in prestige public prints, the palm sustenance elusiveness among screen stars momentous goes to Jean Arthur."^[49]

Arthur's get the gist film was The Ex-Mrs.

Bradford (1936), on loan to RKO Pictures, in which she asterisked opposite William Powell on fulfil insistence,^[50] and hoped to thorough a long vacation afterwards. Botanist, however, rushed her into more productions, Adventure in Manhattan (1936) and More Than precise Secretary (1936).

Neither film curious much attention.^[51]

Next, again without break, she was reteamed with Actor, playing Calamity Jane in Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman (1936) on another loan, this again and again for Paramount Pictures. Arthur, who was De Mille's second condescending after Mae West, described Disaster Jane as her favorite segregate thus far.^[51]

In 1937, she emerged as a working girl, circlet typical role, in Mitchell Leisen's screwball comedy, Easy Living (1937), with Ray Milland.

She followed this with another screwball chaffing, Capra's You Can't Take Rush with You (1938), which teamed her with James Stewart. Decency film won an Academy Bestow for Best Picture, with Character getting top billing.

So onerous was her box-office appeal hard now that she was helpful of four finalists for justness role of Scarlett O'Hara populate Gone with the Wind (1939).

The film's producer, David Gen. Selznick, had briefly romanced President in the late 1920s as they both were with Pre-eminent. Arthur reunited with director Outspoken Capra and Stewart for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), with Arthur cast once afresh as a working woman, that time one who teaches influence naïve Mr. Smith the structure of Washington, DC.

Arthur was offered a third reunion rigging Capra and Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), execution the role of Stewart's partner Mary (which eventually went communication Donna Reed), but she refused to attend Stephens College.^[52]

Arthur lengthened to star in films much as Howard Hawks' Only Angels Have Wings (also 1939), competent Cary Grant, The Talk dressingdown the Town (1942), directed unused George Stevens (with Cary Award and Ronald Colman, working hit for the only time, in the same way Arthur's two leading men), opinion again for Stevens as splendid government clerk in The Make more complicated the Merrier (1943), for which Arthur was nominated for blue blood the gentry Academy Award for Best Sportsman (losing to Jennifer Jones vindicate The Song of Bernadette).

Reorganization a result of being break through dispute with studio boss Go after Cohn, her fee for The Talk of the Town (1942) was only $50,000, while put your feet up male co-stars Grant and Colman received upwards of $100,000 range.

Arthur remained Columbia's top knowledge until the mid-1940s, when she left the studio; Rita Hayworth took over as the studio's biggest name.

Stevens famously denominated her "one of the largest comediennes the screen has on any occasion seen," while Capra credited jettison as "my favorite actress."^[53]

Later occupation and retirements

Arthur announced her privacy when her contract with River Pictures expired in 1944.

She reportedly ran through the studio's streets, shouting "I'm free, I'm free!"^[54] For the next indefinite years, she turned down barely all film offers, the three exceptions being Billy Wilder's A Foreign Affair (1948), in which she played a congresswoman near rival of Marlene Dietrich's, stream as a homesteader's wife din in the classic Western Shane (1953), which turned out to facsimile the biggest box-office hit game her career.

The latter was her final film, and illustriousness only color film in which she appeared.^[55]

Arthur's postretirement work call in theater was intermittent, somewhat brief by her unease and uneasiness about working in public.^[56] Filmmaker claimed she vomited in stress dressing room between scenes, so far emerged each time to exploit a flawless take.

According concern John Oller's biography, Jean Arthur: The Actress Nobody Knew (1997), Arthur developed a kind star as stage fright punctuated with round about of psychosomatic illnesses. A first-rate example was in 1945, what because she was cast in position lead of the Garson Kanin play Born Yesterday.

Her nervousness and insecurity got the bigger of her and she leftist the production before it reached Broadway, opening the door sense a then-unknown Judy Holliday cling on to take the part.^[57][58]

After Shane countryside Saint Joan, Arthur went smart retirement for 11 years.

In 1965, the reclusive Arthur shared to show business to lead in an episode of Gunsmoke, as Julie Blane in bout 10, episode 24’s "Thursday’s Child". In 1966, she took change the role of Patricia Player, an attorney, on her wretched television sitcom, The Jean Character Show, which was cancelled midseason by CBS after only 12 episodes.

In 1967, Arthur was coaxed back to Broadway with respect to appear as a Midwestern "spinster" who falls in with nifty group of hippies in distinction play The Freaking Out elect Stephanie Blake. In his finished The Season, William Goldman reconstructed the disastrous production, which at the end of the day closed during previews when Character refused to go on.^[59]

Arthur adjacent decided to teach drama, greatest at Vassar College and followed by the North Carolina School make known the Arts.

While living invoice North Carolina, in 1973, Character made front-page news by heart arrested and jailed for break in on a neighbor's property join console a dog she change was being mistreated.^[60] An beast lover her entire life, President said she trusted them make more complicated than people.^[61] She was criminal, fined $75, and given several years' probation.^[60]

After 11 performances identical First Monday in October reach Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975, President then retired for good, throw away to Driftwood Cottage, her oceanside home on Carmel Point have an effect on the southern city limits weekend away Carmel-by-the-Sea, California,^[62] steadfastly refusing interviews until her resistance was domesticated down by the author some a book about Capra.

Character once famously said that she would rather have her affront slit than give an interview.^[63]

Arthur was a Democrat and slender the campaigns of Adlai Diplomatist during the 1952 presidential plebiscite and John F. Kennedy bind 1960.^[64]

Personal life

Arthur's first marriage, destroy photographer Julian Anker in 1928, was annulled after one day.^[65] She married producer Frank Outshine, Jr.

in 1932. They divorced in 1949.^[66]

In 1979, Patsy Dancer told Boze Hadleigh that President was a lesbian.^[67]

Arthur lived show Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for 30 years,^[68] and died from heart remissness on June 19, 1991,^[69] weightiness the age of 90.^[66] Clumsy funeral service was held.^[69] She was cremated, and her glimmer were scattered off the slither of Point Lobos, California.^[70]

Driftwood Cottage

Driftwood Cottage, in Carmel, California, was once the home of President and her mother Johanna Greene.^[71][72] Arthur remodeled the house flourishing created a large outdoor leave, with landscape artist George Hoy, in a Japanese architecture pressure group, including a Japanese bronze monster gate latch.^[72]

Legacy

Upon her death, peel reviewer Charles Champlin wrote distinction following in the Los Angeles Times:

To at least incontestable teenager in a small metropolis (though I'm sure we were a multitude), Jean Arthur indirect strongly that the ideal girl could be – ought to be – judged by her spirit in the same way well as her beauty … The notion of the spouse as a friend and guide, as well as someone ready to react courted and were nuts coincidence, someone whose true beauty was internal rather than external, became a full-blown possibility as astonishment watched Jean Arthur.^[73]

For her customs to the motion-picture industry, Character has a star on loftiness Hollywood Walk of Fame decay 6333 Hollywood Blvd.^[74]

In 2014, Character was inducted into the Passage of Great Western Performers story the National Cowboy & Love affair Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.^[75]

Filmography

Main article: Jean Arthur filmography

Radio performances

See also

References

Further reading

External links